A Desire for Heroism

by Road2Radahn

U.A is the place for gifted and ambitious students who strive to become the best heroes they can be. But what if there was another who did not have that desire despite his unique and overwhelming talent. Can the students of U.A help stroke the fires of heroism in the boy to make him into a great hero, or will his past outweigh their efforts.

11. Do You Wanna 1v1 Me?

Chapter 11

---

After the conclusion of the Cavalry Battle, the students were given a short break before the next event began. During this time, everyone headed to the cafeteria while the stage was prepared for the battles. This break also allowed spectators the chance to stretch their legs in anticipation of the next event. Despite being there for work, a few of these spectators also took this chance for a break as they went to a restroom provided by U.A.

The pro-heroes, Mount Lady, Kamui Woods, and Death Arms, were a few of these spectators there for work as they took a much-needed break inside one of the restrooms designated for them at the Sports Festival venue. They had been asked to provide security for the event to deter any more villain incidents against U.A. like the one a few weeks ago. The trio sat in chairs around a desk, enjoying a moment of respite from their duties.

With her towering form reduced to a more manageable size, Mount Lady indulged in a meal she had acquired from one of the vendors who had willingly given her for free. Kamui Woods watched her with a scolding expression, his arms crossed over his chest.

"You know, stealing food isn't very hero-like, Mount Lady," he remarked, his voice tinged with disapproval.

Mount Lady shrugged nonchalantly, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Who said anything about stealing? The vendor practically begged me to take it off his hands. It was a gesture of appreciation for our hard work," she replied with a non-caring attitude as she scrolled through her phone as she ate.

Kamui Woods huffed, clearly unamused. "And what about those poor citizens who would've bought that food? They're the ones who end up paying for your free lunch," he retorted, his tone accusatory. "You should be setting a good example for those citizens and the students who look up to us, not taking advantage of your status."

Mount Lady snorted, unimpressed. "Oh please, you sound like my mom. Those people can afford to give away some food now and then. As for setting an example, I'm sure the kids are smart enough to know the difference between right and wrong. Besides, I'm not forcing them to give me food," she said with a shrug, her eyes still fixed on her phone.

Death Arms rolled his eyes in annoyance at the familiar sight of Mount Lady and Kamui Woods getting into another argument. It was always a thing with these two. Feeling a headache beginning to appear, he decided to intervene before their bickering escalated any further.

"Enough, you two," Death Arms interjected, his voice tired but somewhat authoritative. "We're supposed to be taking a break, not having a shouting match in a restroom."

Mount Lady shot Kamui Woods a defiant look, sticking her tongue out at him before returning her attention to her meal, deciding it wasn't worth arguing further.

Seeing that he was able to stop his younger patrol partners from continuing to argue, Death Arms shifted the conversation to a different topic. "Speaking of breaks, how's the hunt for the Church of Masks going? It's been a couple of months since they escaped you. Are there any new leads?"

Mount Lady let out a frustrated groan when the mention of their past encounter with the Church of Masks was made. "Arghh, please don't bring that up."

Kamui Woods sighed as he straightened up in his chair. "Not much progress, unfortunately," he admitted, his tone grim. "They seem to be operating under the radar, and we haven't been able to track down any of their hideouts. It's like they've vanished into thin air."

Mount Lady grumbled in agreement. "We've been doing our patrols and keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity, but so far, no luck," she added, frustration evident in her voice. "Bunch of cowards!"

Death Arms furrowed his brow as he leaned back in his chair. "Wait, I thought it was just one guy?".

Mount Lady shook her head in disagreement. "Nah, it can't be. There have been too many sightings in different areas for it just to be one guy," she countered, her expression serious for the first time since the beginning of the Festival. "I've heard that the Church of Masks has gained quite a few followers lately. Some people have tried joining them by wearing similar masks and trying to save people, although I heard they got caught pretty quickly."

Kamui Woods nodded in agreement. "I've heard similar reports from a few contacts in other hero agencies," he chimed in, his voice grave. "These new recruits, however, don't seem to be a part of the original group; most are just fans of vigilantism or the Church's aesthetic. So they joined hoping to win favour with the group. But when they were caught by the authorities, they all revealed that the Church never made contact with them despite dressing up like them and being fans."

"Yeah, I heard about that," The blonde woman piped up, leaning forward slightly. "While the Commission has kept information about the Church of Masks restricted, they've been amassing a bit of a following online, with people saying that they are 'true heroes'," she quoted sarcastically with her fingers. "How can they be heroes when they beat people up to an inch of their lives?"

Mount Lady wasn't exaggerating; some info about the Church provided to them by the Commission was about one of the first times the Church appeared. One of the first reported cases involving the Church of Masks occurred over a year ago when a group member intervened in a violent altercation with a villain. Witnesses reported seeing the masked figure brutally assaulting the villain, leaving them barely clinging to life by the time the authorities arrived. It was a shocking display of violence that garnered attention from both the public and the hero community alike. Despite their intentions to uphold justice, the Church of Masks' methods were deemed undeniably extreme, and the government had labelled them dangerous vigilantes and had asked for the capture of any Church members from pro-heroes.

Death Arms rolled his eyes at the mention of the Church of Masks' "online followers. "It's just another fad, you know. The only reason people support them is because it's different from the usual, that's it," he said dismissively. "Give it some time, and those same people will forget about them."

Kamui Woods nodded in agreement with Death Arms. "You're probably right. People tend to romanticise the idea of vigilantes without understanding the dangers they pose," he commented, his tone tinged with frustration. "But let's not dwell on that. We're here to provide security for the Sports Festival, not discuss the Church of Masks."

He shifted in his chair, leaning forward thoughtfully. "Speaking of the festival, what are your thoughts on the students so far?" he asked, directing the question to both his colleagues. "Are there any standout performances or surprises?"

Death Arms leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms thoughtfully. "They're a spirited bunch, that's for sure. Some impressive quirks and strategies on display," he remarked before turning to Mount Lady. "As for who's going to win the whole event, any guesses?"

Takeyama Yū didn't hesitate in her response. "Todoroki, obviously," she answered confidently as she continued munching on her food. "His quirk is just too powerful, and he's got the skills to match. It's going to take a lot to stop him. And he is quite cute to boot."

Death Arms nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Todoroki's definitely a strong contender," he acknowledged. "But don't count Bakugo out just yet. That kid's got some serious firepower, both literally and figuratively. His explosion quirk is no joke. I feel he will give Todoroki a run for his money."

As Death Arms mentioned Bakugo, memories of the Sludge Villain incident from a few months back resurfaced in his mind. He vividly remembered how the explosive young hero-in-training had faced off against the villain, his relentless determination and raw power evident even then. Death Arms recalled how Bakugo's explosions had kept the heroes from intervening, showcasing the boy's formidable firepower and fierce resolve.

Months had passed since that incident, and from what he had seen, Bakugo had only grown stronger. His explosions looked more controlled and powerful, and it was clear that he was a force to be reckoned with in the Sports Festival. "That kid's got a fire in him that's hard to ignore," Death Arms added, his tone filled with respect.

Mount Lady shrugged. "Eh, he's way too intense for my liking," She admitted, cringing at the thought of the angry blonde. "That temper of his issonot cute."

Kamui Woods, who had been listening intently to the conversation, nodded in agreement with Mount Lady and Death Arms' assessment of Bakugo. "Indeed, Bakugo's talent is undeniable, but his temper could be a major obstacle," he remarked, his voice tinged with concern. "He's got a tendency to let his emotions get the better of him, which could prove to be his downfall if he's not careful."

The pro-hero then turned his attention to another student who had caught his interest. "Speaking of surprises, how about Midoriya Izuku?" he interjected, bringing up the green-haired student's unexpected performance. "He managed to secure first place in the Obstacle Course event without using his quirk. Now that's impressive."

Death Arms nodded in agreement, his expression thoughtful. "Yeah, Midoriya's definitely one to watch," he acknowledged, recalling the determined expression on the young hero-in-training's face during the Obstacle Course. "He's got a lot of potential, that's for sure. If he keeps up his current performance, he could be a serious contender in the upcoming events."

Death Arms nodded in agreement with his friend's assessment of Midoriya's performance. "Yeah, Midoriya's definitely one to watch," he conceded, his expression thoughtful. "But it's still surprising to see him competing at this level, considering he was the same kid that ran into danger all those months back."

He remembered the Sludge Villain incident again and vividly recalled the presence of Midoriya, a seemingly quirkless bystander who stupidly ran into the face of danger to save Bakugo. It was courageous; he'd give him that, but stupid.

"Back during the Sludge Villain incident, Midoriya was listed as quirkless," Death Arms mused aloud, his brow furrowing with confusion. "I could've sworn he didn't have a quirk. So it's a surprise to see him enrolled in the U.A. Hero Course and excelling in the Sports Festival."

Mount Lady raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. "Hmm, that is strange," she remarked, her tone contemplative. "Maybe he developed his quirk later on? It's rare but not unheard of for a Quirk to emerge later in life."

"Hmm... True."

"It happens," Kamui nodded in agreement, his gaze thoughtful. "But it's definitely worth keeping an eye on him. If Midoriya's reached the third round without using his quirk, he must have some serious determination."

The three fell into a momentary silence, each lost in their thoughts about the students' unexpected performances at the Sports Festival. Death Arms was the first to break the silence, shifting in his chair as he mentioned another name.

"What about that Lokadi kid?" he inquired thoughtfully. When neither of his comrades seemed to recognise the name, he continued. "You know, the African kid, the foreigner. I think his name is Lokadi Elijah."

It took Mount Lady and Kamui a few moments to search their memories for any recollection of the student before Kamui finally recognised who Death Arms was talking about.

"Oh, yeah, Lokadi Elijah. I remember him," he spoke before his voice tinged with disappointment. "To be honest, he hasn't really made much of an impression so far, has he?"

Mount Lady nodded in agreement, seemingly also finally recognising Lokadi, but clearly had little to no interest in him, given that she lazed back in her chair and gave an uninterested yawn. "Oh, him. Didn't he come last in the Obstacle Course? That's pretty sad, if you ask me," the female hero bluntly stated.

Kamui looked at her with disapproval. "Technically, he didn't come last; he just made the cut-off for the next round, and he is in the last round of the Sports Festival."

"Last is still last," the Mount lady retorted. "And the only reason he got past the Cavalry Battle was because of all the people who dropped out."

Death Arms was forced to agree with her. "You're not wrong. The boy's overall performance in both events hasn't exactly been noteworthy. I don't think he has even used his quirk yet."

"No, I believe he has," Kamui corrected. "I think he created a shield in the Calvary event, so I'm guessing he has a kind of weaponry creation quirk."

"Hmm... If that's the case, I can see why he might struggle to show off. But still..." Death Arms leaned back in his seat, his head looking up at the roof with closed eyes. "A hero is meant to find ways to get around such problems, and if he can't find a way around that, then I fear he will not get many offers from many heroes."

Kamui agreed with that assessment. The U.A. Sports Festival was designed to showcase the future heroes of Japan at the prestigious hero school to the public. However, it was mainly used as an opportunity for students to demonstrate their abilities in various competitions to be scouted by Pro Heroes and support agencies. If a student fails to do so, it is not uncommon for them to be replaced by another student from a different course.

"For a foreigner who managed to secure a place at U.A., even I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed too at his performance," The large hero remarked, his tone tinged with disappointment. "I was expecting more from someone who managed to gain admission into such a school."

Death Arms's words hung heavy in the air, casting a shadow over the trio's discussion as they contemplated Lokadi Elijah's underwhelming performance in the U.A. Sports Festival. Mount Lady let out a sigh, her expression one of indifference as she leaned back further in her chair, seemingly losing complete interest in the conversation.

Kamui Woods furrowed his brow, his thoughts troubled as he considered the implications of Lokadi's lacklustre showing. "It's unfortunate, really," he murmured, his voice tinged with regret. "But not everyone can handle the pressure of high-stakes events like the Sports Festival."

Death Arms nodded in agreement, his gaze thoughtful as he glanced back at his two comrades. "True," he conceded. "But as heroes, they'll face even greater challenges in the future. If the boy can't rise to the occasion now, it doesn't bode well for his future as a hero."

Mount Lady let out a noncommittal grunt; her attention barely focused as she checked her phone.

Death Arms couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment as the trio lapsed into contemplative silence. He had hoped to see more from the foreign student. Still, unless the boy pulled off a miraculous performance in the tournament, the boy would have failed to live up to any expectations during the Sports Festival events.

---

After the conclusion of the Cavalry Battle and the announcement of the match-ups for the next round, the students were granted a short break in the form of recreational games before the fighting tournament began. While many students eagerly participated in the various activities, others, like Bakugo, Todoroki, and Tokoyami, chose to sit out and mentally prepare for the next round. Eli was one of these people.

Sitting alone on a nearby bench outside the stadium, Eli couldn't help but curse his luck silently.

"God damn it," he muttered under his breath, frustration evident in his voice. He had been trying to find a way to drop out of the Sports Festival since the beginning, and yet, another attempt had been thwarted by unforeseen circumstances.

Despite the kindness of his teammates, primarily Shoji and Tsuyu, who had picked him to move on to the next round, Eli couldn't help but feel resentful. He had been trying to find a way to sneakily get eliminated from events while pretending to put in effort. But, whenever he devised a plan to drop out, something always came along to thwart his efforts. And now, to top it all off, he found himself in the final round of the Sports Festival, a fighting tournament that would be televised throughout the country. What part of this was keeping a low profile?

Sighing heavily, Eli leaned back on the bench and ran a hand down his face, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him. With a heavy sigh, Eli closed his eyes, trying to calm the nerves that threatened to overwhelm him.

Eli looked upwards as he tried to reassure himself. All he had to do was lose in his first fight, right? It seemed like a simple enough plan. After all, he was going up against someone from Class 1-B called Monoma. Elie reasoned that losing intentionally should be easy enough. But the more he thought about it, the more doubts began to creep in.

The problem lay in the unfamiliarity of Monoma's quirk. Unlike facing opponents from his own class, where he was familiar with most of their quirks and could plan his defeat accordingly, Monoma presented a challenge. Eli had only managed a quick glance at Monoma's physical build before the break, which didn't suggest a strength-enhancing quirk. That would have been the easiest to plan a loss around.

But Monoma's quirk remained a mystery, and that uncertainty made Eli uneasy. He couldn't strategise effectively without knowing his opponent's quirk's capabilities. For all he knew, Monoma could be quirkless, though he highly doubted it.

The uncertainty gnawed at him, leaving him feeling unsettled. How was he supposed to plan his own defeat when he had no idea what he was up against?

Suddenly, Present Mic's voice echoes out from the speaker system. "With the recreational events concluded, it is time to start the final round of the Sports Festival!"

'That was quick,'Eli sighed again, still worried about how to plan his own loss against Monoma. "Well, I guess I'll just have to improvise," he muttered as he was about to stand up again.

Just then, he noticed Hitoshi Shinso walking past a few meters away. Their eyes met, and Eli's heart sank as Shinso abruptly stopped in his tracks and started walking over to him.

"Oh, goddamn it," Eli lamented quietly, knowing that Shinso's approach spelled trouble.

Sure enough, Shinso stopped in front of Eli, glaring down at him with an intensity that made Eli uneasy.

For a few seconds, neither of them said anything as Shinso continued to stare daggers at Eli's azure blue pupils. Typically, those who stared into his black sclera would quickly avert their gaze; Shinso, however, was unflinching. Eli felt the weight of Shinso's disdain bearing down on him, even though Elijah was taller than him.

After what felt like an eternity, Shinso finally spoke.

"Drop out," he said bluntly, his voice cold and filled with contempt.

Eli blinked in confusion, taken aback by the directness of Shinso's words.

"...What?"

"Do everyone a favour and drop out if you have any self-respect," Shinso continued, his tone unwavering. "You are an embarrassment to the hero course and U.A. as a whole."

Eli's eyebrows furrowed slightly, but remained silent as Shinso continued his tirade.

"Out of all the students in 1-A, you are the most likely to get replaced in the hero course," Shinso continued, his voice dripping with disdain. "You came last in the obstacle course, barely making it to the next round, and you are only making it to the last round because people felt pity for you. It's pathetic; you don't deserve to be a hero!"

For the first time, Shinso's words hit Eli like a punch to the gut, echoing the doubts and insecurities he had been grappling with ever since the Sports Festival began.

I am not a hero.

"Out of all the students in 1-A, you are the most likely one who will get replaced in the hero course," Shinso stated, his voice dripping with contempt. "It's pathetic! If you had any decency, you should drop out and give the position to someone who actually deserves it in the hero course, not someone like you!"

Eli felt a heavy weight settle in the pit of his stomach as Shinso's words echoed in his mind., reinforcing what he already knew.

He was destroying these children's lives.

"I expected more from you, especially since you're a foreigner," Shinso sneered, his tone laced with disdain. "I thought you'd be stronger than most since you were chosen to be in U.A. But look at you now. Your performance has been nothing short of dreadful."

"Why did you even come to Japan?" Shinso continued, his voice dripping with scorn. "Don't they have heroes where you come from? Or did you come here because you thought you could coast by on some false sense of entitlement?"

There is no such thing as heroes where I come from.

The accusation made the African feel a tightness in his chest as he scrambled to come up with a response. Part of him wanted to tell Shinso to mind his own business and leave him alone. But he knew that wouldn't satisfy the purple-haired boy or silence the doubts that had been troubling him since the start of the Sports Festival.

Instead, he remained silent, meeting Shinso's accusing stare with his dull black-sclera gaze. He didn't feel obligated to explain his choices to Shinso or anyone else. Nevertheless, the guilt and shame continued to gnaw at him, serving as a reminder of all the reasons why he felt out of place.

Observing that Elijah wasn't going to respond and having expressed his thoughts, Shinso scoffed and turned to walk away. However, before he could get far, the foreigner finally spoke to him for the first time since they met.

"Why do you want to be a hero?"

Eli's question hung in the air, surprising both Shinso and himself. He wasn't sure why he suddenly asked that question. In truth, he didn't really care about Shinso's motivations. But maybe it was because of what Shinso had said that triggered such a question. Whatever the reason, now that the question was asked, he couldn't retract it.

Shinso froze at the unexpected question. His body stiffened as he slowly turned to face Eli again, and the intensity of his glare burned even hotter than before.

"Why do I want to be a hero?" Shinso repeated, his voice dripping with contempt. "I could ask you the same question: Why do you want to be a hero?"

Eli was ready to respond with an easy lie, saying that he had always wanted to be a hero and save people. He had practised saying it a few times in case the question ever popped up to pretend like he was being genuine. Instead, he paused for a few seconds before giving his answer.

"I... don't," his deep voice admitted, his words hanging in the air momentarily. "... I'm only in the hero course because my brother convinced me to."

Eli wasn't sure why he said the truth. He could have easily lied and moved on. He didn't owe the boy in front of him an actual reason. But as he thought of a way to respond, his body reacted on its own before he could even really think about it.

Shinso stayed silent momentarily, his purple eyes staring at Eli's blank face as if trying to see if the African was lying. After a few seconds, Shinso let out a small scoff, which turned into a slight chuckle and then into laughter. It wasn't maniacal laughter but the type you would do at a dumb joke.

Eli's admission hung heavy in the air as the weight of his words settled between them like a thick fog. Shinso's sharp and bitter laughter echoed around them, starkly contrasting with the quiet intensity that had enveloped them just moments before.

"You don't want to be a hero?" Shinso repeated incredulously, his laughter tapering off into a disbelieving scoff. "You're in the hero course simply because your brother convinced you to?"

Eli remained silent, his expression unreadable as he met Shinso's furious gaze with calm resolve. He knew his confession would provoke a reaction, but he wasn't ready for the sheer fury radiating from Shinso's every pore.

"You... you're a disgrace," Shinso seethed, his voice laced with so much anger you could swear it was palpable. "You're taking up space that should be filled by someone who actually wants to be here, someone who's willing to put in the effort and dedication to become a hero. And here you are, admitting that you don't even care!"

The purple-haired boy then grabbed a fistful of Eli's gym outfit, his voice rising to a crescendo of fury and frustration. "I resent every single one of you in the hero course," he spat, his words laced with venom. "You were all blessed with quirks more associated with hero work, lauding it over the rest of us who weren't born so lucky and would give anything to have the same opportunity."

His gaze bore into Elijah's, a fiery intensity burning in his eyes as his grip tightened. "But you," Shinso continued, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl, "You are the worst of them all. You have no passion, desire, or regrets over your actions. You're just a waste of space, a burden on the hero course and on U.A. itself!"

Eli felt Shinso's words bearing down on him like a crushing weight, each accusation cutting deeper than the last. He knew that he didn't belong here and was ruining the chances of everyone else, but hearing it spoken aloud by someone else only drove the dagger deeper.

"You have no idea what it's like to actually want to be a hero, to dream of making a difference in people's lives," Shinso spat, his frustration boiling over. "You're just coasting by, taking advantage of your blessed quirk to worm your way into the hero course. You're nothing but a fraud, and you make me sick!"

He was destroying people's lives. Just like he had always done.

The harshness of Shinso's words cut through the air like a blade, leaving Eli feeling exposed and vulnerable. He knew that Shinso was right, that he had no business being here, surrounded by students who had dedicated their lives to pursuing the chance to be a pro-hero.

Shinso finally let go of Elijah, releasing his grip with a harsh shove. With one final, venomous glare, Shinso promised the following words, "Just wait. When we face off in the tournament, I'll crush you and expose you to the world for the fraud you are!"

Eli watched silently as Shinso stomped away, his footsteps echoing faintly in the distance. The weight of Shinso's words hung heavily in the air and on Eli's conscience.

Externally, Eli maintained a neutral expression, watching Shinso's retreating figure with a sense of resignation. But internally, he felt like he was crumbling under the weight of Shinso's accusations. He knew he was disrespecting the hard work and dedication of all the students around him, who had dreamed of becoming heroes since childhood. He knew he was tarnishing their efforts, dreams, and aspirations. But hearing it from someone else, especially someone who seemed to harbour such deep-seated resentment towards him, hit him even harder.

As the situation sank in, Eli couldn't help but feel a profound sense of shame and self-loathing. He had never wanted any of this, never wanted to be in this school or try to be a pro-hero. He had only gone along with it because of Adrian and Kayama's influence and didn't want to disappoint them.

But now, as he stood there, Eli couldn't help but wonder if he should have pushed harder against coming here and made more of an effort to convince Adrian and Kayama that he shouldn't join the hero course. But at the end of the day, what's done is done. And the only thing he can do now is lose and drop out of the hero course.

But before that...

"...Settle down," Eli muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Just as when Kirishima grabbed him at the end of the Battle Trials, Eli's shadow responded when Shinso grabbed hold of him. The African's shadow took on a grotesque form, barely resembling Eli himself. Fortunately, Shinso didn't seem to notice the bizarre phenomenon happening with Eli's shadow.

With a focused effort, Eli commanded his shadow to settle and return to its original form. And just like before, the moment Eli uttered the command, the shadow obeyed. It shifted and morphed, gradually returning to its normal state, mirroring its owner's appearance.

For a brief moment, Eli closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and collected himself. He knew he had to focus to prepare himself mentally for what was to come.

---

After the break, the students were directed to their assigned corporate boxes in the stands, each designated for their class. These boxes, separated by concrete walls, provided privacy from prying eyes.

They watched as Cementoss constructed a suitable fighting stage from their vantage point. The stage had a large, tiled rectangular base connected to the ground by a short flight of stairs. Atop this base, up another short flight of stairs, was the actual fighting ring – which was in the shape of a rectangle. Eli found it odd but figured it aligned with U.A.'s style.

The ring itself had a smooth, pristine white surface, bordered by a darker out-of-bounds area. Flames sprang up from the four corners of the base, adding to the spectacle. Despite its rectangular shape, the ring appeared spacious, although with potentially dangerous sharp edges.

"Thank you, Cementoss! Fine work as always!"Present Mic's voice boomed as his colleague sat directly facing the stage."Now, who's ready for some heart-stopping, blood-pumping, gut-churning, testosterone-rising ACTION?!"

"We are!" the crowd roared in response.

"That's what I like to hear! Now listen up, boys and girls, and listen good!"Present Mic continued, his enthusiasm infectious."While the rules are simple, they're very important!"

Eli listened as Present Mic outlined the rules, explaining that the aim of the game was to knock opponents out of bounds or immobilise them. Victory could also be achieved by making them say,'I give up.'

"Bring on the injuries, bring on the pain – because we've got our very own Recovery Girl waiting in the wings to kiss your boo-boos better!"Present Mic announced, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd."Try not to go overboard, though! You guys are still heroes-in-training, so excessive force will result in DISQUALIFICATION!"

As the mention of disqualification was made, a rain of boos echoed through the crowd. Eli couldn't help but wonder whether they wanted to see excessive force or disapproved of the idea. Judging by the atmosphere, he had a feeling it was the former.

Peaceful country, huh?

Before he could adequately ponder the audience's morality, Present Mic's voice spoke up."Alright, audience! Let's cut to the good stuff and not stall these finals any longer! Welcome our first fighters!"Present Mic announced as the jumbotron displayed Midoriya and Shinso on it.

"Even though he has done well, what's with that face? From the Hero Course, Midoriya Izuku!"Midoriyaentered with a mix of shyness and confidence as the crowd cheered for him. He had gained a lot of popularity since the beginning of the games and was favoured to win the match. Then Shinso walked into the arena calmly."Verus...Sorry, but this guy hasn't really done anything to stand out yet! It's Hitoshi Shinso from General Studies!"

As the hero made his announcements, the students of Class 1-A murmured amongst themselves, speculating on how the first round would unfold.

"I wonder how Midoriya is going to fare in this first bout," said Tokoyami, his voice low but carrying a hint of curiosity.

"I'm pretty sure Midoriya's got this first match in the bag," replied Mineta confidently, nodding in agreement.

"Though he might have to break a few fingers in the process," Kaminari remarked with a chuckle, prompting a few nervous laughs from his classmates.

Eli couldn't help but overhear the conversation as he sat in the back corner seat, a few seats away from the rest of the class. Surprisingly, Todoroki was closest to him, sitting two seats beside him. Eli wasn't sure why the boy chose to sit there; it was similar to when they were on the bus to the USJ. Maybe it was because there were fewer people, but Eli wouldn't say anything. However, he took note of how the boy seemed more focused on this match than one would expect.

As the announcer officially started the match, Shinso initiated a conversation with his opponent. Eli found it surprising, as Shinso didn't strike him as much of a chatterbox. However, reflecting on his past interactions with the guy, Eli realised that maybe Shinso was more talkative than he initially thought.

As Eli thought about Shinso's potential actions, he couldn't shake the unease settling in his stomach. Shinso's threat to expose him as a fraud lingered in his mind, raising doubts about the consequences of their potential confrontation in the tournament. Although Eli was only partially familiar with Shinso's personality, something about the intensity of his words suggested that he might actually follow through with his threat.

Looking at the tournament brackets, Eli realised his slim chance of facing Shinso in the matches ahead. For them to meet, Shinso would have to win his ongoing match against Midoriya and triumph in subsequent matches, including a potential bout against Todoroki. Meanwhile, Eli would have to secure victories in his own matches, which seemed unlikely given his intention to lose.

The odds of their encounter seemed remote, yet Eli couldn't shake the nagging sense of apprehension. What if Shinso's determination drove him to defy the odds and emerge victorious? Actually, what stopped the purple-haired boy from outing him even if he lost? Shinso didn't need to fight Eli to announce to the world what he believed Eli to be, so he could just do it now, right?

Eli sighed, feeling a headache come over him from overthinking the issue. Ultimately, it didn't matter if Shinso outed him now or later. Eli was already planning to drop out, so to him, whatever happened happened.

Eli was abruptly pulled from his thoughts by a frantic outcry from one of his classmates seated a few places away.

"That idiot! I warned him not to say anything!" Ojiro panicked.

"What's happening?! The match has just started, but it appears that Izuku Midoriya is completely immobile!"Present Mic's alarmed announcement echoed through the arena, drawing all eyes to the unsettling scene unfolding in the ring.

Eli refocused his attention on the arena, his brow furrowing with confusion as he observed the vacant expression in Midoriya's eyes, his gaze fixed on some unseen point ahead.

Shinso seemed to exchange a few words with his opponent, though Eli and the rest of the audience were too far away to catch the conversation. As Midoriya stood motionless, the tension in the air thickened, the audience's confusion mounting with each passing moment. Then, slowly but deliberately, Midoriya began to turn and make his way toward the arena's edge, prompting cries of alarm from his classmates.

"He's going out of the ring!"

"You have to snap out of it! What are you doing?!" Iida's urgent voice pierced through the murmurs of concern.

"It's too late. He's already under his control," Ojiro's defeated tone conveyed a sense of resignation as he sank back into his seat, his expression crestfallen.

Control?

It only took a few seconds before Eli realised, like a cold wave, that Shinso possessed a mind-control quirk.

The implications of Shinso's ability sank in, and Eli felt unsettled. He had seen the effects of a mind-control quirk before, and the experience had left a lasting impression. Seeing the devastating consequences of such powers profoundly impacted him.

If you were to ask Eli if there was a group of quirks he hated the most, his answer would be ones that affected free will. He despised powers that did that by either tampering with the essence of a person's being or controlling someone else's actions, thoughts, or emotions. To him, it was nothing but a violation. Adrian emphasised the inherent danger of quirks but also tried to teach Eli that it wasn't the quirks themselves that were dangerous; it was how individuals chose to use them.

Eli understood this principle well but couldn't shake off his frustration and bitterness, especially when confronted with a quirk like Shinso's, which reminded him so much of the one quirk he hated most.

Despite this, he knew that giving in to such emotions would only drive him mad. It also wasn't fair to Shinso, who, despite being aggressive towards Eli, didn't deserve such judgment. So, Eli took a deep breath, set aside his grievances for now, and refocused on the match.

The black-sclera teenager watched as Midoriya walked closer to the arena's edge. But just before the boy put his foot over the white edge of the ring, a powerful gust of wind came forth from the teenager's body. The powerful gust of wind surprised everyone, including Shinso, whose confident facade faltered as Midoriya's eyes regained their focus.

With determination blazing in his gaze, Midoriya charged forward. Despite Shinso's yelling and further attempts to provoke Midoriya into speaking, the green-haired boy pushed Shinso with all his force out of the ring using a shoulder throw, securing victory in the tournament's first round.

In the spectator stand of Class 1-A, Uraraka's eyes were closed while she sighed with relief. "Man, that was so nerve-wracking!"

"He managed to turn the tables at the last moment! Classic Midoriya!" Iida cheered.

"That shoulder throw! Remember when he pulled that move on you, Bakugo?" Kaminari said.

"Shut the hell up, Sparky!"

As the rest of the class celebrated Midoriya's victory and reminisced about the intense match, Eli remained silent, his thoughts swirling with mixed emotions. He couldn't deny his relief at Shinso's defeat but couldn't shake off the lingering unease.

Sure, Shinso had threatened to expose him as a fraud, but now that he thought about it, Eli couldn't bring himself to care much. In fact, a part of him almost wished for it to happen, to finally rid himself of the burden of pretending to be something he wasn't. Sure, he would draw unwanted attention, but in the end, he didn't want to be there to begin with.

With a sense of resignation settling over him, Eli resolved to face whatever came next with stoic acceptance. If Shinso's words proved to be his undoing, then so be it. And if Shinso or someone else who deserves or genuinely wants to be a hero finds themselves taking Eli's place in Class 1-A, then it would be for the best.

Back down in the arena, after recovering, Midoriya and Shinso stood across from each other as the match ended. Thinking back on Shinso's words during the match, the green-haired boy looked at him nervously.

"H-Hey, Shinso, Why do you want to be a hero?" Midoriya asked.

Shinso thought about his question for a while before remembering his past. Closing his eyes, he turned around and began walking off. "You can't help what your heart wants," Shinso answered before leaving.

Midoriya was speechless, as he felt the same way. Understanding how he felt too well, Midoriya could say nothing as Shinso walked off the stage.

Just as the purple-haired boy reached the exit, he was surprised by his classmates, who began complimenting his abilities. Soon, they were followed by the audience, who were also impressed. Within seconds, he could hear the praise and encouragement from all sides, many of them from pro heroes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. After years of being insulted and told how impossible it was for him due to his quirk, the newfound attention he was receiving made his heart jump a bit, and for just a moment, he felt himself regaining his strength and confidence. Smiling, he looked back at Midoriya, who noticed the drastic change in his expression.

"Hey Midoriya,"

"U-Uh yea-" Suddenly, he felt himself being put under Shinso's control again.

'W-What? He got me again! But why? The match is already over…'Midoriya panicking thought.

"You should be more on guard. If you're not, then someone's going to beat you. You better not lose and make me look bad, you got it?" Shinso smiled before he released Izuku from his control.

"You've got it! I promise I won't!" Midoriya replied confidently before feeling the pain in his fingers.

As Shinso turned to leave, he paused, pondering whether to say his following words.

"Oh, and one last thing," Shinso interjected, his voice cutting through the crowd's noise and into Izuku's ears. "Don't trust that foreigner of yours. He may be in the hero course, but he's nothing but a no-good rat and a fraud. He doesn't even want to be here. Watch out for him."

'Foreigner?' Midoriya furrowed his brow, confusion clouding his features.'Does he mean Lokadi?'

Before he could seek any kind of clarification, Shinso had already disappeared down the hallway, leaving Midoriya to grapple with his unsettling words.

Standing alone in the arena, the holder of One For All's mind raced with questions. He couldn't recall any incidents involving Lokadi warranting such a strong accusation. Sure, Lokadi seemed to keep to himself most of the time, but that didn't necessarily make him deceitful or untrustworthy. And what did Shinso mean by Lokadi not wanting to be here? Did he mean the Sports Festival, or did he mean Japan in general?

Before Midoriya could dwell further on Shinso's cryptic warning, Midnight gestured him off so they could prepare for the next match.

---

Seeing that the first round had ended and his match would be up next, Sero got out of his seat and headed to the ring's entry point. A few classmates, like Kirishima and Kamainari, patted him on the back. They wished him luck, which the tall teenager gratefully accepted. Once Sero left the spectator stand, the dual quirk-wielding teenager, who was next to Eli, followed his opponent's lead and began to head out for the next round. None of the classmates said anything to him, for they knew of his cold demeanour and were unsure if he would accept it. Eli himself wondered if he should say something to Fuyumi's youngest brother, but seeing Todoroki's icy gaze, he decided against it.

After a few minutes, while waiting for the following match to proceed, Midoriya finally returned and reunited with the rest of his class, wearing bandages around his fingers.

"Hey, Deku! Great job!"

"Come on! We saved you a seat over here!"

Iida and Uraraka motioned for their friend to join them while Ojiro gave Midoriya a thumbs up in approval. The gesture caused Midoriya's lips to curve up highly. Just as the green-haired teenager was about to sit down with his friends, he spotted Lokadi sitting in the back corner with his hands in his pockets and one of his feet on the back of the chair in front of him. The foreigner seemed remarkably relaxed for someone participating in a significant tournament.

Memories of Shinso's cryptic warning echoed in his mind. Midoriya couldn't help but wonder about the true meaning behind those words. Yet, he decided to push aside his curiosity for now, knowing that focusing on the upcoming matches was more important. He promised himself that he would try to ask Lokadi about it after the Sports Festival had ended.

Within a few moments, Present Mic made his lengthy and dramatic introductions of the two opponents in the ring before officially announcing their fight's start.

Sero made the first move, shooting two volleys of tape around Todoroki's arms and legs to immobilise him, then fired another volley to wrap around his body and throw him out of the ring. It seemed like the fight would end quickly in Sero's favour, but then, the dual quirk-wielding teenager used his ice.

The students of Class 1-A knew that Todoroki's ice quirk was powerful, but even they could never imagine what it could do at its fullest capacity. The entire arena shook when Todoroki unleashed his ice attack. This ice was monstrous in size, reaching the spectator stand of Class 1-A and even reaching the outskirts of the stadium above, allowing the people outside to see Todoroki's attack.

All the teachers and students in the stands were left dumbstruck by this phenomenal display of power, as some of the spectators were forced to lean back to avoid getting hit. Even Eli let out a low whistle in appreciation at the scale.

However, compared to everyone else, his shock was milder for two reasons: one, Elijah wasn't that interested in how powerful other quirks were or in displays of power, and two, even if Todoroki's attack was impressive, it wasn't the most formidable ice display Eli had ever witnessed.

"…Sero, can you move?" Midnight's voice rang out. They couldn't hear his reply, but the following announcement revealed that they didn't need one. "Sero is immobilised! Todoroki advances to the second round!"

Silence. That was all that filled the arena.

"Don't mind..."

A chorus of 'Don't mind' rang out only after a few seconds of silence. Sentiments towards Sero, most likely, to comfort him from this… incredibly one-sided win. With the battle finished, Todoroki used his left side, placing his hand on Sero's body and slowly began to melt the large ice construct.

Melting such a large ice construct took a few minutes, and the excessive amount of ice being melted caused a massive cloud of steam to rise up from the stadium, a cloud that could be seen from a few miles away. Once the ice pillar was gone, the red and white-haired teenager quickly paced out of the ring with his fists at his sides. Sero, whose body was still affected by the cold, was shivering head-to-toe. He rapidly rubbed his arms over his body in an attempt to warm himself up.

With the second round ending, the dark-skinned teenager from 1-A knew he was next in the lineup.

'Well, time to get this whole thing over with.'Eli silently got up from his seat and made his way to the designated entrance to the arena. However, as he moved out of his seat and out of the spectator stand, he heard a soft voice call out to him.

"Good luck, Lokadi-san,"

Eli paused mid-step at the unexpected well-wishes and turned to see that it was Yaoyorozu who had given them. She offered him a polite smile from her seat next to Jiro. On the other hand, the girl with earphone jacks hanging from each of her earlobes didn't seem to want to wish him the same luck. She gave Eli an uncaring glance before continuing a conversation with Mina Ashido, who sat beside her.

Surprised by the gesture, Eli simply offered Yaoyorozu a brief nod of acknowledgment. As he did so, his azure-blue gaze also caught the eyes of a few other students—Shoji, Tokoyami, and Sato—who also offered him either nods or thumbs-ups of encouragement.

Despite his surprise at his classmates' unexpected well wishes, Eli maintained his usual calm demeanour as he reciprocated with a nod. Inside, he felt a mix of gratitude and guilt—grateful for their support yet guilty knowing that he had no intention of winning his upcoming fight.

With a composed, almost bored expression, he turned away from the stands and continued toward the arena's entrance. As he passed another spectator box, he heard another voice calling out to him, a voice that didn't belong to anyone in his class.

"Hey, Elijah!"

Eli blinked at the sudden voice, recognising that it wasn't from someone in his class, as this voice spoke in English. Curious, he turned again to see who knew called him as his eyes scanned the unfamiliar faces in the box, realising they were likely from a different class.

Then, his gaze settled on a smiling girl with a round face, a short equine and a pair of tall, lyre-shaped pale tan horns on her head. She sat near the middle of the spectator section, having turned around in her seat to see him.

"Hey Elijah, remember me? It's Pony!" she exclaimed, her voice carrying over the distance between them. She quickly got to her feet and shuffled past the other students before stopping before him.

Eli's expression remained unchanged as he processed the unexpected encounter. Pony's cheerful greeting brought back memories of their brief interaction at the start of the semester when he helped her find her class. He recalled her unique appearance and that she was also the only other foreigner in the Hero course, being from America.

"Oh hey,"Eli replied in fluent English, his deep tone neutral as always."...Been a while. How have you been?"

Pony's face lit up with a bright smile at the recognition. "Oh, I'm great! Making lots of friends despite still getting the hang of Japanese,"she said, gesturing animatedly."Everyone in my class has been so welcoming."

Eli glanced past her, noticing the curious gazes of several other students, likely from Class 1-B, as they observed their exchange. He also spotted the ginger-haired girl from before. What was her name again? Was it Kendo? Who gave him a smile and a short wave when their eyes met.

"That's good to hear," Eli replied, his tone remaining steady."Learning a new language can be challenging, but it sounds like you're doing well."

Pony nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, it's been a journey, but I'm getting there."Her eyes seemed to glow as she focused the topic on him."But you are doing awesome! You're in the next round of the Sports Festival; that's amazing!"

Eli, uncomfortable with compliments, simply hummed in response."...Yeah."

"Oh, and you're going up against one of our classmates, Monoma, next. He headed off a bit earlier, saying that he had to prepare for his fight against you,"Pony added."He's a bit weird if I'm honest. But he's pretty smart too. So, sorry if I end up cheering for him in the next match since it's only him and Tetsutetsu from our class. But I'll still wish you the best!"

Eli's gaze flickered with surprise. He hadn't expected well-wishes from someone outside his class, especially from a competitor's classmate in the tournament. Despite his intention to purposely lose this match, he appreciated the gesture.

"...Thanks,"he replied, his tone subdued."I appreciate it."

With a nod of farewell, Eli turned his attention back to the arena's entrance, ready to finally end his journey in the Sports Festival.

---

Hitoshi Shinso's steps echoed softly as he made his way back from the arena restroom to his seat with his class, his mind buzzing with a mix of emotions. Despite his loss against Midoriya, the unexpected praise and encouragement from the audience, particularly the pro heroes, had stirred something within him. For the first time in a while, he felt a flicker of genuine confidence and ambition igniting within his chest. The feeling that there was actually a genuine chance for him to be a pro-hero.

He already understood that gaining entry into the hero course would require hard work when he entered the Sports Festival. However, A small part of him had even regarded it as a pipe dream. But now, as he returned, the cheers and applause still rang in his ears, and he recognised that he could achieve this.

The determination to prove himself— not just to others, but to himself— burned more than ever. Shinso knew he needed to give it his all to fulfil his dream. This time, no more holding back, no more half-hearted attempts. From this moment forward, he vowed to put 110% effort into everything he did to get into the hero course.

As Shinso walked through the hallway back to Class 1-C's spectator stand to watch the remainder of the Sports Festival, a rather confident-looking individual turned into his pathway from one of the many openings.

"Ah, there you are!" the stranger exclaimed, striding purposefully toward Shinso.

Shinso regarded him with a furrowed brow. "Who are you?" he asked bluntly, his tone guarded.

"Ah, I'm Neito Monoma from Class 1-B," the newcomer introduced himself with a confident smile, seemingly unperturbed by Shinso's scepticism. "I must say, your performance in the Sports Festival has been quite impressive. Mind control is such a fascinating quirk."

Shinso's expression remained guarded as he listened to Monoma's words. While he appreciated the compliment on his quirk, he couldn't shake off the feeling that this guy was trouble, and Shinso had more than enough of dealing with hero course students today.

"Right," Shinso responded curtly, his tone betraying his wariness. "Is there something you want?"

Monoma's smile widened as he leaned in closer. "Oh, just thought I'd introduce myself to a fellow comrade," he replied smoothly. "After all, we're both vying for the same thing, aren't we?"

Shinso only raised an eyebrow as Monoma continued talking.

"You see, I like you, Shinso. Honestly, we are very similar."

"I doubt it," The general ed student denied.

"Oh, but we are," The blonde reaffirmed. "Ever since I was a kid, I heard the same thing on repeat," Monoma continued, his smug tone carrying a hint of bitterness. "'There'sno way you can be a hero with a quirk like that'. The two of us are both very aware of our weaknesses. Sometimes, we have to embrace our darker sides to survive. And that's why I say we are the same."

Shinso's guard remained firmly in place, his expression furrowed as he listened to Monoma's words. While the sentiment of shared struggle was not lost on him, he couldn't shake off the feeling that Monoma had ulterior motives for seeking him out.

"I appreciate the sentiment," Shinso replied evenly, his voice betraying none of the unease he felt. "But I have no interest in being friends with hero course students."

Monoma's smirk widened at Shinso's response, seemingly unfazed by his rejection. "I understand your reservations," he acknowledged, his voice carrying a tone of understanding. "But know this; I'm on your side. I want to see you succeed and prove that a quirk like yours, like mine, can make us heroes. And what better way to do that than to take Class 1-A down a notch, huh?"

As Monoma spoke, he stepped closer to Shinso, his demeanour exuding confidence. "They think they'resooosuperior with their flashy quirks and prestigious status.But..."

With a deliberate gesture, Monoma placed his hand on Shinso's shoulder.

"...with your help, we can show everyone that they're not so perfect."

---

"All right, folks! We are ready to begin our next match-up!"Present Mic announced to the roar of the crowd."Our next bout is between the two heroes classes of U.A.! From Class 1-A, we have a student who actually hasn't done all that much, to be honest. He is the sole foreigner of Class 1-A, the mysterious dark horse - Elijah Lokadi! And from Class 1-B, the genius who still made an impressive showing in the previous in the previous event. The sly trickster of 1-B - Neito Monoma!"Present Mic introduced the two contestants who stood poised at the centre of the arena.

Monoma wore a calm, smug smile as he stared at his opponent. Meanwhile, Eli exuded an air of calmness. However, it bore more resemblance to boredom as he glanced around at the audience, his discomfort shown by the slight frown on his face. Being an introvert, Eli found the attention unnerving, and standing in front of such a large crowd didn't sit well with him.

As the crowd cheered for the introductions of the two competitors, the enthusiasm was noticeably less intense compared to the previous matches. Maybe it was because one of the students had barely done anything noteworthy throughout the Festival. Perhaps it was because the other student was from Class 1-B, a class that hadn't been involved in the recent villain attack. Or maybe it was simply because Lokadi was a foreigner, and the crowd felt less connected to him. Whatever the reason, the cheers were undeniably more subdued.

Elijah stood at the centre of the arena, hands in his pockets, unfazed by the tepid reception. Monoma also maintained his confident smile, seemingly unbothered by the lukewarm applause.

As the match was about to start, the students of Class 1-A in the spectator stands began to speculate the outcome.

"I wonder how this match will go," Tokoyami mused, his dark eyes fixed on the arena.

"Yeah, this is the first Class 1-A vs Class 1-B match," Sato added, leaning forward with interest.

"So what's Monoma's quirk? He can copy other quirks?" Kaminari asked, turning to Sero. "That's what I remember you guyssaying."

"Yeah, but from what we saw, I think he has to touch someone to copy their quirk," Sero pointed out. "If Lokadi can keep his distance, he might have an advantage."

"Do we even know what Lokadi's quirk actually is?" Mina poked in, her pink face filled with curiosity. "We've seen bits and pieces, but nothing concrete."

"Lokadi possesses a form of weapon creation made from the darkness of his shadows," Tokoyami stated, arms crossed as he watched the arena. "But he hasn't had many opportunities to show it off during the duration of the festival."

"Yeah, the only time I think I saw him use it was when he created that shield during the Cavalry Battle," Kaminari added. "Other than that, he's been pretty quiet."

"Do you think he'll be allowed to use his quirk in this match?" Uraraka asked, her voice tinged with concern. "Creating blades might be considered too dangerous for the tournament."

"That's a good point," Iida said, adjusting his glasses thoughtfully. "U.A. has strict rules about the safety of the students during these matches. If his quirk is deemed too dangerous, he might be restricted in how he can use it."

"But wouldn't it be unfair to do that to him when everyone else can use their quirks freely?" Mina pondered. "I mean, Todoroki's ice and fire are super powerful and dangerous, but he still gets to use them. The same goes with Bakugo and his explosions." She ignored the growl that came from the blonde.

"True, but it might depend on how he uses his quirk," Yaoyorozu interjected. "If he can demonstrate control and use his abilities in a non-lethal way, they might allow it. My quirk is quite multifaceted as I can create dulled weapons, but I'm unsure if Lokadi-san can accomplish the same results." There was a slight hint of pride in her tone when she spoke that, something that not many seemed to pick up on.

"So your quirk iswaybetter than his then!" Mineta commented from next to Shoji, which earned him a tongue smack from Tsyuu, who sat in front of him.

"That's rude."

"Ow! But I'm not wrong!"

"Well, whatever the case, I'm sure Lokadi can find a way past this hurdle!" Iida stated confidently.

Midoriya sat quietly, his mind racing with Shinso's earlier warning about Eli. The cautionary words had sown a seed of doubt in him, and he couldn't help but contemplate their meaning. What did Shinso see in Eli that prompted him to issue such a warning?

"Hey, Midoriya, you okay?" Uraraka asked, noticing his distant expression.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Midoriya replied, forcing a smile. "Just thinking about the match."

Back in the arena, the female referee of the tournament stepped forward.

"Alright, competitors. Are you ready?" Midnight's voice rang out, and she raised her hand above her head to start the match.

Eli nodded lazily while Monoma, still with a smug, confident smile, gave a dramatic flourish, clearly enjoying what was about to happen.

"Begin!" Midnight's voice cut through the air, and the match was on.

Eli stood where he was, contemplating his strategy. He knew that outright surrendering would look bad, especially under the scrutiny of his classmates and the audience. No, he needed to make it look convincing. Trading a few punches with his opponent, then either getting pushed out of the arena or pretending to be knocked out, seemed like the best course of action.

Eli then glanced to the side, where Midnight was watching him. She appeared more excited than during the previous matches.

This way, he wouldn't disappoint Kayama too badly.

Just as Eli was about to take his hands out of his pockets and enter a fighting stance, Monoma surprised him by not charging forward but instead by speaking.

"So, you're Lokadi, the foreigner, right? You know, I'm actually fortunate that I got paired with you, as it gives me a chance to ask you some questions," Monoma started. He began casually pacing back and forth. "Why did you apply for the hero course here in Japan? Why not try to be a hero in your home country? Or did you think you wouldn't be good enough there, either? Or are you so arrogant that you think you can just come here and outshine us?"

Eli raised an eyebrow at Monoma's words but remained silent, his face an unreadable mask. To be honest, He hadn't expected Monoma to go this route, and while the taunts were annoying, he considered them childish.

Monoma, seeing that he wasn't much of a response, continued, his voice growing louder as it dripped with mockery and disdain. However, it was unclear whether the audience could hear or not. "You must think you're something special, huh? The foreigner of Class 1-A, popular just because you're different. But popularity doesn't make you a hero. It's time someone toppled your pedestal. And I'm thrilled thatthatsomeoneis me!"

The crowd murmured softly, their anticipation hanging in the air like an electric charge. Some leaned in, straining to catch the words being flung from the mouth of Monoma, while others chatted amongst themselves, becoming bored that the action hadn't begun yet. Still, Eli simply stayed silent, his expression one of boredom. He didn't care for Monoma's words; to him, they were just noise.

Years of experience had taught Eli that conversations typically served one of a few purposes in the heat of a fight. One, they were trying to distract you, typically by taunting. Two, they were trying to get information from you. Or three, they were just chatty. As he tuned in and out of Monoma's incessant taunts, Eli pondered which of these categories the other boy fell into, but he had a feeling that it was more towards the latter.

Whatever the reason, Monoma continued goading for several moments, mentioning that he was a foreigner and that Lokadi hadn't done much in the Festival. Honestly, Eli had kind of stopped paying much attention halfway through.

However, Monoma's next taunt seemed to finally hit a nerve.

"What about your family, Lokadi? Did they send you here because you were a failure back home? Or did they just want to get rid of you?"

When his words registered in Eli's ears, a picture entered the dark-skinned boy's mind. It was of three people: The first person was easy to identify as Adrian, the second was another young man, and the third was a slender young woman, all of African descent.

Eli's blue pupils, vivid against the backdrop of his dark sclera, constricted like a camera lens adjusting to focus. A flicker of anger ignited within him, twisting his features into a mask of barely contained rage. His voice came out low and controlled, each word like a slow burn. "You don't know anything about my family."

Just as he finished speaking, Eli suddenly froze.

"Gotcha," Monoma's smug smile widened as he activated a quirk he had copied earlier – Shinso'sBrainwashingquirk.

"Uh, Oh! Where have we seen this before? It looks just like in the first match, Lokadi Elijah is completely frozen!"Present Mic announced as everyone looked on in shock. The crowd fell into a hushed silence, realising what had just happened.

From the stands, Class 1-A watched in confusion. "What's happening?" Uraraka exclaimed, her voice tinged with anxiety as she leaned forward, searching for answers in the chaotic scene below.

Midoriya's eyes widened further, a flicker of recognition igniting within him. "Monoma... he copied Shinso's quirk," he murmured, processing the events like puzzle pieces falling into place. The realisation struck him like a bolt of lightning. "He tricked Lokadi into talking so he could useBrainwashingon him."

Back in the ring, Monoma casually walked up to Eli with a smug grin. He seemed almost buoyant, revelling in the thrill of confrontation. "So, the mysterious dark horse of Class 1-A has a sore spot," he taunted, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Family, huh? How predictable. Let's see what makes you so special."

Monoma raised his hand with a mocking sneer and delivered a small, mocking slap across Eli's face. The contact was just enough to jolt him but not hard enough to break through the haze of brainwashing that clouded his mind. As the sting registered, Monoma felt a surge of energy coursing through him; he had successfully copied Eli's quirk.

Eli, however, remained unresponsive, his gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the ring. His once vibrant azure-blue pupils seemed to have faded into a dull, dark blue, surrounded by the shadowy, black sclera that gave him an eerie, almost lifeless appearance.

"Let's see what your quirk is all about, shall we?" Monoma continued, relishing the moment. His voice dripped with condescension, almost like syrup. "It's some sort of weapon creation quirk, right? Basically, it's a crappier version of that Yayorozu girl, if I'm not mistaken. Shall we test it out?"

With the rush of exhilaration that came with copying a quirk surging through him, Monoma felt invincible. He raised his hand, focusing intently, his expression shifting from disdain to eager anticipation. Expecting a dramatic manifestation of Eli's powers, he flourished his hand to the side, waiting for an extraordinary weapon to spring forth at his command.

But as the moments stretched, nothing happened. The teenager's hand remained stubbornly empty, devoid of any weapon or tool, leaving him momentarily bewildered.

Unbeknownst to Monoma, a faint, dark smoke began to wisp from the shadows of his own feet, curling around him like a living entity, ominous and foreboding. However, still nothing came out of it. The crowd, previously buzzing with noise, fell into a hushed murmur, their intrigue piqued by the strange events unfolding before them.

Frustration washed over Monoma, twisting his features into an expression of annoyance. He tried again, his tone low and agitated. "What's wrong with this dumb quirk?" Each failed attempt only deepened his confusion. He had envisioned this moment—a chance to embarrass the acclaimed foreign student with his own abilities—but now it seemed that Eli's quirk eluded him.

After multiple attempts, the blonde from 1-B paused as he raised his hand. "Is it not an emitter?" Monoma muttered to himself, slowly clenching his fist in desperation. He could still feel the lingering sensations of the quirk he had copied—an energy that pulsed with untapped potential. Monoma glanced back at Eli, who remained lifeless statute.

Does that mean there's an accumulation aspect to it?

Despite the setback, Monoma then shrugged, his usual smug confidence taking root. "Looks like your quirk is a dud, Lokadi! No wonder you haven't shown anything impressive. It's completely useless!"

Eli obviously didn't respond as he stared aimlessly ahead of him, still caught in the brainwashing.

Midnight, watching from the sidelines, finally intervened. "Monoma, it seems like you've made your point. Wrap this up," she ordered, her tone sharper than usual.

Behind her confident demeanour, her fist was clenched tightly in disappointment. She had hoped Eli would have had a chance to shine in front of the pro-heroes, showcasing his unique abilities, but fate had played a cruel trick by pairing him against Monoma. In truth, she thought Eli would have had the best chance at winning this match, but sometimes things don't fall into place that easily.

Monoma yawned sarcastically, showing how easy it was for him. "Well, I've had my fun! Let's end this. Sorry, but it looks like you won't get to show off at all today. Ain't that a pity for you?" Monoma smiled before waving off dismissively. "Walk out of the ring, Lokadi. Lose like the loser you are."

Eli's body obeyed the command, his movements stiff and mechanical. He began to walk towards the edge of the arena, each step echoing in the hushed stadium. The crowd's murmurs grew louder as they watched the strange turn of events. Monoma stood with his arms crossed, clearly pleased with his victory, watching Eli approach the boundary.

Disappointment echoed around the arena, some viewers voicing their frustration over what they deemed a one-sided match. "To be honest, I expected more from the foreigner," one murmured, while another added, "Someone else should have taken his place in the hero course."

Meanwhile, while the murmurs continued, all Eli could see was blurriness and darkness. The thrum of the audience faded into the background, becoming nothing more than a distant hum. The sensation was otherworldly, as though he were adrift in a sea of nothingness, floating on a gentle current or lounging upon a cloud that cradled him in its soft embrace. It was a dreamlike state, suspended in an endless void where time stood still, and the world's burdens melted away. It was strangely comforting despite the situation as he tried to stop his feet from continuously moving forward. Still, no matter what he tried, nothing worked.

'Well, this is embarrassing,'The dark-skinned boy thought. He had fallen for Monoma's trick so quickly that it almost stung his pride.

He pictured Adrian watching through the T.V. at Charity's Delight, laughing at him for getting caught so easily. He could practically hear Adrian's teasing voice chastising him for getting rusty and falling for such an obvious ploy.

With a heavy sigh, Eli resigned himself to his fate. His body, still under the unyielding control of Monoma's Brainwashing, propelled him forward, each step bringing him closer to the very edge of the ring—a precipice he had no say in avoiding. In truth, the dark teenager considered this a fitting way to lose, more of a formality than a defeat. Still, he couldn't help the pang of guilt that twisted in his chest at the thought of disappointing Midnight.

She had always believed in him, pushing him towards the hero course despite him fighting all the way through. That thought weighed heavily on him as he teetered on the brink, the reality of letting her down stinging Eli deeply.

Sorry Kayama, I'm not fit to be a hero.

As he was lost in his thoughts, a faint voice rang out in his mind, a voice that didn't belong to him.

"Dₐ...ₙg.ₑᵣ,"it whispered, the sound barely breaking the silence of his reverie.

"ᵢₙ Dₐₙ..gₑᵣ,"

The voice was so soft that it was difficult to tell if it was masculine or feminine. However, the next voice that joined it was clearly male, as it had a raspier tone and spoke slightly louder.

"𝘗𝘳𝘰..𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘚𝘰𝘷...𝘳𝘦𝘪..𝘨𝘯,"it urged, louder and more insistent than the first.

"𝘐𝘯 𝘋𝘢𝘯..𝘨𝘦𝘳,"

Eli, who heard these voices in his head, was surprised as this was the first time he had heard such things. At first, he suspected that it might be related to Monoma's Brainwashing Quirk, well actually Shinso's quirk, which was what Monoma had copied, but he quickly realised that wasn't the case as the voices rang out clearly in his native tongue instead of Japanese, growing more forceful with each repetition.

"𝘗𝘳𝘰..𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘷...𝘳𝘦𝘪..𝘨𝘯,"

"𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘷𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘯,"

"ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕊𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕟!"

With every utterance, the chorus intensified, evolving from a whisper to a deafening cacophony. The words were melded with the dark wisps and black smoke that began to surge from Elijah's shadow, spilling over the ground, becoming darker and more prominent until it almost obscured Eli's feet and up to his shins completely. Eli's shadow also began to play up as it twisted and writhed on the ground; it became deformed, sprouting additional arms that grasped and contorted, distorting its figure into something both mesmerising and terrifying. The shadow deepened, acting like a swirling mass of dread as it grew even darker than before, with the black smoke and wisps dancing around it. The crowd surrounding him fell silent, their expressions a mix of awe and terror as they felt a chill run down their spine, transfixed by the spectacle unfolding before their eyes.

As the voices in Eli's mind reached a crescendo, the chant became deafeningly clear, resonating through every fibre of his being.

"ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕔𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕟!"

At that moment, just as his foot was about to leave the arena, a pitch-black hand shot out from the depths of his shadow. It paused at the wrist before forcefully grabbing his foot, halting his movement entirely.

The sheer force of the hand's grip snapped Eli out of Monoma's Brainwashing quirk. His eyes cleared, and his senses returned to him. He looked down in shock at the dark hand holding his foot. But as he did, the hand seemed to acknowledge his regained control, slowly retreating back into the shadows, accompanied by dissipating black smoke and wisps.

Across the ring, Monoma stared in disbelief, his confidence faltering as he witnessed Eli's resurgence. The packed arena, once buzzing with anticipation, fell into stunned silence, the spectators left grappling with confusion at what had just transpired.

Still in shock from the bizarre display, Present Mic tried to regain his composure over the loudspeaker."W-What the hell just happened?!"he exclaimed, his usual bombastic tone tinged with genuine surprise."I gotta tell you, folks, that gave me the hibbie-jibbies!"

He turned to his co-commentator, Aizawa, seeking some kind of explanation."Aizawa, what just went down down there?!"

But the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on Lokadi. Aizawa's expression was unreadable, a blend of curiosity and suspicion swirling behind his narrowed eyes as he still felt the chill down his spine.

Around them, murmurs filled the crowd as spectators tried to process the strange scene that had just unfolded.

"Did you see that? Was it real?"

"Man, that was creepy! What the heck was that black smoke?"

"Did anyone else see a hand appear from his shadow? It was hard to see because of the dark smoke, but I'm sure I saw one!" a third voice insisted, igniting even more whispers of confusion and intrigue.

Whispers of confusion and speculation spread like wildfire through the stands, everyone trying to make sense of what they had just seen. The strange occurrence had sent chills down many spines, leaving a lingering sense of unease.

Nemuri Kayama stood ringside, her heart racing as she processed the surreal scene unfolding before her. The arena buzzed with the excitement of the match, but the sight of Eli's pitch-black hand emerging from his shadow had stolen her breath. She had known Eli for nearly two years, yet this was the first time she had witnessed such a shocking manifestation of his quirk.

For as long as she could remember, Eli and Adrian had described his ability as allowing him to conjure objects from his shadow. Nemuri had always assumed it was limited to knives, shields, bows, medieval weapons and the like, which Eli had demonstrated on numerous occasions. But the pitch-black hand reaching out, gripping and clawing at the air, opened up a floodgate of questions in her mind. Why hadn't Eli and Adrian mentioned this ability to her? Why didn't he show this before? Why keep such a significant aspect of his quirk a secret?

As her mind shifted to Adrian, her boyfriend, an unwilling pang of uncertainty gnawed at her. She realised with dismay that she knew little about his quirk as well. Whenever she tried to broach the subject, he brushed it off with a dismissive wave. "It's not that interesting," he would say, only to swiftly change the topic. She had only seen him create a few knives from a bright yellow light, which contrasted sharply with Eli's black smoke. What if Adrian had more tricks up his sleeve? The knowledge that both men of the Lokadi family might be hiding the true extent of their abilities made her uneasy. Did they not trust her?

The thoughts weighed heavily on her, but she reminded herself of her role as the referee. She needed to focus.

With a wave of her flogger-style whip, she called out in a loud, authoritative voice, "Lokadi is still in the ring! The match is still on!"

Her announcement snapped everyone back to the present. The crowd, buzzing with confusion and anticipation, refocused on the ring, also letting out small cheers.

Having regained control of his body, Eli stared at the white line indicating the arena's out-of-bounds area. Tempted to step outside and concede defeat, he hesitated. It was too late to lose this way, especially now that people had witnessed him break free from Monoma's control. Simply stepping out would look suspicious and raise too many questions. With a resigned sigh, he turned and returned to the centre of the ring, positioning himself squarely opposite Monoma.

Monoma, still reeling from the unexpected turn of events, demanded answers. "What the hell did you do? How did you break free from my control?" he shouted, his voice thick with frustration and confusion.

Eli stared at Monoma with his usual stoic expression, not bothering to respond. Nothing needed to be said.

Monoma, increasingly annoyed by the silent response, decided to use his copied version of Shinso's Brainwashing quirk again to regain control over Elijah. "You think you're so clever, huh? You just got lucky!" he spat, his eyes narrowing as he focused on activating the quirk once his opponent responded.

However, before that could happen, Monoma suddenly felt the power of the copied quirk slip away, dissipating like water through his fingers. His eyes widened in realisation and anger as he understood—the time limit on his borrowed power had run out.

"Damn it!" Monoma cursed under his realisation, clenching his fists in frustration. "I knew I should have copied Tetsutetsu or Kendo's quirk as a backup." At the moment, he could only copy two quirks for a limit of 5 minutes. In truth, the blonde from 1-B thought that he wouldn't need to, as from what he had seen, his opponent had little going for himself. The African from the despicable Class 1-A had come last in the obstacle course, barely making it to the next round, and he only made it through that because his team felt pity for him.

Monoma's plan to prove his superiority over the U.A. Class 1-A student had seemed foolproof. His strategy was simple: copy Lokadi's quirk and, combined with Shinso's brainwashing, defeat the foreigner with ease in a humiliating way. But that had unravelled when he discovered that Lokadi's quirk was a dud, which still didn't make any sense!

Monoma gritted his teeth as he glared at Eli, who was now standing in the middle of the ring with his usual stoic expression. The crowd's murmurs of disappointment and confusion only intensified Monoma's frustration. How could things have gone so wrong?

"Alright, fine," he growled under his breath, his eyes narrowing with determined intensity. "If I can't win with borrowed quirks, I'll just have to beat you with my own strength. I know I'm better than you."

With that declaration, Monoma shifted into a straightforward fighting stance, raising his fists in preparation for a traditional fistfight. This wasn't usually his style; he preferred outsmarting his opponents rather than getting into a brawl. This type of fighting was more suited for someone like Testutetsu or that barbarian Kendo. Still, Monoma knew there wasn't much else he could do.

Eli stared for a moment, seeing Monoma resort to hand-to-hand fighting. The African guessed Monoma had hit some sort of limit to the quirks he could copy. Either there was a time limit for which Monoma could only hold a copied quirk, or the quirks were on some kind of cooldown.

Eli took a moment to think about whether to fight, as he was still tempted to just give up. However, some of him was still annoyed at what Monoma had said before to get him to respond and be caught in his brainwashing.

While the African didn't care about winning or losing, Elijah decided he might as well take this opportunity to land a solid hit on Monoma before the match ended.

With a heavy sigh, Eli simply wiped his nose, lifted up his slightly sagging pants, and got into a very casual fighting stance where he barely lifted his fists.

"Looks like Monoma's showing some real grit here, folks! "Present Mic's voice boomed through the arena, his enthusiasm infectious as he rallied the crowd."He'sready to go hand-to-hand with Lokadi! This fight has now turned into a straight-up brawl!"Present Mic exclaimed, trying to build excitement in the crowd.

The unexpected shift from a calculated match to a raw street fight drew the audience closer, some leaning forward in their seats, their anticipation thick in the air. However, despite the dramatic turn, it was evident that many were still uncertain about the two combatants. The previous matches had been spectacular, and compared to those, this match between Monoma and Eli didn't quite have the same allure.

In the centre of the arena, Monoma's nerves warred with adrenaline. He bounced anxiously on the balls of his feet, his fighting stance betraying his rookie status. His eyes flickered between Eli's face and torso, a mixture of determination and small uncertainty written across his features. He was pumping himself up like a dog gearing up to make a reluctant leap at an intruder.

In stark contrast, Eli stood unmoving, like a statue in his relaxed, if not bored, fighting stance. His hands hung slightly raised in front of him, and his posture seemed riddled with openings—an oversight that didn't go unnoticed by the audience. To the heroes watching, Eli appeared to be the quintessential rookie, with a careless attitude that surely would lead to mistakes.

No one moved for the next few seconds as the air's tension was palpable. But the first to break it was Monoma, who finally jumped forward and threw the first punch. However, as he did, three things happened in rapid succession.

First, with his casual stance, Eli effortlessly and simply sidestepped left of the incoming punch. There was zero wasted movement as Monoma's right fist sailed millimetres past his face.

Second, in a blur of motion faster than most could see, Eli responded with a powerful left hook, which connected smoothly against Monoma's jaw. The force behind the punch was immense, and the precision was deadly accurate.

Third, Monoma was knocked out cold before he even had a chance to register what had happened. His eyes rolled back, and his body went limp, collapsing to the ground in an unceremonious heap.

The entire sequence took mere seconds, leaving the audience somewhat stunned.

Present Mic's voice echoed through the stadium, filled with surprise."Whoa! Did you see that?! Lokadi just delivered a knockout punch! Monoma is down for the count! I was expecting more excitement, but that was almost... anticlimactic!"

The crowd murmured in agreement, their surprise evident. The quick and decisive end to the fight caught everyone off guard, and there was a sense of disappointment at how fast it had concluded.

"Lokadi Elijah is the winner!" Midnight announced, her voice ringing out as she raised her hand to signal the end of the match. There was a hint of pride in her voice that only a handful of people could pick up as she made the announcement. The crowd followed her call as they all clapped at the conclusion of the match.

Eli stood over Monoma's unconscious form, processing what had happened. Feeling mixed emotions, he glanced at the crowd before looking back at Monoma as a small bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.

'Uh Oh, I might have hit him a bit too hard.'

This wasn't how he envisioned the fight ending. The dark-skinned teenager had thought he had delivered just a light punch, not a full-fledged knockout. The incident reminded him of the time he had struck Sero, the tape guy, during the Battle Trials; Sero had nearly doubled over after Eli's gut punch.

Eventually, Eli shrugged as though he hadn't planned to advance past this round; he could at least take solace in the thought that his unintentional victory might content Adrian and Kayama. After all, he could always get knocked out by his next opponent. Silver linings, he mused as he spotted Kayama give him a proud nod and smile.

As the medical team, two robots, rushed in to attend to Monoma, Eli turned and began walking back to the arena entrance.

---

Back up in the stands, the rest of Class 1-A buzzed with conversation about the match. Some were impressed by Eli's win, while others were still trying to process how quickly the fight had ended.

"Man, that was intense! I didn't know Lokadi had it in him!" Kaminari exclaimed.

"He won pretty quick as well," Sato added.

"I didn't think Monoma could copy Shino's quirk, Ribbit," Tsuyu said. "And honestly, I'm surprised Lokadi was able to break out of Monoma's control."

"But did you see that shadow thing? What was that?" Toru asked, still a bit unsettled by the earlier display.

"You mean the smoke?" Mina questioned.

"No! That black hand that came out, didn't you see it!?"

"I didn't see anything."

While the others chatted, Midoriya sat quietly, still mulling over Shinso's earlier warning about Lokadi. He watched his classmate with a mix of curiosity and uncertainty. What did Shinso mean? Especially about how Shinso said Lokadi didn't want to be here? Did that mean that Lokadi didn't care about the Sports Festival?

Midoriya took some time to think about all he knew about Lokadi. Outside of that one time he met him on the walk to the station, Midoriya didn't know much about Lokadi. But there was something about Shinso's words that felt true. Midoriya couldn't help but feel there was some truth to the claim that Lokadi didn't want to be at U.A.

Izuku sat in front of Lokadi in class and noticed times when Lokadi seemed bored or uninterested in many topics, especially the hero-related ones, often letting out a yawn. Why did Lokadi not want to be there? Did Lokadi not want to be a hero? Did that mean that he wasn't even trying?

Izuku felt a flicker of anger at the implication. The Sports Festival was a significant opportunity for all of them—a stage where students could showcase their abilities, prove their worth, and gain recognition from pro heroes. The idea that someone might be wasting that chance was infuriating. It reminded him of the other issue already brewing in his mind: Todoroki's refusal to use his fire.

Todoroki had declared that he would only use his ice, driven by his hatred for his father and a fierce pride that Izuku both understood and found frustrating. While Izuku empathised with Todoroki's reasons, he couldn't accept them. He was determined to prove Todoroki wrong—determined to show him that his Quirk, fire and ice, was his own and not his father's.

But now, to hear that there was someone else who might not be using the Sports Festival to its fullest potential? Someone who, according to Shinso, might not even want to be there? That stung even more. This was supposed to be a chance to show their resolve, their dedication to becoming heroes, and their willingness to fight for that dream.

The more Izuku thought about it, the more the idea annoyed him. How could someone not try their best here? Didn't Lokadi understand what this meant? There were students, like Shinso, who would do anything to have the chance Lokadi had. Was Lokadi just wasting it?

But Izuku quickly squashed the anger before it could fester further. He didn't have any proof that Lokadi was holding back, nor did he know Lokadi's reasons for doing so if he was. Maybe there was more to the story. Maybe Lokadi was trying in his own way, and Shinso's words were just his own frustrations spilling out.

Resolving to get to the bottom of it, Izuku told himself that he would try to talk to Lokadi later on and see if there was any truth to what Shinso had said. For now, he needed to focus on the rest of the tournament and make All Might proud.

"Well, folks, these first matches have been exciting, but it's not over yet! And now let us begin the next matches!"

---

AN: And thats the end of chapter 11. Sorry its been a while. Lot of things happening. I haven't quit the story just haven't found much time to write. If I was to quit this story I would announce it, but I'm not playing to do that anytime soon.

Many thanks again for reading.

And Once again whereever you are in the world. I hope you have a good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or good night.