Chapter XIV: Festival Mayhem
The Obstacle Race was as simple as they come. The students will race around the stadium's perimeter. At certain points of the path, there will be obstacles that would make the race more difficult for the contestants.
What these obstacles are, they'll just have to find out the hard way.
Izuku knew from UA's reputation that they don't go for mere half-measures. It was the premier hero school in Japan, after all; so, he should expect any surprises the school would no doubt concoct.
"Ready for this?" his mentor questioned.
Was he?
"If this had been me from ten months back, then I don't know," Izuku answered truthfully. He was still the same boy from months ago – kind, caring, considerate… a lovable dork. But now? "Now, I can't help but feel pumped!"
Gojo's grin was shared with his vessel/apprentice. They'd come far and, although there was still so much to work on, Gojo knew that they were getting there – ever closer to what he wanted for his chosen heir to his power.
"Then, go," the white-haired spirit spoke. "Go and show them the power of a Jujutsu Sorcerer."
"Ready yourselves, contestants!" Midnight's voice reverberated through the loudspeakers. Her command prompted everyone in attendance to be hyped and the participants alert. "On your marks. Get set."
This was it.
"GO!"
And just like that, everyone scrambled through the tight opening. It was every man for himself. Nobody wanted to get left behind and fail to even get past the gates to the actual course.
But that was the thing. This was their first obstacle. The narrow passage was a clever way to limit the number of contestants that could make it to the finish line, allowing only those with the skill, grit, creativity, and just overall dumb luck to move to the next round.
One student knew this from the get-go and decided to make things even harder.
Cold air suddenly wafted through the maw of the stadium. Crystalline flakes were visible in the air when a thick sheet of ice covered the ground out of nowhere, trapping any unsuspecting competitor followed by a massive wall blocking everyone from passing through.
"HO, HO! Look at that, folks!" Present Mic's excitement was palpable. "Todoroki of Class 1-A just put a plug on everyone's plans!"
"That was terrible, Mic," Eraserhead complained.
Back at the stadium entrance, Shoto was confident that he had hindered the other competitors from progressing. He had a considerable lead before he heard a crack from his icy door plug.
"What?" he thought as he turned to look at the frozen structure.
More cracks formed as powerful vibrations thundered behind the ice wall before chunks blew from it. Much to the dichromatic boy's surprise, the one responsible wasn't who he expected.
"HOLY CRAP! Yaoyorozu just punched through a meter-thick wall of ice!"
"Mic, I swear to God, if you shout again I will strangle you with my capture tape."
"It'll take more than that to stop me, Todoroki!" the Yaoyorozu heiress shouted in defiance as she pushed the glacial wall apart. Cracks splintered between the seams of the initial puncture hole, webbing further until the girl literally parted the entire thing like what Heracles did with the Pillars of Gibraltar.
The feat of strength left the onlookers utterly speechless since the only one who could do this was All Might!
-{}-
"WOOOH! GO, MOMO!" Tsumiki was shouting wildly like any typical supportive mother. "Make us Zen'in and Yaoyorozu families proud!"
The other parents who were next to the sophisticated woman were thinking of how this woman could just take what her daughter did so casually.
-{}-
After tearing a good chunk of the ice wall, Momo quickly ran ahead and nearly caught up with Todoroki. Her natural speed was beyond any normal human should possess. Most people would just chalk it up to being her quirk, but to those who know the truth? She was an anomaly in the world, and she was showing just how much of an advantage it brought her.
However, she wasn't the only anomaly in this quirk-dominated world.
"Cursed Technique Amplification: Blue!"
"Cero!"
A low thrum rang in everyone's ears as a bright red beam penetrated the right side of the ice wall. On the left side, a localized event horizon formed in its center, consuming the solidified water into its maw until none were left.
Kazui and Izuku emerged ahead of the crowd. With the ice now gone, the congestion at the entrance of the stadium was lessening. Hordes of eager students poured out of the massive doorway and reclaimed the time wasted thanks to an opportunistic ice/fire quirk user.
"GET BACK HERE, ICY HOT!" Bakugō flew over the sea of students with his quirk.
Not far behind him, Īda was running like a man on a mission, literally, while Sero used his tape to swing over the rest of the contestants. Ibarra used her vines much the same way as the tape boy, swinging over the masses with her vine-like hair. Kendo, meanwhile, just pushed her way through the people in front of her with her enlarged fists.
It was the same story for most of the first-year Heroics course students. Thanks to their extra training, advanced lessons, and the facilities provided, they were in the lead against the other classes of first years.
The others, while given the same chances of winning, were laughably underprepared for the intensity of this competition.
-{}-
"There he goes again," Mitsuki Bakugō sighed as she watched her son soar over the other students like some madman. "Honestly, does that brat ever get tired of yelling?"
"That's just the adrenaline pumping through him, dear," Masaru, her husband, reasoned. "Even I'd be gung-ho with this intensity."
Mitsuki thought about it and shrugged. "I suppose we could let this slide today. That said, I still haven't seen Inko around. I wonder when she will arrive?"
"She'll be here, no doubt about that. If there's one thing we know about Inko, it's her uber supportiveness for Izuku."
The ash-blonde woman chuckled. "Got that right. Speaking of Izuku…" she and her husband looked to the monitors and watched as their nephew annihilated a glacier. "Go, Izuku!" the woman shouted. "KICK SOME ASS!"
Masaru sweatdropped. "And she wonders where Katsuki got his shouting from…"
-{}-
Todoroki was surprised that many didn't get caught in his initial move largely thanks to the efforts of Yaoyorozu. He was dumbstruck for a moment that someone like Momo could pull something so spectacular.
"HAHA!"
The dual-haired boy whipped his head up to find a maniacally grinning Mineta pointing a finger at him.
"You think you could trap in there, huh!?" the midget shouted, sounding triumphant. He took a piece of his adhesive hair and yelled, "Now, prepare for my special move!"
Unfortunately for the pervert, he was smacked away by a metallic arm.
*TARGET ACQUIRED*
Save for the recommended students, it was a familiar sound for everyone in this competition. They all looked up to see none other than the faux villains from their entrance exams!
"Are those the Zero-point villains from the entrance test!?" Kaminari questioned after stopping to a screeching halt before the mechanical monsters.
"So, this is what the other students faced during the entrance exams," Shoto remarked.
"Where do they even get the funding for these things?" Momo questioned.
Kazui managed to catch up to her and replied nonchalantly, "I asked that question a million times, to be honest."
However, the only one who seemed unconcerned was Izuku who continued running forward.
"What the hell is that guy doing!?"
"Is he suicidal!?"
Izuku didn't listen and continued running forward. Even Todoroki was a little confused as to why he didn't seem so bothered.
The Zero pointer saw the green-haired boy running towards it and registered him as the primary target. It raised its metallic hand and reached for the inheritor of Limitless.
"Izuku, look out!" Uraraka shouted. However, much to her relief, the hand simply stopped a meter over the boy who still kept running. "Oh. I honestly forgot his Infinity."
"Look at that, folks! Midoriya just casually took the lead even with the massive robot trying to grab him." Having recovered from his early shock, Present Mic continued his commentary.
"Midoriya's Limitless brings convergent numbers into reality," Aizawa explained. "If the description of his quirk is correct, he's literally dividing space between him and the robot until it almost seems to stop. He could just run this entire course without worry for anything."
"Damn… talk about untouchable."
Seeing the damn nerd get the lead, Bakugō shouted angrily, surprising the students before blasting off to chase the secret sorcerer. "DAMN DEKU! I'M NOT GONNA LET GET THE LEAD SO EASILY, YOU WORTHLESS SHIT!"
"Does he ever stop shouting?" Gojo asked. It was honestly getting annoying for him and that's saying something.
"I just learned to drown out his voice." Midoriya shared the same feeling. "Although, I do feel bad for just leaving my classmates."
"They can make it," assured Gojo. "They went through worse before, right? Then, they'll be fine."
Seeing the lead no longer his, Todoroki decided to take action. "I'm not about to let someone beat me before I shove dear old dad's expectations of me to his face." Crouching low, a burst of ice covered the ground. Spikes of frozen water jutted out and, with a furious wave of his arm forward, the sub-zero gases rushed to the robots, effectively freezing them in place. He had hoped to also stop Midoriya from advancing, but the blasted Infinity of his was just ridiculous.
Similarly, a certain explosive blonde was blowing a fuse after seeing the shitty nerd take the lead which was supposed to be his. "GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE SHIT! DON'T THINK THAT FACNY INFINITY OF YOURS IS GONNA BEAT ME!"
"Will that guy ever stop shouting?" Kazui asked as a blob of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Forget Bakugō, let's worry about these robots first!" Mineta reminded. The midget almost got flattened when a piece of the faux villains fell after thawing. "Gyaagh! Darn, you, Bakugō!"
More and more of the frozen machines began crumbling, nearly crushing the students. Acting quickly, Kazui ran ahead and gathered his spiritual energy. Blue lines glowed on his skin and traveled instantly to the competitors near the cascade of machine parts. A bright dome of energy with glowing blue veins covered them from the falling debris.
"Blut Vene Anhaben!"
"WHOA! Ladies and gentlemen, Kurosaki just did one of the most heroic things in a competition where it's everyone for himself! He not only risked his position by stopping to protect his fellow competitors but gave them the advantage to get ahead!"
"This is my last warning, Mic."
"Back to the game, folks!"
"And he didn't listen…"
As soon as the frozen bot parts landed harmlessly on the ground, the remaining competitors had to deal with the unfrozen ones this time.
"Prepare to take care of the rest!" Kazui alerted. A translucent hexagonal rod appeared in his hand. "I'm gonna take out as much as I can. Bakudō #62: Hyapporankan!"
Kazui threw the transparent rod like a javelin. Once in flight, it multiplied into hundreds that rained down on the menacing machines and impaled their optics and chasses. Connected to the ends of these rods were ethereal chains that the gingerhead was holding.
"Scattered beast bones! Spire, Crimson Crystal, Steel Wheels! The wind if it moves, the sky if it stops, the tone of the spear striking fills the lone castle! Hadō #63: Raikōhō!"
Thunder roared as massive bolts of electricity traveled through the spirit chains and into the spectral rods. Upon reaching the robots, multiple explosions followed by lighting shooting into the sky occurred, signaling the demise of the robotic inferno.
The students who bore witness to the spectacle had their jaws hanging before looking at the one responsible. Feeling dozens of eyes on him, he scanned the area to find everyone was indeed looking at him strangely.
"What?"
"Dude, that's all you can say!?" Tetsutetsu exclaimed. "You just toasted like… over a dozen of them like it was easy!"
"Yeah… and you did with lightning," Kaminari added glumly. "I thought that was my schtick. How did you do that anyway?"
"I converted my energy into electricity," Kazui quickly lied. "You know, conservation of energy and all that jazz."
Kaminari and others seemed convinced.
"Either way, thanks, Ginger Bro," Kendo said, relieved that the problem with the faux villains was now just a minor one.
"Don't mention it, Ginger Sis. Now, everybody go on!"
"But…"
"Go on, I'll catch up."
"Okay…" Although hesitant, Kendo, Tetsutetsu, and the others went on ahead.
Kazui wasn't worried. While he was prohibited from using any of his speed techniques, he was confident that he could catch up by just pumping Blut Arterie into his legs.
"Nice save."
Kazui turned and found his not-so-secret love next to him. "Thanks. Good thing Kaminari believed it when I don't have the talent of bullshitting my way out of a predicament. I usually just blow everything in its general direction."
Momo chuckled. "Somehow, I can see that happening." Her eyes then softened as she stared at Kazui. "Are we still up for that talk?" she asked as a blush tinted her cheeks.
A blush immediately crept into the boy's face. "Yeah…" he confirmed. They stayed that way for a few innocent seconds before Kazui changed the subject. "Although, I would prefer it if you went on ahead."
"How about you?" questioned Momo with concern in her voice. "You're not allowed to use your speed techniques."
"I'll just use Blut Arterie to power my legs. Don't worry; I'll manage."
"If you're sure."
"How about this?" Kazui examined the distance covered by the leaders – which were Midoriya, Todoroki, and Bakugō. "Why don't we race each other?"
The Zen'in princess raised a confused eyebrow. "Where did this come from?"
"Look, there might be a chance that we won't get to face each other in the combat rounds," Kazui explained. "This might be our only opportunity to compete with each other. Besides, I always wanted to get to know how good you are."
And Momo had to admit, she was curious how she stacked up against Kazui. That simple curiosity in the back of her mind gradually made its way to the forefront of her thoughts. A build-up of excitement had made her lips curl into a grin.
"You know what? I always wanted to see how far I could push the limits of my Heavenly Restriction and what better way to test it than against a god of death."
"So, is that a yes?"
"Definitely a yes."
Both teens crouched, taking on a runner's stance while facing forward. Momo felt her leg muscles tense in anticipation. Kazui pumped Blut Arterie into his legs, red lines glowing in power. They looked at each other one last time before simultaneously counting down.
"On your mark," Kazui began.
"Get set," Momo continued.
"GO!" they shouted together.
In that instant, the ground shattered as they shot like a pair of bullets, passing through the flabbergasted students with their stupendous speed.
"WHAT IN THE…!?" Tenya just stared wide-eyed when two blurs ran by him. It was when he recognized them to be Kazui and Momo that his shoulders slumped. "I have the speed quirk and they get ahead of me!? How is that fair?"
With a sigh, the brother of Ingenium continued on.
"Are you kidding me!?" Uraraka yelled as she made it to the second leg of the race. In front of her and her fellow competitors was a deep canyon, interspersed with columns and ropes.
"Where in the world did this come from!?" Tōru questioned. Finding a hundred-foot ditch with a working river at the bottom raised several questions regarding the UA staff's sanity. "When the heck did they get the time to make this?"
"Welcome, students, to The Fall!" Present Mic sounded almost gleeful. "If you don't land right or if you fall, then you're out! You just have to get creative, kids!"
"How are we supposed to get to the other side?" Mina asked her friends. She then noticed Tsuyu walking forward, unconcerned. "Tsu?"
Suddenly, the froggy girl took a giant leap her legs could afford her. She made considerable distance before gracefully landing on one of the ropes and traversing to the next column.
"This is the kind of situation my quirk is useful for, ribbit." Tsuyu's confident declaration betrays her stoic face.
Uraraka, Tōru, and Mina just watched as their friend went on ahead of them. "Well, what do we do?" asked the all-pink girl.
Īda just arrived and found the girls pondering their next move. "Oh, hello everyone."
"Īda. I was expecting you to take the lead since you have a speed-oriented quirk," Tōru commented, making the boy sigh in embarrassment.
"I know," admitted Īda but, in an instant, fiery determination burned in his eyes. "That said, I will not stop until I reach the finish line, regardless of my position!"
"That's the spirit!" Ochako cheered. "However, we still need to get to the other side. Do any of you have some bright ideas?"
"I may have a plan!" The glasses-wearing boy looked at the girls and formulated a plan. "Uraraka, we each take a partner in this. You take Hagakure and use your quirk to remove both your gravities to jump across the pillars. Ashido and I will help each other by letting her decrease the friction of the ropes using her acids while my exhausts generate enough thrust to push us forward. Do you agree?"
It was a sound plan. "Yeah!" the girls agreed.
Suddenly, a grappling hook fired between them. This startled the four and they quickly whipped their heads to the source. They found a pink-haired girl wearing big, odd goggles decked out in gadgets.
"What the? What is the meaning of this?" Īda questioned, pointing an accusatory finger at the gadget girl. "Why are you carrying support items in this competition!?"
Instead of being intimidated, the girl just grinned. "The Hero course students get access to state-of-the-art facilities, advanced lessons, and other privileges. Us Support course students get to use as many support items as we can carry provided that they were invented by us!" After the explanation, her boots let off a belt of steam, making her hover a few inches off the ground. "This is the perfect opportunity to show our genius to any support company that may want to recruit us!"
The thrusters on her boots fired, launching her forward and into the dark abyss. Despite freefalling, she was instead cackling like some madwoman before reaching for a button in her pocket and pressing it. The pulley system behind her started spinning, retracting the high tensile cord that connected to the grappling hook and pulling her forward. She fired her boot thrusters once more, increasing her ascent until finally, she was airborne – arms stretched open with a wide toothy grin.
"I hope the employers are watching~!" she yelled in a singsong.
"There she goes…" Mina said as she and her friends stared at the crazy tech girl landing on the next stone pillar.
Uraraka's eyes flared with determination. "Come on! We don't want to get left behind!"
Just as the quartet was about to cross the ravine, they heard the sound of cracking earth. They turned to their left and saw two people bounding across the deep chasm.
It was Kazui and Momo.
"WHOOOOOOH!" Kazui yelled. "This is awesome!"
"Hahaha!" Momo laughed. "I know!"
The pair was soaring through the air, flailing their arms out to stabilize their descent before landing on the next earthen pillar with a loud crack. The two raced up to the edge and jumped once more, leaving a cratered ground while they went to the next platform.
And they were doing all of this with sheer leg strength alone.
Again, the quartet was left staring. "Talk about relationship goals," Tōru remarked." She then turned her gaze to the other three and asked, "I'm not the only one who thinks they have a thing for each other, am I?"
"Oh, I know, sis," Mina giggled. "Our class representatives would become one heck of a power couple. Looks like Class 1-A will literally have a Mama Bear and Papa Bear."
"Ehem." Catching everyone's attention, Tenya reminded the two gossip girls of the current objective. "As much as I enjoy the prospect of seeing Kurosaki and Yaoyorozu together, we still need to finish this race."
Without wasting any time, Uraraka quickly grabbed the invisible girl, removing her gravity. "Come on, Hagakure. Let's go!" With that, the gravity girl jumped across, bringing with her the transparent student. They both floated across the pillars easily thanks to the removal of their gravity.
Meanwhile, Mina and Tenya were traversing the gaps using the ropes lubricated by the former's acid and the latter's exhaust pipes providing thrust.
Izuku managed to cross The Fall quite easily. All he had to do was levitate between gaps until he reached the other side. Honestly, despite the massive handicap placed upon him, he was simply cruising through the obstacles without much difficulty.
Limitless is such an overpowered curse technique.
"Talk about smooth sailing," Gojo remarked. He was watching everything that was happening through his vessel's eyes and, suffice it to say, he was mildly disappointed that UA couldn't give Izuku some challenge.
He'll just have to wait for the singles match.
"You know, I kind of expected to be a bit more difficult with that surprise stipulation. But, even with that, I'm just running to the finish line without care," Izuku replied.
"Well, it's not like they encountered anything similar to Limitless before. Also, the next obstacle is coming up."
Much like what his master said, Izuku saw the next hurdle. It was a wide stretch of land riddled with inconspicuous patches of dirt. At its entrance – if you could call it that – is a sign with big red letters saying, "MINEFIELD."
Yep, the third obstacle to deal with is a literal minefield.
"And now, we're treading towards our last obstacle! Everyone better be careful… 'CAUSE YOU'RE STEPPING INTO A MINEFIELD! If you look carefully, you can see where those bombs are buried; so, keep your eyes on the ground, folks! Oh, and by the way, those bombs are designed for the games. They may be loud and flashy; they aren't that powerful… JUST ENOUGH TO WET YOUR PANTS!"
"Get a hold of yourself…"
"Should I be worried?" Izuku questioned.
"Nah…" Gojo answered with a wave. "Just levitate a couple of centimeters from the ground and you won't trigger the mines."
"Okay…" the greenette casually replied and proceeded to run over the mines without tripping them. At this point, the commentators were just stumped that none of the obstacles had hindered him.
"Be honest with me, Eraserhead, was it even necessary to place that stipulation on Midoriya and Kurosaki?"
"Now that you mention it, no. In fact, take a look at Yaoyorozu and Kurosaki. It seems they're having their own race."
Some silence followed before Present Mic yelled through the microphone again. "Holy shi~! Folks; contestants Kurosaki and Yaoyorozu are tearing through the competition like a pair of bullets! Seriously, that stipulation was downright useless."
"Here I thought it was gonna be difficult," remarked Midoriya.
"I know," agreed Gojo. "While the others are busy with the mines, it'll be a breeze for you from here on out. Just watch out for Vanilla Velvet and the rabid dog."
"And Kazui?"
"Him and Momo. Scratch that, watch out for those two the most."
As if to prove the spirit's point, the inheritor of Limitless heard a familiar ear-grating screech from his ex-childhood friend.
"DAMN DEKU! ICY HOT!" Katsuki roared like a madman at the two leading students. Using his quirk, he soared through the mines and avoided any unwanted explosions while blasting himself forward. The moment he passed Todoroki, he eyed the son of Endeavor with so much animosity. "You made a mistake, Icy Hot. Your declaration of war… WAS TO THE WRONG PERSON!"
Bakugō thrust his left hand at Todoroki, intending to blow up the dual-haired teen with a blast but it was dodged.
"And just like that, things are heating up! Our two second-placers are fighting each other while the rest of the contestants are catching up! Even with all that, Midoriya still has the lead. Will Todoroki and Bakugō from Class 1-A be able to catch up or will they continue fighting and let the other students get ahead of them? This is getting exciting– AYOO! WHAT IS THIS!?"
Present Mic's commentary was cut off when a series of explosions rumbled at the back end of the minefield. Any unsuspecting student near the vicinity of the explosions was blown away by the blast force.
Everybody looked back and, from the pink-colored dust, came two figures descending from the air. The three students in the lead gazed at the individuals above and recognized a mop of orange and black hair.
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT! Kurosaki and Yaoyorozu are using the explosions of the mines to propel themselves!"
Much like what the DJ-themed hero said, Kazui and Momo were flying over the other students. The drones filming the event zoomed onto the pair. Kazui had blue lines all over his body, pulsing with spiritual power that disappeared and was replaced with red. Momo, on the other hand, had multiple veins visible all over her limbs. She was exerting her body to its limit.
The couple landed on another patch of mines, causing them to fly even further forward. Todoroki and Bakugō could only stare in complete bafflement as their lead was quickly swept over them, literally, by the duo. After getting ahead of the two, Kazui and Momo continued running, now catching up to Izuku.
"UNBELIEVABLE! And just like that, Todoroki and Bakugō are left in the proverbial dust! Unless they want to reclaim their spot, they better stop fighting and catch up!"
"HAHAHAHA!" Kazui was laughing his heart out. He never had any intention of gaining first place; he just wanted to have fun. Running side-by-side with the girl of his dreams just made this day all the more worthwhile. "We should do this again, Momo! I'm having the time of my life with you!"
"Same here!" the heiress agreed. She, too, was filled with excitement and thrill as she ran next to her crush. "Even back then, I've never had so much fun with anyone!"
They never noticed it, but the sorceress and the reaper just admitted that they liked being with each other.
Meanwhile, Gojo sensed the presence of the two students and quickly informed his protégé. "Ummm… remember what I said about Kazui and Momo. Well, look behind you."
When he turned his head, Izuku nearly tripped when he caught sight of Kazui and Momo racing towards him at break-neck speeds.
"Oh, crap!" Midoriya yelped. Acting quickly, he picked up his pace and rushed toward the finish line which was in sight. To add to the greenette's predicament, a certain hothead blew a gasket when two more got in front of him.
"DAMN YOU LOSERS! HOW DARE YOU GET AHEAD OF ME!" His ire at an all-time high, Bakugō cursed at the top of his lungs at the audacity of the trio in front of him. "DAMN DEKU! DAMN BABY FACE! DAMN TOP-HEAVY!" He used his explosions to launch himself forward, stopping his fight with Todoroki and instead, thinking of just winning this stupid race.
Having the same idea, Todoroki quit his dispute with the loudmouth ash-blonde and blazed a trail of ice. "This ice path will help the rest of the contestants, but I don't have time to worry about that." His mismatched eyes narrowed at the trio in the lead. "What matters now… getting passed them."
"Look at that plot twist!" Present Mic's astonishment was shared with the audience's howls and cheers of excitement. "Those two aren't fighting anymore; they're chasing Midoriya! That's what happens when you have a common enemy; although, they should've done that when it was just Midoriya in the lead. Now, they have three people to worry about!"
While he knew that it was only a matter of time before Katsuki and Shoto caught up to them, it didn't matter to Kazui. The only thing that mattered was his secret objective of ensuring Izuku gets to the one-on-one round.
The young transcendent looked to his side, seeing the bright smile of Momo as he and her let the breeze of the wind hit their faces as they ran. While he loved to keep on racing her, he needed to complete his task.
"I'm sorry, Momo," Kazui spoke softly.
Catching the sudden change in her friend's tone, Momo turned to Kazui in confusion. The boy then took hold of her hand, blushing at the feel of his hands on hers. "Kazui?"
The boy only smiled and said, "Finish this for me."
"Wha– HEY!" At that moment, signs of Blut Arterie glowed on Kazui's arms. With a mighty swing, the reaper threw Momo forward, eliciting a cute, frightened scream from an otherwise brave girl. "KAAAAAAAZUUUUIIIII!"
"What in the…!? Kazui Kurosaki just threw Momo Yaoyorozu forward. Eraserhead, what the hell have you been teaching your students!?"
"I would've answered that it's just their grit and determination but, after what Kurosaki did, I have absolutely no idea."
"There you have it folks! Eraserhead is just as clueless in teaching as he is getting a wife to settle down!"
"What the hell did you just say!?"
Knowing that Izuku and Momo's positions were secured, all he had to do was make sure those two stayed in the lead. He turned around, now facing the incoming Katsuki and Todoroki, with a face-splitting grin.
"What the fuck are you smiling at, huh, Baby Face!?" Bakugō growled as the distance between him, and the reaper drew closer. "DON'T YOU FUCKING UNDERESTIMATE ME!"
Unlike the explosion boy next to him, Shoto was suspicious of Kazui. It was intentional that he stood behind. "What are you planning, Kurosaki?"
Unfortunately for the two, they'll get their answer.
Kazui raised his right hand forward, palm open and facing his approaching classmates. He waited, patiently, as timing was the key to his devious little plan. "Come on, come on. Just a little closer." When the angry Pomeranian and icy-hot boy was a few meters away, he cast a Kidō spell. "Bakudo #81: Danku!"
All of a sudden, Bakugō's face smacked right into an invisible barrier. The momentum he gathered while flying over the minefield using his quirk didn't help at all with the abrupt stop.
Shoto, thanks to his vigilance, managed to stop just mere inches before colliding with the transparent barrier erected by their class representative. As he observed Bakugō massage his reddened nose, the son of Endeavor touched the clear wall while eyeing the reaper with disdain. Said reaper merely grinned before turning around to catch up with Momo and Izuku. He tried punching the invisible wall but was surprised to find it was sturdy. He even tried freezing it but since it was made of energy, his ice didn't help.
The only thing the dual-haired teen could do while he waited for the wall to dissipate was glare at Kazui and, by extension, Izuku and Momo.
"Damn it."
"And just like that, folks, our winner for the obstacle race in none other than Class 1-A's Izuku Midoriya!"
As he passed through the tunnel, the successor to Satoru Gojo was quickly bombarded with cheers of recognition. Even if it wasn't much of a challenge, Izuku still felt like he was on top of the world. With a victory in the first stage in the bag, his chances in the next round were pretty much secured. The only thing left now was to qualify for the third stage by keeping up his performance in the next round.
Not far behind, Yaoyorozu came running, taking the second spot in the race. From the smile on her face, there was no doubt she enjoyed the whole thing.
"Probably because she had Kazui."
"Amen to that, my apprentice!" Gojo exclaimed.
"Why do I think that was a reference to some old sci-fi franchise?"
"Just let me have that, will you?"
Izuku shrugged. Being early meant he still had time to rest plus whatever break there was before the next event. He saw Yaoyorozu approach him and promptly waved at her. "Hey there, Momo."
"Midoriya. Congratulations on winning first place," she said. "I hope you enjoyed the competition as well, Lord Gojo."
A slit opened on Midoriya's cheek and spoke, "Meh… it was a cakewalk."
"Really, Gojo-sensei?" Midoriya deadpanned.
Momo just chuckled. "Well, when you're curse technique is a real-life cheat code, then pretty much everything would be a walk in the park."
"See! She gets it!"
"And in third place comes Kazui Kurosaki of Class 1-A! It looks like the rest of the students are making their way through the tunnels! Remember, folks, only forty-two students get to move forward to the next round!"
Upon seeing Kazui, Momo's mood brightened even further. "Kazui! Over here!" She called the reaper boy over the sorceress chose to run to Kazui.
Kazui saw Momo approaching and was quickly caught in a hug. Shocked for a moment, he returned the gesture and let go a little later. However, he received a wild punch to the top of his head from said girl.
"What was that for!?" cried the reaper as he massaged the lump on his head.
"That was for throwing me, you idiot!" Momo spat.
When Kazui looked up, all he saw was an adorable pout that showed how ticked off she was. He decided to tease her. "You look cute when you pout like that." However, that backfired when Yaoyorozu pulled his ear and began pinching it. "Gaaah! Uncle, uncle, uncle!"
"That won't work on me, mister." Yaoyorozu's glare narrowed on the reaper. "You are in big trouble."
"Is it just me, or are they acting like an old married couple," Izuku remarked while observing the interaction between his two friends.
"Nope," answered Gojo. "You're not the only one."
Taking his attention elsewhere, Izuku saw Todoroki come in right after Kazui while barely edging out Bakugō, respectively taking fourth and fifth place. Thirty seconds after them was Īda who somehow managed to look proud and disappointed at the same time – probably because while he managed to get into the top ten, winning races was his thing. Midoriya couldn't help but grin as the rest of his friends made it into the top twenty, at least.
Even better, his entire class had made it into the second round. All but one of Class 1-B had also passed, along with that General Studies student, and a pink-haired girl Midoriya didn't recognize.
"This isn't a surprise," Eraserhead remarked. "The Hero Course students usually take up the vast majority of the slots for the second event. It's a logical outcome; those students usually have quirks better suited to practical applications, such as races and combat. They also tend to be in better shape than the average student."
"Izuku!" Uraraka came up to him all tired but still cheery. "You managed to snag first place, it's amazing!"
The proximity of their faces was so short that blood rushed into the cheeks of the Honored One's successor. Despite all the confidence he developed throughout his training with his Gojo-sensei, Izuku was still a bumbling mess when it came to interacting with girls, especially Ochako.
"Hehe… yeah," he replied bashfully. In his mind, he could hear the giggles of his master at his embarrassing predicament.
"You really have it bad for her, don't you, Izuku?"
"Can we discuss this later!?"
"Nope! I am gonna milk this until I get bored."
"I'm not winning this…"
"Get off me, you creep!"
Izuku and Ochako, as well as everyone close by, turned their attention to Itsuka Kendo from Class 1-B trying to reach behind her back. Sticking to her back was none other than Class 1-A's resident pervert, Minoru Mineta.
"No way!" the grape-haired boy shouted. "I got into the second event by doing this!"
"That doesn't explain why you're still touching me!"
Asui, who was followed by Mina and Tōru, sighed. "Why do I get the feeling that every girl in school is going to get a restraining order on him by the end of the year, ribbit?"
"You're not the only one, girl," Mina concurred.
"Somebody has to set him straight before we all get in trouble," the invisible girl added.
"EEEP!"
An uncomfortable squeak came from Kendo as Mineta refused to let go. That troubled cry was the spark that made Kazui march toward the midget sex offender.
"Well, let's prepare for Mineta's funeral," Jirō voiced out. Whatever Kazui does to the sex offender, she isn't getting in between that.
Kirishima sighed. "I'll go get the casket."
"Ahn!" Kendo was already blushing from the unwanted contact. Despite her attempts, she couldn't pry the lecherous dwarf off of her.
However, rescue will soon come.
A shadow loomed over Mineta, his actions stopping once his vision darkened. He looked behind him and paled when he caught the eyes of an angry Kazui Kurosaki – black sclera, golden irises, and all.
Kazui reached out and grabbed the pervert's head tightly. He inched his face closer and spoke in his hollowfied voice. "What the fuck are you doing, Mineta?"
The perverted student only gulped in fear.
"I'm gonna ask again; what the fuck are you doing?"
The dread emanating from his voice caused everyone nearby to step back. As for Mineta, he was beginning to hit bricks. He needed to answer, and it should be a good one.
"I-I… was just… u-using my quirk… t-to remain in the… competition."
Kazui eyed Mineta in silence, causing the latter to sweat even more. "While I understand utilizing your advantages, don't you think it's time to let go of Itsuka?"
"B-But–"
"But what?" the reaper cut in. "Here's what you're gonna do; you are going to let go of Itsuka and apologize. If you make things difficult, then I'll make sure your name appears in the obituary section of tomorrow's paper. Got that?"
The threat crystal clear, Mineta nodded profusely and let go of the offended gingerhead. The pervert faced the girl he used during the race and bowed, apologizing for his actions.
Kendo was still hesitant, but accepted the apology, nonetheless. She just hopes that she'll never go through something so degrading again.
As for Kazui, he let off a warning for the grape-headed student. "This is your final warning, Mineta. If I ever see you do this to Momo, Itsuka, Ochako, Ibarra, Setsuna, or any girl at school, then I'm murking on the spot – instant kill. Capeesh?"
"Yes, yes! I'm so sorry!" Mineta finally skedaddled for his life.
Watching the midget run for his well-being, Kazui could only sigh at one of the problems he needed to rectify in Class 1-A. His eyes returned to normal, and he could feel his voice de-hollowfying.
"Thanks, Ginger Bro," Kendo said as she fixed her PE uniform.
"Anytime, Ginger Sis." Kazui held a hand high and Itsuka responded by completing the high-five.
"Also, remind me not to get on your bad side."
"Sure thing…" the reaper deadpanned. He noticed Momo walking up to them and quickly bringing Itsuka into a hug.
"I'm so sorry for Mineta's behavior," the heiress apologized. "It's my and Kazui's responsibility to reign him in and we forgot about that during the race."
"No harm done, Momo," Kendo assured before separating from Yaoyorozu. "Besides, after Kazui's threat, Lord Almighty that was scary, I don't think the pervert's gonna be doing that again anytime soon."
"I hope so," Ochako said with Izuku next to her behind her were some of their friends from Class 1-B. "Still, I think we should keep an eye on him a bit more just to be safe."
"Come on, let's give the guy a chance at least," Izuku said, causing everyone to turn their eyes on him. "I mean, pervert tendencies aside, he isn't all that bad."
Silence followed his words until Gojo said something in his mind.
"Did you happen to smell toast when you thought of that?"
Izuku nearly tripped at his master's implication. "I'm not having a stroke, Gojo-sensei!"
"Did you happen to smell toast when you thought of that, Midoriya?" Tokage asked, causing the inheritor of Limitless to look at her in a deadpan expression.
"I guess I'm not the only one who thought of the same thing."
"Well, I do hope he changes his ways soon," Kazui said, somewhat agreeing with the sorcerer. "However, as the class representative, I still need to keep his perversive tendencies in check to not cause another incident like earlier. You know what they say; 'Discretion is the better part of valor'."
Everybody agreed.
"All right, kids, enough chitchat!" Midnight called out, getting the attention of the qualified contestants. "Before we begin the next round, I just want to remind everyone that only forty-two contestants will proceed to the next round. For those who didn't make it, don't worry since there will be other opportunities for you to shine." Licking her lips in anticipation, the R-Rated hero continued, "Now, the real fun is about to begin; the chance to fully move yourself into the limelight. Give it your best! And with that, let's see what we have in store for you next. Will your wildest fantasies come to life? Prepare yourselves… for this!"
Once again, the screen behind Midnight showed random words before finally settling on "Cavalry Battle".
"Cavalry Battle?" Kaminari repeated with a groan. "I'm terrible at those."
"It's not an individual event," Tsuyu commented. "I wonder how they'll split us up, ribbit."
"Allow me to explain." The screen behind Midnight showed images that detailed the instructions for the next event. "The participants will form teams of two to four as they see fit. In theory, it's basically similar to a playground game. However, there is a catch." Each player will have a corresponding point value based on their results during the Obstacle Course."
"I get it," Satō expressed, piecing together the mechanics of the game. "It's a point-based system much like the entrance exam. It's simple enough to follow."
"So that means, each team would have a different number of accumulated points based on which students are on it," Uraraka concluded.
"Uh-huh…" Mina agreed, pointing finger guns at her gravity-controlling friend.
Hearing the students do her job for her made Midnight a bit annoyed. "Maybe you should shut up and let me explain things to you!" the woman shouted with a crack of her whip. With a little bit of composure regained, Midnight directed everyone's attention to the screen behind which showed a new set of images depicting the tally of scores based on the position they garnered after qualifying for the next round. "Now then, the point is designed to go up by increments of five starting from the bottom. By logic, the forty-second place will have five points, the forty-first place will get ten, the fortieth will get fifteen, and so on. For this event, you'll have to steal as many points as you can and defend your own points at the same time. Only the top four teams will advance to the final event!"
Hearing the mechanics of the next game, Izuku got to thinking about his current position and the advantages or disadvantages it would bring. "Hmmm… by that logic, I'd get a total of two hundred fifty points. It may be the highest, but it can still be exceeded if you take out enough teams. Sounds fair."
"Oh, and we made a special change for the lucky student who got first place!" Midnight smiled in a way that made many of them uncomfortable. "you see, the student who got first place is worth… TEN MILLION POINTS!"
"Huh?" Midoriya froze. He was instantly aware of the forty-one pairs of eyes directed at him. "T-Ten… m-m-million?"
With all eyes on him, everybody knew that if they took down Midoriya's team, they could snatch the lead in the Cavalry Game.
"What's more…" It seems the successor of Limitless' misfortune isn't over. "Much like earlier, students Kurosaki and Midoriya have another stipulation to follow.
Not far from the greenette, Kazui groaned loudly.
"Kazui Kurosaki isn't allowed to use Blut Vene Anhaben while Izuku Midoriya is required to deactivate Limitless for the duration of the second round!"
"Wow. They really have it out for you."
That was the final nail in the coffin. With his only means of defense prohibited from usage, Izuku could only chuckle.
"Hehehe… I'm in danger."