"Midoriya," Shoto suddenly spoke up, getting the attention of the boy. He stared at the twins in silence. Katsuki and Izuka looked towards them attentively. Everyone was looking towards the two now. "Know that I will beat you." Izuku let out a gasp, Shoto staring him down.
"T-Todoroki-San..." Izuka murmured in a bit of disbelief. He hadn't really spoken to either of them much until now, so she didn't know if this had to do with his father or something else...Endeavor was the number 2 hero, after all.
Izuku looked to the floor with a frown. "All the other courses...they're coming for us with everything they've got. We're all gonna have to fight to stand out," The boy opened his eyes to stare down his new rival. "And I'll be aiming for the top too."
"Whether you consider me strong or not...I will not let you stop me from my purpose in this festival," Izuka said while clenching a fist. "I'll show everyone...that I won't let myself be weak...not to you or anyone who believes that they can take me down."
Katsuki's eyes widened at her speaking so clearly, Shoto alarmed by this as well from how...brave she looked. "...Fine."
Katsuki scoffed in anger towards the three. The twins stared down Shoto, and the blond clenched an angry fist towards Izuka's gaze at Shoto. For some reason, it was starting to piss him off with how they were looking at each other...she never once declared Katsuki as someone to beat with that look on her face.
"The first-year students are already off to one rockin' start!" Present Mic announced to the cheering crowd. "And it's only the first round! Talk about a cruel obstacle course! Our players are racing against each other in a vicious battle where anything goes so long as they stay on the track!" He waved his arm, Mr. Aizawa next to him ducking his head.
"Watch it," His comrade warned him.
"We'll continue to bring you live updates and pulse-pounding action thanks to the camera robots placed around the course!" And indeed, there was a camera robot watching the pointer robots surrounding all of the students. The twins stared down their opponents. "The stakes are high! We've got a whole school of top-notch students trying to be heroes, but do they really stand a chance against our heavy metal swarm of Robo Infernos?"
"They obviously went through a lot of trouble, but I wish they'd prepared something a little more difficult," Shoto's hand was surrounded by ice as he touched the ground, freezing the ground underneath him. It then hit the approaching robot. "Especially since my dear-old dad is watching," He said that with a bit of resentment, though. He then moved up his arm to completely freeze the robots in place, flakes flying behind him. He let out a breath of cold air, taking a second to look at what he had done. He stood up and then ran past a robot.
"Dude, he stopped the robots!" Some of the students were covered in the frost Shoto left behind.
"Look, between their legs! We can get through!"
"Careful now," Shoto looked over his shoulder; he wouldn't just give them a way to pass. The robots then started to move again. "I froze them while they were off their balance," The robots then started to break free from the ice as they started to fall. "On purpose." This then gave him the lead as the robots created a huge dust cloud.
Izuku and Katsuki braced themselves from the smoke, Izuka putting a star shield in front of her and Izuku as her hair flew behind her. They stared up ahead at Todoroki while they were left behind to deal with the robots.
"What a showing!" Present Mic yelled as a camera robot focused on Shoto. "Shoto Todoroki from Class 1-A has taken an early lead!"
"Hey!" One of the students shouted as some robots were still frozen. "There's someone trapped under that robot!"
"Do you think we should try and help 'em?"
"Are people seriously gonna die here?!"
Some of them were freaking out, while others kept calm. A girl with green hair then gasped as something broke from a frozen robot. And then Eijiro popped out of it with his skin hardened, as he was the one who actually got trapped underneath it. "I'm alive!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Kirishima from Class 1-A! What a hardcore debut for this rookie!" Present Mic bellow while Eijiro glared towards his classmate in the lead.
"Todoroki, I can't believe you pulled something like that," The red-haired boy growled and then glanced behind him to the crowd of people. "Geez! Anyone but me woulda been killed!"
Kirishima Eijiro! Quirk: Hardening! This power makes his entire body hard as a rock! That means he can be the ultimate shield, or a devastating weapon!
Eijiro gasped as right next to him, more glass broke. "Class 1-A really is full a' jerks!" A familiar voice cried out before emerging as well, his whole body looking like it was made out of metal. "I'll smash that ice guy when I get my hands on him!"
"Tetsutetsu from Class 1-B was also stuck underneath! What are the odds?" Present Mic wondered in shock, since no one else apparently noticed there were two people trapped underneath, and not just one.
Tetsutetsu stood up with a snarl. "Ya know, anyone other than me woulda been killed!" He stated exactly what Eijiro said less than a minute ago.
Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu! Quirk: Steel! This makes his entire body hard as a steel! So he can be the ultimate shield, or a devastating weapon!
Eijiro then started running off so he could attempt to gain back some lost time. "Our Quirks are basically the same!" He complained at this. "How am I supposed to stand out now?"
"You damn copycat!" Tetsutetsu yelled at him, his body already back to normal.
"Man," Denki gave a small frown. "How lucky are they? They don't have to worry about being crushed!"
A student then held out an arm. "We're racing each other, but we can team up for now. Let's carve a path!" He then turned his arm into a scaled green one. An explosion suddenly went off, some of them gasping as they turned around. Denki especially was shocked as Katsuki was using his Quirk to continuously elevate himself from the ground.
"Bakugo?!" He yelped while watching him. Izuku glanced at his sister.
She could've advanced easily given her quick movements and her versatile use of her Quirk. Because of her height, she'd have no problem slipping past the robots. Instead, she chose to stay behind to help me out. She can't advance if she's too focused on me and helping me get far in the festival. She's fighting just as much as everyone else, I can't let her give up this opportunity. That's the only way...I can repay her back for hiding her Quirk for so long. She's my sister, but right now, she's a rival.
He narrowed his eyes, turning to his sister. "Izuka, this is your chance." She blinked in confusion while glancing at him, wondering what he was talking about. "You want to prove yourself to the other students you have a Quirk, right? So do it! Don't worry about me, I'll only hold you back if you keep watching out for me. Let's do our best in this festival, even if we're both aiming for the top!"
Her eyes glistened at him as she felt like...he would've said this to her if she had revealed to him a lot sooner why she never used her Quirk. She glanced away while closing her eyes and he noticed her slight hesitation. Izuku...all that time of knowing what I had and what I could do...you've never once shown that you would've hated me. I shouldn't have assumed that of you. So...if you really want me to succeed, then I will. Even if I have to face you.
She then turned to him and nodded sharply. "Okay! I'm off!"
He smiled a little as he watched her run off. As she picked up speed, white flashed from underneath her feet and she was sent flying into the air thanks to her shooting star. Some of the students gasped up at her.
"Wait, I thought she didn't have a Quirk!"
Left and right, Katsuki set off an explosion so that he wouldn't fall, trying to get past the robot. No way am I letting Todoroki beat me, or that mouse for that matter. A robot arm approached him, but he slipped past it with ease. He then set off another explosion before letting himself fall.
"Class 1-A's Bakugo is rocketing over the obstacles! Clever~!" Present Mic gave a grin. The blond gave a light gasp as Izuka fell in front of him. "And what's this? His own classmate Izuka Midoriya's not shying away either! I'm shocked!" Katsuki then slid to a stop on the robot, looking up as she landed nearby, glancing towards the ground. He let out a growl that she swooped in at the last second like that.
"I figured you'd just try to blast your way through these things with your Quirk," Hanta called out while sending himself flying. "I'm impressed, and that Mido actually caught up to you," He swung around using his tape while Fumikage also popped up using Dark Shadow.
"I'll hitch a ride on my shadow." Dark Shadow floated in front of him. Hanta laughed and grinned as he shot more tape.
Sero Hanta! His Quirk: Tape! He can shoot tape-like material from his elbows, stick it to objects or wrap things up. You should see the traps he makes when he rips it off!
"Let's land!" Fumikage told Dark Shadow.
"Aye aye!" Dark Shadow shot his arms forward.
Tokoyami Fumikage. His Quirk: Dark Shadow! He's got a shadow-like monster inside him that can materialize and morph into any creation he wants.
Katsuki jumped off the robot with a growl, Hanta and Fumikage following him. Izuka jumped as well, looking towards the ground as the crowd cheered. She landed safely and took off into a run. I may have shown that I have a Quirk, but it's not enough. I can't let my brother take away my focus, so from now on, it's the Midoriyas for themselves. That's what Izuku wants after all.
"Looks like all the pack leaders are from Class 1-A," Snipe commented, Thirteen sitting next to him. "At least for now."
Toshinori turned towards the stadium again. "It's not that 1-B and the other students are doing poorly. It's just..."
"Class 1-A's learned not to hesitate," Mr. Aizawa unknowingly finished for him. "Aside from one student partially, considering how it's taking her a lot to even participate." If Izuka was affected by his statement, she didn't show it. She instead kept her eyes forward.
Tenya ran off and then jumped into the air, kicking the robot backwards. He then elevated himself into the air again. Kyoka extended her ears to attach onto one, sounding out shockwaves to disable them. She then ran right past with a smirk as she heard them fall down.
Denki ran forward, gasping as he saw a robot in front of him about to attack. He jumped up into the air as electricity surrounded him. He touched the robot with his Quirk.
"They've seen what the real world is like." Eijiro panted while running forward. "They've felt the fear of facing villains."
"Release!" Ochaco whispered to herself as she pressed her hands together. Several robots fell behind her.
"Yet they fight on, trying to overcome that fear." Mashirao spun around, knocking one back with his tail. "They've grown. All of them." The boy looked back as the robot was in pieces. "And they know that they have to act quickly if they want to stay alive."
Izuku gritted his teeth while sprinting. I can't rely on One for All this early in the competition, or my sister's Quirk at any point in time. He jumped past an attacking robot and then gasped as he saw a piece of metal nearby. A piece of the robot Todoroki knocked down! He let out a grunt picking it up with his arms, struggling to do so. This thing won't let up. It must have me targeted. It's moving so quickly! He was looking at a robot that was gunning right for him. Which means it can't stop fast. Or avoid an attack! He swung the metal he was holding from behind, damaging the robot in the process. Run! Keep going! He took off so that he wouldn't spend all his time fighting; it'd slow him down. I'll keep this and use it as a shield if I need to! Perfect!
An explosion occurred from a robot and Izuku came to a stop in shock. Several other robots got affected by explosions and they started to fall towards the ground. The boy glanced back to see it was Momo responsible, as she was firing from a cannon.
"Yaoyorozu!" He exclaimed in surprise at her.
"A piece of cake," She stepped away from the weapon, though her gym top was open since she had to keep it like that. She then ran off herself, robots falling and students running past.
"The path is clear!" Rikido screamed and Izuku glanced behind him.
"Wow, she beat a zero-pointer so easily!" He then stared at his classmate. "No wonder she got in on recommendations!"
"You're better off dodgin' those big fellas most of the time," Snipe remarked as the crowd continued to watch. "But if you gotta take 'em down, they're just slow, dumb hunks a' metal, pretty easy to hit. Long as you land a smart shot, that is."
Toshinori stared at the twins specifically. "Introduce yourselves to the world and say I am here!" He then narrowed his eyes in determination over what he told them. I've asked so much of you, Young Midoriya and Young Mido. Neither of you have to come in first. Just get to the next round! He didn't care if either of them were even the last people to advance, he just wanted to see what both of them would do. He couldn't see it if they didn't try as much as everyone else was.
"For those of you who thought the first obstacle was easy...let's see how you feel about the second one," Present Mic gave a big knowing smile. Mina and Ochaco gave nervous looks. Tsuyu just stared up ahead. "If they take a spill, they're out!" They were looking down from the top of the cliff, as now they had sectioned off pillars to get across. "If they wanna pass this test, they'll have to get creative. It's The Fall!"
"When did they even have time to build something like this?" Ochaco wondered as Tsuyu stepped up, bending down. This confused her two classmates.
"What are you doing?" The pink-haired girl stared at her. Tsuyu jumped forward without answering the question, grabbing onto a rope.
"Ribbit," She then started to move her hands forward to get across. "This is my moment. Easy peasy."
"She's fast!" Mina commented as Ochaco opened her mouth in surprise. Both of them then heard a laugh, turning around to see a girl they didn't recognize. She had on goggles over her face and a big smile as well.
"Yes. Finally, this is my chance to show off what I can do! My support items are gonna steal the spotlight from these wannabe heroes," She had on a bunch of equipment over her uniform compared to mostly everyone else. "Everyone! Observe what my brilliant gadgets can do! Wire arrows and hover soles!"
"You're from Support!" Ochaco realized what class she was from.
"Hey!" Mina pointed at the girl's gear. "How come you got to bring all that stuff?"
"Students in the hero course get all kinds of combat training for their Quirks," The girl explained, hands on her hips. "In order to keep things fair and give us a fighting chance, we're allowed to bring whatever gadgets and costumes we want into the games, so long as we developed them ourselves. So sit back and enjoy the show," She fired off a rope and it soared across the gap. "For those of us in the support course..." It got lodged into a stone pillar, right next to Tsuyu's rope actually. "This is the perfect obstacle to show off our ingenious ideas and creations to any companies out there who might wanna recruit us!" She then started hovering over the ground, alarming everyone around her. She then laughed maniacally as she took off, flying off the ground. "I hope employers are watching~!"
She pressed a button to maintain the amount of rope she was extending out. "My super cute little babies are sure to make a splash!" She hovered her feet above a pillar, sliding upwards and soaring to the sky. She held out her arms with a cackle as she continued flying. She then landed, as she was actually already almost there across the gap.
"Wow!" Ochaco exclaimed and then frowned.
"Talk about annoying," Mina commented and the brunette ran right past her.
"I won't lose!" She declared as she was about to jump.
"Ugh, this is so unfair!" Mina whined and then took off as well.
"Interesting," The purple-haired boy watched while other students took off. He then let out a soft chuckle to himself.
"In the world of heroes, it can be hard to get popular without a flashy Quirk," Present Mic turned to Mr. Aizawa. "Right, Eraser Head?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, idiot," Mr. Aizawa retorted back as he looked very irritated right about now.
Shoto slid across rope, using his ice to maintain his balance. "Looks like Todoroki is still skating by easily!" He landed and was about to use the stairs when he felt a presence behind him. He then glanced over his shoulder to see Katsuki flying nearby. Shoto then took another quick glance as Izuka was jumping across the pillars. Every time she landed, she'd flip and move onto the next platform.
Those two are finally getting fired up. It took 'em long enough.
Katsuki gritted his teeth, glancing down at Izuka not too far away from him. "YOU TWO SUCK!" He screamed and Izuka looked away in annoyance. Katsuki glanced between his two classmates, and it only made him angrier remembering their looks at each other earlier.
We're back to insulting me again? It's like he's got an off switch when I'm alone with him. Whatever. She looked up ahead as she jumped and grabbed a rope by her hands, sliding down it quickly. Once she got close to the pillar, she swung herself forward and landed safely. Using my Quirk here would be draining because there's so many places for me to go. For Todoroki-San and Bakugo-San, it's no problem for them. But my Quirk right now doesn't have anything I can use for gaps this big, my shooting stars wouldn't get me there fast enough. Either that, or I'd overuse it in this big area. So I'll have to save my energy. Luckily, because I'm shorter than average girls, getting around spaces like these aren't an issue.
She could slip through things most people besides probably Minoru couldn't thanks to her being just around 5 feet tall. And she could easily dodge certain attacks.
Katsuki made himself go faster using his explosion. Tenya came to a stop, panting as he stared at the three. "My older brother's probably watching this. I can't let him see me look foolish. I've got this!" He then held out his arms as he used his engines to skate down the rope.
"Boy, does he look foolish!" Present Mic remarked while people continued to watch the video feed.
"The dude in first place is so far ahead."
"His Quirk is really powerful, but it's his natural athletic talent and keen judgment keeping him in first place."
"I'm not surprised. Don't you know who his father is? The Flame Hero, Endeavor!"
"Wait, for real?" Shoto kept his eyes forward. "That guy's second only to All Might himself."
"Everyone will be fighting to have him as a sidekick for sure."
Toshinori stared intensely at Shoto. He could sense the boy's desire to win, yes, but it was something else he was hiding...maybe it was just a gut feeling, but he felt like Shoto had...an intensity about his reason to win.
"The leader's putting distance between him and the students stuck at the Fall!" Izuku was climbing the rope while some of his classmates were already passing him. "It hasn't been announced how many competitors will make it through to the next round, so there's no time to relax."
Inko was sweating nervously watching the festival. "Come on, my children," She pleaded for them to advance to the next round.
Shoto panted as he reached the next obstacle...which was a field of mines, to his shock. "And now, we're finally approaching the last obstacle. Everyone had better tread carefully. You're stepping onto a minefield! If you look carefully, you can see where those little bombs are buried, so keep your eyes on the ground, folks! By the way, those land mines were designed for the games, so they might be loud and flashy...but they're not all that powerful! Just enough to make you wet your pants!"
"Get a hold of yourself," Mr. Aizawa deadpanned at Present Mic's theatrics.
Izuku gritted his teeth, knowing that the teacher wouldn't have announced it if someone hadn't made it there already. Someone's already made it to the final obstacle? That meant he needed to pick up the pace, and find a way to get to the finish line in a good placement. Faster. I can do this! The piece of metal he was holding was seemingly slowing him down, though. Despite that, he never let go of it.
Izuka was hiding behind a sign, glancing at the mines. She watched as a few students already were getting blasted into the air, pink clouds forming from the ground. The girl then took a deep breath, looking at the field to examine it and the length of the area by her eyesight. If I tackle this like I did at the Fall, I'll no doubt lose my energy before the next round. I need to minimize my stamina if I wanna get past this field to finish the course. So measure the distance between me and the end, account for the wind speed, and the angle I need to pull this off.
It was just like how she did it with that sludge villain, though definitely on a much larger scale since she had to worry about the citizens last time. It might take a lot of built up energy, but it was the only way she could think of.
Very clever. Shoto looked at the ground carefully while moving as fast as he could. Izuka stepped out of hiding, her back facing the minefield. Those in the lead are actually at a disadvantage here. He heard another scream as a student went flying. Guess it makes for good entertainment.
Izuka created her bow and then pointed it towards the grass, an eye closed. She suddenly heard an explosion, glancing over her shoulder. Her eyes widened in surprise to see Katsuki soaring past the mines and heading straight for Shoto. He turned around in alarm to the blond, having heard him as well.
"Ha ha ha!" Katsuki gave a big grin. "It's over." He then let out a yell as he soared right past Shoto. Izuka quickly turned around to the ground.
"No time to think!" She pulled back her right arm as her ammo appeared and she fired, sending herself into the air above the mines.
"Bastard!" Katsuki shouted, Izuka glancing back as she was starting to reach them. Neither of them had noticed her yet. "Your declaration of war...was to the wrong person! And the fact that one of them was mousy...REALLY GETS MY BLOOD BOILING!" He shouted as he extended his hand to fire an explosion. Shoto thankfully dodged it in time.
"What?" Izuka gasped in alarm from the last part, staring at Katsuki in disbelief. Why does he care if Todoroki-San sees me as a rival or not? Sure, he admitted it right in front of the entire class no problem, but now Bakugo-San wants to pick a fight about it? She blinked and then narrowed her eyes; she had no time to dwell on this, otherwise it might get distracting for her during the sports festival.
"Just like that, a new student takes the lead! The media here is going crazy! There's nothing they love more than an upset!"
Tenya was running past the mines as fast as he could, setting them off unfortunately. "The rest of the competitors are catching up too! And what's this? Can our two leaders fight each other and stay in front of the competition?" Katsuki attacked and Shoto dodged it, using his ice against Katsuki's arm. "What now? Another competitor is suddenly gunning for the top!" The two looked up to see Izuka flying towards the finish.
"Yeah!" Toshinori cheered while standing up.
"What? How'd she-"
Shoto didn't finish his sentence as he grunted, sending a wave of ice towards her. Izuka held up her arm and fired a shooting star to counteract it, an explosion occurring above their heads. Izuku stopped in place as he saw the students struggling. He clenched his teeth, noticing his sister, Katsuki, and Shoto in the lead.
Crap. They're so far ahead. A few explosions went off as he tried to think. But... "No!" He shouted while swinging the metal over his head. "This isn't over yet!" He then planted the metal into the ground, while everyone was just trying to get past the mines, including his own classmates. He gave a look of determination as he held the metal in front of him like a shield. "Thanks for the idea...Kacchan!" He then raced forward, jumping and landing on the metal as he picked a designated spot. A huge explosion went off, gaining everyone's attention.
"What's with that huge explosion in the back?! That was way more powerful than it should be!"
Ochaco let out a grunt while bracing herself and looking back. She then gasped...as it was revealed to be Izuku flying through the air.
"Incredible!"
"YES!" Toshinori pumped his fists as he was still standing up.
"What just happened?" Present Mic bellowed while Izuka, Katsuki, and Shoto glanced back in silence. Izuka blinked rapidly and then gave a knowing smile. She turned back up front, still flying through the air herself. She knew that he would do something like this to gain the lead, even if it meant having to get past her. "Whatever the case, Class 1-A's Izuku Midoriya is suddenly in hot pursuit of first place and catching up to his own sister, Izuka Midoriya!"
The boy gritted his teeth while holding on as tightly as he could to the metal he was riding on.
Izuku used the metal to dig into the ground. 'I gotta think about this. These land mines go off if you step on them.' He then revealed one of the mines. He continued digging while no one was paying attention to him. 'They're not that powerful, but they can turn into a huge pain if you detonate a bunch of them. You can't just rush through.' Several students were looking at the ground carefully to determine where the mines were. 'It's better to slow down and avoid them altogether. That way, you won't risk injuring yourself with one. Even the people who are good at jumping can't be too careless.'
Tsuyu herself was carefully crawling on the ground. 'And there are even more of them to watch for in the front. No one's going to be able to go through this very quickly.' And his hunch was right, as several students were fighting each other...except for Minoru, because he was gunning for Momo since her shirt was still unbuttoned. 'I can use that to my advantage! Everyone was most careful around the entrance. They'll be plenty of land mines still buried around there. Okay, I can do this.'
Kyoka glanced back in confusion. 'I can't be impatient...'
"What's Midoriya doing...?" She ignored him and ran off, since she thought he was essentially slowing himself down.
'Or I'll just blow myself up!'
"Todoroki, Bakugo, and Izuka Midoriya are neck and neck for the lead and knocking on the finish line!" He heard Present Mic announce, and then finished digging. He blinked in surprise to hear that his sister was in the lead and then gave a proud smirk.
"Nice going, Izuka. But I can't forget...I have to watch out for you too in this sports festival. There," He looked down at the pile of land mines in front of him. He had also made a hole to keep them in the dirt. "Thanks for the idea, Kacchan!" He then ran forward with the metal in front of him. "Super-explosive turbo speed!" He jumped and then caused the big explosion that made everyone stop in their tracks.
He gritted his teeth while flying through the air, shocking everyone down below.
"Midoriya?!" Tenya yelped while watching him.
"Whatever the case, Class 1-A's Izuku Midoriya is suddenly in hot pursuit of first place and catching up to his own sister, Izuka Midoriya!"
Izuka glanced behind her as Izuku soared right over Shoto and Katsuki, who continued staring at them. He then soared right past Izuka, the wind so strong she was sent flying a little. She spun around as a small shooting star appeared behind her to gain back some momentum. "Strike that! The lead is his!"
The audience cheered for the twist. I flew over them and past Izuka just like I planned. But there was more force than I expected! And...I didn't think about how I was gonna land! He was heading straight for the front where there were more land mines, and he had no way to change direction unfortunately.
Katsuki fired off an explosion underneath him, heading towards Izuku. "Deku," He gritted his teeth while waving his hands behind him. "What the hell do you think you're doing, huh?!" He shouted while making himself fly across. Shoto pressed his foot against the ground to create a path made out of ice. Izuka pressed two fingers together and fired off yet another shooting star like a gun, looking a bit exhausted as she got more speed.
This ice path will end up helping others. But there's no time to worry about them! He looked up towards his three rivals, all of them coming in hot towards the finish line.
"Look at that plot twist! Those two aren't fighting anymore. They're chasing both Midoriyas!" Present Mic grinned as Shoto kept his eyes on the two of them. Katsuki then flew right past. "That's what having a common enemy will do in this competition! This fight is still far from over, though!"
Toshinori clenched his fists hopefully that the two would be able to keep this up. Anything can happen...
Oh no Izuku gave a panicked look as he lost his balance off of the metal. Izuka was catching up to him from behind. I'm losing speed, and Izuka's almost passed me. This is bad. They'll get ahead of me again. If I don't time this landing right...there's no way I'll be able to keep the lead. He let go of the metal just as the three were right behind him. He was falling towards Shoto. I just...have to hold on and keep going. He ended up right between the two boys, Izuka flying above their heads. I have a chance here. I have to reach out and take it! The only way to stay ahead is take another leap. He gripped the rope from the metal, Izuka's eyes widening at her brother from above. I have to take them out of the running! I can show the world who I am! He slammed down the metal hard, setting off some more land mines and spinning quickly ahead of the three.
He rolled to the ground, sliding to try and not lose his balance. "In a stunning move, Izuku Midoriya has blasted past his classmates and sister from 1-A! I don't believe it, he cleared that minefield in an instant!"
Shoto, Katsuki, and Izuka zipped past the pink clouds of smoke, keeping their eyes on Izuku. Izuka was nearing the ground as well and rolled back onto her feet, standing up in an instant. She ran past the two as quick as she could. "Eraser Head, your students are amazing! What the heck are you teaching them?"
"This has nothing to do with me," Mr. Aizawa stated, keeping his eyes on the four specifically. "Each of them is powered by their own drive to succeed."
"There you have it!" Present Mic said as the entrance to the stadium was within their grasp. "Eraser Head is a terrible teacher."
"I'm what?!" Mr. Aizawa questioned in defense as Katsuki powered up his explosions.
"Who would have imagined at the beginning of this race that the climax would be a non-stop mega-mix of surprises?" Shoto skated using his eyes as Izuka used her shooting stars behind her back. Izuku ran...and light greeted them as well as the cheering crowd. "The first to make it back into the stadium is the first-place winner!"
And it was none other than Izuku. Izuka ran in just a few seconds behind him to take second place. "Izuku Midoriya is our champion!" Confetti flew around him as the crowd burst out in excitement.
Inko was crying loads of tears, sliding down the couch in relief and happiness for the twins. "Oh, my babies!"
Death Arms glanced behind him, recognizing the twins from the screen. "Hey, it's those kids."
Kamui Woods turned around to see who he meant. "Oh, yeah! They fought the sludge monster," He recognized them as well as Mt. Lady was in a photo shoot nearby.
However...Shigaraki was also watching as well in front of a computer in the dark. He was scratching himself with his finger as the twins' faces came on the screen. "It's those brats again," He growled out, and stopped scratching.
Izuku panted while Izuka slowly came to a stop, out of breath as well. She sat on her knees as she definitely used up a lot of power out there. Hopefully she could regain some energy. Izuku looked up in shock at everyone, the girl looking up at him. She gave a small smile, which he didn't see.
"If I had to lose that race against anyone...I'm glad it was you, Izuku," She hummed happily towards him. "You did great out there...caught me and everyone else off guard, that's for sure."
Izuku then looked towards Toshinori, who was clapping for them with a big smile on his face. Izuku returned it while clenching a fist, tears in his eyes. He could feel how proud the man was of him. Izuku let out a whimper, wiping away his tears. He then turned around to his sister, who blinked in shock. He ran up and bent down, hugging her tightly to her surprise.
"I'm sorry if I took away your chance, Izuka...just know that I'm proud of you. You're a great rival, and you took second place...that's amazing..."
She let out a light gasp from his words, looking up towards Toshinori as well. He nodded with the same smile he gave to Izuku, meaning that he was proud of her placement too. She let out a sniff with a happy expression on her face, using her wrist to wipe her tears.
"Thanks, Izuku...but can you hide me now, this is getting to be so embarrassing," She let out a small whine and he laughed.
This sports festival is a competition where everyone aims for the top. Even though that means defeating your friends and classmates. And for professional heroes, popularity plays a huge part in their careers. So they have to want to be the best. It's a bloodthirsty world. He rewatched the footage of Izuku flying past the three. At your core, you want to help others, including your own sister. That's why I chose you, Young Midoriya. And why I took on Young Mido to help her with her own Quirk. But in all honesty, I also thought your selflessness could be your weakness.
He watched Izuku help up his sister and she pointed to his face. He gave a sheepish smile while finally riding himself of his tears. He then rolled up his sleeve and used it against her nose, causing the girl to push him away gently with an embarrassed expression. Toshinori clapped his hands with a smile.
Turns out I was worried over nothing! You two are fighters! Still, maybe cool it with the waterworks, both of you.
"This is interesting," One of the students rubbed his chin.
"I think it's obvious that both of the Midoriyas' stock is about to go up," A second student spoke up with a small smirk.
"Not so fast," A third one held up a finger. "He's still an unknown since we have no idea what his Quirk. As for his sister, it can be easy to interpret somewhat. We know that she has the power to create shooting stars and shields, but that's as far as we can tell. Imagine for a second that an agency was to take both of them on, how would they market people so plain-looking who don't show off their Quirks?"
"They'd definitely have their work cut out," A student with glasses piped up.
"Well, they don't have much going for them appearance-wise, so you'd have to push their skills and the unexpected, artistic ways that they perform under pressure."
As the student was speaking, above their heads was Toshinori, who could hear what they were saying. None of them noticed him, though. Business course students. Some things never change.
The business course! There's really no benefit to them participating in the sports festival. So, they cultivate their instincts by selling things or running market simulations! They have a lot of free time.
Katsuki panted heavily while taking a breather, holding his arm and shaking. He couldn't believe what just happened. The finish line was right in his grasp, and yet both of the twins managed to beat him. "Deku...mousy...no way," He gritted his teeth. "Not again!" He hadn't felt this way since combat class...
Shoto had air coming from his right side, also trying to steady his breathing. "The contestants are pouring in one after the other! Let's hear some applause for all our competitors as we prepare the results." He then looked up towards the twins, Izuku looking towards his hand. Izuka was stretching her arms, wiping the sweat off her forehead.
"No hard feelings, right sis?" Izuku looked at her and she nodded with a small smile.
"Congrats again on the win," She told him while closing her eyes and humming.
"Thanks!" He laughed a little and Shoto walked off.
"Deku!" Ochaco shouted while approaching them. They both flinched at the voice, looking towards the girl. "That was amazing!"
"Oh, thank you!" He blinked as she stopped with an exhausted breath.
"I can't believe you got first place, I'm jealous! And you got second, Mido, no fair!" She gave an encouraging smile while Tenya was disappointed with his own placement.
"Uh! It was nothing," The boy turned away while hugging his head, blushing a little. Izuka blinked at her brother and then turned to her friend.
"I-I'm sure...you got a good placement as well," She said encouragingly to Ochaco, though was shaking a little.
"I guess all that adrenaline made you forget about the crowd long enough, huh?" Ochaco gave a sheepish knowing smile. "But thanks, Mido!"
Izuku then looked away as his plan was definitely not showing his Quirk to pros back there. It's not like I had some big plan. I tried a few things that worked out better than I could have hoped for. Any of those gambles could've gone wrong. He then released his hands, looking at them with his face still flushed. I was just lucky, that's all. He then made his hand into a fist. My real ability will be tested after this. What comes next?
He glanced away and Izuka placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn to her. "I know it wasn't much to you, but to others, you got here because of quick thinking and not using up your Quirk so much," She gave him another smile. "So think about what you can do for the next activity, okay?"
"...Right," He nodded at her. "Thanks."
I was really close to overusing my Quirk in the race. I could've injured myself, I need to find a way to minimize using it in the next challenge. Izuka looked at her fingers. I wouldn't call it luck, I'd call it just insightful thinking on my part and timing. If I had messed up my shot back there, I definitely wouldn't have gotten second place. It's time to really think carefully about how I can accomplish proving myself in this festival...while not focusing on the crowd so much. She gave a sheepish expression at that last part.
Momo panted as she just arrived. "How could this happen?" She wondered as Izuka noticed her and ran over to the girl.
"Yaoyorozu-Chan...!" She waved to the girl and then a laugh was heard from behind Momo. Izuka came to a stop and blinked. Minoru had used his sticky balls onto Momo's clothes to keep hold of her.
"Two birds with one stone. I'm a genius!" He chuckled and then stared at Izuka's chest.
"You are the worst," Momo grunted a bit at him.
"Mineta-San..." Izuka muttered while dragging a hand down her face. She then looked up at Momo. "H-how are you, Yaoyorozu-Chan?"
"I'm fine, thank you for asking, Mido," Momo gave a small smile for the girl's concern. Minoru jumped off the black-haired girl and then slowly walked over to Izuka. He reached out as neither of them noticed him. "You got second place, congratulations."
"Oh, than-" Both of them flinched as Minoru was sent flying by an explosion. They turned to a fuming Katsuki.
"Annoying grape-headed short stack..." He growled, both of them sweating as they wondered what Minoru did to piss him off. Izuka closed her eyes in thought, looking away from him.
Ever since what happened with Todoroki-San in the waiting room, for some reason, he seems really angry. He could just be focusing on the festival like he wants...but then why did he attack Todoroki-San while mentioning me? Luckily he doesn't seem to realize I heard them, but...what exactly is going on in his head?
She shook her head rapidly to snap out of it. She was not only losing concentration, but this was something that she didn't need to think about right now. She'd wonder about it later.
"The first game for the first-years is finally over," Midnight's voice boomed throughout the stadium. "And what a game it was! Now let's take a quick look at the standings, shall we?" Izuku was first, with Izuka in second place. Shoto was third, and Katsuki was pissed off that he was fourth. The girl with the green hair, Ibara Shiozaki, was in fifth. Juzo Honenuki was in sixth, and Tenya's disappointment was more understood as he was in seventh. Fumikage was in 8th, Eijiro and Hanta being in 10th and 9th respectively. Tetsutetsu was in 11th place. Mashirao, Yosetsu Awase, and Tsuyu were 12th, 13th, and 14th. Rikido, Mezo, and Ochaco were 16th, 15th, and 17th. Momo was exasperated by being 18th, while Minoru was 19th, though his body was smoking still thanks to Katsuki's explosion. Mina, Koji, and Kyoka placed 20th, 21st, and 22nd. Most of the other placements consisted of people from Class A and B. And in last, for 43rd...was Yuga. He whimpered as he held his stomach, upset by this development.
"Only the top 43 will advance to the next round. But don't be too let down if you didn't make the cut! We've prepared other opportunities for you to shine," Midnight gave a small smile, licking her lips. "Now the real fun is about to begin. The chance to fully move yourselves into the limelight! Give it your best!" The top four all looked towards her, Katsuki letting out a small growl. Midnight then raised her flogger whip as the screen was being used as a slot again for the next challenge. "Let's see what we have in store for you next. Will your wildest fantasies come to life? What could it be? The waiting is torture," She then put her mask back over her eyes. "Prepare yourselves...for this!" She gestured to the screen as it finally settled on Cavalry Battle.
"Cavalry battle?" Denki gave a nervous look at the result. "I'm terrible at those."
"Huh," Tsuyu remarked with a finger on her chin. "It's not an individual event."
"Oh, yes," Minoru murmured happily with a slight blush on his face.
"I wonder how they'll split us up," Tsuyu spoke up again, both her and Denki ignoring Minoru. Which was probably for the best.
"Allow me to explain," Midnight turned back around to the screen. "The participants will form teams of two-to-four people as they see fit. It's possible one team will have five, but that's alright." An example was shown on the screen of Thirteen and Present Mic carrying All Might off the ground. "In theory, it's basically the same as a regular playground game. But there is one difference," She gave a small smirk while glancing back at the crowd of students. "Each player has been assigned a point value based on the results from the obstacle course."
"I get it," Rikido said in thought. "A point-based system like the entrance exams. That seems pretty simple."
"So that means each team will have a different point value based on which students are on it," Ochaco explained while Mina tapped her chin.
"Uh-huh!" She pointed to the brunette with a small smile.
"Maybe you should shut up and let me explain things to you!" Midnight snapped at them taking her job indirectly. The girls both flinched nervously. The point system then came up, with 43rd having 5 and going up from there. "Now then, the point assignments go up by increments of five, starting from the bottom. For example, 43rd place is worth five points, and 42nd is worth ten. And the point value assigned to the first place contestant is...ten million!"
Everyone flinched upon hearing this news, while Izuku went pale with his eyes wide. "Oh no," Izuka turned to him knowingly with a panicked look. She wasn't so sure if she should be upset anymore that she didn't get first place...but then again, if it had to be anyone who would've gotten that many points, she wouldn't want that on anyone...
"Ten million?" Izuku asked nervously, sweat dripping down his face immensely.
Really? The purple-haired boy glanced at Izuku in interest.
The girl from Support with all the gear turned towards the boy with a small smile. In other words, if you take down his team...
You'll win the Cavalry Game and take the lead yourself! All of the students thought in unison, and Izuku suddenly felt like he had a target on his back with the intense looks he was getting. Izuka slowly inched away in a bit of fear.
"That's right," Midnight gave a knowing smile as she could tell the students had all came to the same conclusion. "It's survival of the fittest, with a chance for those at the bottom to overthrow the top!"
This did not end up working out for you, did it, little brother? Izuka winced towards him.