My Hero Academia: Lion of Courage
Chapter 27: Start of the Sports Festival
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia. All rights go to Kohei Horikoshi.
"WHAT'S UP, EVERYBODY!?" Present Mic cheered over the intercom of the Sports Festival Stadium. As usual, Present Mic had volunteered to be the main commentator and announcer for the Annual Sports Festival with Eraser Head by his side…reluctantly.
"WELCOME TO THE ANNUAL U.A. SPORTS FESTIVAL!" The crowd burst into cheer at Present Mic's announcement. "AND WHO BETTER TO BE MAIN COMMENTATOR AND ANNOUNCER THAN YOURS TRULY, PRESENT MIC, YOU DIG!"
"How did you talk me into this?" Eraser Head groaned as he sat beside his friend in the commentator's box. He was still wrapped up in bandages and recovering from his injuries sustained during the USJ Attack, so he just wanted to sleep the day away since he wouldn't be teaching today. However, Present Mic and Open Palm managed to get him to help the school's DJ by commentating the event.
All of the students from U.A.'s various courses, excluding the Business Course, participating in the event had already changed into their gym clothes, Some of the Hero Course students, such as Sato, Aoyama and Zankoku had been allowed to carry Support Items due to needing them to either control or activate their Quirks. The majority of Support Course students had outfitted themselves with gadgetry and tools they had developed to even the odds against their opponents. As for the General Studies students, those who had requested the use of Support Items were granted them without any resistance.
Hayata Furaya, the Quirkless student from General Studies, stood outside the Stadium equipped with his katana, Falcon's Talon, and a pair of white tech boots. He was training his strikes in his traditional and favored fighting style, Iaijutsu, quickly drawing Falcon's Talon for attacks and sheathing it in a very quick manner.
Most students saw this event as a chance merely to show off their skills and impress Pro Heroes, but this was much more to the Quirkless swordsman. He had been denied his rightful spot in the Hero Course for the sake of a publicity stunt, but because Japan's Anti-Quirkless discrimination laws didn't extend to Hero Schools, he couldn't press charges against the U.A. Board. If he won the Sports Festival today in front of a crowd, then the Board couldn't deny him entrance since the world had seen his capabilities; to refuse the victor of the U.A. Sports Festival entry into the Hero Course would be viewed as controversial and hypocritical, despite the fact that he was Quirkless.
"Come in," Principal Nezu spoke after a knock was heard on his door. The door opened and Furaya walked in, holding a letter with the U.A. Logo on it and showing it to the Principal. Nezu already knew what that letter was and his head lowered with shame and regret.
"I was 3rd Place, sir," Furaya stated. "I had 51 Villain Points and 20 Rescue Points. And yet I was put in General Studies? What is the meaning of this nonsense?"
"It's unfortunate," Nezu admitted. "Please allow me to explain the situation."
During the Recommendation Exams, where the students who could get in on recommendation competed, two students stood out: Shin Zankoku and Chikao Kato. The plan was originally to allow four students in on recommendation as usual, but things took a different turn. Zankoku was a perfect opportunity to show people who felt ignored by heroes that one of their own would be allowed here since he came from a highly disadvantaged community while Chikao was the son of a prominent Pro Hero and detective agency. Wanting them both, the U.A. Board allowed six students in on recommendation rather than four, but that meant having to deny two students from the Entrance Exam entry into the Hero Course.
"So I was denied my place in U.A.'s Hero Course for a publicity stunt?" Furaya questioned with a firm yet angry voice.
"Yes, afraid so," Nezu agreed. "The majority of the U.A. Board felt Zankoku and Kato were…favorable compared to you. I and several other of the members of the Board tried to protest it, but we were outvoted. But there is hope, The Sports Festival is about two months away; It'll be a perfect opportunity for you to showcase your skills in front of U.A. If you perform well, it has a strong chance of persuading the Board to revoke their decision."
"No." Furaya responded firmly. "I am not giving them another excuse to reject me. I'm giving them no choice now. I will defeat every student that they chose after me. Tell your board this, If I win the Sports Festilval they will revoke their decision and let me join the hero course, if I lose... I will never bring it up again and leave U.A.
Nezu was rather shocked by Furaya's bold statement. He didn't doubt the swordsman's skills after earning 3rd Place in the Entrance Exam, but he'd be going up against students that were potentially stronger than he was. Plus, whether he liked or not, his Quirklessness gave him a disadvantage against all of his opponents who had Quirks.
"Furaya, that is a very bold claim," Nezu replied. "If you make it into the top eight-"
"No," Furaya interrupted. "The Board and countless people doubt me. If I only get into the Hero Course by being in the top eight, then those doubts will remain." Furaya then turned to leave the office. As he approached the door, he stopped and looked at Nezu.
"And don't underestimate me. Just because I don't have a quirk, doesn't mean I'm powerless. That's the line of thinking, I'm fighting to change."
Nezu later informed Furaya that the Board accepted his challenge. If he won the Sports Festival, he would be placed in the Hero Course as soon as possible. If he failed, he'd leave U.A. and never show his face again. Despite Nezu bringing up how some Board members vouched for him due to repealing the Quirkless ban, Furaya knew the majority of the Board would want to get rid of him and saw this as a great opportunity to do so. Failure couldn't be an option for Furaya; he had to win, no matter what.
"Hayata!" the voice of his closest friend, Mei Hatsume, cried out as she rushed over to him. "How're our babies?"
"Mei, stop saying it like that," Hayata requested as he continued training. "People will take it the wrong way."
"Well, excuse me for making sure our babies get the respect and love they deserve," Mei replied as she took a look at Falcon's Talon and his boots. She wanted to make sure they were in top condition for the Sports Festival as she considered them her greatest pieces of work as an inventor.
"So, did you have a chance to scout the competition?" Mei asked.
"I have and a few of them have stood out," Furaya answered, thinking of Bakugo and Midoriya.
Furaya hadn't seen Bakugo since the day he declared he'd win the Sports Festival, but he imagined that Bakugo thought he'd flee from a fight. The ash blonde young man made no attempt to hide his condescending and arrogant views towards the Quirkless swordsman, verbally tearing him down and saying that the other 'extras' had a better chance than him. Today would prove if Bakugo truly was a fighter with skills to match his ego or just a loud and selfish annoyance.
Midoriya had kept his distance from Furaya since he had questioned him about his previous Quirklessness. Furaya didn't buy into Midoriya's story that his Quirk manifested late when there was no proof of Quirks emerging in one's teens. He was convinced that Midoriya had used the discrimination that Quirkless people go through in order to garner popularity amongst his class, which he had clearly done so by how his classmates spoke about him. This made him very despicable towards Furaya for taking advantage of a discriminated people for his own selfishness.
"Just remember, show off our babies as best you can!" Mei requested. "And let's hope you get into the Hero Course!"
"I will," Hayata stated, cracking a small smile and taking Falcon's Talon. "I've come too far to fail now. But this wouldn't have been possible without you, Mei."
"Awww~" Mei swooned playfully. "You could make a girl's heart melt…if only you didn't dedicate every moment of existence to training." Furaya let out a quiet chuckle as he did exactly that: continue training until it was time for the festival to officially start.
All of Class 1-A were clad in their gym uniforms, waiting in resting rooms until it was time for them to come out. Sato, Aoyama, and Zankoku were all wearing belts that would help them since they had been approved for use during the Sports Festival. Raionhato sat with Shiruku, Yaoyorozu and Jiro at one table, his back turned from his hated enemy Bakugo.
"So, you nervous, Raionhato?" Shiruku asked the Inventory user.
"A bit," he admitted. "People will remember these victories and defeats from today for years. But I've trained hard for this and I plan to do my best." He then turned to Yaoyorozu and Jiro.
"What about you two? You ready for this?"
"I am," Yaomomo answered. "I've been training and studying diligently for this. Our training matches have helped me, but I won't hold back if we go up against each other."
"Neither will I," Takeo responded. He then suddenly felt two scaly hands on his shoulders and a face close to his. To his annoyance, Nagami Kiyama was looking at him with a very teasing smirk.
"Training with our Viccccce Pressssssident~?" she asked. Takeo sighed and pulled away from her grasp.
"Well, yes," Yaomomo confirmed. "I wished to hone my close combat skills, so he and I trained together in Gym Gamma several times. It's quite nice since not a lot of our classmates use weapons."
"Probably because they have OP Quirks," Shiruku snarked.
Raionhato silently agreed with Shiruku's statement. Many of them had such strong Quirks that they didn't need to learn how to use weapons like swords, staves and shields. He and Yaomomo both had Quirks that by themselves weren't good for combat, so they had to compensate by learning martial skills. They understood that one had to have a strong body and strong skillset rather than just a strong Quirk.
But what would happen if someone like Todoroki or Midoriya lost their Quirks? Would they still be able to hold their own? Would they still be able to put up a fight or would they become helpless and useless? There lay the inherit danger of having powerful, flashy Quirks: the user risked becoming overdependent on them to the point that they would have no value as a fighter without them.
"What do you think about Furaya, the Quirkless student we saw earlier?" Raionhato brought up. "The one who told Bakugo off." There were some hints of satisfaction in his voice when he brought up how Furaya didn't back down from Bakugo's arrogance.
The Explosion user glared back at Raionhato for reminding them of how a Quirkless stood up to him and told him off. He had never forgotten that insult to his pride, the bruise to his ego that had been dealt by the Quirkless's defiance to him. But he'd have the chance to fight both Kitty Boy and Quirkless in the Sports Festival and beat them into the dust.
"Well, if you want my honest opinion, maybe he's got what it takes," Jiro replied. "I mean, like you said, he told Bakugo off."
"Shut the hell up!" Bakugo barked, but they paid him no heed.
"I think his expectations are…unrealistic," Yaomomo answered. "Lacking a Quirk is a very big drawback in the world of Pro Heroes. I have no doubt that he's been training hard, but in the end, I believe that becoming a Quirkless hero is simply too high an expectation."
Yaomomo's words were overheard by Midoriya, unintentionally fueling his sense of self-doubt. Could any Quirkless have a chance of becoming a Pro Hero or would they be doomed to be forever denied the opportunity for something they had no control over? He had been given an opportunity of a lifetime when All Might offered him One For All, but other Quirkless had no such hope for them. Even then, as proven with Furaya, U.A. could probably just put them in a lesser course if they felt the need for it.
"Midoriya," Todoroki spoke to the green-haired young man in his usual monotone voice. The whole class immediately stopped talking to turned to the two students who now faced each other.
"Todoroki, what is it?" Midoriya asked.
"You've become very popular in our class," Todoroki started. "So much so that you were initially chosen to be Class Representative. But when we look at things objectively, I believe I am stronger than you."
Zankoku silently sneered in contempt at Todoroki's declaration while Midoriya was taken a bit back by it. The Poison user couldn't believe the arrogance Todoroki was showing, claiming he was better than Midoriya even though the two of them had never fought against each other before.
"Yeah," Midoriya reluctantly agreed.
"I can use my Quirk without injuring myself while every time you've used yours, you suffer from broken bones. You use your Quirk carelessly with no regard for the injuries you'll sustain. So then I'm left to wonder…why does All Might have his eye on you?"
"Well…I can't really say," Midoriya deflected. Todoroki was quiet for a few moments before he started speaking again.
"As carelessly as you use your Quirk, it is still powerful. But know this: I will beat you, Midoriya."
Zankoku silently snickered at Todoroki. When he went up against a robot in the USJ, he was beaten to near death. When he fought against Zankoku himself, the Poison user had managed to beat him. Yet he still acted like he was the strongest in their class, but what right did he have to lay claim when he refused to use both his ice and his fire? The brazen arrogance of Shoto Todoroki aroused Zankoku's ire.
Meanwhile, Bakugo was silently fuming with jealousy and anger at Todoroki's choice for rivals. The Explosion user felt if anyone deserved to be IcyHot's rival, it was him and him alone. He was #1 in the Entrance Exam, had a powerful Quirk that he had learned to utilize very well, and was undoubtedly one of the strongest students in Class 1-A. What made it even worse for Bakugo was that IcyHot had chosen Deku of all people to be his rival.
"Todoroki," Midoriya addressed. "I don't know what you're thinking when you say you'll beat me, but I know you're better than me. I think you're more capable than most people I've seen, especially me. But…" He paused and looked up at the son of Endeavor.
"If you think I'll be intimidated by your declaration of war, you're wrong. I won't fall behind and I can't. I will go for the top with everything I've got too, so…so don't…underestimate me." Midoriya forced himself to say that last part about being underestimated by Todoroki, intending to show the son of Endeavor that he would truly not be intimidated and scared by him.
"I won't be the same weak and defenseless kid you used to pick on, not anymore!"
Those words rung in Midoriya's head like a bell, the same words he had told Kacchan the day he finally stood up to him. He told his childhood bully that he refused to be pushed around by others any longer and that belief had to extend to Todoroki, regardless of his intentions.
"Fine," Todoroki responded.
Yaoyorozu felt Midoriya was setting himself up for failure in his rivalry against Todoroki. As the son of Endeavor pointed out, both of them had powerful Quirks, but Midoriya couldn't use his without sustaining severe injuries while Todoroki could use his just fine despite using only his ice. But then again, if Todoroki were to use both sides, who would stand a chance against him? He was the son of Endeavor, blessed with a powerful Quirk, an intelligent mind and a natural gift for strength.
"I was a fool," Yaomomo thought to herself. "I wanted to be Class Representative, to be a strong student, but…against classmates like Todoroki, what chance do I have?"
"You okay, Yaomomo?" Takeo asked her, noticing she seemed a bit distressed.
"Hm?" she replied. "Oh, yes, I'm well. Thank you for your concern, Raionhato."
While she genuinely appreciated his concern, it unfortunately wasn't enough to help her feel inferior to Todoroki. If she went up against him, what chance would she have? While he had lost during the USJ Attack and to Zankoku, that was because he was only using his ice. If he used both his fire and ice, he'd be unstoppable; no one would have any hope of beating him, least of all her.
"Yeah!" Tetsutetsu cried out in Class 1-B's waiting room. "We're going to teach those arrogant Class 1-A bastards some humility!"
"Hey, come on, knock it off!" Itsuka Kendo, Class 1-B's voted Representative, insisted. "We barely know them; maybe they do have a bad apple among them, but that doesn't the rest of them are egomaniacs. Let's get them a chance before jumping to conclusions."
"Yeah," Awase insisted, sitting with Yonaka, Chikao and Kaibara. "Kendo's right; let's give them a chance. Maybe they're really decent people like us."
Class 1-B were left divided concerning their feelings for Class 1-A, who had been getting much more attention due to them being involved in the USJ Attack. Some of them, like Kendo and Awase, were of the mind that they should give Class 1-A a chance despite a sour first meeting with Bakugo. Others, like Tetsutetsu, followed the crowd thought that they were a bunch of egotistical, self-absorbed jerks.
Kaze Yonaka didn't care about the rest of Class 1-A: all that mattered to him was that Takeo Raionhato was in that class, despite not deserving to be there. Kaze wanted the chance to fight against Raionhato and prove that he didn't deserve to be in the Hero Course, least of all U.A. Despite their childhood friendship, that didn't stop Takeo from betraying Kaze in a very horrible way, one Kaze could never forgive.
"Tetsutetsu, save your anger for the fighting," Chikao brought up. "Don't go into the Sports Festival motivated by rage alone; calm yourself down before we're announced."
"Actually, you got in on recommendation, right?" Kaibara brought up. "What do you know about the others who got in on recommendation who could be in Class 1-A?" Chikao didn't bother to reply and put his head on the table, falling asleep yet again. Pony went over to wake him up, but as soon as she touched his shoulder, he reached out and held her close to use her as a pillow. Tsunotori's face turned red and she could only let out small squeaks due to her embarrassment.
"Chikao, let her go," Kendo demanded as she pulled Tsunotori away from Chikao's surprisingly strong grasp.
"Awww, come on," he whined. "I was just using her for a pillow. She's comfortable."
"Maybe comfortable to you, but maybe she doesn't feel comfortable herself," Kendo brought up. "So maybe ask next time before you just grab a girl and use her for a pillow."
"Fine," Chikao grumbled. "But everyone who agrees with Tetsutetsu, it'd be illogical to act on our disdain for Class 1-A at such an event. This is a time to show Pros what we're capable of, so let us put aside…" He fell back asleep, much to the annoyance of the class.
Onkyo looked at Chikao with some confusion and disdain. How was it that he got in on recommendation while he didn't? Onkyo considered his Quirk much better and versatile than Chikao's; Onkyo could amplify and decrease the sound around him for offense, defense and stealth while Chikao could merely learn stuff faster. It should've been pretty obvious who deserved to get in on recommendation.
"How did this 'prodigious' clown get in on recommendation?" Onkyo insulted. "All he does is sleep and drink coffee."
"And all you do is flirt with women," Yonaka shot back.
"Hey, don't forget I beat you in Gym Gamma, Yonaka," Onkyo replied, his tone firmer and angrier rather than chill and smooth. "Unlike Chikao here, I'm not the one constantly falling asleep and barely putting any effort into my work. The only reason he's here is because he's from a Hero Agency."
"The only reason he's here is because he's from a Hero Agency."
Those words rung deep with Setsuna Tokage as she remained rather quiet in response while Kendo, Yonaka and Honenuki called Onkyo out on his disrespect towards Chikao. She pulled out her phone and looked on the texting line from her dad to see if he responded to her message earlier that read 'Going to do well? Are you watching the Sports Festival today?' When she looked, he had replied with 'Of course I will! I know you'll do great today.'.
She was the daughter of the Komodo Dragon Hero: Sunda and was the primary reason she was able to get in on recommendation. She let out a quiet sigh as she contemplated what to do if she ended up losing and potentially embarrassing her parents.
No, she couldn't let her doubts stop her. She had to do her best in the event today, to show that she deserved to have gotten in on recommendation. She reminded herself that growing up, she was the envy of many of her classmates as she was beautiful, smart, strong and learned to use her Quirk in a very versatile manner. She had to keep that in mind today.
"Hey, can I get some sleep here?" Chikao asked, having woken up due to several classmates calling out Onkyo on his disrespect for Chikao.
"All you do is sleep," Hinote stated. "That and drink lots of coffee. How did you get in on recommendation?"
"Simple: my parents applied for me to get in on recommendation and U.A. felt I was suitable," Chikao explained. "I'm surprised you didn't get in on recommendation yourself, Onkyo. As powerful as your Quirk is, it doesn't look like it'd do good against robots."
"I just had to be careful, that's all," Onkyo bragged, much to the annoyance of the class.
"Would it kill you to stop bragging so much?" Awase groaned. "Seriously, you have no idea how annoying you are."
"Excuse me, Awase, but you're looking at a well-trained, top-tier, loved-by-the-ladies prodigy," Onkyo bragged with a cocky smile. "I may not have gotten in on recommendation, but that doesn't mean I'm not better than Snorlax over there. And today, I'm going to show the whole world how good I am. You don't get into U.A. if you're 'average', you get in if you're extraordinary. By the end of today-"
"They won't date you," Chikao interrupted. "I'm certain every female classmate here finds your arrogance and bragging irritating and unattractive. I can tell by their expressions."
Onkyo was once again annoyed by the 'prodigy', Chikao Kato. Why would anyone want him as a prodigy when they already had someone like Onkyo? He was just about to say this before the classes were informed to get ready to walk out to the stadium.
"That Snorlax, a prodigy?" Onkyo thought to himself. "Not a chance in hell. I'll prove I'm better than him."
"FANS AND HEROES ALIKE, THIS YEAR WE'RE BRINGING TO YOU SOME OF THE FLASHIEST EVENTS IN SPORTS FESTIVAL HISTORY!" Present Mic said over the intercom. "I'VE GOT ONE QUESTION FOR YOU…ARE YOU READY!?" The crowd cheered in response to Present Mic, filling the entire stadium with loud noise and screams.
"Then let me hear you scream as our students come out of the darkness and into the sunlight! First up, the Hero Course students of Class 1-A!"
The crowd burst into cheer as Class 1-A walked from the hallway and into the stadium, where they were greeted by a very large and loud crowd. The loud cheer of the crowd made Raionhato rather uncomfortable, but he kept walking despite the sound being a bit overwhelming for him. Gosh, he hated his hypersensitivity sometimes.
As he looked around, someone caught his eye. It was a broad man in his late forties with disheveled dirty blonde hair, blue eyes and slouching where he was sitting. Takeo couldn't make him out, but he had a strong idea of who it was, someone he knew very well.
Present Mic proceeded to introduce the other U.A. Classes: Hero Course Class 1-B, General Studies Courses C, D, and E, Support Courses F, G, and H, and then the Business Courses I, J, and K. While walking, Takeo immediately saw that Yonaka was in Class 1-B and his best friend, Satoshi, was with Class 1-G.
Hayata Furaya walked with Hitoshi Shinso in Class 1-C, standing out from the class with his katana and tech boots. He heard constant complaining from his classmates as they believed they were just here to make the Hero students look more desirable to the Pro Heroes watching the Sports Festival. He couldn't stand their complaining; this was their chance to get into the Hero Course, which many of them wanted to get into in the first place and now they were complaining?
"Where's your spirit and pride?" Furaya questioned them. "If you don't want to fight for what you want, then leave and stop complaining. It's utterly annoying."
As soon as the students were gathered together in the center, they were introduced to the referee of the Sports Festival for this year: Midnight. Many males in the crowd and among the students started fawning over the beautiful Pro Hero. Though if they knew she was currently dating the blind martial arts instructor, Open Palm, they probably would've backed off.
Open Palm sighed as he could sense that Midnight was soaking in the attention from her admirers. He wasn't jealous of it however; he knew she'd never cheat on him, not after all the time they had spent together. But there was one way he could be jealous and it was the fact that everyone else could see and admire her beauty while all he could see was pitch black.
"Silence, everyone!" Midnight announced. "First, the student pledge, for which we have…Katsuki Bakugo!"
Bakugo walked forward from the crowd and towards the stand where the microphone was. Even though it made sense because he was 1st Place in the Entrance Exam, but was it really a good idea to have him as the 1st Year Representative?
"You've got to be kidding me," Raionhato groaned. "This is going to end badly. The classes already hate us enough."
"Yeah, and we've got Bakugo to thank for that," Kaminari brought up.
When Bakugo walked onto the stand, he didn't speak for several moments. The students and crowd waited for the Explosion user and 1st Placer of the Entrance Exam to make the student pledge. Some of them wondered if he'd really say the pledge or if he would use the opportunity to brag about himself.
While Bakugo was preparing to speak, he saw Furaya, the Quirkless swordsman. He hadn't forgotten his claim that he was going to win, which meant beating him. Bakugo wouldn't have that; he wouldn't let someone else take victory today.
"I just want to say…I'm going to win."
Class 1-A reacted in shock, disgust and anger upon Bakugo's condescending remark while the rest of the classes immediately started booing him. Only a few students didn't boo him, which were Hitoshi Shinso and Hayata Furaya.
"So that's his response," Furaya stated. "Let's see if he can live up to it."
"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Raionhato called out to Bakugo. "Are you trying to make the rest of the classes hate us!?"
"It's not my fault the rest of you are just stepping stones to my victory," Bakugo condescended to his class. He then walked down from the stage and into the crowd, stopping near Raionhato. As soon as he stopped, Raionhato forcefully shoved him away from him.
"Keep your distance, you beast," he snarled with disgust.
First, Bakugo's arrogance and disrespect caused the other classes to view them as condescending egomaniacs. Then, instead of making the student pledge, he once again condescended to the 1st Year students by claiming he would win. Now, he had refused to take any responsibility for it and viewed his classmates as nothing more than 'stepping stones' for his victory.
Bakugo had no decency, no sense of respect, no care for anyone but himself. All this did was prove to him that Bakugo indeed was just an arrogant, heartless animal who defiled everything he was taught about being a Pro Hero. All Bakugo cared about was his ego and he didn't care who he had to trample in order to get what he wanted all the while showing no respect for anyone but himself.
"Raionhato, save it," Ojiro told his friend. "Save your anger for the games."
Ojiro himself was disgusted by Bakugo's actions, but he was starting to fear that Raionhato was taking his hatred for him too far. He feared what would happen if his friend didn't keep it in check.
"With that out of the way, let's get started!" Midnight stated. "For those of you who don't know how the Sports Festival works, I will explain. The Sports Festival is divided into three different events: the first two are randomly chosen and only allow a limited number of students to pass. After the first two events, we will proceed with a tournament. The student who wins the Tournament is the winner of the Sports Festival! Now…let us see what the first event is!"
A huge holographic screen appeared behind her with a spinning number of titles. Having watched the Sports Festival several times, most of the students were familiar with many of the events. Obstacle Course, Cavalry Battle, Capture The Flag, Team Brawl, King of the Hill…they were at least sixteen events that could pop up at that moment. After several moments, the screen landed on 'Obstacle Course'.
"It's Obstacle Course! For this event, all classes will race against each in a four kilometer obstacle course around the Stadium! As far as the rules you go, you can do whatever you wish as long as you remain on the course and do not actively force others off the course! Now go up to the gate and get ready!"
All the students of U.A., numbering over a hundred, gathered together at the gate where they would start the Obstacle Course. Some of them were confident, others were nervous, others arrogantly thought this would be an easy win.
Furaya remained razor-focused on whatever would come his way. He knew he'd be up against students who had powerful Quirks and would have to outperform them. Even though he didn't have to be the top winner in this event, he was determined to do so. But no matter what, he HAD to make it to the Tournament and beat every opponent thrown his way.
Bakugo had made a statement that put all his pride, all his ego, all his image on the line. He had deliberately forced himself into a corner so failure couldn't even be a consideration for him, not that it ever was. But unlike the extras at Aldera Junior High, he was up against people who could potentially beat him if he wasn't careful, especially IcyHot. But he hoped to go up against Deku and Quirkless to beat both of them and avenge his damaged pride.
Midoriya was rather nervous as he was still struggling with One For All. As Todoroki said, he couldn't use his Quirk without injuring himself. He had to use his Quirk sparingly and carefully or else he'd be bruised and battered before he could reach the tournament at the end and show the world what he's capable of.
Todoroki was determined to win using only his ice powers, proving to Endeavor that he could become a hero without using his fire. Despite his losses, Todoroki remained stubbornly convinced that he could become a Pro Hero using only his mother's powers. He'd throw everything away before using his cursed fire that served as a reminder of his father's cruelty.
Raionhato was filled with determination to win, but also rage at Bakugo for his actions on the stage. His determination and his rage fought with each other as he prepared for Midnight to start the Obstacle Course. He was the son of Lioness, the #25 Hero, and he wanted to prove to her and all those who helped train him how strong and skilled he had become. Sadly, his rage towards Bakugo was dangerously close of overshadowing his determination to win.
"Ready?" Midnight started. "Set! GO!"