"WOOOAAAHH!!! THAT'S A CONSIDERABLE SHOW OF FORCE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! AS WAS TO BE EXPECTED FROM THE CLASS THAT BRAVELY FOUGHT FACE-TO-FACE WITH REAL VILLAINS!" Present Mic's voice boomed through the stadium speakers, practically vibrating with excitement, as the immense crowd roared its approval, a deafening wave of cheers erupting for the U.A. students. Meanwhile, numerous professional heroes in the stands were diligently taking mental notes on almost every single student, meticulously evaluating their Quirks and combat prowess.
"CLASS 1-A DEMONSTRATED THEIR UNYIELDING POWER IN THAT INCREDIBLE OBSTACLE RACE! GIVE IT UP FOR JIRO KYOKA AND SHOTO TODOROKI OF CLASS 1-A, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FOR THEIR ASTOUNDING PERFORMANCES!" Present Mic continued, his voice overflowing with theatrical flair, highlighting their achievements.
"Impressive... truly impressive," Winston Oxton muttered, his voice filled with genuine awe, as he leaned forward in his seat, captivated by the sheer strength and raw talent displayed by his daughter's classmates. "They are far better, far more formidable, than I had ever expected from a group of first-year students..."
"As expected from the best Hero School in the Country, they certainly cultivate their own little monsters, don't they?" Dr. Angela Ziegler commented, a knowing, almost mischievous smile playing on her lips, as she took a close, analytical look at the widespread destruction caused by both Kyoka's and Todoroki's Quirks. "I daresay their Quirks are already more powerful than some seasoned Pro Heroes I've encountered."
'A Sonic Quirk, eh? Those aren't very common at all...' David Shield thought, his brow furrowed in scientific interest as he intently observed Kyoka on the giant screen, dissecting her abilities.
Sonic Quirks were, indeed, quite rare. Not as exceptionally rare as powerful Healing Quirks or true Teleportation Quirks, but they were still infrequent enough to be considered a genuine rarity in the vast landscape of Quirks. Plus, normally, most Sonic Quirks were akin to Present Mic's: you simply opened your mouth, unleashed a deafening shout, and effectively destroyed everything in between, a brute-force approach.
Kyoka's Quirk, however, was quite special, a unique anomaly within its category. Not only was it undeniably powerful, but it also proved to be remarkably versatile within its specific Quirk type, allowing for nuanced applications beyond mere destruction.
'I wonder what other incredibly interesting and powerful Quirks there might be lurking around here in this U.A. generation...' David mused, his scientific curiosity genuinely piqued.
In a blinding flash, the world around Lena momentarily shifted to a dull, desaturated gray, and she began to run as fast as her enhanced speed would allow, carrying Kyoka securely in her arms. Once they were safely outside the chaotic perimeter of the destruction Kyoka had wrought with her sonic blast, Lena re-evaluated her surroundings. It was an incredible, almost surreal sight to behold: the billowing dust and the colossal, shattered robots, all suspended motionless in the air, perfectly frozen in time, a ghostly tableau of arrested chaos.
With a triumphant smile playing on her face, Lena gracefully moved out of the lingering destruction and effortlessly reached the other side of the devastated robot field, leaving it behind. To her slight surprise, she found Katsuki Bakugo there, a predatory, almost maniacal grin plastered across his face, his gaze fixed intently on Shoto Todoroki, his rival.
'How on earth did I not realize Bakugo had somehow gotten past me and Todoroki, too?... My god, that look on his face is utterly creepy... it reminds me of those perverts I sometimes encountered in high school... wait... no, Lena, erase that disturbing image from your head, right now!' Lena thought, shaking her head subtly, her cheeks flushing faintly at the unwelcome mental detour. Then, like a sudden burst of lightning, a mischievous idea lit up in her head, a brilliant, audacious plan.
With a wide, almost impish grin on her face, Lena swiftly moved up to Bakugo, her movements a blur, and delivered a powerful, well-aimed kick directly to his stomach, just before subtly canceling her 'Acceleration.'
"Motherfu— Ough!" Bakugo's usual scream of expletives was abruptly cut short as he received the brutally hard kick to the stomach. The blow sent him stumbling backward, crashing ungracefully to the ground, clutching his stomach tightly, gasping for air. "What the actual fuck?!"
Raising his head slightly, a venomous glare in his eyes, he saw Lena's infuriatingly arrogant smile, a sight that made him grit his teeth fiercely as his body shuddered uncontrollably with pure, unadulterated anger.
"I'm going to brutally kill you, you giant girl!" Bakugo roared, his voice thick with murderous intent, as he struggled to regain his footing.
Meanwhile, Lena merely smiled slightly, a serene expression on her face, as she continued running in the direction of the next obstacle, deliberately ignoring Kyoka, who was still screaming in her arms, protesting her ongoing predicament.
"LOOK AT THAT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! CLASS 1-A'S STAR PUPIL, SHOTO TODOROKI, HAS EFFORTLESSLY REACHED THE NEXT FORMIDABLE OBSTACLE! IT'S THE INFAMOUS BIG CRACK, A CHASM OF UNCERTAINTY!" Present Mic's excited voice narrated, his energy unwavering.
Todoroki stared intently at the daunting Great Rift with his analytical, calculating eyes. The chasm was a literal bottomless hole, seemingly plunging into an infinite abyss, and hundreds of ropes, precariously linked to many floating mounds of earth, stretched across its terrifying expanse.
Shaking his head subtly at the sheer ridiculousness that was U.A.'s obstacle course design, Todoroki refocused his intense gaze on the test itself, his mind already working through probabilities.
At first glance, it would deceptively appear that all the ropes seamlessly led to the same destination: the distant exit on the other side of the Great Rift.
However, if one possessed the keen eye and analytical mind to look closely, they would quickly realize that only a very select few ropes actually led directly to the official exit. The vast majority were either dead ends, leading to isolated floating islands, or deceptively led to much longer, more circuitous routes.
Todoroki's piercing eyes swiftly scanned the hundreds of ropes, meticulously searching for the correct, most efficient one, his mind calculating angles and trajectories.
'Shit! I can't find the right one!' he thought in growing frustration, realizing he had already wasted valuable seconds searching for the correct, optimal path. 'Damn it!'
Suddenly, he heard hurried footsteps not far from him, a clear warning that he had already lost the significant lead he had meticulously gained, and that someone was rapidly approaching his current position. This realization simply infuriated him further, and he could feel his right arm, the one capable of generating fire, subtly beginning to warm, a nascent heat building.
'Breathe, Shoto... calm yourself,' he commanded himself, forcing his emotions back into check.
After taking a second to calm his annoyance and regain his composure, he returned to his natural, unshakeable state of indifference. Giving up on the meticulous search for the perfect rope, he decided to pick one at random, trusting in his speed and power to overcome any misstep.
Lena, now back in motion, saw that the path ahead was abruptly cut by a large, terrifying drop, a gaping maw in the earth. Looking ahead, she could see hundreds of ropes attached to several precarious platforms made of rock, seemingly held together by unseen forces. Looking to the other side, she could discern that, just as Todoroki had realized, there were only a few ropes that actually led directly to the other side, to the continuation of the race.
She watched as Todoroki swiftly held on to a randomly chosen rope, using his ice Quirk to create a slick surface, allowing him to slide quickly forward, gaining momentum.
Not wanting to be left behind and lose her hard-won lead, Lena immediately ran to one of the ropes and began running down them carefully, her speed and agility her primary assets.
'It's a pity Kyoka decided to go on her own for this obstacle...' Lena thought with a slight grimace, realizing the tactical disadvantage of splitting up, before a small, mischievous smile played on her lips, a new idea forming.
Soon, the other participants arrived at the Great Rift, and their collective impatience quickly devolved into a chaotic free-for-all, everyone desperately trying to find the right rope, pushing and shoving.
"SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE, EXTRAS!" Bakugo shouted, his voice echoing across the chasm, as he launched himself into the air, flying forward using his powerful explosions as propulsion.
Although his mobility with his explosions in a straight line wasn't exactly fast—as his Quirk was primarily designed for spinning and rapid maneuvers in the air—it wasn't particularly slow either. In no time, he managed to effortlessly put himself in the lead, leaving everyone else behind.
'Fuck!' thought both Lena and Todoroki in unison, a shared frustration at Bakugo's unexpected burst of speed.
Todoroki, seeing that he was already near the end of his chosen rope, decided to quickly create a massive bridge of ice to cross the remaining distance to the other side. Upon reaching the other side, he, perhaps somewhat magnanimously, decided to strategically cut the ice bridge so that the other participants could no longer use it. However, it was already too late, as a fleeting, sky-blue wake, Lena's 'Acceleration,' zipped past him just as he was about to solidify his lead.
"Thanks for the convenient bridge, Todoroki!" Lena shouted playfully, her voice a blur, as she headed directly for the last obstacle, her lead now secure.
Without a second thought, Todoroki decided not to waste any more valuable time with the bridge and instead ran off in relentless pursuit of Lena and Bakugo, sliding swiftly with his ice, determined to reclaim his position.
Soon, Lena reached the next, and final, obstacle. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw... a vast, seemingly innocuous dirt field?
"WELCOME TO THE LAST RESISTANCE BEFORE THE GOAL, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR A MINEFIELD!!!" Present Mic announced, his voice reverberating through the stadium, laden with dramatic anticipation. "WATCH OUT, HEROES! THERE ARE AIR MINES TOO, SO KEEP YOUR EYES TO THE SKY!"
Just as he dramatically delivered that warning, Lena could see a distant explosion erupting in the sky, followed by Bakugo being unexpectedly pushed backward, his shirt looking a little singed, a clear sign of an aerial mine detonation.
"SHIT!!!" Bakugo exclaimed, his voice raw with anger and frustration at this unforeseen ordeal. He had meticulously managed to catch up to "Half-Half Bastard" (Todoroki) and "Giant Girl" (Lena), but now, these damn explosive flying bombs were getting in his way, constantly interrupting his momentum. "I WILL DESTRUCTIVELY DESTROY THEM ALL, EVERY SINGLE ONE!"
Meanwhile, a little further back, the participants who had been left behind finally managed to successfully pass the treacherous rope test, largely thanks to the lingering remnants of Todoroki's ice bridge. Although, inevitably, some unfortunate souls had fallen to the bottom of the chasm and were immediately disqualified.
"Let's go, Midoriya, just a little more...!" Izuku Midoriya muttered to himself, his voice strained, as he tirelessly carried a large, flattened metal plate on his back. He had resourcefully used it to defend himself from the occasional attacks of other participants and some stray "bullets" from Quirks.
When he finally found out that the last test was a minefield, a risky but potentially excellent idea flashed into his head, a bold strategy that might just allow him to catch up.
"I won't give up that easy, not now!"
Shoto Todoroki soon managed to catch up with both Lena and Katsuki Bakugo, forming a formidable trio at the front of the pack. Looking behind him, he could see the other participants rapidly approaching their position, which would undoubtedly make the minefield crossing even more chaotic and fraught with explosions.
If he wanted to cross the minefield safely and maintain his lead, it was now or never. The window of opportunity was rapidly closing.
With that determined thought, Todoroki meticulously and carefully ran across the minefield, using his ice Quirk to create small, intricate ice spikes on the soles of his shoes, which provided him with crucial extra momentum and grip on the uneven terrain.
Katsuki Bakugo, meanwhile, was frantically attempting to dodge all the air mines that seemed to materialize from nowhere. This forced him to move significantly slower than his volatile patience would allow him to endure, his frustration boiling over. "Damn ass mines! Get out of my way!"
Lena, meanwhile, was using her 'Acceleration' Quirk to advance quickly, a blur of motion. However, a faint, unfamiliar ache started to develop in her chest, a subtle warning. So, she wisely limited her 'Acceleration' a bit, becoming more cautious, and thoughtfully considered each step she took, carefully navigating the explosive terrain.
And so, the three strongest students of Class 1-A engaged in a fierce, silent battle with each other, a relentless sprint, as they kept running, each meticulously careful not to step on any of the concealed landmines.
Bakugo launched an explosive blast against Todoroki, attempting to slow him down and gain an advantage. But Todoroki, with practiced ease, created a small, sturdy ice shield that perfectly protected him from the explosion's concussive force. Seizing this brief opening, Lena attempted to kick Bakugo in the back, as he had finally descended from his aerial maneuvers. However, Bakugo, with surprising peripheral vision, saw her out of the corner of his eye and was able to effortlessly dodge it by throwing another small, controlled blast in his hand, which caused him to spin just enough to evade Lena's kick.
"YOU WON'T HIT ME AGAIN, MINI FLASH!" Bakugo roared, a sneer on his face, clearly annoyed by her persistence.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'MINI FLASH,' ASSHOLE?!" Lena retorted, her voice filled with mock indignation, though a smile played on her lips.
"I'll be the winner, just you wait..." Todoroki muttered under his breath, his voice cold and resolute, his focus unwavering.
"LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A LITTLE BATTLE ROYALE GOING ON IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MINEFIELD, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" Present Mic shouted, his voice reaching a crescendo of excitement, as the crowd screamed like crazy, everyone rooting wildly for one of the three leading students, their favorites locked in a thrilling struggle.
"COME ON, LENA!!! YOU'VE GOT THIS, MY GIRL!" Winston and David cheered in unison, their voices hoarse with excitement, as they spontaneously stood up from their seats, caught in the electrifying moment, their eyes fixed on Lena.
Angela Ziegler just looked at Lena with amused eyes, a subtle smile playing on her face, observing the sheer determination radiating from the young hero.
Suddenly, a large, earth-shattering explosion was heard at the very beginning of the minefield, much further back. Looking closer, a green-haired young man, Izuku Midoriya, could be seen approaching rapidly towards the star participants at an incredible, unprecedented speed. He was riding something that resembled a massive, flattened metal plate, soaring over the mines.
Naturally, this unexpected and dramatic surge did not go unnoticed by the leading trio. They all acted accordingly, reluctantly ignoring their little internal fight and immediately refocusing their attention on the main objective: winning the race.
Looking at the piece of metal soaring past them, they saw—
"MIDORIYA?!" shouted Lena and Todoroki in unison, their eyes wide with profound surprise and a hint of disbelief.
"DEKU!!!" Katsuki Bakugo exclaimed, his voice filled with a pure, unadulterated murderous look, a chilling growl escaping his lips.
Midoriya, with an agile maneuver, suddenly spun in the air and slammed the metal plate against the ground, simultaneously covering himself with the same plate, just as he had planned.
Lena, with a sudden flash of insight, immediately realized his audacious plan and decided to give herself a desperate, final boost, utilizing 'Acceleration' before Midoriya's self-made explosion blew everything up into the air, including her. 'Clever little bastard! He's going to clear the path for himself!'
With gritted teeth, Lena shot off like a bullet, a blur of motion, her speed reaching unprecedented levels. She didn't realize that, in her desperate attempt to gain every fraction of a second, the world around her wasn't actually gray anymore, and that time was, in fact, still ticking normally for everyone else.
Instead of Lena's usual, subtle sky-blue wake, this time, a powerful, crackling lightning bolt, luminous and ethereal, replaced it. It shot forth and, with an unseen force, sent both Todoroki and Bakugo flying violently backward, as if they had just been hit by a sudden, concussive explosion.
And in less than the blink of an eye—
"THE WINNER IS LENAAA OXTOOOONNNNN!!!" Present Mic's voice roared, a thunderous announcement that echoed throughout the stadium, confirming the victor.
Lena had crossed the finish line.