Chapter 16
"Running taught me valuable lessons. In cross-country competition, training counted more than intrinsic ability, and I could compensate for a lack of natural aptitude with diligence and discipline. I applied this in everything I did."
— Nelson Mandela
Musutafu, Japan - April 2197
"Before we select the first round, we will have a few opening words from the Freshmen Representative. He placed first in the entrance practical exam with a total score of 99! Midoriya Izuku of Class 101-A!"
Midoriya blinked twice. 'Uh, what?'
"I was not aware you'd be giving a speech, Izuku-kun." Yaoyorozu said excitedly.
"Heh… Neither did I." Midoriya commented quietly.
"Eh?" As Midoriya started walking toward the stage, her eyes widened in realization. 'Wait… Did no one tell him?!'She covered her mouth in horror, feeling sympathy for her friend. 'Oh Izuku… Just… do your best.'
Midoriya took a deep breath as he calmly made his way toward the stage. 'Really wish I had been given a heads up about this. Wonder who dropped the ball on that one…' He didn't have to think long before a potential (more than likely) culprit came to mind. 'Toshinori.'
He internally sighed. 'Oh well… No sense getting worked up about it now.'
As the World War III veteran stepped up onto the stage where Midnight was waiting, he put his enhanced mind to work on thinking up something to say.
'For something so short notice, I just have to speak from the heart.' He quickly rationalized.
Making sure the microphone couldn't pick up her words, Midnight gave him a small, understanding smile. "Good luck, Midoriya-san. Just remember to breathe, alright?" She whispered.
Despite how she acted, after two weeks of having her as a substitute, Midoriya knew that Midnight cared about her students. Midoriya nodded and smiled as he proceeded toward the microphone.
Kayama's eyes widened slightly. 'He's not even the least bit nervous…or at least he's not showing it.'
When Midoriya reached the microphone, he stopped to take in a silent breath. The arena was focused entirely on him. There were envious, disillusioned stares from most of the students in the non-Heroic courses while his Hero Course peers looked at him in excitement, minus a few.
The whole world was watching him right now. Time to make a statement.
"I only have two fears. The first is being incapable of helping those in need due to my own weaknesses, and the second…is public speaking." Midoriya stated wryly.
This earned quite a bit chuckling from the crowd.
Well, starting things off with a little icebreaker couldn't hurt either.
Midoriya continued. "The UA All-Star Games are not just for entertainment. They're a chance for us students to showcase our skills to the world. To prove that we are capable and worthy to one day call ourselves Heroes." He briefly paused as his mouth formed a thin line. "But what does it mean to be a Hero?"
As Midoriya's voice echoed from the speakers, the students on the field and the audience watching were caught off guard by his question. Though for many, they believed that he was merely asking a rhetorical question.
"Do you need some powerful, flashy Quirk? A colorful costume? Or even a Pro Hero License?"
Many thought the answers to those questions were also obvious.
"No. You don't need any of that." He resolutely declared.
The crowd, who had been listening restlessly, became subdued at Midoriya's unexpected response.
From a high box suite, Yagi leaned forward in his seat with eager anticipation.
Everyone else was now listening with growing interest.
"One moment is all it takes." He proclaimed. "One moment to reach out to another in need. One moment to rise to a challenge… To conquer a flaw… To spare an enemy… To lay down your life for someone else."
"One selfless moment is all it takes for anyone to be a Hero; Quirk or no Quirk."
Yagi was immediately reminded of the Sludge Villain incident where Midoriya had rushed in to help…and managed to not only weaken the Villain but pulled Bakugo to safety as well. He did all that while the Pros (including himself) had just stood by and watched.
He tightened fists as tightly as he could in his weakened form. 'Heart over power…'
Uraraka and Yaoyorozu both recalled their first meeting with Midoriya in the alleyway. He didn't have to follow after them after alerting the authorities. He didn't have to potentially risk his own life against a group of delinquents to help the two girls…but he did it anyway.
Bakugo, meanwhile, grimaced when an unpleasant memory he wished he could wipe from his mind resurfaced.
Midoriya rushed in to pull Bakugo out of the Sludge Villain, using a water hydrant to weaken him. "What the hell!? Green hair…What're you doing here!?"
Midoriya stood in front of the ash-blonde with a Captain America shield, looking back at him with a confident, reassuring smile. "To save you! Could not watch you die!"
"Tsk." Bakugo clenched his fists tightly, which were starting to smoke a little.
"I say this to my peers, whether you're in the Hero Course or not…"
Shinso's tired gaze focused on Midoriya with subdued interest.
"And to all those who are watching… No matter who you are, no matter who kicks you down or tells you otherwise… Don't give up."
He had paused for no more than a second as several memories involving three people came to mind.
"I can't be a Hero… I'm Quirkless. That's why I'm in R&D…to help the real Heroes like you, Captain."
"Power is crucial for a Pro Hero. They can't do their job without it. So can a Quirkless person be a hero? No."
"The world isn't exactly kind to those with Quirks seen as villainous or niche…and especially not to those without one."
Midoriya's expression became firm and resolute. "Because… You too can be a Hero."
An awed silence fell upon the stadium, some even gasped in surprise. A swell of emotions going through the majority of all those watching.
Yagi's breath hitched in his throat as his blue eyes shot open. "Yes. Those who inspire others to do good, Quirkless or not, are heroes." He recalled the words he said that fateful day last year. The day he had met Midoriya…and learned his true identity.
'Captain…' The emancipated Hero trembled lightly as warm emotions surged through his body. Yagi was so wrapped up in his feelings that he didn't notice the fires of One For All growing hotter from within him.
Midoriya continued. "History will someday paint a picture of us, telling others who we became… Just as it tells us who came before us." The faces of his old friends and moments from the past flashed through his head. "But history is not merely one moment, it's the journey we take to reach our potential."
That seemed to strike a chord with many people as they recalled their own pasts and how they got to where they currently were.
"I urge all of us competing today to embody our school motto of going Plus Ultra. Push yourselves to and beyond your limits. Reassure the world that the future is in capable hands. Show the Villains who are no doubt watching this event that you are not to be trifled with."
Midoriya leaned into the microphone. "Make today a milestone or even the start of your Hero's journey." He then stepped back and bowed in respect. "Thank you."
…
…
The first sound of clapping came from within the student body on the field, and then it spread like a wildfire. Soon, the whole arena erupted into raucous applause. Cheering and cries of motivation rang out from the audience.
"So freakin' manly!" Kirishima became teary eyed, hiding his face behind his forearm dramatically. "I got goosebumps, man!"
"Son of a…" A young muscular man standing at 175 centimeters (five-foot-nine) with long chin, messy gray hair, and sharp teeth trembled with emotions, clenching his fist. "I can't believe that guy's in class A! So damn manly!" He shouted in a similar manner to Kirishima.
Tokage grinned sharply, still clapping. "Damn… He's pretty good at that."
Midnight squealed and hugged herself. "OH! Such youthful passion!" This caused the super-soldier to sweat-drop in exasperation.
With that, Midoriya stepped off the stage toward the awaiting claps of his peers…and the beaming smiles of two certain girls.
Yaoyorozu continued to clap with a stunned look. '...He gave such an enthralling, inspiring speech like that on the spot? He's incredible.' Her face flushed a bit.
'That was so awesome!' Uraraka internally cheered. The bubbly brunette's gaze was locked on her verdette friend as he walked back to the field. 'He's…He's amazing…' Her blush marks grew darker.
Midoriya smiled a little at the positive response as he returned to his spot in line. 'Guess doing all those shows did serve a purpose.' He mused, steadying himself after standing before millions of people.
Amongst the many patrons watching the speech from home, a certain young man with spiked bangs was hearing Midoriya's speech loud and clear on his bedroom's TV. Normally, he wouldn't care about these kinds of events, but this time, he had made a promise to a certain someone he'd watch them compete.
As someone who knew very well the troubles of others being on his case due to his Quirk, a small smirk tugged at the corner of Nakagawa Yuto's lips. 'He certainly knows how to preach to the choir.'
Yagi continued to clap hard, using his sleeve to wipe away a few stray tears. 'You too can be a Hero? You really have a way with words, Captain.'
"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Nezu cackled maniacally in his seat, clapping. "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
"Yeah. It was really good." Yagi agreed. "Especially since he came up with it all on the spot…" He quietly said, still feeling embarrassed by his blunder.
"No flashy Quirk? No Pro Hero License? No Quirk required? All the controversy that will surely ensue… I LOVE IT! HA-HA-HA!" Nezu continued laughing madly.
The blonde haggard sweated, beginning to feel uncomfortable in the white-furred animal's presence at the moment. 'I can never tell what is going through his head…'
Up in the broadcast room, Aizawa sat in his chair trying to keep at least a meter of distance between him and his energetic co-host. Though he was still wrapped in bandages, he had made significant progress in his recovery, thanks to Recovery Girl's efforts and by getting more sleep over the past two weeks. Something he was always grateful for.
After Midoriya had finished his speech, the haggard Underground Hero was in subdued awe. 'Well… that was something.'
Aizawa had focused on every word that proceeded from Midoriya's mouth. He had said it with such conviction that it was difficult to think he was lying. Midoriya truly believed in everything he had declared.
'So anyone can be a Hero, huh?' Aizawa hummed to himself. 'His heart's in the right place…but—' His thoughts were promptly interrupted.
"Talk about an incredible way to kick off the UA All-Star Games!" Present Mic shouted into his microphone, causing Aizawa to wince and cover his ears. "As to be expected of the freshmen phenom! Way to go Midoriya!"
The crowd outside roared in approval.
Aizawa groaned, making sure his mic couldn't pick him up. He really wished his friend had a volume control he could adjust. That would be very useful.
He then shifted his gaze back to Midoriya, who was taking his place back in line. There was a lot on his mind pertaining to the green-haired soldier; especially with some new information his investigation had uncovered about him in the last two weeks. There were a few things about Midoriya's past that weren't quite adding up, and it made him suspicious.
Still, for the moment, the Underground Hero would shelve those concerns and focus on today's event. He was interested to see how his students, especially Midoriya, would perform. He could learn more about the ex-soldier with how he handles the challenges.
He leaned forward in his seat.
With the UA All-Star Games sold-out months in advance, many were unable to see the event in-person; however, that didn't stop many from wanting to be as close to the action as possible. To resolve this, the university had set up several big screen monitors in the courtyards around Morino Hiroshi Stadium for UA students and those granted approval to enter campus grounds.
Lines of vendor stands were set up in the designated areas outside Morino Hiroshi Stadium. Foods, drinks, and Pro Hero merchandise were being sold and purchased by crowds of people. Amongst these people were teams of Pro Heroes patrolling the stadium grounds constantly, keeping a watchful eye for any sign of potential danger.
One group consisting of Death Arms, Kamui Woods, and Mt. Lady had stopped to watch Midoriya's speech.
"Hey… I think I recognize that kid from somewhere." Death Arms scratched his chin.
Kamui Woods looked at Midoriya's image on the screen closely before perking up. "He's the one from the Sludge Villain incident last year. The green-haired one."
"Oh yeah…" Death Arm's eyes widened in recognition. "I remember now. Damn… Kid's come a long way since then, huh?"
Kamui Woods stared at the screen thoughtfully. "Hostage was suffocating… you did nothing! Chose to stand around and wait? Should be ashamed of yourself!" Midoriya's words (though spoken in rough Japanese) popped up in the wooden Hero's head.
'It pains me to admit my own short-sightedness…but you were right. Not having the right Quirk for a situation is no excuse to wait around while lives are at stake.' Kamui internally admitted. 'Thanks to you, I have striven to do better since that day.'
"Hmm…" Mt. Lady stared at the screen while munching on dango she had finagled from a nearby vendor. "He's a total hunk." She commented absentmindedly.
Kamui rolled his eyes. "Of course you would say that Takeyama."
The blonde beauty shrugged impassively. "Just callin' it how I see it. Besides, he's legal."
"Anyways…." Kamui stirred the conversation away from there. "I'm not just impressed the kid made it into UA, but scored first? Makes me wonder what his Quirk is." He held his chin contemplatively.
"Gotta be something really cool and strong." The blonde Heroine said matter-of-factly.
'Maybe…but why would he then say a powerful Quirk isn't required for Heroics?' Kamui pondered.
"That speech of his though," Death Arms crossed his arms over his chest, "I can already envision the backlash."
Mt. Lady looked at her buff colleague, confused. "Why? It sounded great to me."
"I agree it was a good speech," Kamui then exhaled, "but I can see what Death Arms is referring to."
"Mind filling me in then?" Mt. Lady requested.
"Anyone can be a Hero? Even without a Pro Hero License? A Quirk?" Kamui Woods pointed out. "On the surface, it's a nice sentiment, but some people may interpret his words as him condoning vigilantism and/or laxer laws on Quirk usage."
Death Arms added. "Something the HPSC is heavily against."
Mt. Lady tilted her head, bemused. "Don't you think you guys are reading too much into it?"
Death Arms shrugged. "If we're coming to that conclusion, it's fair to say a fair amount of other people will too."
"Still… the kid's got a good heart, I'll give him that." Kamui acknowledged.
"He just better hope this doesn't derail his career before it even starts." Death Arms casually remarked.
Mt. Lady smirked at the onscreen Midoriya. "Well…I know I'd take him on as a Sidekick. So he'd had one offer at least." She licked her lips seductively.
'I'd give him an offer too.' Kamui mused. He then turned to his blonde partner. "Alright, you can ogle college students in your off time. Finish that up." He pointed to her food. "We have a job to focus on."
Mt. Lady rolled her eyes and finished up her dango sticks. "Fine… Ooh! A meatbun stand!" She immediately made her way over to it. "~Yoohoo! How much for the meatbuns, handsome?~" She giggled impishly.
The Wood Hero groaned in exasperation. 'Does she have no shame?'
Meanwhile, in a mysterious underground location, All For One sat on his throne in front of many monitors displaying various programs. But, at the moment, his attention was focused squarely on the one broadcasting the UA All-Star Games. The light from the monitors dimly illuminated the red scars marring the Symbol of Evil's face while he watched his archnemesis walk off the stage after completing his speech.
What an interesting one it was, too.
The corner of his mouth curled upwards smugly. 'We sure have a way of shaking things up in society, don't we, Captain?' He chuckled to himself. 'Things are bound to get interesting, I'm sure. I hope you're taking good notes Tomura.'
Moments earlier, in the outskirts of the busy port city of Yokohama was an impoverished area dubbed Kamino Ward. On one of many relatively abandoned trashy streets was a rundown bar nestled in an equally rundown neighborhood. Inside, Shigaraki Tomura sat on a barstool staring at an old television in the corner broadcasting the All-Star Games live.
The teal-haired youth held a pen (keeping his pinky extended) over a small notebook with the title "Notes and Cheat Codes" written in Kanji. He tapped the pen's point against the paper repeatedly while glaring up at the onscreen Midoriya.
Recalling the pain of the invincible shield and the knockout punch, his free hand rose to his neck and scratched his skin roughly.
"That bastard." Shigaraki hissed.
Just looking at the green-haired bastard made the Decay-user so angry! It was Midoriya's fault that the USJ operation was an abject failure, and for his and Kurogiri's humiliating arrest. More importantly, he was the one responsible for Shigaraki losing his precious hands!
Needless to say, Shigaraki was not a fan of UA's Freshmen Representative.
So, when Midoriya had stepped onto the stage to give the opening speech, Shigaraki was very tempted to just disintegrate the television and go play online games in his room. However, he knew the Master wouldn't be pleased by him shirking his assignment, so he gritted his teeth and endured whatever nonsense was to come.
…
…
One speech later, Shigaraki had stopped scratching his neck and stared at the television. It wasn't the "do your best, plus ultra" garbage he had expected. He'd begrudgingly even admit that it had intrigued him to a degree; much to his own surprise.
Lowering his hand away from his neck, his gaze fell to the counter introspectively. Heroes don't need flashy Quirks, costumes, or licenses? From Shigaraki's perspective, it sounded like Midoriya wasn't too high on Hero society either.
Odd.
'If he doesn't like the game, then why is he even playing?' He mused confusedly, and then noted that down in his notebook.
Then, when Midoriya had claimed that one moment was all it took for anyone to be a Hero, Shigaraki was left feeling…conflicted. He knew he should be scoffing at the notion, citing it as mindless Hero drivel. Heck, it even sounded like something All Might would say in one of his annoying self-glorifying interviews…yet it wasn't.
It felt different somehow. It felt…sincere.
'One moment…' His eyes widened as broken scenes suddenly played through his head.
He saw himself as a child walking aimlessly down a sidewalk.
"Hey…are you alri–uh, n-never mind. Sorry to bother you, son." A random man on the sidewalk said, turning away in fear.
"Are you lost, little boy…huh?!" An elderly woman gawked at him before shuffling away. "Well…I'm sure the Heroes will help you."
From there, he heard the same "Leave it to the Heroes" line murmured from many more people as they turned away from him.
Leaving him all alone in the streets.
Shigaraki's breathing became hectic as his fingers dug back into his neck. He involuntarily grabbed his pen and reduced it to dust. "One moment, huh?" He snarled bitterly.
"Shigaraki…?" Kurogiri uttered from over the counter, concerned.
The teal-haired youth didn't acknowledge the black miasma. "Only one moment… So why didn't anyone ever come to me when I–" He stopped when another important scene came to mind.
He was sitting in an empty underpass all alone, feeling completely hollow. Everyone he passed by had turned a blind eye to him. Cast aside like trash on the side of the road.
"You poor forgotten soul." Suddenly, the man he would recognize as his Master approached him, only his face was free of scars. "The Heroes never came to save you, did they?"
"..." He stared at the man blankly.
"Sadly, this is not uncommon." The man wore a warm, caring expression as he knelt down and offered his hand. "Don't worry, I am here. I may not be a Hero…but I will help you. Please, come with me."
"Shigaraki, are you alright?" Kurogiri said worriedly, directly in front of the unstable youth.
Shigaraki was snapped back to reality and needed another moment to compose himself. He then looked up, half-glaring at his wispy servant. "I'm fine…" He grumbled. "Just give me something really stiff to drink…and a new pen." He glanced down at the dusty remnants of his former writing utensil.
"…Certainly."
As the humanoid mist went to prepare his ward a drink (and get a new pen), Shigaraki returned his attention to the television. The first event was about to begin.
He glared hard at the onscreen Midoriya, even though he could barely see him in the crowd. 'One moment…'
"With that arousing speech, it's time to proceed with the first event!" Midnight waved behind her, and a large screen rose up from a slot in the stage. The words PRELIMINARY EVENT was at the top, and like a slot machine, the center of the screen began to spin through a list of options. "This is where the pretenders are separated from the contenders. Will it be right up your alley, or will it push you to your limits?" She smirked as the screen continued spinning.
Midoriya stared at the screen stoically.
"Our Preliminary Event for the Freshmen All-Star Games is…" Midnight posed, pointing her flogger-style whip towards the screen as it stopped. "THIS!"
OBSTACLE RACE.
'Sounds self-explanatory. But given how UA likes to do things, it'll be far from simple.' Midoriya rationalized.
"I see." Yaoyorozu thought aloud. "Just like from the Recommendation Exam."
Midnight cracked her whip. "An Obstacle Race! Now, the aim may be simple, to get from start to finish, but that's what the obstacles are for! The race will be 4 kilometers long (~2.2 miles) and take you one full lap around the stadium on a special track outside the vendor grounds."
The scantily clad beauty adopted a somewhat sadistic smirk. "We pride ourselves on freedom here at UA University…so anything goes as long as you remain on the track. Going out of bounds will result in disqualification!" She cracked her whip again. "Also, it goes without saying, but no lethal moves against other students! Aside from that, you're free to do as you wish!"
"Play fair, competitors!" Present Mic yelled through the speakers. "The first one back will be the winner, and unlike in previous years…only the top 32 will advance to the second event!"
This news took most of the competitors off guard.
"Only 32?" Yaoyorozu sounded surprised.
"Kero. But…isn't it normally 42?" Asui questioned, bemused.
"That means…not everyone in the Hero Course can move on." Uraraka murmured worriedly.
'They really are weeding out the competition here.' Midoriya inwardly noted.
"Now then, all competitors head to the starting line!" The raven vixen instructed.
The crowd cheered loudly as the preliminary event was set to begin.
The students conglomerated towards the side of the field that had a tunnel leading out of the stadium.
"On your marks!" Midnight began.
'This is it.' Taking a deep breath, Midoriya bent down with a hand on the ground, getting into a sprinter stance. All the students were as close to the front line as possible.
"Get set!" She held up her whip.
Midoriya's well-trained eyes focused on the tunnel ahead and, right off the back, spotted something suspicious with its design. The corner of his lip curled upward as he instantly deduced the reasoning behind it. 'Smart.'
Midnight brought her whip down. "GO!"
All the contestants rushed forward like a stampede toward the tunnel, yelling as they did so. The 21st Century super-soldier immediately dashed forward in an impressive burst of speed. Within seconds, Midoriya was already sprinting through the tunnel at the front of the pack. He felt so light without his heavy training weights on!
'Get through the tunnel first to avoid the log jam, check!' He could already hear people yelling behind him as the narrow tunnel's exit bottlenecked them inside. 'But…' Feeling the air suddenly grow colder, his enhanced reflexes kicked in as he immediately swerved to the left and jumped, avoiding a sheet of ice expanding across the ground. '...have to keep my wits about me. Todoroki is gunning for me!'
Rapid yelling and loud explosions could be heard behind him.
'And so is Bakugo.' Hugging the edge of the track, Midoriya pushed himself to his full speed and a trail of dust formed in his wake.
There was an open area of track in front of him with trees on both sides. The super-soldier then spotted movement ahead as something burst out of the foliage.
"Target acquired! Destroy!" Midoriya recognized the attacker as a 1-pointer robot from the practical exam. Following behind it was a swarm of robots spanning the track ahead.
"It looks like Midoriya will be the first to encounter the opening obstacle, ROBO INFERNO!" Present Mic broadcasted. "How will the freshmen rep overcome this?"
The 1-pointer rolled in front of Midoriya and went to swipe at him, but he somersaulted over the swipe and reached out to grab the robot's head, ripping it off with a loud crunch! As he landed back on his feet, he tossed the decapitated robot head aside and continued running.
When a 2-pointer lashed out with its stinger tail, he juked to the side and pivoted to deliver a powerful kick that went straight through the tail. The dismembered stinger uselessly fell to the ground. 'These things were really made to be broken.' Midoriya mused before grabbing the robot by its long neck and ripped out a handful of exposed circuitry and wires–causing the mech to collapse, offline.
As he resumed running, he spotted several incoming missiles (most likely blanks) fired from a 3-pointer. Midoriya let out an exhale and, with perfect timing, jumped over the missiles and landed on top of the green automaton. He used the flat head as a springboard to propel himself forward and safely landed in a crouching position.
The verdette swiftly dashed through the growing robot army, avoiding direct encounters whenever possible. With Todoroki and Bakugo gaining ground and easily destroying any robots that got in their path, Midoriya knew he couldn't afford to waste time fighting. He just had to hope the other robots were able to slow down his competitors by just enough for him to maintain the lead.
Managing to slip past the robot platoon, several massive metal platforms then appeared in the ground ahead. The sounds of motors and gears turning indicated that whatever was on the platforms was huge.
The super-soldier's emerald eyes widened when an unsettling possibility came to mind. 'If the second obstacle are the exam robots, then this has to be–' His assumption was proven correct as a giant Zero Pointer arose from the ground ahead of him; its massive head looked down to focus its glowing red optics on Midoriya.
Midoriya gritted his teeth. 'I don't have time to waste on you!'
The mechanical behemoth slowly pulled its arm back and went to crush him with its massive fist. He waited for the right moment and jumped over the fist as it slammed into the ground, creating a powerful shockwave that shook the earth. He landed on the top of the mech's forearm and proceeded to run up its arm.
The giant mech was too slow to react as Midoriya rushed up the arm and used its shoulder as a springboard (like he did with the 3-pointer) and launched himself through the air.
As he descended to the ground nearly 60 meters (~200 feet) below, he positioned his legs out to absorb his fall. He landed hard and tumbled across the ground. Several barrel rolls later, he shakily popped back to his feet and bolted, unharmed aside from scrapes and tears in his gym uniform. Thankfully, his enhanced physiology had prevented him from breaking anything.
"Incredible!" Present Mic's voice blared through the PA system. "Midoriya has already cleared the Robo Inferno!"
"His speed and quick reflexes helped him avoid as many direct confrontations with the robots as he could." Aizawa tiredly commented. "He cleared the first obstacle in the time it took most of his competitors to clear the entry gate."
"This young man just continues to impress!" Mic followed up. "But he can't get too comfortable! Todoroki is hot on his heels with several others who escaped his icy salvo!"
Midoriya veered towards the left edge of the track like a racehorse. A loud explosion suddenly went off behind him–causing the verdette to visibly wince.
"Down goes a Zero Pointer, courtesy of 101-A's Yaoyorozu! Some of the Hero students are separating themselves from the pack, but Midoriya still has a sizable lead and isn't slowing down for anything!"
Breathing deeply, Midoriya kicked up his speed to the point his legs were a blur. 'Don't look back, soldier! Just keep moving forward!' He instructed himself.
"Midoriya is approaching the next obstacle: THE FALL!" Present Mic exclaimed. "You fall in and hit the bottom, you're out!"
Looking further ahead, Midoriya saw a massive ravine filled with stone pillars and connecting cable wires. Despite the incoming obstacle, he maintained his sprint and did not slow down!
"Midoriya is still going! Wait! Is he going to jump?!"
Todoroki scowled in annoyance; he had thought that freezing the ground would give him plenty of space ahead of his competition, but he was wrong. Midoriya was gone in a blur the moment Midnight had said 'Go' and had somehow managed to avoid his opening attack. More than a few had escaped his salvo too, which somewhat disappointed him. He didn't make the ice too thick as speed was the goal, but clearly, he would need to put more power in such a move next time.
Several students were hot on his tail now. Bakugo was closest while Iida, Yaoyorozu, and Tsunotori (flying on her horns) and Tokage (splitting her body parts off) were leading the rest of the students.
Todoroki opened a path from himself by creating a line of spiked ice that split the robot horde apart, and then continued running. Bakugo blew the head off a 1-pointer that had gotten in his way, but never stopped him. Other students were fast enough to avoid the robots, but the slower ones were forced to fight.
Kaminari was one of these students as he shorted out a 3-pointer, which fell directly onto two competitors.
"Holy sh*t!" A student yelled, horrified. "Can people actually die in these games?!"
Almost immediately, Kirishima broke through the robot's metal plating, using his Hardening to protect himself in the nick of time. "No way I'd die like that!" He shot a glare at Kaminari. "Dude, that wasn't manly!"
The electric blonde rubbed the back of his head, feeling slightly loopy after using his Quirk. "S-sorry man…"
"Look at that, listeners! That's Kirishima Eijiro of Class 101-A! With his Quirk, he's like the ultimate shield and the ultimate spear!" Present Mic announced.
Suddenly, another student burst out from under the robot as well. He looked remarkably like Kirishima but with metal skin. "Seriously? What the hell!?" Tetsutetsu shouted angrily. "Anyone else might have died there!"
"And there's Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu of Class 101-B! His Quirk ALSO turns him into the ultimate shield and ultimate spear!" Present Mic yelled.
Kirishima groaned as he started running again. "Really? C'mon, I have enough trouble standing out as it is!"
With the Zero Pointers blocking his path ahead, Todoroki didn't hold anything back as he froze them in glaciers…while they were off balance. This resulted in the massive mech crashing to the ground which slowed down the herd behind him.
Todoroki's expression remained apathetic. These obstacles, much like the ones from the Recommendation Exam, bored him and made him long for a test that was a little more challenging. On the other hand, it did give him the opportunity to stick it to his old man by showing him how capable he was.
However, in the back of his mind, a traitorous part of him commented that he could easily handle the mechs by using his fire to melt them. This would slow down the competition behind him enough where he could focus entirely on Midoriya.
Nevertheless, the heterochromatic young man dismissed those thoughts as quickly as they came. No. He would not break his vow in front of all these people; especially not in front of his father. He'd rather die than give him the satisfaction.
For the moment, he had another problem with Midoriya. He knew the former soldier was fast as evident from the Quirk Apprehension Test. But, like with Iida, the dual-haired teen thought the obstacles would negate the green-haired soldier's speed by just enough for him to overtake him.
But apparently they were nothing more than mere speedbumps to him.
"Incredible!" Present Mic's voice blared through the PA system. "Midoriya has already cleared the Robo Inferno!"
'Dammit! The old bastard's watching and THIS is the show I'm giving?' Todoroki glanced over his shoulder to see the rest of his peers were putting on a far better showing than him.
Yaoyorozu, with a bazooka resting on her shoulder, laid fire and brought down another Zero Pointer. Tsunotori, while surfing through the air on two horns, was using two more to tear through any robots in her way. The sleeves to Tokage's uniform flapped in the wind as she had split her limbs off and was flying around the robots, hot on her horned friend's tail. Iida was racing forward and delivering devastating kicks that tore through robots like tin foil; however, it was clear the obstacles were preventing him from reaching his full speed.
The dual-Quirk user jumped over a downed 3-pointer and summoned an ice slide underneath him. From there, he could see Midoriya ahead with the dust evident of his impressive speed. If he got close enough, he could freeze his legs to trap him.
His thoughts were interrupted by several explosions behind him.
"ICY-HOT!" Bakugo came roaring in, firing off explosive blasts to propel himself forward like a missile. "YOU AND MIDORIYA WON'T BEAT ME DAMMIT!"
'Then there's this guy…' Todoroki noted exasperatingly.
"Midoriya is approaching the next obstacle: THE FALL! You fall in and hit the bottom, you're out!"
Todoroki perked up from Present Mic's announcement.
"He's already at the next obstacle?!" Todoroki shouted incredulously.
He swiftly conjured his ice and surged down the track. The dust cloud ahead was gone, and the dual-haired teen clenched his teeth in frustration. 'I can't lose like this!'
Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu tossed aside her bazooka after downing one of the Zero Pointers. With her gym shirt open, rainbow-colored light shone off her back as a large object fell to the ground with a thud behind her.
"There." She picked up a green moped with a two-stroke motor, based on Neo-Honda's two-cylinder engines. It was a basic design that Midoriya had recommended for her in case she ever needed to get somewhere fast without exhausting too much of her lipids.
Yaoyorozu climbed on her motorbike as other contestants ran around the robot wreckage. She mentally berated herself for initially getting caught up in the mob, but witnessing Midoriya zoom past the entry gate before Todoroki could even freeze the ground was incredible.
He inspired her and several others in their class to leap on through!
Pulling back on the throttle, Yaoyorozu sped off with her shirt flapping in the wing. She passed by many students who were forced to make way to avoid getting run over.
"Please, move aside!" The heiress warned.
"Aw c'mon!" A peeved student yelled.
"Is that even allowed?!"
"Is she in Support or something?"
Yaoyorozu grinned a little.
A disassembled Tokage flying above noticed Yaoyorozu on the bike and grinned toothily. 'Of course she'd use that trick again. Well, if it ain't broke…' She mused before refocusing on the race.
"HA-HA-HA!" Mineta chortled smugly as he zoomed through the air, pulling a few sticky balls off of his head. "Hope you don't mind me hitching a ride with you, Yaoyorozu! After all, I have to save my stamina for the next–OOF!"
Within a second, Yaoyorozu formed a metal staff from her back that rammed into Mineta's abdomen. The purple gremlin instantly lost his momentum and went tumbling off to the side, inches away from going out of bounds.
"Ugh…ow…" He groaned, painfully clutching his stomach.
"I do mind, you cretin." Yaoyorozu coolly remarked as she raced past her peers. 'Izuku was correct about creating my fighting items faster. Had I been a second too late, that leech would've latched onto me..'
Uraraka, who was running close by, had witnessed the scene play out and smirked in satisfaction. 'Nice one, Momo!'
"Midoriya is still going! Wait! Is he going to jump?!" Yaoyorozu perked up at Present Mic's announcement. Midoriya was that far ahead?! She needed to catch up! The ravenette heiress pulled back on the throttle lever.
Still sprinting full speed, Midoriya's verdant eyes studied the obstacle's layout keenly, his enhanced mind finding the shortest path between the spires to the other side.
"Midoriya is still going! Wait! Is he going to jump?!"
The super-soldier answered by launching himself off the ledge with a mighty leap.
"HE DID?!" Mic howled.
Landing on the closest pillar, he only went a few steps before jumping off to the next nearest pillar.
'Good thing I never skip leg day.' He thought humorously, feeling the wind race by his ears.
He jumped on several more pillars in a zigzagging pattern, threading his way through the gorge until reaching a gap that went beyond his long-jump distance max. Good thing the university had been kind enough to connect all of the pillars together with tightropes, he thought.
Approaching the steel wire, Midoriya began tightroping at a swift pace.
"Look at Midoriya go! His tightroping is putting circus performers to shame!" Present Mic exclaimed. "What incredible balance! But Todoroki and Yaoyorozu are approaching the Fall with Bakugo trailing just behind them! Iida and Tokage are nipping at the blonde bomber's heels! He doesn't look happy at all!"
'Shocking.' Midoriya thought sardonically as he was already halfway across the wire.
Taking in a deep breath, he calmly exhaled and carefully increased his tightroping speed. Once he made it across the cable, the super-soldier resumed jumping between the remaining stone pillars. With one last jump, he finally landed on the other side of the ravine in a crouch. He then immediately burst forward in a mad sprint with dust in his wake.
"Midoriya has made it across the Fall! An incredible effort by our freshmen rep!"
'I'm approaching the end of the race. There have been two–No, three obstacles so far; counting the gate. Surely there'll be another one, right?' He rationalized.
He veered away from the track's left edge toward the middle as the trees on both sides cleared away. Ahead was a wide-open dirt field…but something was off as he noticed dozens of patches scattered across the field.
The super-soldier immediately recognized what they were.
"Midoriya is approaching the final obstacle: The Minefield!" Mic announced boisterously. "He still isn't slowing down! Will he be able to navigate through the field or be sent flying!?"