Fairy Heroes Academia 14
It Begins, The Sports Festival!
The press was outside of UA, clamoring in front of the gates. Each of them was trying to get coverage of the Sports Festival, knowing they would get tons of views if they were the ones to get the scoop. It wasn't going so well considering many of them couldn't even get into the premises.
"This security line is huge. What's the deal?" A brunette reporter sighed, not liking this one bit.
"A bunch of villains did just break in." Her cameraman said, "Of course the school is being stricter this year. Some people think they shouldn't be holding the festival, considering what happened."
Fireworks crackled through the air, the school wasting no expense celebrating their students.
"Perfect!" The reporter grinned with gusto, "Nothing brings ratings up like a little controversy! It's like allowing those amnesiac girls into the hero course despite having no memory! We were getting emails for weeks."
"Plus, everybody will be tuning in to see Class 1A!" She cheered, picturing the ratings already.
A bunch of different stands were set up outside of UA, some providing food, others refreshments, a wide variety of snacks, and even some UA merchandise could be found if one looked closely enough.
"I'm always psyched to see the third years since they've got the most experience with their Quirks." A man said to his friend, the two were psyched to watch the Sports Festival like the rest of the crowd, "Plus, it's their last chance to show their worth."
"Nah, this time it's all about those powerful first years, I can't wait." His friend responded.
"Hey, did you hear that Endeavor's son is one of the first-year students?" A woman said looking over the Endeavor masks just above the Present Mic masks, but below the All Might masks, "Can you imagine?"
"No way seriously?"
"Man, the stands for the first years are gonna be packed!" A man said as many of the people were flooding into the entrance of the rather large stadium.
. . .
The Class 1A students were in their designated waiting area, there were four tables with 6 chairs each and lockers for their belongings. The class was dressed in their PE uniforms instead of their Hero gear much to many of their displeasure.
"Aw, man." Mina whined, "I was totally hoping I could wear my costume."
"At least everyone'll be in uniforms." Ojiro commented stretching in preparation, "That'll keep things fair, right?"
"That's probably why we're all required to wear the same thing." Lucy voiced, typing her hair into pigtails, "I wonder what they'll have in store for us."
Tokoyami crossed his arms and closed his eyes in the seat beside her, "No matter what they've prepared, we must persevere."
"Right." Shoji agreed from nearby.
"Everyone, get your game faces on!" Tenya announced as he and Levy entered the waiting room, "We're entering the arena soon!" They had met with the teachers, the class representatives were only necessary but Tenya tagged along.
"Swallow your fear, swallow your fear, swallow your fear." Mineta chanted to himself beside Izuku, feeling the stress setting in already.
Izuku meanwhile, was trying to control his nerves by breathing in and out.
"Midoriya." A cool voice called.
Izuku looked over in confusion, only to see the half-and-half-scarred teen. "Hey, Todoroki. What's up?"
Practically every head turned, usually the boy had been so reserved so to see him approach someone so casually was a bit flabbergasting.
"From an objective standpoint, I think it's fairly clear that I'm stronger than you." He plainly stated, catching Izuku off guard.
"Uh– um, yeah." He nodded.
"However, you've gained control over your Quirk and you've got All Might in your corner, helping you out." Todoroki declared, causing Izuku to gasp, "I'm not here to pry about what's going on between you two, but know that I will beat you."
Izuku's eyes widened in fear and surprise, not expecting this sort of behavior from the quiet teen.
Todoroki's head tilted slightly staring at Lucy and Levy, "I won't lose against you two either. You two may be powerful but I'm going to win."
Lucy and Levy's eyebrows raised slightly, not expecting to be roped into this.
"What's with all these declarations of war lately?" Kaminari sweatdropped with an amused smile.
Kirishima walked forward to the son of Endeavor trying to place a calming hand on his shoulder, "Why are you pickin' a fight all of a sudden? And right before we get started…"
"We're not here to be each other's friends." Todoroki shrugged off Kirishima's hand, "Don't forget. This isn't a team effort." He turned and walked a few steps away.
"Wait a sec, Todoroki." Izuku called, causing the teen to pause, "I don't know what's going through your head or why you think you need to tell us you'll beat us. And, yeah, of course, you're better than me. In fact, you probably have way more potential than almost everyone in the hero course. That's why you got in so easily."
The class was stunned silent, it was rare to have these two talking to each other, and to have it be in such an honest straightforward way was so interesting.
"Midoriya maybe you're being a little hard on yourself, and us." Kirishima piped in trying to calm the other teen.
"No, he's right, you guys. All the other courses they're coming for us with everything they've got." Izuku argued, "We're all gonna have to fight to stand out."
Izuku lifted his head confidently meeting Todoroki's gaze with determination, "And I'll be aiming for the top, too."
"I couldn't have said it better myself." Lucy walked up, "Don't think we'll go down so easily Todoroki, I want to see what you've got out there."
"Fine." Todoroki relented to the two.
"Tch." Bakugo glared from where he was sitting, not particularly caring for the display.
"Lighten up." Levy elbowed him, "You love showing off." She joked causing the teen to roll his eyes.
. . .
"HEY!" Present Mic shouted, his image being displayed on a jumbo screen, "Make some NOISE, all you RABID SPORTS FANS!" The crowd went wild with excitement as the pro hero spoke, having waited all day for this moment.
"Get those cameras prepped media hordes!" Present Mic and Eraser Head were both providing the commentary for the Sports Festival, sitting in the press box. "This year we're bringing you some of the hottest performances in Sports Festival history, guaranteed!"
"I've only got one question before we start this show: Are you ready?" He smiled into the microphone, "Let me hear ya scream as our students make their way to the main stage!"
Many of the student's family members watched, each with varying reactions. Some were filled with excitement, others were anxious, but every single one felt proud that their loved one was up there after working so hard.
The staff had a reserved area where they could watch everything in the arena in peace, but wasn't so out of the way that they couldn't step in if need be.
"You must introduce yourself to the world and proudly say I am here!" All Might's words to Izuku flooded his head as the man stared at the opening the students were supposed to enter.
"The UA Sports Festival is where up-and-coming heroes leave everything on the field as they fight for the chance to achieve worldwide fame and celebrity!" Present Mic announced to the crowd.
People cheered and waved flags as they spotted the first few students walk out, "This first group is no strangers to the spotlight." His voice boomed.
"You know them from withstanding a villain attack! The dazzling students lighting up your TVs with solid-gold skills!" Present Mic played into the crowd's excitement, "The hero course students of Class 1A!"
The class all made their way onto the field, looking at the no doubt thousands of people visible to them, knowing many more were watching on TV. The students all walked out confidently, their heads held high and expressions determined, not a single one wanting to falter at this moment.
"Uh… I didn't know there'd be so many people." Izuku gulped, his eyes scanning the area.
"Don't mind them, Izuku." Levy elbowed him as they walked, "They're all here to support us students."
"I hope we're still able to give our best performances, even though all these eyes are watching us." Iida conveyed, "I suppose it's just another aspect of being a hero we all have to get used to."
"Present Mic sure did talk us up a lot." Kirishima said, "Kinda makes me nervous. How're you feelin', man?" He asked the explosive teen in front of him.
"I'm not worried." Bakugo replied, "Makes me wanna win this thing even more."
"They haven't gotten nearly as much screentime, but this next group is still chock full of talent!" Present Mic started to introduce the next group of determined students, "Welcome hero course Class 1B!"
"Next up, general studies classes C, D, and E!" Many of these students didn't look too confident, except for Shinso who walked forward with his classmates.
"Support classes F, G, and H!" These students were different from the others being the only ones decked out in special gear, alongside their PE uniforms.
"And finally, business classes I, J, and K!" This was the final group of first-years who would be participating in the Sports Festival.
"Give it up for all of UA's first-year contestants!" Present Mic exclaimed, the crowd went wild showing support for the students, ready to see what they were made of, more particularly the future heroes.
"I get the feeling we're just here to make the hero students look better." A male brunet general studies student said behind Shinso.
"I can't wait for this to be over with." A girl beside him said, not eager to embarrass herself in front of a stadium full of people.
Midnight cracked the personalized flogger-style whip that she used for hero work dubbed the Whips of Love. She stood beyond the students on a small platform accessible from a few steps. "Now, the introductory speech!"
Her voice sounded through the loudspeakers, and many men, women, and many other identifying characters grew excited to see the hero who capitalized on her sexiness. "This year's chief umpire for the first-years in the R-Rated Hero, Midnight!"
"Amazing…" Many blushes could be seen in the audience as they gazed upon the dominatrix hero's skin-tight hero outfit, the outfit actually being designed in the best way to optimize the use of her Quirk. "Seriously, the other years don't know what they're missing." A man with a helmet covering his eyes said, but a goofy smile was present nonetheless.
"Uh, someone should talk to Ms. Midnight about what she's wearing." Kirishima commented a blush present on his and many other students' faces.
"Yeah, that costume should come with a warning." Kaminari was also blushing, but his gaze seemed to be very focused.
"Is that really appropriate apparel for a high school game?" Tokoyami added from beside the pair.
Mineta just gave an intense thumbs up with a blush, a focused gaze, and gritted his teeth in excitement.
"I've seen worse." Levy shrugged, nonchalantly.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lucy asked, a blush gracing her cheeks.
"Silence, everyone!" Midnight slashed her flogger through the air, "And for the student pledge, we have Levy McGarden!"
Levy nodded and walked to the stage.
"That's our class rep for ya…" Jiro said, nodding in satisfaction. Many of the class gave polite applause, eager to hear the girl's words.
"I heard it was a toss-up between her and Bakugo." Mina commented, "He scored highly in both exams!"
A general studies girl sighed in annoyance, "Only for the hero course exams."
"I guess they chose Levy for the high score she got for the written exam, she scored higher than anyone throughout the classes." Lucy eyed the girl, who quickly averted her gaze back to the bluenette.
Levy made her way to the microphone they propped up on stage, finally reaching it. "Hi, everyone! I'm sure you know me only as one of the students that got attacked at USJ, or maybe as one of the amnesiac girls." Levy joked, but the crowds were fixated on the girl, for being a first-year student she was already gaining traction alongside the rest of her class.
"Today, we're all here to prove that UA is stronger than the Villains that target us! All of us as a school will show you what we got! Whether it's the hero course, general studies, support, or business, everyone here has the chance to prove themselves and what they can do!" The other classes were slightly surprised the girl would mention them like this, the audience however was eating this up, listening to the girl's every word.
"I know my class and I will work hard and each of us is aiming to win this Sports Festival." She said before looking at the other classes directly, "We went through a lot already, so if you want to beat us you're gonna have to give it your best shot. Don't expect us to just lie down and take it. Give it your all, 'cause we're going to be giving it our all." Her smile was friendly, but her gaze was firm.
"It's an honor to compete against everyone! Let's show them what it means to go beyond Plus Ultra!" Levy finished off her speech, the crowd roaring with applause, many of her classmates, especially Lucy cheered and clapped for the girl. Even the other classes mustered up some polite applause, remembering when Levy had calmed them before when the press had broken into the school.
Levy rejoined the other students, and the ceremony continued.
"Without further ado, it's time for us to get started!" Midnight's voice blared through the speakers.
"UA really doesn't believe in letting us catch a breath, huh?" Uraraka muttered.
"This is where you begin feeling the pain! The first fateful game of the festival!" A holographic image materialized behind the woman, spinning dramatically to lead to a big reveal, "What could it be?"
And just like that it landed on the first event, an obstacle race, "Ta-dah!"
"So it's like an obstacle course?" Lucy wondered aloud.
"All 11 classes will participate in this treacherous contest." The screen shifted to show classes A-K, before shifting to a map of the track to demonstrate the objective, "The track is four kilometers around the outside of the stadium."
Midnight lifted her Whips of Love, "I don't wanna restrain anyone, at least in this game." Midnight licked her lip for some reason, "As long as you don't leave the course, you're free to do whatever your heart desires!" The crowd went wild, knowing they were getting to one of the good parts.
"Now then, take your places, contestants." As soon as Midnight said this, a nearby red gate with three light bulbs installed at the top lit up.
The students herded over to it, each one having to participate, whether they were ready or not, here they come. 'A race, huh?' Levy looked at the gate, her mind drifting to Fairy Tail.
She remembered when she was a teenager in Fairy Tail, her Jet, and Droy participated in Fairy Tail's foot race. 'Huff, huff, huff…' Levy panted as she ran, it was so close… the finish line! Droy had run alongside her, keeping her company. Luckily they wouldn't have to face punishment if they didn't place last.
"Come on Levy! We're almost there!" Droy smiled at her, picking up his pace.
"Finally, I thought this would never end!" Levy cried happily as the two of them began to cross the finish line.
"Levy! You finally made it!" Jet perked up, having long since finished thanks to his speed magic. "I've been waiting for you!" He gave her some water as she tried to catch her breath, tossing a bottle over to Droy too.
"You're lucky you never finish last in one of these races Jet! You always breeze right through." Levy grinned at the teen.
Jet blushed at the bluenette, "It really is nice to come in first but…" He looked Levy earnestly in the eyes, "I bet it would be a lot more fun to run the course with you."
Droy pushed his face away, "It sure was fun running with you, Levy!"
Jet pushed his face back, "Back off man, she was talking to me!"
Levy nervously laughed as the two began to argue over her.
"Well Levy, who'd you rather run with?" They asked at the same time, causing the girl to sweatdrop.
"I think it would be more fun if we all ran together!" She smiled at the two, causing their hearts to skip a beat, "Although… it would be nice to experience first place…"
Jet and Droy smiled at the girl in admiration, "There's always next year Levy! We believe you'll get first place one day!"
"Haha with Jet around I don't see that happening anytime soon, and that's okay. I'm happy to see my friend win." Levy watched as more people like Macao, Wakaba, and Reedus began to cross the finish line. One thing is for sure, she'd definitely work hard so she wouldn't end up last.
Levy watched as one of the lights turned off signalling the start of the challenge. The students began to get into positions to run. A second light turned off, and the students' faces became more determined, ready to prove themselves.
The last light turned off, "BEGIN!" Midnight declared, giving each of the students the go-ahead.
. . .
Footsteps filled the stadium as the students charged forward, wanting to try and place high.
"And we're off to a racing start!" Present Mic called out, turning to the man in the chair next to him, "How 'bout some color commentary, Mummy Man?"
"How did you talk me into this?" Aizawa deadpanned, turning his bandage-covered face to Present Mic.
"What should we be paying attention to in the early stages of the race?" Present Mic asked the other pro.
"The doorway." Aizawa calmly said into the microphone.
Many of the students were complaining down in the arena as they crammed themselves through the somewhat narrow passageway. Since each one wanted to be at the front and didn't relent, the lack of cooperation left many of them stuck.
Many of the students realize that this in itself was a test to see how they would manage to get through.
'This is the first obstacle.' Todoroki thought to himself, seizing this opportunity. Frost exploded out of the passageway, ice creeping over the walls, and a cold fog clouded the area. Todoroki ran ahead of the other students creating a floor of ice as he ran, freezing many of the students to the ground. "Apologies." He muttered as he ran.
"Ow! No fair!" A boy with sharp jowls and pointy ears spoke.
"So cold!" A girl screamed out, shivering as she tried to break free.
A blast sounded through the air, coming from a familiar hand…
Aoyama meanwhile, used his navel laser to avoid the ice, using his belt he brought with special permission considering his Quirk couldn't function without it.
Momo grabbed her right wrist securely with her left hand, creating an extended pole to avoid being trapped as well. "Nice trick, Todoroki!" She sternly called.
Levy had it the easiest, summoning her wings, "Dark Ecriture Wings!" Levy twitched at the sudden pressure added to her back, her brows furrowed in confusion… this hadn't happened before.
Bakugo's blasts propelled him forward, "I won't let you get away so easily!" Crossing his arms and extending them backward, he let his Quirk activate, "YOU ICY-HOT BASTARD!"
"You froze me in place before! I won't let it happen again!" Ojiro called as he used his strong legs to jump over the ice.
Tokoyami had used Dark Shadow to spring him forward avoiding the frost as all.
Mina squealed as she slid forward on the ice, using her Quirk, acid secreted through special holes on the soles of her shoes, using her acid to skate her forward, albeit still stumbling quite a bit.
"Gotta wait for the right time to show off my Quirk!" Uraraka said to herself as she stumbled over the ice.
Lucy's body illuminated with light, her PE Uniform being replaced, "Star Dress: Aquarius!" The students around her had their eyes widened when they saw the girl's outfit, with many guys blushing and even some girls, while others looked slightly annoyed or envious.
Izuku looked at the ice, making a decision and activating his Quirk he felt the power of One For All flooding within him. He lifted his leg up, only to stomp it down on the ice, splintering it and allowing more space for him to run, keeping his Quirk activated he surged forward in a run, feeling his speed increase.
"Sorry, everyone!" Lucy called as she began to manipulate the ice back into water cascading over her fingers, "Aqua Metria!" The water flowed in waves, Lucy had no particular target other than clearing out more ice and sweeping people in the process.
The students gaped as they watched waves of water approaching them and ultimately washing some of them away. A trio of students protected Shinso from the waves, although all of them had vacant expressions, "So they are good at using their powers, huh?"
"I didn't expect so many people to dodge that." Todoroki glanced behind him, "Especially those from other classes." He gasped slightly looking overhead, seeing Levy flying by, he didn't gasp because she was flying, he gasped at what was on her back…
"Ha HA! I outsmarted everyone!" Mineta cried happily, as Levy finally noticed her passenger, Mineta was clutching his pop-off balls as they stuck to Levy's back.
"What the-? Mineta?" She said turning her head back slightly, "What are you doing?!"
"I knew you'd start flying so it was only a matter of sneaking up behind you!" He grinned with a gremlin-like smile, "Sorry class rep, but I have no regrets!"
"Don't speak so soon!" Levy called over her shoulder, darting down, narrowly avoiding a robot claw, causing Mineta to cry out in shock, "What was that!"
A red camera shutter adjusted from within the many robot's eyes as it gazed down at the students, "Targets acquired." The red eyes flashed, "Terminate them."
"The robots from the entrance exam!" Lucy spoke, not expecting these things to make a comeback.
"OOH! Enemies have shown up out of nowhere!" Present Mic commentated, as everyone could see plainly that the gargantuan robots stopped the students in their tracks for a moment. "I bet we're in for a treat here! A test of strength and cunning!"
"IT'S A ROBO INFERNO!"
"Are those the zero-point villains from the practical test?!" Kaminari gawked at the giant robots, somehow seeming even bigger and more intimidating than before, somehow…
More and more stepped forward, a lineup blockading the next part of the course. "This is what they meant by obstacles?!" A general studies student cried.
"So this is what the other students faced in their entrance exams." Todoroki remarked. Since he was personally recommended for the school by his father he took part in an entirely different test without any of the robots UA had the other students face.
"Where's the school even get the funding for these things?" Momo wondered aloud, this also being the first time she saw these robots as well since she was also a recommended student.
The Robo Inferno saw its chance putting a robotic hand forward to strike the stunned students.
Todoroki stomped on the floor, ice beginning to form, bringing his right hand up as it was covered with frost, "They obviously went through a lot of trouble, but I wish they prepared something a little more difficult." Placing his hand on the floor, spikes immediately protruded from the sheet of ice he created before, swirling around him, "Especially since my dear old dad is watching." Bringing his hand forward in a swipe, that also froze the ground beneath his hand as he moved it along, he used his ice to completely overtake the machine. First creeping over the Robo Inferno's hand before fully encasing the rest of its body.
Todoroki sighed, a cold blue mist escaping between his lips as he looked up at the Robo Inferno ice sculpture. He proceeded to run between its legs.
"Dude! He stopped the robots!" A student called.
"Look! Between their legs! We can get through!"
"Careful, now!" Todoroki yelled behind him, in a calm tone, "I froze them while they were off their balance."
A few pieces cracked and broke off the Robo Inferno as it began to tip over. "On purpose." Todoroki voiced as he ran forward.
"That's Todoroki from Class 1A pulling ahead to an early lead with a devastating display! AMAZING!" Present Mic slammed his hands on the table before him in glee, "He's one we should watch, it almost seems unfair! Thoughts?" He turned to his partner.
"His attack was both offensive and defensive." Aizawa commented.
"No WONDER he was let in on recommendations!" Present Mic gave his thumbs up, "He'd never even fought those Robo Infernos before, but they didn't stand a chance against his chart-topping moves!" Present Mic explained.
Levy flew around avoiding the robotic swats sent her way, increasing her speed to fly past them.
Tears escaped Mineta's eyes as he clung on for his life, "I changed my mind! This was a bad idea!"
"Hang on Mineta!" Levy said as she corkscrewed through the air, rapidly spinning at a speed that had Mineta dizzy.
"McGarden is really MOVING!" Present Mic cheered, "You wouldn't expect her to be able to fly like that!"
"She's recently developed this aspect of her Quirk and has been working hard to use it to her advantage." Aizawa said, watching his class with interest, "I have to say I'm surprised she can do that with Mineta sticking to her."
"Hey!" A student called, "There's someone trapped under that robot!"
"Do you think we should try and help 'em?" A student with a clown-like appearance asked.
"Are people seriously gonna die here?" A student gripped the sides of his head, not liking his chances anymore.
A couple of thuds could be heard within the ice, causing some students to gasp. The ice cracked as a hardened Kirishima burst through the surface, "I'M ALIVE!"
"Kirishima from Class 1A! What a hardcore debut for this rookie!" Present Mic's voice boomed.
"Todoroki, I can't believe you pulled something like that." Kirishima stared forward in slight annoyance, "Jeez. Anyone but me woulda been killed!"
"Class 1-A really is full a' jerks!" The surface once again cracked as another student broke out of the Robo Inferno. "I'll smash that ice guy when I get my hands on him."
"Tetsutetsu from class 1B was also stuck underneath! What are the odds?" Present Mic joked.
"Ya know, anyone other than me woulda been killed!" Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu placed his hands on his hips, his entire body now encased in metal. His Quirk: Steel, allowed him to turn his body into steel.
"Huh, I wish Levy was here to see this guy…" Lucy voiced, looking at the metal teen and being reminded of Gajeel. "I don't know how she'd react though."
"Our Quirks are basically the same!" Kirishima continued to run forward, a twinkle of tears escaping his eyes, "How am I supposed to stand out now!"
"You damn copycat!" Tetsutetsu yelled running alognside him.
"Man, how lucky are they?" Kaminari complained, "They don't have to worry about being crushed!"
"We're racing each other, but we can team up for now. Let's carve a path." A black-haired student with his hair in a low-braid suggested as his left arm turned green, produced claws, and seemed to become thicker with scales.
BOOM!
The other students gasped as Bakugo propelled himself upward using his explosions to gain height.
"Whoa, Bakugo?" Kaminari exclaimed in surprise.
'No way am I letting Todoroki or Levy beat me.' Using his left hand to create a blast he veered out of the way of a robot's oncoming fist. "Class 1A's Bakugo is rocketing over the obstacles! Clever!" Present Mic sang in satisfaction.
Bakugo crouched as he landed atop the gigantic robot, he heard Sero behind him, "I figured you'd just try to blast your way through these things with your Quirk, I'm impressed."
Tokoyami popped up as well, using Dark Shadow to rapidly ascend the robot. "I'll hitch a ride on my shadow."
The audience went wild as they listened to Present Mic explain each student's Quirks and simultaneously saw them in action. The teachers watched on as well in their own little area.
"Looks like all the pack leaders are from class 1A." Snipe commented, "At least for now."
"It's not that 1B and the other students are doing poorly it's just…" All Might trailed off.
"Class 1A's learned not to hesitate." Aizawa's voice informed, knowing his class well by now.
Tenya panted, running forward with his accelerated speed, jumping up off the ground and kicking a smaller robot over, flipping off it and landing safely on the ground once more.
Jiro's earjacks connected to a robot for each earlobe, she sent a frequency that caused them to malfunction and fall over harmlessly. She smirked as she ran in between the two now useless robots.
A robot punched at Kaminari but the boy jumped, landing on its arm and surging with electricity.
Lucy glowed, now donning her Cancer Star Dress, she twirled the scissor blades in each hand, her speed now increased as she flashed forward. She carved her way through the robots, with the pieces falling to the ground.
"They've seen what the real world is like. They've felt the fear of facing villains."
"Release." Uraraka touched her fingertips together, with dozens of robots now crashing to the ground.
"Yet they fight to overcome that fear."
Ojiro spun in the air and slammed his tail into a robot, shattering it.
"They've grown. All of them. And they know that they have to act quickly if they want to stay alive." Aizawa finished.
Izuku surged forward with One For All activated, his steps pounding against the floor, rearing his fist back "Smash!" He called breaking it apart, before his eye noticed something, 'A piece of the robot Lucy sliced!' Crouching down without stopping his pace he picked it up and tucked it underneath his arm, 'This is surprisingly light! Even with a Quirk, this could come in handy!'
Everyone gasped as larger robots were hit with projectiles falling over one after the other. Izuku turned seeing a familiar face holding a rather large canon that she produced with her body, 'Momo!'
"Piece of cake!" She said running off and leaving the canon, knowing it was too heavy to carry and useless to anyone but her without any ammo.
'No wonder she got in on recommendations!' Izuku thought as he continued to run. A majority of the students now finally making it past the rest of the robots and moving on to the next area.
"For those of you who thought the first obstacle was easy. Let's see how ya feel about the second one." He declared.
The students could be seen looking on in fear, "If they take a spill, they're out!" The entire ground was hollow with only columns of earth connected by ropes being the way to the other side of the gap. "If they wanna pass this test they'll have to get creative! It's The Fall!"
"When did they even have time to build something like this?" Uraraka asked.
Tsu stepped forward.
"What're you doing?" Mina asked as Tsu bounded forward in a huge leap.
"Ribbit!"
Landing on a rop perfectly she used her hands and feet to get to the other side, having no problem with this whatsoever, "This is my moment. Easy peasy."
"She's really fast!" Lucy commented.
A chuckle could be heard behind them, "Yes. Finally." A girl groaned, "This is my chance to show off what I can do." The pink-haired girl placed her goggles on her eyes as she grinned. Her legs and feet were covered in robotic enhancers, "My support items are gonna steal the spotlight from these wannabe heroes."
This was Mei Hatsume, she was a part of the Support Class, being one of the many rising stars in her course already. The girl was obsessed with inventing, even dubbing her creations as her babies.
"EVERYONE!" She spread her arms out, "Observe what my brilliant gadgets can do! Wire arrows and her soles!" She said, referring to the gadget attached to her sides and feet, which glinted from the light.
"You're from Support!" Uraraka said,
"You were allowed to bring in stuff?" Lucy asked, looking at the girl's gadgets. She was told that tools weren't allowed unless the proper procedures were put in place to get permission.
"Students in the hero course get all kinds of combat training for their Quirks. In order to keep things fair and give us a fighting chance, we're allowed to bring whatever gadgets and costumes we want into the games, so long as we developed them ourselves." Hatsume explained, before calling out to the group and audience once more, "So, sit back and enjoy the show!"
An arrow shot out of her side with a wire connected to it, attaching itself to an earth column. "For those of us in the support course, this is the perfect obstacle to show off our ingenious creations to any companies out there who might recruit us!" She laughed as her boot-like devices activated on her feet, sending her right over the abyss.
"I hope the employers are watching!" Her body fell as she pressed a button on a device she pulled out, causing the line attached to the arrow to retract and pull her closer, "My super-cute babies are sure to make a splash!"
Pivoting her body, her boots allowed her to climb up the column and gave her enough power to propel herself higher into the air as she spread out her arms with a cackle before landing.
"That was amazing!" Lucy commented from where she and the other students had observed.
Lucy used her enhanced speed to run and jump, using the momentum to send her flying to the middle of the rope, springing off the rope, and landing on the earth column. "Thank Mavis that worked." She sighed in relief, not hesitating to repeat the action to make up for lost time.
"In the world of heroes, it can be hard to get popular without a flashy Quirk." Present Mic informed turning his chair to his co-host, "Right, Eraser Head?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, idiot."
Todoroki's foot froze the rope as he ground along the material, "Looks like Todoroki is still skating by easily!"
Todoroki turned his head noticing three classmates gaining on him, looking at Bakugo he noticed the intense look on his face, 'He's finally getting fired up. It took him long enough.'
"You suck!" Bakugo called, igniting his hands once more.
"Mineta, get off!" Levy called, her speed being reduced with the boy on her back, flying upside down to shake him off he grabbed on tighter.
"NO! I'll fall!" He screamed looking at the abyss below them.
Levy rolled her eyes, continuously flipping until Mineta turned a shade of green, complimenting his usual purple pretty well actually.
The now dizzy boy grabbed onto his head to steady it and regain his bearings, but this meant he let go of the balls attached to Levy, "AHHHH!" He waved his arms before crashing into one of the earth columns, "I-I could still win this…" He shook his head trying to get rid of the dizziness.
Levy grinned, finally free of the purple gremlin. Her wings flapped hard as she increased her speed, Todoroki now in her sights.
Tenya made it to the earth column as well, "My older brother's probably watching this. I can't let him see me look foolish, I've got this!" Tenya placed one foot in front of the other and spread his arms to maintain balance as his thrusters drove him forward.
"Boy, does he look foolish!" Present Mic boomed.
The audience watched with apt attention, "The dude in first place is so far ahead."
"His Quirk is really powerful, but it's his natural talent and keen judgment keeping him in first place." A three-eyed spectator with a goatee commented.
"I'm not surprised." A pointy-eared man with a black bandana keeping his red hair tied back, "Don't you know who his father is? The Flame Hero, Endeavor!"
"Wait for real?! That guy's only second only to All Might himself."
"Everyone'll be fighting to have him as a sidekick for sure."
All Might couldn't help but listen to the spectators as they watched. He knew that Endeavor had a son, but the man is so private about his personal life that he'd never witnessed what the young Todoroki could do until recently.
The leader's putting distance between him and the students stuck at The Fall!" Present Mic informed as Shoji jumped column to column and Aoyama used his Navel Laser to jump the distance, even Izuku could be seen jumping with his Quirk, carrying the sheet of metal still.
"It hasn't been announced how many competitors will make it through to the next round, so there's no time to relax."
Todoroki paused as he finally made it to the next area, seeing dirt replace the concrete he'd been running on.
"And now, we're finally approaching the last obstacle. Everyone had better tread carefully. You're stepping onto a MINEFIELD! If you look carefully, you can see where those little bombs are buried, so keep your eyes on the ground, folks."
Present Mic wagged his finger, even though only Aizawa could clearly see him, "By the way, those land mines were designed for the games, so they might be loud and flashy, but they're not all that powerful. JUST ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU WET YOUR PANTS!"
"Get a hold of yourself." Aizawa droned, not even turning to the man.
Back on the racetrack, a student accidentally stepped onto one of the lumps on the ground and activated the pink explosion tossing him and a few others away.
'Those in the lead are actually at a disadvantage here.' Todoroki walked quickly as he scanned the floor carefully, another student being blown away with a scream, 'Guess it makes for good entertainment.'
Another blast sounded off, this one sounding different than the others which caused Todoroki to turn around, "Ha, ha, ha! It's over." Bakugo yelled heartily as he used another set of explosions to thrust him forward, passing Todoroki, "Bastard! Your declaration of war was to the wrong person!"
Now next to him, Bakugo's hand lit up as he aimed for Todoroki's body, the icyhot teen dodged it though. "Just like that, a new student takes the lead! The media here is going crazy! There's nothing they love more than an upset!"
Tenya ran as fast as he could, panting as he outran the activated mines behind him, slightly stumbling and getting caught in an explosion, "Hey, hey, hey! The rest of the competitors are catching up, too!"
"And what's this? Can our two leaders fight each other and stay in front of the competition?" Bakugo thrust another blast at Todoroki, the other boy catching his arm and freezing it slightly, all while still running.
"Boys!" A voice happily sang next to them as they felt the wind rush by them, "Thanks for the lead!" Levy looked back at them smugly, flying past the two. The mines were not giving her any problems much like the other obstacles, her main disruption having been ditched.
"Levy McGarden takes the lead! Her Quirk allows her to avoid the mines altogether! These challenges were chosen before we knew she could use her Quirk to this extent."
Izuku used his Quirk to increase his strength, digging the mines out as quickly and carefully as he could.
"What's he doing?" Jiro muttered to herself as she and other students shuffled forward carefully to avoid setting off the mines.
"McGargen is in the lead, while second place goes to Todoroki and Bakugo who are neck and neck."
"There!" Izuku said looking at all the landmines he had gathered. "Thanks for the idea Kacchan!" He ran forward with the metal plate.
"Super-explosive turbo speed!" Jumping up and crouching setting his feet firmly on the metal plate and landing directly on the landmines. He triggered a huge explosion, but the metal plate absorbed the hit launching it straight forward with Izuku safely riding atop it.
"Whatever the case, Class 1A's Izuku Midoriya is suddenly in hot pursuit of our leads!" Izuku soared, flying over Bakugo and Todoroki, the momentum being enough to shoot him next to Levy, "Just like that! He's tied for first!"
The audience went wild with screams and shouts, cheers everywhere as they watched the students compete for first place.
"Hey, Izuku! You made it!" Levy looked to her side as she continued to fly.
"Levy!" Izuku smiled, "There was more force than I expected! Would you mind helping me land?" He nervously asked as he came closer to the land mines beneath him.
An explosion sounded behind the pair, "Deku!" A louder explosion, "What the hell do you think you're doing, huh?"
Todoroki seeing that he lost his lead froze the floor in front of him deciding this would gain him some speed, 'This ice path will end up helping the others. But there's no time to worry about them!'
"Look at that plot twist! Those two aren't fighting anymore. They're chasing Midoriya and McGarden! That's what having a common enemy will do in this competition! This fight is still far from over, though!"
All Might leaned forward in his seat, sweat dripping from his forehead, 'Anything can happen.'
With the students, Todoroki had found himself beside Bakugo once more the two rushing to reach the lead. Midoriya was falling slowly as Levy tilted her head to assess the situation, she was the one with the clear advantage.
Levy increased her speed once again surpassing her classmates and gaining a bigger lead. Izuku, however, came up with a plan on how to land. He managed to plant his feet firmly on Bakugo and Todoroki, using them to stabilize himself as he slammed the metal plate firmly onto the ground. The mines buried where the metal plate hit exploded, throwing Izuku forward, but catching Todoroki and Bakugo within it for a moment.
Izuku stumbled and rolled before finally catching himself and running.
Levy turned around seeing the boy gaining on her, "Sorry, Izuku! I don't think so! Solid Script: Brick Wall!"
Izuku's body flashed as he activated One For All and smashed through the spell.
"In a stunning move, Midoriya has blasted past his classmates from 1A! Not letting anything stop him in his pursuit to steal the lead from McGarden. I don't believe it- he cleared the minefield in an instant! Huh- but what's this?"
From the pink cloud of smoke from the blast emerged Todoroki and Bakugo, the two not looking phased in the least.
"Surprise!" Lucy popped out of the ground in a maid outfit, avoiding the mines by digging deeper below them. Many in the audience started to cheer in admiration at the outfit. She flipped through the air and in a literal flash she was in her Cancer Star Dress and running alongside Bakugo and Todoroki.
"Eraser Head, your students are amazing! What the heck are you teaching them?"
Aizawa stared evenly at his top students, "This has nothing to do with me. Each of them is powered by their own drive to succeed."
"There you have it! Eraser Head is a terrible teacher."
"I'm what?"
Levy's wings pulsed with purple energy as she flew faster. Bakugo's explosions propelled him even further. Ice also crept forward as Todoroki sprinted. Lucy's legs looked like a blur as her enhanced speed carried her forward. Lightning sparked around Izuku as he used his Quirk to push him through.
"Who would've imagined at the beginning of this race that the climax would be a non-stop mega-mix of surprises?" Present Mic relayed. "The first to make it back into the stadium is the first place winner!"
The crowd went wild as Levy flew through the air, waving around at the crowd with a smile, not being winded in the least. Izuku followed shortly after, Lucy, Todoroki, and Bakugo following.
"Levy McGarden the Class Representative of Class 1A is our champion!"
The crowd only grew louder as the students continued to fill the main stadium once more.
"This is interesting." A blond student commented, his hair swept upwards.
"I think it's obvious McGarden and Midoriya's stock is about to go up." Another boy with green hair and round glasses commented next to him.
"Not so fast." A third male student with red swirls on his cheeks commented, "Heartfilia's Quirk is versatile and comes with different outfits. Imagine for a second that you're trying to market her, you can create an action figure with multiple outfits, or clothing designs based on her different dresses, not only that but she's not exactly hard on the eyes."
"You're right about that." The glasses boy agreed, "She also has multiple abilities."
"She uses her skills to her advantage and made an unexpected leap ahead." The blond boy nodded, "Although Midoriya himself used his surroundings to his advantage in an unexpected and artistic way while performing under pressure."
All Might leaned forward as he overheard the students down below, 'Business course students. Some things never change.'
Since there was not really any benefit to Business Course students participating they instead cultivate their instincts by selling things or running market simulations. They chattered happily as they assessed the students' abilities and figured out how they could market them in the future.
"The contestants are pouring in one after the other! Let's hear some applause for all our competitors as we prepare the results."
"Levy! You won!" Lucy said to her friend.
"I know! It would've been easier if Mineta hadn't been glued to my back the entire time." She said pointing to the balls still attached to her back as the wings disappeared.
"Gotta hand it to him, he really clung on there for a while." Lucy commented.
"You really popped up out of nowhere too, huh?" Levy said to the blonde girl.
"I could've been here sooner if I had used my Spirits." Lucy whispered to the other girl who nodded in response.
"This challenge was almost too easy." Levy laughed, "If you used your spirits these other students wouldn't have had a chance!"
They turned around to where Tenya was whispering to himself. "You good Tenya?" Lucy asked as he looked at them.
"I lost a race, it's just… shameful." He responded, "My Quirk is specifically made for speed."
Lucy and Levy nodded in understanding, "To be fair I can fly." Levy responded.
"That's true, she can fly. It's a pretty cheap move." Lucy tried to be helpful.
"Lu!" Levy gasped offended.
"I'm trying to make him feel better!" Lucy shrugged with a laugh.
Momo panted as she returned to the stadium as well, "How could this happen?"
Mineta stuck to his pop-off balls which were now on Momo's back. "Two birds with one stone. I'm a genius!" His nose was bleeding and his cheek was swollen.
"You are the worst." Momo shivered.
Levy shook her head at the boy, grabbing him, "Let go of her."
Mineta released his balls and happily accepted Levy's grasp, only to be thrown to the floor. "You made that harder than it should've been." Levy sighed as Mineta lay there happily.
"He did that to you too, Levy?" Momo asked the brunette who rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, it was really hard to shake him off. I had to make him let go and trust me, he did not want to." Levy shook her head.
"The first game for the first-years is finally over, and what a game it was!" Midnight returned to the field's stage once more, "Now let's take a quick look at the standings, shall we?"
1 Class A: Levy McGarden
2 Class A: Izuku Midoriya
3 Class A: Lucy Heartfilia
4 Class A: Shoto Todoroki
5 Class A: Katsuki Bakugo
6 Class B: Ibara Shiozaki
7 Class B: Juzo Honenuki
8 Class A: Tenya Iida
9 Class A: Fumikage Tokoyami
10 Class A: Eijiro Kirishima
11 Class A: Hanta Sero
12 Class B: Testsutestsu Testsutetsu
13 Class A: Mashirao Ojiro
14 Class B: Yosetsu Awase
15 Class A: Tsuyu Asui
16 Class A: Mezo Shoji
17 Class A: Ochaco Uraraka
18 Class A: Momo Yaoyorozu
19 Class A: Minoru Mineta
20 Class A: Mina Ashido
21 Class A: Koji Koda
22 Class A: Kyoka Jiro
23 Class B: Sen Kaibara
24 Class B: Kosei Tsuburaba
25 Class A: Denki Kaminari
26 Class B: Kojiro Bondo
27 Class B: Reiko Yanagi
28 Class C: Hitoshi Shinso
29 Class B: Itsuka Kendo
30 Class B: Jurota Shishida
31 Class B: Shihai Kuroiro
32 Class B: Yui Kodai
33 Class B: Hiryu Rin
34 Class B: Nirengeki Shoda
35 Class B: Kinoko Komori
36 Class B: Togaru Kamakiri
37 Class B: Neito Monoma
38 Class B: Pony Tsunotori
39 Class B: Setsuna Tokage
40 Class B: Manga Fukidashi
41 Class H: Mei Hatsume
42 Class A: Yuga Aoyama
"Only the top 42 will advance to the next round." Midnight announced, "But don't be too let down if you didn't make the cut! We've prepared other opportunities for you to shine. Now the real fun is about to begin. The chance to fully move yourselves into the limelight! Give it your best."
Midnight cracked her flog, "Let's see what we have in store for you next. Will your wildest fantasies come to life? What could it be? The waiting is torture. Prepare yourselves… for this!"
The screen behind her stopped its roulette landing on the Calvarly Battle.
"Allow me to explain. The participants will form teams of two-to-four people as they see fit. In theory, it's basically the same as a regular playground game. But there is one difference. Each player has been assigned a point value based on the results from the obstacle course." Midnight explained.
"So that means each team will have a different point value based on which students are on it." Uraraka deduced while Mina pointed at her positively in agreement, "Uh-huh!"
"Maybe you should shut up and let me explain things to you!" Midnight interrupted. "Now, then. The point assignments go up by increments of five, starting from the bottom. For example, 42nd place is worth five points, and 41st is worth ten. And the point value assigned to the first place contestant is…"
"Ten million!"
All at once every student's head whipped towards Levy.
"Really…" Shinso grinned.
"In other words, if you take down her team..." Hastume added.
Each competitor's eyes shined with intent, "You'll win the Calvary Game and take the lead for yourself."
Midnight grew excited as she saw their expressions, "That's right. It's a survival of the fittest, with a chance for those at the bottom to overthrow the top!"
Longlonglong chapter, huh gang. I still have to proofread it once. This race was a real struggle to write at some points cause there isn't much to focus on when they're all just trying to rush to the end. Hopefully it was entertaining enough, the next few chapters will have more to change and read about thankfully.
Also, I didn't think I was going to be listing every single ranking until I was actually doing it and typing their names.
I just speedread this whole thing, hopefully I didn't miss a lot of mistakes, but honestly guys I reread old chapters sometimes and notice the mistakes and figure I just have to live with them.
Could it be possible that there will be changes to the Calvarly Battle as well? Yes, of course there'll be, mwahahaha!
So Levy being able to fly makes her pretty broken, but there are definitely those who'll be able to counter her, and one of the best part of being so far into the anime is that I have the power of hindsight cause I know the future.
Hmmmm, what else is there for me to really say in this? Please review and keep reading and enjoy! Honestly I'm so glad to see people so into this and it inspires me to keep writing.