Hello everyone! It is now 2025, and we're starting things off with the Sports Festival!

Without further ado, let's get started.


Ch. 33: Roaring Start

It was finally the morning of the Sports Festival. Hordes of media outlets and reporters were swarming U.A.'s main gate as fireworks went off above, and stalls of food, games, and shops lined U.A.'s campus.

"This security line is huge. What's the deal?" The female reporter from the previous media incident complained.

"A bunch of Villains did just break in," her cameraman pointed out. "Of course, the school's being stricter this year. Some people think they shouldn't be holding the festival, considering what happened."

The reporter just grinned. "Perfect! Nothing brings ratings up like a little controversy! Plus, everybody will tune in to see Classes 1-A and 1-B!" She declared.

She wasn't wrong as the majority of the attendees were gossiping about the first-years, especially Classes 1-A and 1-B.

Not only that, several Pro Heroes had been hired to act as bodyguards to keep a lookout while the festival went on.

Speaking of which, one Pro, Mt. Lady, was eyeing a takoyaki stand while drooling slightly. "I'll take one order to go, please."

"Whoa! Mt. Lady, is it really you?" The vendor asked while blushing at the sight of the Pro Heroine and not paying much attention to Kamui Woods and Death Arms behind her.

"And hold the salt, will you?" Mt. Lady added.

"Of course!" He immediately began prepping her order. "That's gonna be 1574 yen."

Mt. Lady gasped when she heard the price. It was more expensive than she hoped. "Um… Oh, no, my money is in another costume." She played up her feminine charm, slightly shaking her hips and pressing her arms against her chest.

"SO HOT!" The vendor handed over the takoyaki. "THIS IS ON THE HOUSE!"

And it worked.

"Aren't you a dear?!" She responded.

"Have you no sense of shame?" Kamui muttered in disapproval.

After Mt. Lady snagged her takoyaki, the three continued with their patrol.

"I was hoping I'd get to do some scouting while I was here," Kamui Woods grumbled as he walked around the stalls with Mt. Lady and Death Arms.

"Too bad we're stuck working security this time," Death Arms replied.

Mt. Lady stuck one of the takoyaki into her mouth. "Looks like they called in Pro Heroes from all over to guard this thing. Quite a show."


Meanwhile, in the resting area for Class 1-A in the stadium for the first years, the students were all waiting and getting ready, both nervous and excited.

"Aw, man… I was totally hoping I could wear my costume," Mina complained, wearing her PE uniform along with the rest of 1-A.

"At least everyone will be in uniforms. That'll keep things fair, right?" Ojiro said.

"I wonder what they have in store for us in the first round?" Rikido asked.

"No matter what they've prepared, we must persevere," Fumikage calmly replied.

"Right," Mezo responded.

"Good thing I've come prepared with extra fat reserves," Hilda mentioned as she banged her belly like a drum.

"I thought you looked extra plump today," Tomoe said, glancing at her belly.

"Yep. Packing ten extra pounds worth of power!" Hilda giggled.

Just then, the door opened, and Tenya walked into the room.

"Everyone! Get your game faces on! We're entering the arena soon!" Tenya announced to the class.

As everyone started to get up and get ready, Izuku was caught unprepared when someone called his name.

"Midoriya."

Turning around, Izuku saw Shoto walking up to him, the latter's cold eyes staring right through him. A few other students turned to see what Shoto was about to say.

"Hey, Todoroki. What's up?"

"From an objective standpoint, I think it's fairly clear that we're both the strongest in the class," Shoto stated bluntly, not caring about the other twenty-three people listening in on their conversation. While Katsuki bristled at the comment, he chose to stay quiet and listen. "But you've also got the attention of All Might, haven't you?"

"Huh?"

"I'm not here to pry about what's going on between you two. But know that I will beat you."

Everyone else in the room was quite shocked at the boldness of the statement, particularly when it came so suddenly from a guy who was quite aloof from the rest of the class most of the time.

"Whoa, what's with all these declarations of war lately?" Denki asked.

"Todoroki versus Midoriya… There's no telling who would win between them," Ethel commented.

"Still, the way he said it sounds like he's got some kind of grudge," Dani added.

Eijiro walked over to put a hand on Shoto's shoulder. "Yeah, what's the big deal? Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden? And right before we get started?"

"Do you have something against Izuku?" Xenovia added.

Shoto shrugged them off and walked away. "We're not here to be each other's friends. Don't forget, this isn't a team effort."

"Wait a sec, Todoroki," Izuku called out. "I don't know what's going through your head, or why you think you need to tell me that you'll beat me. But don't forget everyone else here. You have so much potential, but so does everyone else here, and we're all aiming to win. And don't forget 1-B or the other courses. They'll be coming for us with everything they've got! We're all gonna have to fight to stand out. And I'll be aiming for the Top too!"

"Fine," Shoto responded.

Nearby, Katsuki scoffed at this exchange.


The massive crowd of spectators roared in excitement as Present Mic began to start things off.

["HEY! Make some noise, all you rabid sports fans! Get those cameras prepped, media hordes!"] Present Mic waved his arms about, even jumping out of his seat as pure excitement took hold. ["This year we're bringing you some of the hottest performances in Sports Festival history, guaranteed!"]

And to co-host alongside Present Mic was none other than a mummified Shota Aizawa, who didn't seem as excited to be there.

["I've only got one question before we start this show: Are you ready?!"]

The crowd cheers in response as Present Mic's booming voice plays over the sound system.

["Let me hear ya scream as our students make their way to the main stage!"]


Back at the Midoriya apartment, Inko, Hisashi, and Eri were all on the couch, eagerly waiting for the students to make their entrance.

"Come on, Izuku, Asia," Inko muttered in anticipation.

"When are Izuku and Asia coming out?" Eri asked.

"Soon, Eri. Soon," Hisashi replied.


Back at the stadium, the Occult Research Club, the Student Council, and the Calligraphy Club all eagerly waited as well from their high box suite seats.

"This is… quite a crowd," Ravel muttered.

"Everyone loves to watch the Sports Festival," Koneko stated, eating a large amount of cotton candy.

At the teachers' seats, Toshinori was also awaiting the appearance of his successor.

Soon, everyone's patience paid off as the first faces began to show themselves, drawing a loud roar of excitement from the crowd.

["The U.A. Sports Festival begins now! Where up-and-coming Heroes leave everything on the field as they fight for the chance to achieve worldwide fame as celebrities!"]

Present Mic's voice echoed over everyone. ["This first group is no strangers to the spotlight! You know them for withstanding a villain attack, they're the dazzling students lighting up your TVs with solid gold skills! That's right! It's The Hero Course students of Classes 1-A and 1-B!"]

Cameras panned over the group, passing over Izuku, Asia, Eijiro, Mina, Itsuka, Xenovia, Momo, Tomoe, Chacha, and Orihime.

"Izuku looks to be on the verge of a heart attack," Yumi tried to stifle a laugh.

"So does Asia," Akeno commented.

Rias nodded. "Being in front of such a large crowd can be a little intimidating."

Down at the stage, the students looked around at the huge crowd. "I didn't know there'd be so many people," Izuku remarked, intimidated by the large crowd.

"This is quite nerve-wracking," Asia stuttered.

"Don't be such worrywarts, you two," said Setsuna. "This is awesome!"

"She's right. You don't have to be so nervous," Itsuka reassured.

"I hope we're still able to give our best performances even though all these eyes are watching us," Tenya said. "I suppose it's just another aspect of being a Hero we all have to learn to get used to."

"Still, I'm amazed just how many people came to see us," Xenovia noted.

"Present Mic sure did talk us up a lot. Kind of makes me nervous," Eijiro said, turning to Katsuki. "How are you feeling, man?"

"I'm not worried. It makes me want to win this thing even more," he said with a deadly grin.

Then, Present Mic continued to introduce the rest of the first-year classes. ["Next up, General Studies Classes C, D, and E!"]

A group of around sixty students marched out of the same gateway together. Among this bigger crowd of students was none other than Hitoshi Shinso, who was determined to make good use of this opportunity to get accepted into the Hero Course.

There were a few General Studies students who had chosen not to participate, mostly because they had no intentions of being Heroes, and one of them was Rosa Shirakabe, who was cheering on her boyfriend, Hitoshi, and older twin sister, Hilda.

Meanwhile, Present Mic introduced the rest of the first-years.

["Support Classes F, G, and H!"]

Among the crowd was a girl with salmon-pink shoulder-length hair styled in dreadlocks. She had all sorts of high-tech gear on her person.

["And finally, the Business Classes I, J, and K!"]

The last of the first-year students walked onto the field.

"Give it up for all of U.A.'s first-year contestants!"

The audience members cheered loudly for the students, they couldn't wait for this competition to get started.

"I get the feeling we're just here to make the Hero students look better," one General Studies student said.

"I can't wait for this to be over," another student replied.

A loud whipping sound caught all the first-years' attention.

"Now, the introductory speech!" A feminine voice shouted. Pretty much every male in the stadium blushed as they saw the attractive woman on the stand, her whip in hand and a sultry smile on her face.

"This year's chief umpire for the first-years is the R-Rated Hero, Midnight!"

"Amazing."

"Seriously, the other years don't know what they're missing."

"Uh, someone should talk to Ms. Midnight about what she's wearing," Eijiro said with a slight blush.

"Yeah, that costume should come with a warning," Denki agreed with a faint blush of his own.

"Is that really appropriate apparel for a high school game?" Fumikage wondered.

Mineta shot him a big thumbs-up to show that he approved.

"Silence, everyone!" Midnight yelled, cracking her whip. "And for the student pledge, we have… IZUKU MIDORIYA!"

Izuku was initially surprised, but then something that his homeroom teacher mentioned two weeks ago when the Sports Festival was first announced came back to mind: since he got the most points in the Entrance Exam, he would be giving the introductory speech in the Sports Festival. Except he completely forgot about it thanks to the incident with the Excaliburs and Kokabiel. 'Oh, crap…'

"I didn't know you were our first-year rep," Asia said, but then she noticed his distress. "Izuku?"

"I forgot…" Izuku admitted in a whisper.

"You forgot?" Eijiro asked.

"How did you forget?" Momo asked.

"It's not like you to forget something like this," Xenovia said.

"A bunch of crazy stuff happened during the first of the two weeks before the Sports Festival. Had something to do with swords," Izuku said. The supernatural-aware students realized he was referring to the incident with Kokabiel and understood how he could have forgotten.

"Midoriya! Hurry up! We don't have time to wait around!"

Izuku nervously and stiffly approached the stage, much like a robot trying to mimic human movements.

Katsuki glared at Izuku's back, annoyed that he lost the top spot to that pathetic nerd.

"I never thought Deku would be selected as the first-year rep," Ochaco said.

Hanta leaned in close. "Well, I guess that broccoli-head did finish first in the Entrance Exam."

One General Studies girl sighed in annoyance. "Only for the Hero Course exams." She pointed out.

Ochaco nodded. "Oh, right."

Hanta frowned. "That girl obviously hates us."

Denki grumbled. "Yeah, and we've got Bakugo to thank for them not liking our class."

"Shut up! They don't matter anyway," Katsuki growled.

"You really gotta work on your people skills…" Hilda said with a roll of her eyes.

"Indeed, it is rather uncouth of you," Ethel added.

Katsuki, of course, chose to ignore them.

Izuku made it to the stage where Midnight was waiting for him. With every step closer to the stage and the microphone, Izuku tried to desperately come up with something to say.

'What do I do? Should I just say the school motto? Plus Ultra!… No, that won't work…'

[Kid, calm down.] Ddraig said as Izuku reached the microphone. Once he did, he stopped and held his breath. He hadn't been there for more than a second, but in his quickening mind, it was an eternity. [You're not calming down.]

'DDRAIG, WHAT DO I DO?!'

[Calming down would be a good way to start!]

"You'll do great, Izuku!" Rias called out from her seat.

"You realize that he can't hear you from here, right?" Sona asked.

Closing his eyes, Izuku took a deep breath. If he stalled any longer, it was going to be obvious that something was up. He just had to speak from the heart, and hope he didn't stutter too much.

'Ddraig, any advice for the situation?' Izuku thought hopefully.

[Try not to make a fool of yourself… even though you likely will.]

'I sometimes can't tell if you're on my side or not.'

[Well, how do you picture that you've gotten this far? Try thinking about that. And no, don't just say luck.]

Hearing this, Izuku remembered all the things that led to him here at the U.A. Sports Festival. As he remembered each experience, it started to become clear what he wanted to say. And with that, Izuku approached the microphone and took a deep breath before beginning.

"To start, I honestly don't know how I got to this point. For the longest time, I thought I was Quirkless, just part of the minority without a gift. I'd always wanted to be a Hero, but everyone told me it was impossible… But then I met people who believed in me, who helped me realize that it wasn't just about Quirks and whatnot, but also the strength of someone's heart: their dedication to helping others, to making sure people are safe. I always wanted to be a Hero like All Might, to inspire others, and let others know they can be a Hero, no matter their origin or what gifts they have. And I want to make sure everyone, not just me, is able to make their dreams come true! I want everyone to be able to pursue their passions! I want everyone to Go Beyond… PLUS ULTRA!"

All was silent… until someone stood up and slowly began clapping, followed by another, and then another. Soon, the entire crowd was cheering and applauding Izuku's speech. Even the General Studies students, who had initially been rather cynical, were surprised and awed by the boy's words.

Back with the Devil clubs, the entire ORC smiled at Izuku's inspiring speech, knowing he had it in him. The Student Council and Calligraphy Club also showed their approval with smiles.

As the crowd cheered, Izuku bowed and got down from the stage before returning to the crowd of first-years. He got plenty of claps and thumbs-up from his classmates and 1-B.

"Well done, Midoriya! A truly spectacular, fine speech!" Tenya praised.

"No kidding! I'm definitely fired up now!" Eijiro said.

"Way to go, Izuku!" Chacha cheered.

"Good job," Dani clapped.

"Indeed. Very well said," Momo nodded.

"How long did it take to come up with that?" Mina teased.

"Oh, you know. I was sort of winging it," Izuku replied while blushing.

With the speech over, Midnight decided to get the show on the road. "Without further ado, it's time for us to get started! The first game is what you'd call a qualifier! This is where you begin feeling the pain! The first fateful game of the Festival…" A holographic screen featuring a spinning lottery slot appeared right behind her. "What could it be?" She questioned, raising the suspense.

And then, it came to a stop.

Obstacle Race

"Ta-dah!"

"So it's gonna be an obstacle course?" Izuku asked.

Midnight continued to introduce the first game. "All eleven classes will participate in this treacherous contest. The track is four kilometers around the outside of the stadium. I don't want to restrain anyone, at least in this game…" She then licked her lips with a sadistic look. "As long as you don't leave the course, you're free to do whatever your heart desires!"

The crowd erupted into an uproar at the much-anticipated start of the competition.

"Now then, take your places, contestants!" Midnight pointed to a large red archway that led into a narrow passage outside of the stadium. Atop the archway, there were three glowing lights to signal the starting countdown.


'All Might…' As Izuku got ready, the words of Toshinori reverberated in his mind.

"You must introduce yourself to the world, and proudly say 'I am here!'"

And, as he looked into the eyes of the other students, he could see nothing but the unbreakable will and determination to do their best and excel. He now realized the effect his words had had on his peers: he had lit a fire in their hearts, urging them to go beyond what they would have had if it were not for his pledge. Seeing this brought a smile to his face, as his words had had the effect he had wanted them to have.

The countdown started as the first of three green lights went out.

'Mom, Dad, Rias, Akeno, Yumi, Koneko, Ravel, and All Might have put all their faith in me. I can't let them down. I have to win. I have to go even further!' Izuku thought.

The second light went out.

Up in the stands, Toshinori folded his hands, anxiously waiting for the race to begin.

Green and red scales appeared on Izuku's body as he spread his wings, ready to win. 'I hope you're watching, All Might!'

The final light went out.

"BEGIN!" Midnight announced.

No sooner than she said that, the students all stampeded their way toward the archway.

["And we're off to a racing start!"] Present Mic announced. ["How about some color commentary, Mummy Man?"]

["How did you talk me into this?"] Aizawa sighed.

"What should we be paying attention to in the early stages of the race?"]

["The doorway."] The homeroom teacher stated it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Hey! Hey!"

"You're trampling me!"

"This is too narrow!"

"Dammit!"

Inside the tunnel, it was a pandemonium as the hundreds of students were all cramped into a single narrow exit, there was a whole lot of complaining and shoving as everyone tried to be the first one out.

'This is the first obstacle…' Shoto thought in realization over how this must be the school's way of testing how they would get through. Then, the temperature dropped as a cold wind blew out of the exit as ice started building up around it. But that wasn't the end as the majority of the students found their feet frozen and stuck to the ground. With that, Shoto was able to easily run past them, leaving a trail of ice as he moved onward. "Apologies."

The immobilized students all yelled out in frustration and agony as they struggled to get their feet free.

Then, Izuku, who managed to take to the air on his wings to avoid the ice, shot out of the hallway.

And it wasn't just him either as there were others who were also free and running onward.

"Nice trick, Todoroki!" Momo said as she pole-vaulted over the ice.

"DEKU! I WON'T LET YOU AND THAT ICY-HOT BASTARD GET AWAY SO EASILY! YOU HEAR ME?!" Katsuki yelled, using his explosions to jump above the other students and past Shoto's ice trail.

Yuga fired his Navel Laser to fly backward into the air.

Ojiro used his tail to spring himself upward to avoid Shoto's ice. "He froze me in place once before, it won't happen again!"

Fumikage sent out Dark Shadow to give himself a boost across the track.

Mina shot acid from her feet to melt and skate on the ice while trying to keep herself steady and maintain her balance.

Hilda made a great leap to stomp on the ice, cracking it and making it easier to navigate.

"Coming through!" Tomoe was in her ball form, rolling across the ice, with her spikes providing traction to help her maintain control.

"Gotta wait for the right time to show off my Quirk!" Ochaco said as she took careful slow steps to avoid slipping on the ice.

And it wasn't just 1-A who managed to dodge.

Chacha had escaped being frozen by jumping high into the air.

"Steel is super-effective against Ice!" Tetsutetsu said as he smashed the ice with his steel arms.

"This is nothing!" Itsuka said as she used her giant fists to block the ice.

Asia managed to use her vines to lift herself over the ice and move onward.

"He thinks he can use ice against me? Wrong!" Orihime, in her Makami form, ran on all fours on the ice.

Rebecca transformed into a polar bear and ran on the ice without difficulty.

Jurota had the same idea, transforming into his beast form to charge across the track.

Togaru sprouted blades on the soles of his feet to create makeshift ice skates to move across the ice.

"A valid strategy, but he'll have to do better," Monoma said, having copied Tetsutetsu's Quirk to smash his own path through the ice.

"So they are good at using their powers, huh?" Hitoshi commented while being carried by four others across the ice.

Shoto looked back to see several of his classmates gaining on him. "I didn't expect so many people to dodge that. Especially from other classes." He then noticed that Izuku had already passed him, taking the lead. Izuku glanced back at Shoto with a confident smile on his face before speeding up. 'When did he… I didn't even see him catch up!'

But then, they saw a sight that made them stop.

["Target acquired. Terminate them."]

"It's those robots. From the Entrance Exam," Izuku noted.

["Ooh! Enemies have shown up out of nowhere!"] Present Mic announced. ["I bet we're in for a treat here! A test of strength and cunning!"]

Shoto gazed up at huge robotic behemoths.

["It's a Robo-Inferno!"]

An entire army of robots from the Entrance Exam were blocking the way. In the front, there were the average One-Pointers to Three-Pointers, but the rear was guarded by several Zero-Pointers that towered over everyone.

Denki skidded to a halt along with many others. "Are those the Zero-Point Villains from the Practical Test?!"

"So, this is what the other students face in their Entrance Exams," Shoto observed.

"Where'd the school even get the funding for these things?" Momo wondered.

A Zero-Pointer charged towards the students, Izuku specifically. With grace, Izuku avoided the Zero-Pointer's attack and flew over the massive robot.

"Tch, I can't let him outperform me!" Shoto growled as ice began forming on his right arm before he placed a hand on the ground to spread out the icy wave around him. "They obviously went through a lot of trouble. But I wish they would prepare something a little more difficult." He looked up to see the Zero-Pointers getting closer to attacking him. "Especially since my dear old dad is watching."

Shoto swiped his right arm up to launch another icy blast, freezing several of the other Zero-Pointers. After doing so, he ran forward to chase after Izuku.

"Dude, he stopped the robots!"

"Look! Between their legs! We can get through!"

Many of the participants began to go through the opening that Shoto made.

"Careful now..." Shoto began as he started trekking ahead. "I froze them while they were off their balance…" The Zero-Pointer collapsed on a good amount of students, effectively immobilizing them. "On purpose!"


"What incredible power," Ravel muttered, she and the other Devils watching in awe as the race continued.

["That's Todoroki from Class 1-A, showing off a devastating display! He maintains a big lead above the other contestants with only Midoriya ahead of him! It almost seems unfair!"] Present Mic stated before turning to his co-host. ["Thoughts?"]

["His attack was both offensive and defensive,"] Aizawa said.

["No wonder he was let in on recommendations! He'd never even fought those Robo-Infernos before! But they didn't stand a chance against his chart-topping moves!"]

"I've always known that the Hero Course students had incredible powers, but Todoroki's on a whole other level," Rias observed.

"Imagine if he was reincarnated into a Devil. He could easily become a High-Class Devil in no time," Sona added, silently wondering if she could get Todoroki for her peerage.


Katsuki set off an explosion to launch himself into the air, up and over a Zero-Pointer. 'No way am I letting Todoroki or Deku beat me!'

As the green goliath threw out a punch, Katsuki evaded the attack with skillfully aimed explosions and got past it.

["Class 1-A's Bakugo is rocketing over the obstacles! Clever!"]

And then, Katsuki noticed Dani flying in her phantom form, avoiding a punch by turning intangible, and then blasting the Zero-Pointer with a green beam. 'Ghost Girl?!'

"Too easy!" Dani said.

["Whoa! Dani Fenton of 1-A is also clearing the Robo-Inferno with ease!"]

Katsuki gritted his teeth. "No way am I getting outperformed by anyone else!"

It wasn't just those four from 1-A that made it through easily, though: it was only a matter of seconds before the other students from the Hero Course blazed through the obstacle as if it wasn't there.


"Looks like 1-A and 1-B are leading the pack," Snipe observed.

"It's not that the other students are doing poorly," Toshinori noted. "It's just…"

["Classes 1-A and 1-B have learned not to hesitate."] Aizawa said from his booth. ["They've seen what the real world is like. They've felt the fear of facing Villains. Yet, they fight on. Trying to overcome that fear. They've grown. And they know that they have to act quickly if they want to stay alive."]


Tenya ran across the dirt using his engines before leaping forward with a kick aimed at a One-Pointer before using it as a platform to boost himself forward.

Yui touched them with her fingers before shrinking them to a minuscule size and stomping on them.

Kyoka plugged her earphone jacks into a pair of One-Pointers and blasted them with a high-pitched frequency, short-circuiting them.

Awase dodged a punch aimed at him, and as the One-Pointer was about to lift its hand to try again, he fused its hand to the ground, leaving it stuck.

Denki dodged a One-Pointer's attempt to attack him and short-circuited it with an electric shock.

Kojiro sprayed his glue at some faux Villains attacking him, immobilizing them in place.

Hanta and Fumikage used their tape and Dark Shadow respectively to climb up a Zero-Pointer, giving them a vantage over their peers.

They weren't the only ones as Asia had the same idea, using her hair vines to lift herself into the air.

Ethel swung a hammer at a One-Pointer, knocking it away before blocking a punch from another by quickly summoning a shield, and then slicing its arms off with an axe.

Setsuna separated her body into many pieces to make it hard for the robots to track properly, allowing her to slip past them before reassembling herself.

Xenovia expertly dodged strikes from two One-Pointers and grazed her fingers across one's plating, her body taking on the same green metallic texture before she defeated one with a kick while punching through the other one.

Asuka sliced a One-Pointer with the energy blade from her mechanical arm gear, then fired a jet of compressed wind at another.

"Release," Ochaco deactivated her Quirk, causing several One-Pointers to fall from the air behind her.

Juzo softened an area of ground in front of him, causing all the Villain Bots in the way to start sinking into the makeshift quagmire.

Ball-Tomoe smashed a robot by rolling into it, and not only that, but she also used it to ricochet into other robots for efficiency.

Several Zero-Pointers collapsed as their heads were blown up in explosions. The one responsible was Momo, who was standing by a smoking cannon. Her jacket was open so she could expose her skin to use her Quirk, revealing a black sports bra. "Hmph! Piece of cake!"

"She beat a Zero-Pointer so easily!" Mineta asked, gobsmacked at the fact that Momo could just create a cannon out of nowhere and shoot down the faux Villains. "No wonder she got in on recommendations…" He then got an idea. If he could "hitch a ride," he could easily finish the race and get to feel up Momo at the same time. 'It's perfect!'

Drooling, lust clouding what little judgment he had, Mineta began throwing his sticky balls along the course, bouncing off them rather skillfully, and dove for Momo, his intent clear. "Take this, Hanakai! Grape-"

A hammy leg suddenly slammed into the little perv, sending him back toward a pack of robots, who started ganging up on the pervert.

"Sorry about that Mineta," Hilda apologized sarcastically.

"Thank you," Momo nodded before the two ran forward. "I did not like the way he was staring."

"No problem," Hilda nodded. "We Fatties gotta stick together!"

Momo blushed. "Right…"

Further ahead, the flying Izuku slowed down a bit to take a peek back to see Shoto, Katsuki, and Dani quickly pursuing him, followed by most of their classmates.


"You're better off dodging those big fellas most of the time, but if you've gotta take 'em down, they're just slow, dumb hunks of metal. Pretty easy to hit," Snipe noted. "Long as you land a smart shot, that is."

Meanwhile, Toshinori watched his successor with pride. He was already in the lead and seemed to be doing a good job keeping it.


["For those of you who thought the first obstacle was easy. Let's see how ya feel about the second one!"] Present Mic yelled.

It was practically a bottomless pit that went so deep, that one could only see darkness down below. There were tall platforms throughout the pit, but they were scattered far apart to the point one could not simply jump from one to another. However, the platforms were connected to each other by long trails of rope that could be used to cross over.

["If they take a spill, they're out! If they wanna pass this test, they'll have to get creative! It's THE FALL! And the leader of the pack is already getting through first!"] Present Mic announced as the Izuku flew over half of the obstacle. ["You know, Eraser, I think a student who can fly kinda defeats the point of all this."]

"You think it'll be that easy, Midoriya? Think again!" Shoto yelled, creating an ice bridge connecting the platforms and sliding across.

"DAMN IT, DEKU! Don't think you are gonna keep that lead for any longer!" Katsuki yelled, irate at the fact that Izuku did not even seem to be tired. Several explosions lifted him and even more boosted him across, ignoring the pit and the platforms as he made it over the obstacle.

Dani didn't say anything as she continued to fly, getting across the gap with ease.

"That's a long way down," Tomoe, who had changed back to normal, commented as she looked down.

"Do we really have to travel across those wires?" Pony nervously asked.

"When did they even have time to build something like this?" Ochaco questioned.

Tsuyu then walked past them and crouched down before leaping onto one of the ropes and crossing it with ease. "Ribbit! This is my moment, easy-peasy."

"She's fast," Mina said.

And then, they all heard a chuckle from behind them. It was the pink-haired girl from the Support Course.

"Yes, finally! This is my chance to show off what I can do! My support items are gonna steal the spotlight from these wannabe Heroes. Everyone! Observe what my brilliant gadgets can do! Wire Arrows and Hover Soles!"

"You're from Support!" Ochaco realized.

"Hey! How come you got to bring all that stuff?!" Mina asked.

"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 game as long as we develop them ourselves!" The Support girl explained. "So sit back and enjoy the show!" She then shot a Wire Arrow at a pillar. "For those of us in the Support Course… This is the perfect obstacle to show our ingenious ideas and creations to any companies out there that might wanna recruit us! Ahahahaha!" Her hover soles fired and launched her forward. She jumped into the trench without a care in the world. "I hope employers are watching!" As she fell, she pressed a button, causing the wire to reel back and pull her up the side of the pillar. "My super cute little babies are sure to make a splash!" Her hover soles shoot her upward as she cackles in delight. "Hehahaha! Hehahaha!"

Seeing how far she got across the obstacle so quickly, the others couldn't help but be surprised.

"Talk about annoying," Mina grumbled.

"I'll show that girl that I can do better," Setsuna said as she used her Quirk by using her body parts to get through the obstacle while the other students followed.

"I won't lose!" Ochaco declared as she ran in.

"Ugh! This is so unfair!" Mina complained before following, and the other students started crossing as well.

Chacha used her enhanced jumping ability to hop across the platforms, skipping the rope bridges.

Rebecca transformed her arms into bird wings to fly across the gap.

As Shoto made it to the other end, he noticed Katsuki was starting to catch up. 'He's finally getting fired up. It took him long enough.'

"YOU SUCK!" Katsuki shouted as he flew after Shoto and Izuku.

Tenya arrived at the Fall to see others already making their way through. "My older brother is probably watching this. I can't let him see me look foolish. I've got this!" He then proceeded to jump on the rope in a T-pose before firing his engines to slide across.

["Boy! Does he look foolish!"] Present Mic shouted.

"Sure does," Koneko snarked in response to Present Mic's commentary.


"The two dudes in the lead are so far ahead," one member of the audience commented.

"I'm especially impressed with Todoroki."

"His Quirk is really powerful, but it's his natural athletic talent and keen judgment allowing him to keep up with Midoriya."

"I'm not surprised. Don't you know who his father is? The Flame Hero, Endeavor!"

"Wait, for real?!"

"That guy's second only to All Might himself."

"Everyone'll be fighting to have him as a sidekick for sure."

Toshinori could hear them all talking above him. And he had to agree, but this Sports Festival was only just beginning. Anything could happen.


["The leaders are pulling distance between them and the students stuck at The Fall!"] Present Mic shouted. ["It hasn't been announced how many competitors will make it through to the next round. So, there's no time to relax."]

Izuku nonchalantly flew over the course before abruptly stopping at the last obstacle ahead. There were signs that read, "Danger Mines!"

["And now, we're finally approaching the last obstacle. Everyone had better tread carefully. You're stepping onto a Minefield!"] Present Mic's voice boomed out, introducing the third and final obstacle. ["If you look carefully, you can see where those little bombs are buried. So, keep your eyes on the ground, folks! 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 retorted dryly.

Izuku was amazed at the ingenuity of such a trap. 'Very clever. Those in the lead are at a disadvantage here. Guess it makes for good entertainment…' But then again, he could fly, so he had no such problems.

*BOOM!*

"Haha. It's over!"

Izuku looked behind him to see Katsuki catching up, passing by Shoto with a glare.

"Bastard! Your declaration of war… WAS TO THE WRONG PERSON!" Katsuki thrust his hand out, but Shoto dodged his fiery palm.

"DEKU!" Turning his attention toward Izuku, Katsuki immediately blasted himself toward his former childhood friend and aimed an explosion. Izuku managed to dodge and aimed a Dragon Shot at the mad bomber, who also dodged the attack aimed at him, and sent out a barrage of explosions, but Izuku was more than capable of dodging them all.

["Just like that, a new student takes second place and is fighting for the first! The media here is going crazy! There's nothing they love more than an upset!"] Judging by Present Mic's voice, he was loving it too.

Shoto created a path of ice to make a safe way through the minefield. 'This ice path will end up helping others. But there's no time to worry about them!' Then, taking advantage of Izuku and Katsuki being distracted by each other, Shoto formed a giant glacier to encase them.

"Apologies, but I need to prove a point," Shoto stated as he passed by the two frozen competitors, "I'll unfreeze you after this race is done."


"IZUKU!" Rias cried out.

"Is he okay?!" Ravel desperately asked while Koneko could only watch in shock.

"Is that even allowed?" Yumi asked.

["Ooh, and Todoroki freezes his fellow contestants! Let's hope they'll chill out later!"] Present Mic shouted.

["Smart tactic,"] Aizawa nodded, ["Striking while they're distracted with each other. If they don't escape, then they can say goodbye to their chances of going to the next round."]


Shoto ran for the finish line, but then he noticed a flash of green and dodged to the side, his ice thankfully preventing him from triggering the landmines.

"Did you forget about me?" Dani asked as she started catching up.

Shoto silently cursed himself for forgetting about her, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. The stadium was dead ahead, and so was first place. Not to mention, he had something to prove as well.

Suddenly, a loud explosion rang out, and the glacier that Shoto created to trap Katsuki and Izuku had been smashed to pieces.

"You damn Icy-Hot bastard!" Katsuki roared out. "You and Ghost Girl are not gonna get past me!" He then took off with his explosions, closing the distance quickly.

"C-C-Cold!" Izuku shivered as he stepped out.

[Hurry, kid! You're falling behind!] Ddraig warned.

"R-Right!" Izuku nodded before unfurling his wings and taking off after the three in the lead. 'I've trained for this beforehand. Look deep inside myself, and bring it out!' Izuku concentrated, and then tapping into 5% of One For All, he took off like a rocket, passing by Shoto, Dani, and Katsuki before they could even register what had happened.

["Wha!? It's now a four-way brawl for first place! Eraserhead, your students are amazing! What the heck are you teaching them?!"] Present Mic shouted.

["This has nothing to do with me. Each of them is powered by their own drive to succeed."] Aizawa said for all to hear.

It's almost there! The light at the end of the tunnel, it's the finish line!

["There you have it, Eraserhead is a terrible teacher!"] Present Mic shouted.

["I'm WHAT?!"]

Present Mic ignored that outburst and continued to comment. ["Who would've imagined at the beginning of this race that the climax would be a mega-mix of nonstop surprises?! The first to make it back to the stadium is the first-place winner!"]

Everyone in the stadium was on the edge of their seats. Who was gonna win? There were four students that looked like they could take it. It was nearly impossible to predict.

But then it happened.

["IZUKU MIDORIYA IS OUR CHAMPION!"]

The crowd erupted into uproars of cheers as the champion was announced.


Inko was moved to tears after seeing her son take the win. So much so that she slipped right off the couch as tears started to geyser out of her eyes comically. "Oh, my baby Izuku!"

Hisashi's reaction was a bit calmer, with just a single tear of joy as he smiled at his son's crowning achievement.

Eri couldn't help but wonder why Inko was crying so much even though Izuku won. Shouldn't she be happy instead of sad? "Why are you crying? I thought Izuku winning would make you happy."

Inko seemed to notice, wiping her tears as she put a hand on the little girl's shoulder.

"Eri, sweetie, I'm not crying because I'm sad. I'm crying because I'm happy Izuku won."

"Sometimes, we cry when we're happy as well. Those are happy tears," Hisashi explained.


In a dark room, a certain young man who happened to be the leader of the League of Villains was watching the Sports Festival from a computer.

"It's that brat again…" He growled as he scratched his neck.

Right beside him, Raynare scowled at the video of Izuku being declared the winner with a look of hatred in her eyes.


After catching his breath, Izuku looked up toward the teachers' seats and noticed Toshinori clapping and smiling at him. Izuku smiled up at his mentor, who was more than happy to return the gesture with another gleaming smile of pride.

Rias, Ravel, and Koneko released a sigh of relief. "That was close," Ravel muttered.

"Looks like our dork is moving on," Akeno smiled.

"Emphasis on dork," Rias agreed, earning a laugh from the group.

"But what was that glow?" Yumi asked. "That wasn't the Boosted Gear, was it?"

"No, it wasn't," Sona nodded.

"Do you have any idea, Rias?" Latia asked.

"Uh, that's a good question," Rias said, dodging the question while not making it obvious. 'Could it be One For All…?'

Katsuki, who had come in third, clutched his arms, trying to stop them from shaking after so many explosions in such a short time. "Deku… No way! Not again!" Katsuki cursed, gritting his teeth.

Shoto was feeling similar emotions of frustration as he took a look at Izuku before walking off.

Dani, on the other hand, smiled and walked up to Izuku. "Congrats. I thought I had it in the bag, but hey, you won fair and square."

Izuku smiled. "Thanks, Fenton."

Then, the remaining contestants began to make their way back to the stadium.

["The contestants are pouring in one after the other! Let's hear some applause for all our competitors as we prepare the results."]

"Deku, that was amazing!" Ochaco said as she fast-walked up to Izuku.

"I knew you could do it, Izuku!" Asia smiled.

"You did amazing," Xenovia complimented.

"I knew you could do it!" Chacha added as she also came over.

"I thought for sure I'd place higher with my speed," Tenya mumbled in depression.

"You still came before me," Momo reassured. She was honestly grateful to have scored as high as she did. If Mineta managed to get his way, she would've scored much lower.

Speaking of the little pervert, he was sulking after coming in so late. "If Shirakabe minded her own business, I could've gotten higher and a feel of Hanakai while at it!"

"Dude, you need to chill," Hanta admonished.

"Yeah, that isn't manly," Eijiro added.

Eventually, Midnight strode upon the stage as the sea of students crowded around to wait for the results. "The first game for the first-years is finally over and what a game it was! Now, let's take a quick look at the standings, shall we?"

1st: Izuku Midoriya

2nd: Shoto Todoroki

3rd: Katsuki Bakugo

4th: Dani Fenton

5th: Tomoe Meguri

6th: Xenovia Quarta

7th: Asia Argento

8th: Juzo Honenuki

9th: Tenya Iida

10th: Hilda Shirakabe

11th: Chacha Akaninjin

12th: Momo Hanakai

13th: Fumikage Tokoyami

14th: Hanta Sero

15th: Eijiro Kirishima

16th: Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

17th: Asuka Koukawa

18th: Mashirao Ojiro

19th: Yosetsu Awase

20th: Tsuyu Asui

21st: Mezo Shoji

22nd: Ethel Ginzan

23rd: Rebecca Riku

24th: Rikido Sato

25th: Ochaco Uraraka

26th: Mina Ashido

27th: Koji Koda

28th: Orihime Yamasaki

29th: Kyoka Jiro

30th: Sen Kaibara

31st: Kosei Tsuburaba

32nd: Denki Kaminari

33rd: Kojiro Bondo

34th: Reiko Yanagi

35th: Hitoshi Shinso

36th: Itsuka Kendo

37th: Jurota Shishida

38th: Shihai Kuroiro

39th: Yui Kodai

40th: Hiryu Rin

41st: Nirengeki Shoda

42nd: Kinoko Komori

43rd: Togaru Kamakiri

44th: Neito Monoma

45th: Pony Tsunotori

46th: Toru Hagakure

47th: Setsuna Tokage

48th: Manga Fukidashi

49th: Mei Hatsume

50th: Yuga Aoyama

51st: Minoru Mineta

"Man! Barely made it in the Top 10!" Hilda breathed in contentment.

"Huh, 35th place. A bit lower than I hoped, but I can work with that," Hitoshi noted as he looked at the placements.

"Yay! Hilda and Hitoshi made it!" Rosa cheered from the stands.

"Phew! Just barely passed!" The pink-haired Support girl, Mei Hatsume, said, wiping some sweat from her brow.

Yuga held his stomach in pain, desperately trying to keep his bowels from leaking.

Mineta muttered curses under his breath.

"Only the Top 51 will advance to the next round! But don't be too let down if you didn't make the cut. We've prepared other opportunities for you to shine." Midnight said as she licked her lips. "Now the real fun is about to begin. The chance to fully move yourselves into the limelight! Give it your best!"

Midnight swiped her whip to activate the holographic slot machine behind her. The image spun repeatedly to decide the next event. "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 slot machine came to a halt, revealing the next event.

Cavalry Battle

"Cavalry battle? I'm terrible at those!" Denki muttered dejectedly.

"Huh, it's not an individual event. I wonder how they'll split us up?" Tsuyu wondered.

"Allow me to explain! The participants will form teams of two to four people as they see fit!" Midnight explained, the screen showing an image of Thirteen holding up All Might as the horse rider with Snipe and Present Mic supporting him from behind. "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."

"I get it. A point-based system like the Entrance Exams. That seems pretty simple," Rikido noted.

"So that means each team will have a different point value based on which students are on it!" Ochaco said.

"Aha!" Mina exclaimed as she caught on.

"MAYBE YOU SHOULD SHUT UP AND LET ME EXPLAIN THINGS TO YOU!" Midnight snapped; it was less of a suggestion and more of a threat.

Then, on the screen, a set of points appeared next to each student's name and ranking.

"Now, then. The point assignments go up by increments of five, starting from the bottom. For example, 51st place is worth five points and 50th is worth ten," Midnight explained before internally grinning at this next tidbit of info which she was rather eager to share. "And the point value assigned to the first-place contestant is… TEN MILLION!"

Izuku suddenly turned ghost white, feeling glares from all around aimed at him. "Ten… million…?" It felt as if everyone around him were glaring at him with red glowing eyes like a predator hunting prey.

"That's right. It's survival of the fittest with a chance for those at the bottom to overthrow the top!" Midnight confirmed.


There, that's it for the first chapter of 2025. Izuku comes first in the Obstacle Course, but now he's carrying a big target on his back. How will he fare in the Cavalry Battle?

The majority of Izuku's speech was written by none other than Knightmare Lord, very much appreciated for that.

See you next time. Go beyond! Plus Ultra!