After the horn blared and everyone began running off in every direction, Izuku wasn't far behind. "If I want to find one quickly, I ought to use Accel! But they could be hidden. In that case…" He slammed the dial, the flash of green light blinding some of his opponents. "Polar Ghost ought to do the trick!"
He flew off toward one of the buildings, turning intangible and entering inside it.
"Did that guy just turn into a huge bug and go through a wall?!" One of the competitors from the General Studies Department gasped seeing Izuku's abilities. "How is that fair?!"
"Shut it!" Another one shouted at him. "He is just one person! There are at least 59 balls, even if he finds one!"
"Right!"
Elsewhere, in another part of the fake city, as everyone ran in random directions, a few groups formed, and one such group was composed of Ochako, Mina, Ida, Kirishima, and Tokoyami. "We need to find a ball!" Mina said, looking around frantically for one. "But where are they?! I see none!"
"They likely hid them out of sight." Ida theorized. "Maybe they are inside the buildings!"
"How are we supposed to check everywhere?! We might be able to use our Quirks here, but not all of us are fit for search stuff like this!" Kirishima complained, but Ida was already getting himself ready to rush.
"Leave it to me!" He said, rushing off into a nearby fake store.
"Maybe we should split up!" Mina suggested. "We have more odds of finding balls if we do! Let's meet here if we find any!"
"Right!" Everyone agreed and went on their separate ways, entering buildings to try and find a ball to proceed to the next round.
Elsewhere, another group was struggling to find anything. "Do you guys have anything?!" Tetsu asked, lifting a car and finding nothing under it. He was with Itsuka and Yui, making a small 3-person group.
"Nothing here!" Itsuka shouted as she came out of a salon.
"Nothing in the butcher shop, either," Yui said as well, sharing more bad news.
"Darn! There are none here!" Tetsu said in frustration. "Let's continue looking around! There are bound to be enough balls for everyone if we split up and search diligently!"
"No one seems to have found any yet." Yui pointed out. "How much time has passed?"
"Barely five minutes. Given the number of people, you'd expect them to find something quick, but-"
"First Ball has been found." Aizawa's tired voice came over the intercom system, and everyone looked up to see a scoreboard with names and a picture appearing.
"WHAT LUCK!" The one who shouted was a short student with strange, purple hair that seemed shaped in a strange mohawk made out of purple balls. He had found the first ball, which was the size of a basketball, but painted bright blue.
"Congratulations to Mineta Minoru from General Studies for finding the first ball." Aizawa's tired voice declared him as the first to find one, but in truth, Mineta got extremely lucky.
When the city appeared, and everyone ran off, he got kicked down the street by one of the people there by accident, but he ended up rolling into the subway of all places! And there, on the tracks, he found a ball!
"59 balls remain in the game." Aizawa declared, and Katsuki sneered as he walked through the alleys of the fake city. He then turned a corner, finding a dumpster and looking inside it.
He smiled, grabbing the ball from within. "Looks like my luck has changed."
"Katsuki!" A voice called out to him, one he knew, but which he hadn't heard in a long, long time. He turned to it, looking at its source. "It is you!"
"Fuck off. Michizune?!" Katsuki gasped upon seeing the guy. He knew him! How could he not?! They used to be classmates with Izuku at…
Aldera.
"The fuck are you doing here, Michizune?" Katsuki asked, sparking explosions in his palm as a warning.
"Easy there, Katsuki!" Doumon Michizune was a gaunt-looking young man, with skin so pale youd' think he was sick! He had short, black hair, with his bangs covering his right eye. His teeth seemed more like small fangs, however, and his nails were long and black. He was wearing a UA-issued track suit. "I won't steal from you, so relax."
"The fuck I will! I know what your Quirk does, leech! It's a good Quirk, but I won't let you get close to me to leech me off!" Katsuki told him strongly. "Why are you even here? Last I heard, you moved to the countryside after the entire deal with Aldera went down!"
"We both know what happened was not normal! They came out of nowhere and arrested some of our best guys!" Michizune said. "You know this well, too! They had no right to arrest the teachers; they were right in their teachings!"
"Cut the bullshit! What are you doing here?" Katsuki asked, getting straight to the point.
"I was in the Entrance Exam, believe it or not," Michizune admitted, which surprised Katsuki slightly. "But due to how my Quirk works, I couldn't charge up. So I failed! I did score enough to get myself a second chance, though. A chance to make it into UA!"
"Even now, your Quirk is a bad fit here. You heard the staff! No attacking other competitors!" Katsuki reminded him.
"Oh, I don't plan to attack anyone at random! I already picked a target! I just need to find him and wait until he finds a ball for me to steal, along with me charging up from him!" Michizune said, a grin growing on his face. "Did you know Midoriya is here?"
Katsuki's eyes widened. "Michizune, don't!"
"Huh? Are you actually defending him?"
"No, fuck that shitty Deku! I am giving you advice, you shithead! You saw what happened on that day in the classroom! You know, Deku got himself a bullshit Quirk! It got stronger, too! If you try anything, he will have your damn hide!" Michizune scowled, hearing Katsuki talk.
"What's with that talk, Katsuki?! You are speaking like all those weaklings! Why are you afraid of Midoriya of all people?"
"You ignorant fuck, it's useless trying to talk you out of it!" Katsuki said, growling. "Fine! You wanna get yourself fucked up that badly? Be my guest! But I warned you about Midoriya!"
Katsuki then used his explosions to leap over Michizune, heading to the safe zone to deposit his ball and be in the clear. After he left, however, Michizune looked at where he was with eyes wide and confused. "Katsuki…When did you become…Prey?"
"I found one!" Ochako shouted as she came back with a ball.
"Same here!" Ida said as well, presenting himself with a ball as well.
"Damn! I found none!" Kirishima said, cursing. "What about you, Tokoyami?"
"Yoho!" Dark Shadow held up the ball for them.
"No fair!" Mina argued. "Kirishima and I found nothing so far!"
'55 balls remaining." Aizawa's voice came over the intercom.
"Plenty of balls are left, so let's not give up yet, Mina!" Kirishima said, turning to her. "There are still a lot of places we've yet to try! Come on!"
"R-right behind you!" Mina said, following Kirishima.
"Let's head to the safe zone," Tokoyami said.
"Right! Let's!" Ida was prepared to storm off, but Ochako had an idea. "What the-"
"Go!" Ochako shouted, having nullified her gravity, and grabbed onto Ida.
"I- Fine!" Ida said, then sped off, leaving Tokoyami by himself.
"Well, looks like it is just you and me, Tokoyami."
"As always, the shadows are my only companions," Tokoyami said, starting his march toward the safe zone.
"I got balls! Two of them!" Tetsu shouted.
"Ew! Tetsu!" Kendo recoiled, misunderstanding him.
"No, look!" He held up two balls.
"Tetsu, you genius!" Kendo said, catching one of them. Yui had found one already, meaning she was either already in the safe or on her way to the safe zone. "Let's go!"
"I hope the others are doing well, too," Tetsu said, hoping his classmates were having luck finding balls for the hunt.
In the meantime, elsewhere, Izuku had just gotten his break. "Found one!" He said, having located a ball on the top floor of a building. He turned back to normal inside, grabbing the ball. "There we go. Now, I need to see about reaching the safe zone."
He looked out the window, thinking of a way to get down. Of course, he didn't have to think too much as an idea sprang to mind. With a flash of green, he turned into Flora and enveloped the ball in vines on his back. "Like jumping into a pool." He said, then charged into and broke through the window, wrapping his vines on a pole and growing them until he reached the ground level.
"Easy as pie." He said, retracting his vines and looking around. "Now to get this-"
"Gotcha!" Someone shouted as they leapt from the alleys and snatched Izuku's ball, cutting through his vines with ease and precision, and getting the ball. It was none other than Togaru Kamakiri from 1B who decided to steal from him. "Thanks for the ball!"
"Oh, hell nah!" Flora shouted, already expanding his vines toward him, but Kamakiri began rushing off.
"This is payback for the USJ!" He shouted as he put distance between them. However, Izuku was not about to let himself be robbed that easily. With a flash of green, Kamakiri was taken off guard as a blue blur rushed past him, and the ball he was holding was gone. "What-"
"It seems you forgot who you're trying to steal from!" Izuku said as Accel. "Goodbye, Kamakiri." He pulled his visor back on and dashed away toward the safe zone.
"BULLSHIT!" Kamakiri shouted in frustration, unaware of another figure watching from the shadows.
"My, Katsuki wasn't kidding," Michizune said, having seen the exchange. "But Midoriya is prey. Prey remains prey, no matter what. And on that subject…"
"Huh?" Kamakiri turned back to look as Michizune went toward him. "Who the heck are you?"
"The predator."
"Huh? What the-"
"30 balls remaining. Half of the balls have been found, and 20 minutes remain on the clock."
"Looks like the young listeners picked up the pace regarding their search, Erasure!"
"Let's hope all findings were according to the rules." He said, unaware of events going down in the city.
"This was a piece of cake," Michizune said as he took his ball to the safe zone as well, but something was different about him now. His eyes had a red glow to them, and his hair wasn't as lifeless anymore. He looked like he got reborn, for lack of a better term, like he got a big dose of energy.
That being said…
"TOKOYAMI!"
"KAMAKIRI!"
Within the city, members of Class A and B respectively had found their classmates unconscious within the city, and rushed to get to them. However, upon inspection, they found they were just fatigued. Greatly so, as if something sucked all the energy out of their bodies! Tokoyami would let his classmates know that someone jumped him and took his ball as he was closing in on a safe zone, but Kamakiri was less fortunate. He had nothing to say.
Neither of them couldn't remember who it was that assaulted them. But that didn't matter right now. One after another, more and more balls were either found or stolen, and slowly, the number of balls still in the game went down, until only one remained with 3 minutes on the clock.
"Here!" Mina showed up with the final ball, reaching the safe zone.
"STOP GAME!"
"The final ball has been found," Aizawa spoke after Present Mic's spirited announcement of the game ending. "The 60 contestants for the next round have been selected. The warm-up is now over."
The city began to vanish before everyone's eyes, returning to where it came from as the unfortunate students who were unable to find any balls left the arena in shame.
"Here are the names of the lucky contestants, in order in which they each recovered a ball!" A list of names, along with the respective class, was displayed on the large screens. Izuku read it carefully and noticed an unfortunate detail. Out of 60 balls, only a handful from the Hero Course found one. From 1A, Ochako, Ida, Mina, Bakugou, Todoroki, Momo, Kaminari, Koda, and Shinso each found one. That totalled 9 balls. From 1B, Monoma, Kendo, Tetsu, Setsuna, Shishida, Yui, and Pony. That was 7. That meant only 16 of the 60 balls had been found by Hero Course students.
"A bit weak from the Hero Course." Present Mic even commented on it.
"Actually, this is a good outcome from both classes. As it stands, they are numerically outnumbered. For them, this served as a simulation for finding targets in an urban environment. But overall, this was a huge warm-up round. Something that gave each student equal odds of passing, without favoring one course over the other. Whether they had a strategy for finding the ball, a suited Quirk for locating one, or stealing one, that was all depending on them."
"Hmm. Well said, Erasure!" Present Mic said. "Still, we- Huh?" Present Mic was being notified. "What?!" His reaction while on air stirred a bit of unrest. "Oh! Forgive me, listeners! We are just experiencing some technical difficulties! We will now enter a one-hour break before resuming with the next challenge of the day! Until then, remember our university's motto! PLUS ULTRA!"
And with those words said, everyone went their way.
"Guys!" Izuku went to the infirmary, where the rest of 1A went. He spotted them carrying Tokoyami here after the first round, and he was wondering what was wrong. "What happened?"
"Tokoyami was attacked," Ida replied with a grim expression over his features.
"What?! But that is against the rules!" Izuku pointed out.
"It wasn't just him." Several 1B students came over to them. "Kamakiri was also assaulted. According to Recovery Girl, they are showing the same symptoms. It's like they didn't sleep a wink for three days straight while working out as men possessed. It's like all the energy in them was sucked out!"
"Shouldn't UA have found the one responsible?" Ochako asked. "They take their security seriously, right? Surely they had means of seeing who did this!"
"Not this guy." Bakugou suddenly said, having spoken for the first time since arriving.
"You know who did this?" Nirengeki from 1B asked, going closer to Bakugou. Katsuki, however, glanced over to Izuku. Then, he closed his eyes and told them a name.
"Doumon Michizune." Izuku's eyes widened as if a bolt of lightning struck him. "He is here."
"Out of all individuals…" Izuku said slowly, grabbing his head.
"You know him, too?" Nirengeki asked, looking toward Izuku.
"Wait, if you both know him, and judging from Midoriya's reaction…He is from there, isn't he? He is a former Aldera High School student." Ida said, which seemed to take 1B by surprise.
"Hold on! Aldera High School? Those two?!" Awase gasped, looking between Katsuki and Izuku.
"Oh my good God, are you really from that sinful place?!" Ibara took steps back from Izuku, staring at him with shaky eyes.
"We are," Katsuki confirmed. "And so is Michizune! In fact, we were in the same class! And it is because of that that I know for a fact UA saw shit!"
"How can you be so sure, Bakugou? This isn't Aldera! Just because this Michizune might have a good Quirk does not exclude him from punishment, as it might have at Aldera!" Ida argued.
"No, Ida. Katsuki is right. UA couldn't have seen him do this." Izuku confirmed. "And all due to the power of his Quirk." Katsuki sneered at the mention of it. "Michizune has an energy-manipulating Quirk, almost like Kaminari's. However, in his case, he both absorbs and converts the energy he takes into a form he can use. I've seen him fire blasts of energy, generate barriers to protect himself, and even launch himself high into the air using it."
"What does this have to do with the ones in the infirmary right now?" Awase asked.
"I was getting there!" Izuku said. "Michizune's Quirk cannot produce this energy on its own. He takes it from people."
"He is a damn leech," Katsuki added sharply. "Back in Aldera, he was left alone. His Quirk was not that well seen since it required others to function, but given what it could do when he does have it charged, he was deemed good enough." A few looked at Bakugou in confusion at his words, wondering what exactly he meant by 'deemed good enough'. However, before they asked, Izuku continued his explanation of Michizune's Quirk.
"He seems to absorb our stamina. Our day-to-day energy, if you will. I am not privy to the full details of his Quirk, as I've only seen him use it a few times…On others at Aldera." Izuku recounted. "But the way Tokoyami and Kamakiri are right now matches the way his victims ended up. They will be fine, they just need to rest and eat a good meal after they wake up to recover in full."
"Midoriya, I think you forgot to explain why you two claim UA saw nothing." Ida reminded Izuku.
"Oh! My apologies. You see, this is due to the properties of his energy. It seems to mess with devices, causing them to malfunction."
"If he charged up or had some charge coming in, he likely caused the cameras to go dark," Katsuki added. "This is why UA likely saw nothing."
"Even then, surely they noticed one camera going offline! Heck! Even if they chalked it up as a temporary malfunction, two cameras going dark is just too out there to ignore!" Awase added strongly. "And you two can testify!"
"Yeah, right," Katsuki replied with a sneer. "As if that'd work."
"What? Is the Aldera thrash sticking out for one another?" Awase asked, getting Bakugou to glare at him angrily.
"Watch your mouth, you B-Extra!" Bakugou snapped at him. "I want nothing to do with that leech! But it's useless to say anything against him!"
"Michizune is very manipulative," Izuku added. "As far as I can recall, whenever he did get in trouble, he made himself seem like a victim instead of a perpetrator. I am unsure if his act would hold here, given Aldera's tendency to turn a blind eye, but…"
"If UA wanted to act, they'd have acted already." Katsuki realized. "I've been around long enough to realize they don't let troublemakers walk."
"So this is it? He gets off spot-free?" Awase asked. "Fuck this! Ima go take care of that punk myself!"
"Wait!" Ibara caught his arm with her Quirk, the thorny vines holding him. "You cannot do something rash!"
"She is right," Katsuki added. "As said, he is very manipulative. You touch him, and he will bawl out bloody tears to have you expelled."
"He has no power!" Awase argued.
"But the public has." Izuku realized. "If he makes the public think he was attacked without cause, then he can make pressures."
"Fuck!" Awase swore loudly, punching the wall. "Sorry for swearing, Ibara."
"Bless be your soul, Awase. It's alright. I can understand your frustration." Ibara said. "It's very upsetting to know such a devil is loose among us."
"Wait! The final event is a fighting tournament!" Ida remembered. That had everyone present gain a spark in their eyes.
"Now you see it," Katsuki said with a grin. "If he makes it that far, then it will serve as your opportunity to get payback. He can't worm his way out of that thrashing."
"But he isn't stupid." Izuku reminded everyone. "He will play dirty if he thinks he cannot win. So be careful, everyone."
"That goes for you, too," Katsuki told Izuku. "Michizune seems to believe you are still unchanged, the same weakling as in Aldera. Make him pay if you cross paths before me."
"You surprise me, Bakugou!" Ida said. "I didn't think you'd willingly offer helpful advice to Midoriya like this!"
"Don't make any assumptions, four-eyes!" Katsuki said quickly. "I want that leech gone! Simple as that! And if he thinks he gets to take what is mine, then he has another thing coming to him! I will blow that creep out of the arena the moment the horn blares!"
"He won't get the chance to reach you, Katsuki," Izuku said. "After all, I will deal with him first."
"Is that a challenge?!" Katsuki asked, gaze fixed on Izuku.
"A promise," Izuku said.
"We'll see," Katsuki replied, then left. "You extras do your own thing. I got some stuff to take care of." He didn't even wave as he left, leaving everyone in the hallway to continue talking. However, before he could open his mouth again, Izuku got a message from Mirko. She wanted to see him.
"I also need to go." He said. "I got a message from Mirko when the break began to meet her as soon as I checked on Tokoyami. Stay safe, everyone!"
Elsewhere, where Katsuki went. "So?" All Might asked.
"It's Michizune's doing, alright," Katsuki confirmed. "What can you tell me?"
"The others have pieced it together as well, but without the evidence we can use, we cannot remove him. We have decided to contact the detective who was in charge of the Aldera Case to review this Michizune Doumou, since if what you told me checks out, then he shouldn't have been allowed to so much as take the Entrance Exam!"
"But that comes after the festival, right?" Bakugou asked.
"Yes. There is nothing I can do about it." He said. "Regardless, let's go over some strategies before the next round."
"Does it matter? You are not telling me what the next event is as is!" Bakugou complained.
"Patience, Young Bakugou! Trust me, this next event will truly put your abilities to the test."
Izuku walked through the hallways, heading to where Mirko told him to meet. However, on his way there, he was intercepted by someone else. Shoto Todoroki stood in his path, looking at him. "Midoriya."
"Todoroki," Izuku said. "What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you." He replied, keeping his tone even. "I have something to tell you."
"To tell me?" Izuku asked, curious. "Whatever it is you want to tell me, it can wait until after-"
"No, it does not!" Todoroki said, finally showing some emotion in his voice. "It cannot wait until after the event!"
"Fine, but be quick! I got somewhere to be!" Izuku told him, and Todoroki steadied his breathing.
"I will beat you." He said, and Izuku was honestly shocked to hear that was all he had to say.
"That's it?" He asked.
"I will beat you and prove I am superior." He added. "Midoriya, I will admit. You are powerful. Your Quirk is fantastic. And it is because of that that I need to defeat you!"
Something was wrong. Izuku had a feeling there was something Todoroki was not saying, but given the situation, he barely knew what to ask him. They haven't interacted much, despite being neighbors, and when they did meet, they kept things to polite greetings. For Todoroki to suddenly be acting like this, it raises some questions. And Izuku, always the curious, was asking for answers.
"But why me, specifically?" Izuku asked. "If it is because of just my Quirk, yours is equally impressive. Hybrid Quirks are very rare. You yourself essentially have two Quirks in one, fire-"
"Ice." Todoroki suddenly said, as if to correct him. "My Quirk is ice."
"Umm. No? Pretty sure your father is Enji Todoroki, right? Endeavor. His Hellflame Quirk is quite famous-"
"I refuse to use that man's Quirk!" Todoroki shouted, once again showing emotion. But now, Izuku went silent and just watched. "I refuse to be what he wants! I will win and surpass All Might using only my mother's Quirk! And to do that, I must defeat you! Your Quirk is second only to All Might's from what I've seen! You have strength, speed, utility, and endurance! A jack of all!"
"What do you mean by that?" Izuku asked. "Your Quirk is your own!"
"You are wrong. Ever since I was young, I was always reminded just why I exist." Shoto said. "You said my Quirk is rare? Impressive? Well, what if I told you it was made by design?"
"By design? Impossible!" Izuku said. "You cannot design a Quirk! Quirks are always either a random mutation, in rare cases, or, most commonly, it is the combination of your parent's-" Izuku stopped mid-sentence, a thought rushing through him. Or maybe, not a thought, but a realization. He looked back at Shoto with shrunken pupils, too shocked to believe what he was seeing with his own eyes.
But he was seeing it, wasn't he? He was seeing the product of a practice that was outlawed not only nationwide but worldwide. And with it, realization. Pieces falling in place around Endeavor's image. His hero career was rich and very public, but his private life is kept under lock and key, even from the media.
"Shoto…" Izuku called him by his given name, an act seen as rude unless given permission to do so. The two of them were not even friends. "Are you saying that Endeavor - YOUR FATHER - didn't fall in love by chance like us all with a woman with an ice Quirk? You are saying that your mother didn't marry your father out of love? Are you telling me that you, right now, are the product of a QUIRK MARRIAGE?!"
Izuku's expression said it all. Anger, shock, disbelief - all of the above.
"I am. I am the fourth child of Endeavor. His fourth and final child, as he no longer needed anymore once I was born with the perfect Quirk to fulfill his ambitions." Shoto confirmed. "He wants to surpass All Might. To be the number 1. But he can't. He cannot overcome his Quirk's drawback, so he had me. My ice causes my body to cool down to dangerous levels, but with my fire half, I could warm myself back up. My fire causes me to overheat, but my ice would bring it down."
"Your Quirk counters its own drawbacks." Izuku realized. "But that is…How did he do this without losing his license?! No! How did he get away with it?! Quirk Marriages are illegal, Shoto!"
"And he doesn't care!" Shoto shouted back. "All he cares about is his ambition being realized. My oldest brother died because of him…I heard so from my other brother! He said Touya wanted to impress him so much that he pushed his Quirk too far and ended up killing himself! And he made it go away with his money and influence as Japan's number 2 hero!"
"That's-"
"And not only." He touched his scar. "My mother…I haven't seen her or spoken with her in years…She did this to me. She could no longer bear to look at him, after everything he did to her! I don't know all the details, but I know enough! I know he drove her insane, I know he caused this - my scar! I know…I know the truth about Endeavor!"
"Then why?" Izuku asked slowly. "Why are you not doing anything?"
"Didn't you hear me? He has money. He has influence! He has people protecting him! He can make everything go away! It's useless to come forward with the truth, because he is in a position where he can change the truth to whatever he wants!" Shoto replied. "But I am here now. Once I joined UA, I promised myself I would never use his Quirk! I will make it through UA without his fire! I will become Japan's new number 1 Hero without his fire! I will make it only with my ice!"
"Fool!" Izuku shouted back. "That is not HIS Quirk!" he pointed out. "You are handicapping yourself for nothing!"
"You wouldn't get it. And why would you? You don't have a parent you are ashamed of, do you?" Shoto asked.
"No. At least, I can say I never met my father for him to make me ashamed of him. But he ran out the moment he believed I was Quirkless. But I can understand you…If someone had done something to my mother, I wouldn't forgive them, either."
"That isn't what I meant!" Shoto argued further. "Enough of this! You'd better be ready for the final event, Izuku." Then he turned and left, leaving Izuku there, stunned to his core. However, he at least had the foresight to do something once he realized a Quirk Marriage was what he meant.
"Young Midoriya, my office, now," Nezu said through the phone. Having your phone integrated with you is really nifty.
"A Quirk Marriage! A fucking Quirk Marriage, out of all fucking things that Endeavor could have done in his fucking life, he went and did it! Ugh! This is just great!" Mirko said, almost driven to the point where she'd tear her ears off.
And Nezu was not faring much better. Izuku had never seen the small animal angry before, but given how he was growling here and there, he assumed this was it. And they were not alone in the office. All Might, Midnight, Erasurehead, and Present Mic were there as well, and all of them were looking all kinds of disturbed by this information.
All Might was shaking, fist clenched tightly. Midnight looked like she wanted to puke. Erasurehead was silent, curled in his sleeping bag, but that didn't mean he was calm about this. Present Mic looked shell-shocked more than anything.
"He basically raped that poor woman and forced her to birth him four children!" Midnight eventually declared. "Nezu, this is an outrage!"
"I agree with Midnight!" All Might said, standing up, "Endeavor has crossed a line! No! He crossed it YEARS ago! Almost 2 decades ago! Who knows what he put those children through!"
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Present Mic shriked. "What he put them through? One of them is already in the bloody ground because of him!"
"QUIET!" Nezu shouted, bringing order to his office. "All of you, quiet! Let me…" He sighed. "Let me think…This is a PR nightmare."
"Yes, for Endeavor!" Mirko pointed out. "If we go public with this, he is done for!"
"NO!" Nezu quickly added. "You all heard Young Todoroki! Endeavor is protected."
"If this is a game of influence he wants to play, then he has to compete with me!" All Might said strongly. "If I make a statement, denouncing his use of this putrid practice, then he is done for-"
"Who would protect him, though?" Izuku said, cutting off All Might. "Forgive me for butting in, but who would protect Endeavor? As in, who has the power to sweep something like this under the rug?"
That question silenced everyone present, and Nezu, in his intellect, perked up in realization. "The Commission. Fuck!"
"Nezu rarely swears," Aizawa said, peering through his sleeping bag at last. "And never good."
"Wait, you mean the Hero Public Safety Commission?" Izuku asked. "But they are in charge of bridging the gap between Heroes and the general public! Why would they deliberately aid Endeavor in hiding his dirty secrets?"
"Because the Commission cares about the public image of heroes, Young Midoriya. They care too much." Nezu said.
"The Commission is dead set on maintaining the public image of heroes to the general public. You'd believe all heroes are paragons of justice and morality, but you'd be dead wrong!"
"I can confirm," Aizawa said, getting out of his bag. "After all, I am the one they mostly sent after such cases. Corrupt heroes. Those who became heroes for the sake of political power, money, or a combination of both. Once they establish an agency, they build contacts. And do what they want, knowing they can hide it."
"Wait, so you mean to say that the Commission is protecting Endeavor to avoid this illusion from breaking?" Izuku asked.
"You hit the nail on its head!" Mirko stated.
"It's sad, but true. And because of that, they'd rather have innocents suffer than do the right thing and punish the ones responsible." Midnight added. "And if they are the ones covering for him, then we cannot do anything!"
"What?!"
"Midnight is right," Nezu said. "I hate to admit it, Young Midoriya, but we cannot freely go against the Commission. They are willing to, and they will, use the most gruesome means to silence us. Especially if our actions threaten someone like Endeavor."
"Can't All Might do something?" Izuku asked.
"I'm afraid even my position is not enough. Likewise, this does mean I benefit from the same level of protection, however."
"Everyone in the top 10 does," Mirko added. "They don't want scandals. Plain and simple."
"What can you guys do, then?" Izuku asked slowly.
"For now? I will call some favors in and see about getting information on Endeavor's wife. Maybe, just maybe, we can do something about her without Endeavor getting involved or knowing about it." Nezu said. "All we can do is try to reach out quietly to his other children. Maybe build a case. But it's a long shot."
"Damn it." Izuku swore.
"I know how frustrating this is, Izuku," Mirko said. "But on the subject, the reason I originally called you here is because of Michizune Doumou."
"We know he was the one who attacked those students, directly violating the rules. However, we lack proof." Nezu said. "We need to know as much about him as possible, and looking into his file, I learned you two were classmates. Young Midroiya, if you would please enlighten us."
"Alright…Alright." He inhaled deeply. "Listen closely."
In the meantime, while the Sport Festival was being broadcast, someone had been watching Izuku specifically. "No way…" He said softly, having been mistaken for a guy with a very strange Quirk. He had found it. The wielder of the Omnitrix, and he now knew a few things.
Albedo couldn't believe his luck.
"Another Aldera problem child," Aizawa said, massaging his forehead. "Dean Nezu, this is getting too much. Between the revelation about Endeavor and Michizune, we cannot possibly continue the Sports Festival knowing all this."
"I'm afraid the show must go on, Erasure," Nezu said. "We must act as if we are still blissfully unaware. However, now we know NOT to extend an invitation to this Michizune."
"What if he wins?" Midnight asked. "What if he takes first place during the final event?"
"Ha!" Mirko laughed. "You think my protege would lose to him?"
"Mirko is right! Let's have faith in our students! This guy got the drop on those two, but he won't be as lucky in a direct fight!" Present Mic said.
"Fuck off, I meant only Izuku!" Mirko pointed out further. "You should have one or two guys that can deal with his energy gimmick, no?"
"I do," Izuku replied, catching on to what she meant. "And I promise to deal with Michizune. Given that we both come from Aldera, it is my duty to deal with him. I will defeat him, and hopefully, maybe make him see that the way Aldera taught things is wrong."
"A forceful hand is sometimes needed to educate someone who doesn't want to learn," Nezu said. "In that case, let us hold you not a moment longer, Izuku! Go! The break time is almost over! Erasure, Mic?"
"On it!" Mic said, picking up Erasure from his sleeping bag. "Come on, Erasure, we have a game to comment!"
"Kill me."
The 60 competitors left had once again gathered in the arena, waiting for the announcement to play out and explain the next event to them. "ALRIGHT! WELCOME BACK, LISTENERS! I HOPE YOU ARE HYPED FOR WHAT IS NEXT, BECAUSE THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET HEATED!"
"Not literally, of course," Aizawa said. "The next competition is Capture the Flag!"
Suddenly, the arena around the children began to shift again. But this time, they were not met with an urban town, but rather, the arena split itself into three areas. Then the terraforming began. Terraforming technology was a new technology developed on I-island. It allowed humans to alter the terrain to their liking, but despite its major potential, the technology was yet to be released to the public or even to most governments!
How UA got their hands on such tech is beyond everyone present, but the effects were amazing to say the least. Plants grew quickly, and a thick mist lowered itself, and another area was covered entirely in sand!
"ALRIGHT! LET US EXPLAIN THE SITUATION AND THE RULES! BEFORE YOU ARE 3 AREAS! THE FOREST AREA! THE MIST AREA! AND THE DESERT AREA! YOU ARE FREE TO SET UP BASE IN WHICHEVER AREA YOU CHOOSE!"
"Mechanical drones will now hand you your flags," Aizawa said as the drones appeared, and Izuku picked up his flag from one. It was a simple white flag with his name written on it. "Everyone who passed the previous round receives one flag. Your objective is to protect it until the timer runs out."
"WAIT THERE, ERASURE! THAT IS NOT ALL! IN THIS EVENT, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO MAKE TEAMS! NOW, WE KNOW YOU TEAMED IN THE PREVIOUS ROUND, TOO! IT WAS NOT AGAINST THE RULES! BUT HERE, THERE ARE RULES ABOUT TEAMING!"
"Teams can only have a maximum of four individuals in them. When a team is formed, you put your flags together. Mind you, this is not score-based. Your objective is to ensure you still have at least 1 flag remaining."
"OH YEAH! IT IS SURVIVAL!"
"We will be counting the number of people who still have their flag. The rules about flag ownership are simple. If your flag is taken, and you fail to recover it within a minute, you are out. Simple as that. If before the timer runs out, we count 16 individuals who still have their flags, the event ends. If the timer runs out and some people still have flags, we will count who has the most, and they pass to the next event."
"BUT! IN CASE WE HAVE TWO OR MORE PEOPLE WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF FLAGS AND NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE FOR THE NEXT EVENT, WE WILL ENTER OVERTIME!"
"Overtime is 10 extra minutes. If the situation remains unchanged, then we will select who goes on at random."
"CONTESTANTS! BE READY!" Present Mic had essentially given the signal, and everyone was ready to head in whatever direction they found best suited for their needs. Izuku, for one, was eyeing the mist zone. He had a theory, but it was risky. "PLUS ULTRA!"
And so, the next event began, and everyone rushed off in every direction.
Chapter 16
When the event began, Izuku rushed straight for the mist zone, planting his flag into the ground inside it. "Omnitrix?" He asked.
'Unfortunately, the light level is still too high to utilize the full potential of Poltergeist. However, you should still be able to make use of his other capabilities."
"Roger that," Izuku said, then, in a flash of green, Poltergeist appeared. "Lock this form for the duration of the event."
"Understood."
Izuku's strategy was simple but effective. In this competition, everyone got a flag. But no one has a base from which to operate and protect their flags. This is why he chose the mist area. As Poltergeist, he could turn invisible and wait. Why? Because if people had nowhere safe to leave their flags…
"There! A flag!" A small team of three came into view. "This is our lucky day!"
"No, it isn't," Izuku said, appearing out of the mist and flying over them. Those three took to carrying the flags on them, and Izuku has no problem snatching them before snatching his own flag and flying away.
"HEY! COME BACK!" They shouted, trying to give chase. But Izuku had vanished into the thick mist. One minute later, they were out. It was a chilling thought to know UA had cameras that saw through this mist. Or did they? How were they able to tell who still had their flag in here? Well, regardless, Izuku was busy running some numbers in his head.
It was said that, in the end, only 16 competitors would advance. Those with the most flags. There was no clear way to divide 60 by 16, but it did give him an idea of how many flags he needed to secure his place in the next round.
If teams are formed of four, that is a default of four flags already per team. 4 teams account for all 16 spots. This meant every team with a max member count starts at 4. That leaves 44 flags in the game. Now that was divisible by 4. It meant that the last four teams would acquire at least 11 flags. But that is not so clean-cut. He had to account for incomplete teams or solo performers like himself.
Still, given the fact that this event ends the moment 16 competitors are chosen, 11 is a minimum that could guarantee one's spot in the final event. But he had to be 100% sure. He currently sat at 4 flags, which was pretty good for a solo performer.
His head turned as he heard a branch snap. They were everywhere here, likely a means to expose individuals inside the mist. He flew fast in the direction of the sound, banking on his terrifying appearance to spook and allow him to steal more flags.
Well, his intention worked.
"AHHHH!" Momo Yaoyarozu from 1A screamed as she fell on her butt.
"Whoa! Easy! We want to team!" Mina was also there, and she was quick to make her intentions clear.
"Team?" Poltergeist's voice was equally spooky, but as Momo got up, the girls continued.
"We saw you heading in here. We want to form a team to get through this round." Momo stated. "If you'd have us, that is!"
"Oh? Well, aren't you two just a precious little duo? Why team with me? Surely, there are others you would like for a teammate." Poltergeist said.
"None is as versatile as you." Momo pointed out. "We are not empty-handed! Here!" Momo presented Izuku with three flags in total. "We managed to get a flag on our way here."
"An offering?" He asked, and then he decided to listen. But for that, he needed someone other than Poltergeist. As such, he decided to undo his lock. With a tap, he turned back to normal. "Sorry for the scare, Yaoyorozu."
"It's alright," Momo said, receiving Izuku's late apology well. "And you can call me Momo. I know my family name is a mouthful."
"So, you chose the mist area because your spooky guy can scare people into dropping their flags?" Mina asked.
"It is also difficult to see," Izuku added. "Anyway, with your flags, that puts us at 7."
"Is that good?" Mina wondered.
"It's good, but not ideal," Izuku said.
"I agree. A guaranteed number of flags to ensure our position in the next event would be 15." Momo added. "We are barely halfway there."
"Yeah, only one issue." Mina suddenly said. "People are getting smoked left and right in the other two areas."
"Speaking of, have you guys seen Ochako?" Izuku asked, to which Momo replied.
"She formed a team with Ida, Todoroki, and Shinso." She explained. "With Ida's speed and Shinso's Quirk, they were actually sitting at 9 flags last we saw."
"Already?!" Izuku gasped. "Who is this Shinso, even? What is his Quirk?"
"He can brainwash people!" Mina said. "Like, legit brainwash them! All you need to do is apparently talk back to him after he talks to you, and bam! You're hypnotized!"
"That's a wonderful Quirk!" Izuku said, actually smiling. "Oh! But very bad for us! With such a Quirk, I do not doubt that Shinso can easily win the round."
"So, do you guys have a plan? I get the whole angle with hiding in mist, but doesn't that mean we are also exposed? We won't see if anyone comes to rob us of our flags!" Mina pointed out. "So, any plans? We also need to get flags for ourselves!"
"It's tricky. We'd need a place to stash our flags and have someone stay behind to guard them." Izuku said. "And on that subject, we need a means to protect our flags as well."
"Don't you have a form that can, I don't know, encase them in something?" Mina asked, to which Izuku perked up. "Bullshit, you do!"
"I do," Izuku said, then turned in a flash of green. Momo's eyes lit up upon seeing who he turned into, however. "Diamond Soldier!"
"Of course! You can create constructs out of your diamond-like substance! We can store our flags in one such construct! They'll be unreachable!"
"I will stay and protect them!" Mina declared. "It's the least I can do while you two go out and score us more flags!"
"Good!" Izuku declared, and then, as discussed, they placed the flags on the ground, and he covered them in hard rock. "Hop on!" He picked Momo up by her shirt, throwing her on his back.
"Whoa!" She grabbed tightly on his hard neck. However, she found she could easily hold on by the spikes on his back as well. "What are you going to do?"
"The mist is likely not very populated, and we need a way to see the entire field." He said.
"Diamond Soldier can fly?!" Momo gasped.
"No." He replied flatly. "But he can launch!" And to prove his point, a pillar of rock erupted and launched him high into the air, above the mist. Once there, they looked around, trying to pinpoint any possible targets.
"There!" Momo pointed at a small group that was currently trying desperately to protect their flags from…Oh.
"It's Bakugou!" Izuku pointed out as they began falling. "Hold on tight!"
They landed roughly in the desert area, where Bakugou was throwing himself around using his explosions. Upon seeing Izuku, however, he gritted his teeth and decided to switch tactics. He quickly maneuvered around the 2-person team he was hunting and stole only 1 of their 3 flags.
"Hey! No! That is my flag!" One of them shouted. That's right. You do not lose if you lose all your flags. You lose if you lose the flag with your name on it! They tried to give chase, but Bakugou was too fast for them with his Quirk. As he passed Izuku and Momo, he sneered at them, simple as that.
He saw they had no flags and went on his way. "We need to get their flags!" Momo pointed out, jumping off his back and reaching into her clothing, taking out a Bo staff.
"Where did you pull that out of?!" Diamond Soldier asked.
"It's my Quirk!" She replied.
"A reminder that direct combat is forbidden!" Aizawa said over the coms.
"I am not using this to engage in battle." Momo rushed toward the trio.
"Heck no, you don't-"
"Tokuta Oni. You are eliminated. Clear the area."
"Shit!" The guy in question swore, and Momo was able to use the staff to jump over them, reaching their flags and grabbing two of them.
"That is mine!" The other guy said loudly, trying to rush at her, but Diamond Soldier created a wall around them, trapping them. "Hey, let us out!" Using this chance, Momo took the last flag as well.
"This puts us at 10!" She told Izuku as he kneeled, letting her climb back on his back, holding the flags they captured. "We need four more to be in the clear!"
"We need to be careful! We do not know who we might encounter or when-"
"STOP GAME!"
"Already?!" Momo gasped.
"THAT WAS QUICK!" Present Mic said. "Then again, this specific event was always quick! Mighty entertaining, though!"
"And we have our competitors for the next round. However, there is a problem with the count." Aizawa declared. "As it stands, 1 team of 4, composed of 1A students, has secured their place in the next round. Right behind them, with the next highest amount of flags, is a team of 3 from 1B. Next up, a team of three composed of two 1A students and Izuku Midoriya has qualified as well, with 10 flags. That is 10 out of 16 spots secured. The names of the final six, who didn't form teams through this event, are Michizune Doumou with 7 flags. Katsuki Bakugou with 5 flags. Sakura Shiruyana with 4 flags. Jurota Shishida with 3 flags. Neito Monoma with 3 flags. And, surprisingly, Minoru Mineta with 2 flags."
"Whoa! Now, how could they qualify with such low numbers?" Present Mic asked.
"It is due to the top-scoring team for this round. Out of 60 available flags, they claimed 15 of them. The second place has claimed 11." Aizawa explained. "As such, they secured spots for their teams, but this also reveals another aspect of the competition. The more one team captured flags, the more they lowered the minimum amount required to advance the round."
"Ah, so that explains it!" Present Mic replied. "That being said, everyone did their best! However, the main event of the festival will be held in 3 hours! A fighting tournament! Quirks will be permitted during this event as well! However, that also means more rules, so be ready, listeners!"
"For now, all contenders that have secured their positions in the next round are asked to make their way to the lockers and enjoy their break."
The arena shifted back to normal, and Momo and Izuku decided to fetch Mina. "That was surprising," Momo said as they entered the mist area, seeing the mist lifting. "They mentioned a 4-person team made up of only 1A students. That has to be the team with Shinso on it."
"His Quirk is more effective than we thought," Izuku said, but as the mist cleared, something came into view. He gasped as his eyes widened. "Mina!" Then he rushed to Mina, seeing her on the ground, unconscious. Momo followed as soon as she saw Mina on the ground, rushing to her. "Hey! Are you-" He stopped mid-sentence, noticing how she was. She was asleep, plain and simple.
"Izuku, this is…" Momo said slowly.
"Michizune…" He growled, looking around for him. However, he seems to have long gone. "He must have tried to take our flags."
"Look." She went to the rock, seeing it damaged but still intact. "He damaged the crystal."
"He was trying to take our flags. MEDICAL TEAM! WE HAVE SOMEONE IN NEED OF MEDICAL AID!" Izuku shouted, then looked down at Mina again. "Mina…"
"Ummm." She stirred a bit but otherwise gave no sign of waking up.
"Damn it!" Ida punched the wall as Izuku told them about Mina. "I can't believe he did it again! How did he even do it this time?!"
"His Quirk couldn't have disabled all measures meant to track us, correct? Plus, the mist area is not exactly one you can see through, so UA must have had measures to ensure they could see into it from afar or something, right?" Ochako questioned.
"Unfortunately, he slipped through our fingers again." Mirko showed up.
"Mirko!" Izuku was surprised to see her in the hallway outside the infirmary. "Wait, what do you mean?"
"What I mean is what I'm saying. The mist area is a true blind spot. Truth be told, the only way we can track people in there is via thermal. And guess what?" She asked.
"It went haywire," Ida said.
"Right around the time Izuku here jumped out of the mist." Mirko pointed out. "He was waiting for his chance to attack."
"He likely underestimated the hardness of Izuku's material, which is how he couldn't get our flags." Momo theorized.
"Which is, paradoxically, both a good and a bad thing," Izuku said, worry visible in his voice. "Michizune doesn't like things not going his way. Just like all Aldera troublemakers, he thinks his Quirk can get him through anything. If his Quirk failed to get him the flags…"
"That must have frustrated him." Ida realized. "Wait, the announcement said he got 7 flags!"
"If you are thinking there are other victims, you are right." Mirko said."However, he didn't seem to have drained anyone as badly as he did that girl."
"He was being careful." Izuku pointed out. 'Michizune likes to fancy himself a predator, and he acts like it, but he is an AMBUSH predator."
"Well, he ought to hate what follows," Mirko said with a grin. "The fights are one-on-one, and he will have 0 odds of hiding."
"He won't have to," Izuku said. "He likely charged up quite a bit. He might be past the part where he seeks to charge up, and he is now ready to go on the offensive."
"Izuku…Are you-"
"I will fight him." Izuku declared, then looked back at Mirko. "Can you do something about-"
"Stop right there. I have no say over the brackets in the following fight. Even if I did, putting you against him would be foul play. The entire process is randomized by the computer, so if you two end up against one another, that's that. But if you don't, you need to find a means to win until you meet in the rounds."
"That is if Midoriya meets him." Ida pointed out. "8 battles, meaning two halves. If Michizune is not in his half, then the only place he will face him is the finals."
"There is also the fact that he might charge up more until the finals," Izuku said. "He won't rely solely on the energy he stored. Nor use it recklessly. There are real threats to him in this tournament; he will seek to be prepared against them. Todoroki, Bakugou, and I are obvious."
"Monoma from 1B might be a threat to him as well, if Michizune realizes he can copy Quirks," Ida stated as well.
"He'd go berserk if someone copied his Quirk," Izuku said. "I am judging this based on Aldera's teachings."
"You aren't wrong," Bakugou said as he suddenly showed up from behind the group.
"Bakugou! How long have you been standing there?!" Ida asked.
"Enough to hear you guys talking about Michizune. And so far, I can agree with what you have to say. Deku here is also right about him losing his shit if his Quirk gets copied. The Aldera Teachers used to throw remarks about such Quirks being unreliable and dependent on others and how shameful it is to have your Quirk copied. If someone else gets to use your Quirk, then you are no longer unique. You are no longer as powerful or valuable to the world."
"That's fucked up," Mirko stated. "But, we'd better resume official business. With Mina Ashido unable to participate in the following rounds, she will be replaced by someone else. Given that the only score to draw from was 1, that means it'd be someone selected at random to replace her."
"Mina will be so devastated to hear this," Momo said, worrying about her.
"But she will be pleased to know we avenged her," Izuku said, then faced Mirko. "Mirko, can I have a word with you?"
"Sure! Follow me!"
"Notify me if she wakes up, guys," Izuku said as he left with Mirko, going to a more secluded area of the arena.
"You want me to what?!"
"Unlock my next playlist," Izuku said, repeating his request.
"Why would you possibly need your next playlist for?" Mirko questioned.
"I want to make Michizune pay, Mirko. First Tokoyami and Kamakiri, now Mina? Not to mention who knows who else! He is getting away with everything, just like in Aldera!" Izuku said strongly. "I want to be able to hurt him just as he hurt so many others!"
"Whoa there, Izuku! Just…Take a breather." Mirko said softly, shocked by the way he was acting. "This is clearly affecting you. This entire situation must be hitting too close to home for you to ignore it."
"The simple fact he was here was bad enough," Izuku said. "But I cannot stand to see him get away with everything! UA was supposed to be different from Aldera!"
"And it is! But we cannot cause miracles." Mirko argued. "He is sly and more slippery than an eel. But as we said, you can get the chance to show him up in the final event! And if not you, then someone else! Someone like him cannot hope to defeat a Heroics student in direct combat so easily!"
"It's so frustrating," Izuku admitted.
"You worry me, kid. Asking me to unlock the next playlist sounded like you were hoping for something that could inflict a lot of hurt." She said, voicing her assumption. But when Izuku remained silent, she sighed. "Christ, Izuku. Heroes do not act like that!"
"I know…I'm just…I'm angry! I'm frustrated! And I…I feel powerless, just like I always was." He said. "I feel like I need to do something, but even knowing full well this is Michizune, I cannot go after him in any shape or form!"
"Now, what you're feeling is something you will encounter in the field a lot, too. I can relate." Mirko said. "I don't know if we had this talk before, but there will be villains who will be smart. Those who use the rules and the law to protect themselves. For example, in America, an entire organized crime ring used the fact that they needed a warrant to raid them to buy themselves time to destroy evidence. They were caught, and thanks to a Quirk, their efforts were mostly undone, but that goes to show how some villains think. Not all of them come out swingin' in the street."
"And how do you deal with such villains?" Izuku asked.
"Honestly? It's harder than dealing with the average kind. They hide, manipulate, and abuse." Just like Michizune. "They force us to play the long game, making us investigate for months, if not years, before we gather enough evidence to lock their ass up, and even then, they might surround themselves with lawyers and fake alibis to escape."
"But how do you deal with such villains individually?" Izuku asked again, making his question clearer.
"They get under your skin. Frustrate you. Anger you. Sometimes just by remaining free, other times directly. But they want you to lose control." Mirko explained. "They want a reason to sue you and get the investigation suspended due to improper conduct or some shit like that. You must constantly remind yourself that by giving in, you let them win."
"So, that's that? We just play the long game and exploit their mistakes?" Izuku questioned. "Letting them free and allowing them to hurt more and more people?"
"I know you'd like to go after them guns ablazing. Trust me. We all do. But the way society is shaped requires us to play by the rules." Mirko said, although Izuku could tell she was not too keen on this either. "Sometimes, some of us do crack and go full-blown vigilante. And sometimes, those guys fall further, and we are forced to take them out."
"So what you're telling me is…"
"Don't crack," Mirko told him. "You need to hold on, as frustrating as it might seem. At least you get the chance to either see Michizune burn or burn him yourself. His type is not made for this kind of deal: he exposed himself. Dragged himself into the light. He is a rookie of this villain type and clearly neck-deep in arrogance."
"Fine, I will…I will wait." Izuku said. "But, Mirko? What if I do crack one day?"
"Honestly, I hope you don't." She said. "Otherwise, well…Paradox left me the code to take the Omnitrix from you. If need be, I hope you don't make me have to use it."
Izuku gulped, once again being reminded that his power can be taken away. Mirko was right. His request for more forms was out of a desire for something that could harm Michizune more than his current ones. He couldn't use Chernobyl, and the fights had clear rules regarding excessive force. Presently, he wasn't acting like a hero but as an angry teenager. Which, in all fairness, he was.
"Don't do that." Mirko suddenly said, getting him out of the daze. "Do not think yourself above anger just because you want to be a hero. We are human beings, Izuku. We get angry, and we have a right to be. How you deal with it is what makes the difference."
"Thank you, Mirko," Izuku said, bowing his head. "Thank you for being my mentor."
"Raise your head. There is also something else you need to do: win." She said with a grin. "I want you to take first spot! Do not let anyone stand in your way! Defeat them in one swift strike if you can!"
"Got it!" Izuku said, his confidence renewed.
"Fuck!" Michizune shouted inside the lockers, where he was alone. He had tried to take all of Izuku's flags, only to find them locked under some strange rocks! What was that stuff?! He couldn't break them fast enough, even with the energy he got from that pink girl! He punched a locker out of anger, then inhaled deeply. "Calm down, Doumou, calm down."
He tried to keep his cool. "I have already got enough energy to win this. Not even Deku can defeat me now! But what about someone else?" He wondered, then took out his phone. "I need to know everything about everyone here! If there is anyone who is a bigger threat than Deku, I must know!"
He was calling someone, or at least tried to, but stopped. "No!" He had to remember where he was. "UA is known for top security. They might trace the call…She'd kill me if I exposed her! Too much was promised to me. I need to prove myself, whatever it takes…"
"Alright, listeners!" Present Mic shouted as the competitors watched from the side. "Firstly, let me say some unforeseen circumstances have interfered with one of our competitors. Mina Ashido will not be able to participate in this event and will instead be replaced with the randomly selected Yui Kodai from class 1B!"
"I stand to point out that such changes are not common. Mina Ashido unfortunately came down with a medical condition that is currently being treated by our medics. She will be fine." Aizawa said, carefully dancing around what actually happened to Mina. "However, as a result, we had to change the brackets. The following event, our main event, will be a tournament in which our students will show you their potential!"
"Exactly! 16 contestants will partake in 8 one-versus-one battles! The rules to those battles are as follows: If you end up outside the ring, you are out! If you surrender, you are out! If you can no longer fight, you are out! Last man or lady standing is the winner!"
"However, we have strict rules regarding the use of excessive force. If your opponent rings out, you may not attack them out of the ring. If they surrender, you may not continue the fight under any circumstances. If our judge decides the other party can no longer fight, but you continue to attack, even after being told to stop, then you will be disqualified."
"UA has prepared top medical teams to take care of the students and treat any potential injuries!" Present Mic added further. "However, we'd like to avoid any life-threatening ones! As such, we also warn our contestants that restraint is an equally important attribute for a hero in the field!"
"I also wish to add that in case of excessive force, you will face consequences," Aizawa added strongly. "Now, without any additions, if you'd direct your attention to the screens, we will now present the brackets with the first 8 rounds."
Everyone watched closely, but Izuku was effectively laser-focused on the screen hanging above the center of the arena.
Round 1.
Hitoshi Shinso VS Minoru Mineta
Round 2.
Tenya Ida VS Sakura Shiruyana
Round 3.
Shoto Todoroki VS Ochako Uraraka
Round 4.
Yui Kodai VS Momo Yaoyorozu.
Round 5.
Jurota Shishida VS Michizune Doumou
Round 6.
Setsuna Tokage VS Izuku Midoriya
Round 7.
Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu VS Itsuka Keno
Round 8.
Neito Monoma VS Katsuki Bakugou
Izuku's eyes widened as he saw the rounds. He was not going to fight against Michizune, but if he won his round, there was a chance he could meet him in the next fight! "Good." He said.
"I'M SCREWED!" Mineta shouted as he saw the brackets. He was in the VERY FIRST ROUND?!
"Oh no…" Ochako said, realizing her odds of victory were slim to none.
"Welp, looks like it is you and me, Kendo!" Tetsu said to the girl as they both saw the results. "This ought to be good!"
Itsuka sighed. "Try not to get too excited, ok, Tetsu? Plus…Shishida is fighting that creep."
"I will beat him." Shishida declared. "I will beat him and avenge Kamakiri!"
"That's the spirit, big guy!" Awase told his classmate.
"Hold on, guys!" Manga said. "Monoma is going against that Bakugou guy! Isn't he the guy with that explosive Quirk that fought Midoriya?!"
"Shit, you're right!" Tetsu said, looking toward Monoma, only to see him retain his calm and confident smirk.
"Please! By challenging Midoriya, he also unveiled his Quirk! I am confident in my ability in the battle to come! However, I cannot do this by myself. I need your aid, my precious classmates!" He said. "And I know the perfect combination to take him out. But I think it'd be wise to use…Those, too."
"Guys?" Setuna suddenly spoke, and then they all remembered who her opponent was. "FORGET THAT BOMB HEAD! WHAT AM I GONNA DO WITH SOMEONE WHO EFFECTIVELY HAS 20 QUIRKS?!"
"The contestants have been announced! The first round starts in 30 minutes! Get ready, and remember! GO PLUS ULTRA!"