Chapter 49: Teaming Up (Part 2)
The moment Midnight started the countdown, Kira had gone directly to the person he considered his best choice for a teammate: Momo.
Momo's Creation Quirk was an advantage in any situation. Since the Hero Course students weren't allowed to use their costumes, Momo, who could create equipment, was essential. She could make roller skates to improve mobility or weapons to increase their attack range. Combined with Hamon, which could be conducted through metal, Kira was certain that with her on his team, their headband would be safe.
When in doubt, ask Yaoyorozu. This had already become a golden rule in Class 1-A. In Kira's mind, after the ordeal they had just gone through together in the last stage, she would definitely not refuse him.
However...
"I've already teamed up with Todoroki-san," Momo said to Kira, her face cold. "Weren't you looking for a teammate? Fine. Go ask Ashido-san."
That's right. Yoshikage Kira had been flatly rejected.
Why? Didn't we just work together perfectly? With this question in mind, Kira went to find Mina Ashido.
Mina's Quirk was Acid, which could be useful in a multi-team brawl like this.
"Go team up with that woman who was on your back!"
After Kira stated his purpose, she gave a smile, threw that one line at him, and then rushed over to Bakugo, waving her hands. "Pick me, pick me!"
At that point, Kira looked around and saw that there were very few people left who were alone. A chill went down his spine. Don't tell me I'm not going to find any teammates?
While he wasn't aiming for a top spot, being left all alone because he couldn't find a team would definitely attract unwanted attention.
"Shiozaki! Team up with us!" Tetsutetsu roared with laughter. "With me and Honenuki, we'll definitely make that Kira guy pay!"
Juzo Honenuki hesitated for a moment. "Tetsutetsu, I don't think Monoma's plan is a sure thing. It's probably best not to use it. We still haven't figured out what Kira's Quirk can do..."
"What are you hesitating for, Honenuki!?" Tetsutetsu slung an arm around his shoulder and grinned. "You're a recommended student! Even if he was first in the entrance exam, there's no need to be afraid of him, right?"
That's not it. You don't know the feeling that guy gives me. Because of his exposed teeth, Honenuki had a unique ability: his teeth would chatter when he faced an unstoppable enemy who bore him ill will.
The first time he had felt it was several years ago, when his family had run into a serial killer. His teeth had chattered uncontrollably as he watched his father die on the spot to save him and his mother. Luckily, a Pro Hero had arrived soon after and saved them.
He would never forget that feeling. But just now, although it was faint, he had felt his teeth begin to chatter.
"You wouldn't understand..." He couldn't explain it. After all, Kira was just a classmate. It was highly likely just a stress reaction from being near Todoroki, the ice-user from 1-A... He tried to comfort himself with that thought.
Suddenly, his eyes went wide. His teeth... they were chattering again.
"Hello, everyone," Yoshikage Kira said, walking over to the group with a smile. "Shiozaki-san, do you have a team yet? I was hoping to team up with you."
Tetsutetsu blocked Kira's path, annoyed. "Shiozaki's already with us! What are you, a 1-A student, doing coming over here to recruit people from 1-B!?"
"Tetsutetsu-san, contestants should be looking for people who are a good fit for their team, not just their own classmates, right?" Kira pointed to Hitoshi Shinso, who was standing with a few other students. "That person is from the General Course, but he has people from our Class 1-A and your Class 1-B on his team."
Tetsutetsu glanced over and was shocked. "Rikido Sato? Why would that big guy be helping a dead-eyed outsider?"
Standing beside Hitoshi Shinso were Yuga Aoyama, Mashirao Ojiro, and the aforementioned Sato. Their eyes were somewhat vacant, but they had already formed a 'horse' for Shinso to test-ride.
"So what? Shiozaki isn't teaming up with you!" Tetsutetsu said stubbornly. "I may not be part of Monoma's plan, but I'm not going to help the enemy either!"
Kira smiled. "Let me guess. The plan you're talking about is for you all to deliberately hold back in the preliminaries, fall behind to observe our Class 1-A's Quirks, and then stage an upset in the cavalry battle, right?"
Seeing the shocked look on Tetsutetsu's face, Kira became even more certain. He said logically, "And because the person you imagined to be a major threat, me, didn't really use his Quirk, this Monoma of yours couldn't sit still. So he decided to have you attack me proactively, to stall me and force me to reveal my Quirk?"
Tetsutetsu took two steps back in shock. "How did you know!? Who leaked the information!?"
"Have you never heard of a little thing called a brain?" Kira sighed dramatically, as if lamenting the boy's impoverished brain cells.
Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu roared in fury, "You Class 1-A people are so damn annoying!" Class 1-A has a guy with the same Quirk as me, a guy who's always looking for a fight, and now one who's making fun of my intelligence! You think I'm some kind of pushover!?
"Let's make a deal," Kira said suddenly.
A vein throbbed on Tetsutetsu's forehead as he prepared to punch him. "Who would make a deal with you!? Get away from us, you bastard!"
"Tetsutetsu, don't be rash. We can't fight now." It was Juzo Honenuki again, holding him back. "Let's hear what he has to say."
Kira said calmly, "It's simple. You give up on teaming with Ibara Shiozaki. In exchange, I won't tell the others in Class 1-A that you're targeting them."
"Aren't you the Class 1-A president? Why wouldn't you tell your own class?" With his limited brainpower, Tetsutetsu came to a conclusion. "Don't tell me... you're trying to be a traitor?" he asked hesitantly.
He's willing to let his own classmates get taken down, just so he can advance to the finals... What a sinister person. Is this guy really the president of Class 1-A?
Seeing the sudden look of disdain in Tetsutetsu's eyes, Kira said decisively, "I don't know what you're thinking, but I'm sure it's not what you think. I just don't believe you'd be a threat to Todoroki and the others even if you did team up."
In the face of absolute power, schemes are meaningless. Kira had that kind of baseless confidence in Class 1-A's "big three"—Todoroki, Bakugo, and Midoriya.
What the hell!? So he's still looking down on us!
Just as Tetsutetsu was rolling up his sleeves to fight, a handsome, cheerful-looking boy walked over. "Tetsutetsu, why resort to violence? Isn't this the president of Class 1-A? Here to see our Shiozaki-san again?"
Yoshikage Kira's eyes narrowed. "You're the one who came up with the plan, aren't you? Neito Monoma."
"It's an honor to be remembered by the top-ranked student. However..." Monoma began with a faint smile, which suddenly twisted into a mocking sneer as he burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Are you the poor wretch who couldn't find a team in Class 1-A? How heartbreaking! The esteemed president of Class 1-A, ostracized by his own class!"
This guy... has a really foul mouth.
Kira didn't want to waste any more time with him. He walked straight up to Ibara Shiozaki and said directly, in a voice too low for the others to hear, "Team up with me. I'll give you ten thousand yen."
"Deal."
Without a moment's hesitation, Ibara Shiozaki reached out and firmly grasped Kira's hands.
"Shiozaki! Why are you teaming up with this guy!?" Tetsutetsu shouted.
The laughing face of Neito Monoma turned the color of pig liver. The other boys of Class 1-B looked on with pained expressions as Kira led Ibara away, feeling as if their daughter, whom they had raised for years, had just been stolen by some dumb kid who had appeared out of nowhere.
"Tetsutetsu, don't hold back against Kira later," Neito Monoma said suddenly.
"You don't have to tell me! That guy came over here just to mock us!" Tetsutetsu had finally understood one thing: the guys from Class 1-A were all incredibly annoying.
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