Chapter 12
Aizawa looked at the teenager beside him and the manner in which he braced himself for the coming conflict. His hands were prepared and ready to summon a weapon to his side at a moment's notice and if instructed, he would undoubtedly go down there and be a force to be reckoned with.
The teacher however knew, that while possibly capable of assisting him, he couldn't send a kid down into a battlezone.
"Protect them," he commanded. "Remember, heroes don't kill."
With his words said, he turned and started barking orders to his fellow hero in Thirteen. As Midoryia tried to argue that he couldn't take them all on and that his battle style wasn't suited, he lowered his specialized visor onto his face. "A hero always has more than one trick up his sleeve," he concluded before he leapt off the railing.
As he descended towards the pack, his quirk activated, preventing himself from being fired upon by those who had ranged abilities. Landing amongst them, he went to work, his capture tape quickly binding multiple enemies and with a swift tug, was able to make them collide together. Probably not enough damage to take them out for the duration of the battle, but it gave him some time to work on the rest of them.
"He erases quirks huh," said a bulk of a man, his body made of stone and had an extra two arms at his disposal. His strength amongst those around him who had been hired for the job was second to none and because his quirk was mutation based, he sincerely doubted that the man in front of him had the ability to render him merely human. "Can you even..."
That was as far as the man got before immeasurable amounts of pain coursed through his body. Despite the hardness that he possessed, an arrow had pierced through his calf sending pain shooting through his system. Aizawa, seeing the opportunity before him, capitalized by punching the man square in the face and enacting his way of capturing those who did have mutation quirks. While the assistance was appreciated, he needed to tell the brat that he should have a little more faith in him.
...
"C'mon! We've got to evacuate!" shouted Iida trying desperately to grab the attention of those who were watching their teacher go against the invading forces.
"I'm afraid I cannot allow that."
The class froze in place behind Thirteen, the hero garbed in the astronaut attire stretching out his arms in order to prevent anybody directly in his shadow from stepping forth into the black vortex which had manifested before them. Stepping from the shadows was the villain responsible for being able to directly transport all these people into the facility.
"Greetings," he said in a surprisingly polite tone. "I apologize, but we took it upon ourselves to enter Yuuei Academy, the base of heroes, in order to engage with All Might, the 'Symbol of Peace.' We were wondering if we would be allowed the opportunity to extinguish him you see. Was All Might not meant to be at this juncture? Perhaps had something been altered? Ah well...setting that aside..."
Whatever was meant to immediately follow was cut short as the students and Thirteen watched in awe as Shirou almost materialized behind the villain who was impeding their path. His arm was held back over his shoulder, his weapon on choice poised to strike and in a single motion, he swung.
Thirteen was unable to react in time as the black vortex appeared next to him and the weapon collided with his shoulder with enough force to almost break his arm. He could hear the students cry out in shock about what had just transpired but he was already breaking down several important facts, most notably the fact that he hadn't been mortally wounded by a bladed weapon. Instead of his flesh being sliced by steel, he had been hit with a shinai, a training weapon used for kendo.
"Curious, and here I was thinking that you would have gone straight for the kill," said the villain, almost perplexed by the fact that he hadn't been able to read the situation in its entirety. "Wise though, knowing full well that I had the ability to manipulate where your strike would land."
"I have a couple theories regarding how best to get past your power," said Shirou as he rested his manifested weapon of choice on his shoulder. Torashinai seemed to be purring in his ear, almost upset that it hadn't struck true of its intended target.
"My, if your mind is working it's way into getting through my quirk then you are more of a villain than I," they said before twin portals opened mere inches from Shirou's face. The other side of the portals came through two attacks, one from Bakugo and one from Kirishima. The explosion that Bakugo unleashed struck him square in the face while Kirishima's blow cracked him across the kaw, knocking his head violently to the side.
"Shit!" cursed Bakugo, likely more angry with having missed the target in front of him than having hit Shirou.
"Sorry man," apologized Kirishima.
Shirou merely rubbed at his jaw as he turned his head back around to face the shadowy figure in front of him. "The strength of those blows would have rendered any normal man unconscious, yet here you stand," they said menacingly. "I believe we are lucky to have brought him along."
Shirou's eyes sharpened at the mention of someone who the man before him believed could match or even surpass him in combat. It was during this singular moment that black tendrils spread in all directions, swiftly encompassing all in their wake. Shirou mentally cursed as he tried to leap backwards away from the darkness that threatened to consume him to no avail. He could only hope that those who had been furthest away from the man had been able to escape his clutch.
"Scatter."
...
Aizawa stumbled to the side as he avoided the knife strike which threatened to slice open his abdomen. He couldn't allow any more damage to befall his body, not after having had his elbow broken and nearly disintegrated by the man whom seemed as if he was partially leading the group.
If his ability and the fact that he had been the first to deal some manner of damage wasn't an indication that he was one of the strongest present, then the fact that he had gone into a monologue helped solidify the idea. Villains and their monologues, just stupid ways to boats about how superior they were or how the world would change because of their nefarious plan.
It was then that the shadow loomed over him and he couldn't help but turn to look at who was about to strike him down. Large, was the first word to come to mind considering that the man's hand looked as if it could crush his skull with minimal effort. The exposed brain looked as if it was an obvious weak point but with it being as open as it was meant the person knew that they would have to defend it when the situation arose.
A beastial arm began it's decent towards him and Aizawa knew that he had to move. He had no way of anticipating how quickly the blow descended upon him, striking him clean and causing his specialized goggles to go flying off of his head. He crashed to the ground spectacularly, his body reeling from the damage that it had sustained.
Aizawa struggled to push himself to his knees, feeling blood flow from freshly made wounds. He knew that he had to move but his body refused to respond at the pace he wished of it. Turning his head, he was able to watch the behemoth march towards him at an almost leisurely pace. That was until the projectiles began to rain down, encircling him as if protectively. Barely a second was all it took for near twenty swords of differing sizes and shapes to create a barrier between him and all those who wished him harm.
Understandably, they all looked upwards curious as to where the weapons had fallen from. Aizawa, whilst knowing, couldn't help but look himself to find Shirou falling from a height that should have been impossible for him to get to in the first place. Despite the impending death that potentially awaiting him from having fallen from such a height with the ground waiting for him below, Shirou had summoned a bow to his side and had the string pulled backwards before launching an arrow.
Said arrow was knocked to the side by the monster of a man, the target of Shirou's attack. Seemingly unfazed, Shirou opted to send three more arrows outwards, each weapon striking the calf of its intended target and rendering them essentially incapable of fighting any longer.
Shirou then struck the ground. Struck the ground hard. Aizawa couldn't help but swallow a lump that had formed in his throat as having watched Shirou fall and hit the floor. From the moment the swords had implanted themselves into the dirt and Shirou hitting the surface had taken no more than three seconds, yet well enough time for anyone without a strength quirk to have their bones shatter and their life potentially lost.
Aizawa was not one to gawk at a situation at the best of times. Watching his student stand up after having hit the ground at a speed which should have rendered him immobile, was such a circumstance which he would be forgiven for having made the expression he currently was.
He had hypothesized that there was more to Shirou than what met the eye. His feats during the opening test he had crafted had proved that Shirou was not only capable of crafting weapons, but that his quirk may have altered his body in such a way that it allowed him to utilize said weapons to their maximum potential.
This was merely a hypothesis, one that he had intended on taking a long time breaking down and proving through numerous tests. Now however he merely had to hope that whatever the truth was, it was enough to walk away victorious.
...
Shirou allowed the bow in his hand to dissipate into nothing before his trusted twin blades formed in his hands. He had his eyes set on a single target, the one who had been able to bat the arrow that had threatened to pierce his flesh out of the sky as if it were nothing. True that it had been an unnamed arrow, just something that he could manifest without a second thought but the ability to knock something travelling that fast out of the air with ease warranted his attention.
It was clear that the creature's attention was now on him now, Aizawa seemingly momentarily safe, at least long enough for him to get his wits about him. That wasn't the only person whom he was the target of and battle instincts allowed him to duck beneath the punch that had been aimed at the back of his head to sail over him safely. Driving the pommel on Kanshou into the person's abdomen, Shirou was able to tell instantly that they would not be getting up to fight any time soon. Regardless, he did not take his eyes off of the true threat.
Rightfully so, as the behemoth charged at him swiftly, it's arm pulled back and prepared to take him out in a single blow. Leaping backwards, Shirou was able to watch as the fist embedded itself into the ground, a solid spiderweb of cracks spreading out in a wide diameter from where the blow had struck. If those watching had expected fear to come into his being from watching such a display of strength, they were sadly mistaken.
As soon as his footing had become stable, Shirou proceeded forward. Twin blades outstretched in each arm, he watched as the uppercut barrelled towards him, a finishing move that would have potentially incapacitated him were it to directly land. It never even touched him however as he arched backwards, the fist striking nothing but air as Shirou slid beneath it before striking out with both Kanshou and Bakuya, cleanly severing the left leg off of the beast.
That was only part of his attack however as he got up from his kneeling position, twisting as he crafted his distance. During his turn however he was able to outstretch his arm and allow Bakuya to cleave a chunk out of the creature's stomach. Shirou skidded away as he braced himself for a follow up but momentarily paused as the sound of clapping echoed throughout the otherwise silent area.
"Congratulations, you really are strong," said the man who was covered by hands that gripped themselves onto his body. "However, you forgot to take something into account. This Nomu was designed to take out All Might, not small fry like you." As the words were being said, Shirou could only watch as the recently named Nomu began to regenerate. First the wound in it's stomach sealed shut before a new leg burst forward from the stump he had previously severed. "Now...what will you do now?"
Shirou kept his composure, something which many in his position would never have been able to accomplish. The twin blades which he relied so heavily upon vanished from his grip as he adjusted his stance. Taking a moment to manifest the weapon he envisioned, he knew that it wasn't his fighting style of choice but it was one that could eliminate the probability of regeneration...possibly.
He had never tested this weapon against somebody with regenerative abilities after all.
The Nomu charged forward, faster than it had before in a display that it was deciding to get serious after having had to regrow its leg. Shirou pulled the head of the weapon down in order to absorb an amount of the damage he would have taken, keeping his arms rigid so that no part of the point was close to his skin. Regardless of that he was knocked back however, skidding several feet backwards with his heels kicking up dust as he came to a stop.
"That is a beautiful weapon there, I imagine it could fetch quite a bit of money," mused the limb covered man from the sidelines, admiring the golden spear that Shirou had in his hands.
Shirou paid him no mind, instead speaking to somebody else in attendance. "Can I leave you to protect my back?" he asked.
"Who do you take me for?"
"Good," replied Shirou as Aizawa sprung into action, the minutes he had had in isolation allowing him to return to the fight, despite the broken limb that rendered his combat ability limited. Against the small fry however, even with only a single arm he believed himself more than capable of handling those who had been brought to the fight.
The Nomu seemingly paid Aizawa and the ensuing battle no mind as it focused solely upon Shirou who seemed to be taking this brief moment of respite to prepare himself for what was necessary.
...
From the nearby waterway, the trio of Midoriya, Asui and Mineta watched on in shock. The trio had been able to successfully immobilize those who had wished to do them harm utilizing their quirks. Now however, none of them could come up with a way to help in the situation that was unfolding before them.
Midoriya knew that the latent power inside of him had the ability to turn the tide of a battle in an instant yet the broken finger he had sustained from taking out those of lesser strength kept him immobilized. He didn't have enough control over his quirk to be able to actually make a worthwhile contribution to the battle about to take place. Or more importantly, were he to jump into the action, chances were that he would get in the way and those more capable of fighting would get injured protecting him.
He hated it. All this power and no safe way to use it.
One for All begged to be used but he could do nothing in this moment of time.
Midoriya could only watch.
Watch and learn what it truly meant to be a hero.
...
Shirou allowed himself to be on the defensive, focusing on ducking and weaving the slew of fists that came his way. He knew that he was unlikely to win in a battle of stamina, due to the fact that the shadowy figure had clearly pointed out this creature as their trump card. Or if this turned out to not be their trump card then he would get to that when he got there.
Now however, he saw an opening.
The creature's arm had overextended by the barest of margins as Shirou struck, the point of the spear he was wielding striking as the creature was retracting it's arm, severing the hand at the wrist. "Don't you ever learn," said the man from the sidelines, mildly adjusting the palm which clung to his face. "You're such a one trick pony, finish him already Nomu."
Nomu however remained fixated in place, staring at it's wrist where it's hand should have been growing from. The correct wording being, should have been. Seconds ticked by as the Nomu clearly attempted to regrow the severed limb to no avail.
"What did you do?" asked the hand encased man, clearly wanting some answers.
"This is Gáe Buide," announced Shirou, not moving from his position and prepared for an oncoming attack. "This weapon is cursed you see, no wound made by this weapon will ever recover."
Seconds ticked by as Shirou's explanation slowly sunk in before the villain began to shudder. "Cheat...you cheater...how can a weapon be cursed? How can you have such a weapon?"
"Please, if I showed off half the weapons I have at my disposal you would never believe where I'd seen them before," said Shirou as he sprung forward, utilizing the distraction he had caused. Before the Nomu reacted, it's left leg had been severed at the knee, causing the creature to drop down, unable to balance itself properly.
Twisting on the spot, Shirou used his momentum to take off the corresponding arm off at the shoulder before twisting the weapon above his head and cleaving off the right leg. The Nomu, for all intents and purposes, growled out something incoherent but it was clear that it was a message of rage.
Shirou mercilessly removed the fistless arm of the Nomu, rendering it merely a torso with a head. The red haired teenager allowed the weapon at his disposal to vanish into nothingness, no more needed to be done with the cursed weapon. At the same time however, he couldn't feel like the true strength and speed that the creature had at it's disposal hadn't been used on him. After all, he wasn't their target, All Might was.
"No...no...NO!" shouted the villain, clearly distraught about the outcome.
It was also at this time that the shadowy villain arrived, appearing out of the darkness that had been crafter mere feet from where the leader stood. He took several moments to summarize the situation before making the smartest call he could.
"Come, let us recollect on our defeat," he said calmly.
And with that, the duo vanished from their position. Shirou allowed himself to take a breath of fresh air before he turned around to see Aizawa still dealing with the fodder. Calling Bakuya and Kanshou back to his side, he opted to give his assistance, whether it was wanted or not.
...
Scrambling out of the water, Midoriya, Asui and Mineta could only watch as their teacher and peer rendered their opponents unable to continue. Calling Shirou a peer however was an overstatement if there ever was one.
The battle, as short as it may have been, was done at a speed they could barely keep up with, only able to recognize damage well after the attack had been swung. Adjusting his gaze slightly, Midoriya noted that a number of his fellow students whom had avoided the initial separation, watching over the supporting rail, seemingly unwilling to join in the fray. He didn't blame them in the slightest, both seemed more than capable of taking out the handful that remained on their own.
It was stereotypical however, that as the duo managed to take down their final opponent and allowed a moment of reprieve that the door to the facility broke open, debris flying in all directions.
"I am here!" declared All Might. Seconds later the number one hero realized that the unease he had felt, whilst true, had already been rectified, leaving him standing there like some sort of buffoon as he mentally worked out what had happened.
"So...everything seems to be in order here...though I don't remember other's being invited to participate as villains, did I miss a notice?"
"Get medics here now!" shouted Aizawa.
"Understood."
Chapter 13
The rippling of flesh beginning to reshape itself into something resembling a limb was halted as Shirou brought the cursed spear back into reality. He had noticed the beast relatively motionless but had kept his guard up regardless. At the first sign of the regeneration he had brought Gáe Buide back into existence. In doing so, the wounds which had attempted to regrow were prevented from doing so.
"Do you think that was wise kid?" asked Aizawa from nearby, clutching at his damaged arm. "Telling them how your weapon worked."
"They had seen what had become of this thing because of Gáe Buide, they would have come up with a similar conclusion on their own," explained Shirou as he drove the head of the spear deep into the ground.
"So you were helping them then," declared Aizawa.
"No, I was giving them just one reason to fear me."
Aizawa couldn't prevent the hairs on the back of his head from standing on edge at Shirou's words. He had known that a number of heroes had struggled to capture him before the school term had even commenced and having watched his display and even fought by his side it was easy to understand how they had struggled.
"We got lucky in this instance," said Shirou as the main doors opened, All Might leading medical personal into the building as well as a number of heroes. "This guy here was meant to be their way to take down him. They just didn't realize that they'd come across me."
Again, Aizawa was unable to prevent the chills that spread across his body. He had felt firsthand the strength that this monster had possessed and it was abundantly clear that his regenerative abilities were something extraordinary. During the fight however, when it was unable to grow it's limb back, it had paused, confused almost about why something wasn't going the way it should. Could incredible strength and the ability to regenerate limbs have been enough to take down All Might, it was hard to tell and he was thankful that he would never have to witness such a clash.
"So you're saying you're stronger than All Might."
"Don't know," said Shirou with a shrug. "I do know that I ended up being a better match against someone who was brought here to absorb blow after blow from a man with great strength. I doubt it even went full bore at me, probably could only regenerate so much or take so much damage in total before reaching it's limit, hence not going all out. By the time they realized how much danger they were in, it was all over."
Aizawa sharpened his eyes as he looked at the boy in front of him, though it almost looked as if he was looking at a hardy battle veteran. Even the way he had just broken down the bout with the creature that resided near where they were standing was more than some heroes filled out on their official reports. Unfortunately that didn't give him much detail regarding what Shirou was truly capable of in the grand scheme of things. Having been able to block a blow which theoretically shatter bones was something which no normal teenager have been capable of doing, not to mention reacting in time in the first place. The ability to systematically disassemble his opponent with no second thought was concerning but he was not going to nitpick about that now.
Also, and he wasn't going to say this out loud, he felt like the teenager had been doing an experiment of sorts regarding the creature who was still breathing despite the damage it had taken. Shirou seemingly had been testing the time that it took for the beast to regenerate and possibly working out whether injuries recovered at the same time or whether there was a delay due to the number of injuries that had been sustained. It was terrifying thoughts but ones that he had to keep in the back of his mind under the possibility of being true.
For now, he needed to report just what had happened.
...
"Look, it's not your fault," said Jiro as she rubbed at Momo's back. The two of them plus Kaminari had returned from the space in which they had been teleported still shocked by the developments that had taken place. Kaminari in more of a literal sense than the two women but that was a different topic.
They had done well in the situation they had found themselves in, surrounded by the opposition and being able to take down a majority of those who opposed them was no easy feat. It was just unfortunate that one of the enemies were able to get past Kaminair's widespread attack and take the boy hostage, almost willing to kill the boy if the two of them were unwilling to cooperate. That of course had changed entirely when his peripheral vision had caught sight of his ticket out of the academy leave with only one other individual leaving him effectively stranded. With All Might standing in the doorway and his leadership having actively fled the scene, he had thought it wise to take this opportunity to surrender and hope that in doing so he would spend less time in prison for his actions.
Learning however that every other group that had been set upon by villains however had managed to overcome their respective obstacles without any showing of defeat had left a sour taste in Yaoyorozu's mouth. If that wasn't bad enough, word had quickly spread about just why the most dangerous individuals had retreated when they had. If it had been the arrival of the number one hero, she would have been more understanding on the situation. To learn however that it was the doing of the individual who had successfully guided his team to victory through hellish conditions however to succeed where many others would have failed the previous day.
Emiya Shirou.
It wasn't like she wasn't aware that he was skilled. Far from it. She had no idea how far the gap was however. Part of her had believed that all the footage she had seen of heroes going against Shirou and his accomplice had shown the heroes in a good light. They were professional heroes and as such she had willingly believed that they had been pulling their punches against people who were in the middle of a crowded area.
Apparently she was wrong in her beliefs. She now fully understood that the heroes had not been pulling their punches. Shirou and by all accounts his partner, were incredibly powerful. There was no two ways to look about it.
"What was it like?" she said softly, almost inaudible due to the amount of people around them. "Having him lead you."
JIro found herself leaning backwards, her gaze shifting towards the roof. "It was...odd," she said with a sigh. "You know that feeling, when everyone has faith in you but you feel that deep down you can't live up to their expectations. Shirou made us believe that we could not only live up to those expectations, but surpass them. I mean, he told me to fight Tokoyami head on, fully aware that I was the team leader and that if I failed it meant the team was out. He gave me advice, pointed out some oncoming attacks I should have been aware of and helped lead me to victory and without him, I doubt that I would have even thought I could beat Tokoyami."
"So...he gave you faith...in yourself?" summarized Yaoyarozu, unsure if what she was saying was correct.
"Yea," said Jiro as she found herself playing with the jack dangling from her left ear. "Could I have done any of that without him, I doubt it. All of us, I think we got better from just being near him, by having help us and believe in us."
"Believing in yourself," said Momo as if stuck in a trance, Jiro opting not to continue as personal came by to check up on them for what felt like the second time more than necessary.
...
Shirou watched as the behemoth of a creature was wrapped up in 'supposedly' unbreakable bonds. Honestly he seriously doubted that the restraints would have any effect on Berserker but that was a thought for another time. He got the subtle nod of the head from an officer nearby, signalling for Shirou to remove Gáe Buide from this plain of existence once more. As he did though he started counting internally the seconds ticking by before the creature successfully was able to have fully grown limbs once more.
Despite being physically at its peak, the beast made no effort to resist it's capture, almost submitting to the law enforcement as further restraints were placed on the newly acquired limbs. The exposed brain gave Shirou the unsettling feeling that the creature before him was being controlled, or at least had been whilst the invasion was unfolding. If it was being controlled, then that meant that somebody was controlling it, which unfortunately meant there was a mastermind.
Shirou was broken from his moment of concentration as he felt a presence behind him. Turning slowly, he found himself looking at the form of Midoriya, the boy almost struggling to keep his composure. Shirou could understand why, undoubtedly rumours had spread based on the very true fact that he had dismembered something that the association that had attacked them believed could kill All Might.
As for Midoriya, the small lad was doing his best to keep head strong, especially after what had just went down. He, Asui and Mineta had found themselves in a battle against the numbers before finding themselves able to turn the situation into their favour. That also meant that they had returned in time to see a chunk of the bout that had taken place.
"Can...could you...train me?"
The question was slow and ill paced considering the context. Midoriya hadn't quite been sure how to ask said question without directly insulting All Might. The number one hero had put so much time and effort into helping him get into the prestigious academy in the first place that it felt as if he was breaking an unspoken promise. With that said however, All Might was still a professional hero, as well as a teacher. There was minimal time that he would be able to get a one on one training session in with the top hero.
So he had to look elsewhere.
"Ask me again, properly," instructed Shirou.
Midoriya swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat before stiffening himself, both physically and mentally. "Could you train me?" he repeated, determination ringing through his voice.
"No."
Shock ran through Midoryia's system as he stood there flummoxed, having not expected to be shut down in such a manner. He knew it has been a long shot but he hadn't thought that he had had no chance whatsoever.
"Why?"
Surprisingly, it wasn't Midoriya who had spoken. Rather it had been Yaoyorozu, the teenage woman having seen her green haired peer making his way towards Shirou and with Jiro's words ringing in her ears, had chosen to approach as well.
It seemed however she wasn't the only one. In groups of twos and threes, Class 1-A found themselves standing in front of Shiro with two exceptions of Todoroki and Bakugo. Somehow, it wasn't surprising to anybody in attendance.
"Why won't you teach him? Or teach us for that matter?" asked Momo, finding her voice. "It doesn't matter that we're students, villains came to us in our school and attacked us. Our teachers did what they could but..."
"Then let them teach you," interrupted Shirou, jabbing his thumb over to where the professional heroes were congregated. A couple of them had the great idea to look upset by the fact that their students didn't have faith in them, more so Midnight who was pouting at the thought that the teenagers didn't want to be taught by her. Unfortunately that seemed to will the crowd on more than it should have.
"Then how did you learn?" asked Kirishima, his hands clenched into fists. "Can't you at least tell us how you learned?"
"I fought," said Shirou, recalling the training he had gone through against Saber. "I fought against someone far stronger than me, again and again, over and over. Every time I fell, I got back up. If you wanted me to train you, then I would knock you down, time and time again without hesitation. If you were able to last a second longer in your final bout than your first, then congratulations you successfully made progress. I didn't have the luxury of time on my side to gain strength and only had that option out of desperation and necessity. Without it, there is little doubt that I would not be standing here right now."
His words hung in the air and he could see that a few of the students were still contemplating the idea of training with him, for at least a single session. Running his fingers through his hair, Shirou allowed a sigh to escape from his lips. "If you really want to train with me," he said slowly, hoping he wouldn't regret the decision he was about to make. "Meet me in the gymnasium after the final bell."
His instructions, understandably triggered some of the teachers who could hear what he was saying. "Oi! Oi!" shouted Present Mic as he crossed the distance between where the two groups were standing, kicking up dust in his wake. "These kids just went through hell, and you want to beat them up more before they have a chance to recover? What kind of heartless man are you?"
"Will their enemies give them time to breathe?" asked Shirou, the glance he sent at the teacher causing the professional hero to take half a step backwards. "Of course not. They don't care if you're exhausted, fatigued or injured, they'll see that as an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. At that time, regardless of your condition, you have to stand up and give it everything you have and more."
Shirou knew that his message had been received, but he felt like he needed to add insult to injury. "Plus Ultra."
He could almost see the anime style tic mark appear on Present Mic's forehead at the school motto's being used against him. Thankfully, before he could rise to the taunt, Principal Nezu spoke up and in doing so brought the attention upon himself. "While Mister Emiya's words do ring true, I do know that rest and recuperation is important to one's understanding of themselves. Sometimes to simply be able to reflect on how one progressed throughout the course of the day is something truly wonderful in it's own right. I do know however that you are teenagers and as such some of you may or may not have had your fair share of action today. If you feel as if you still have something to prove, then I encourage you to join Mister Emiya in the gymnasium where Midnight will overlook proceedings."
"However, this is truly optional and any injuries sustained in said exercise will not be looked over by Recovery Girl and you will have to let your bruises, welts and cuts heal in their own time. You might consider them your badges of honour or horrible blotches on your skin, it matters not. I have full trust that Mister Emiya will not use potentially lethal methods in teaching those of you who join him but I also believe he will not go easy on you. You have been warned."
Shirou couldn't help but internally thank the principal for speaking up when he did and he wasn't silly enough to use any lethal weapon against schoolchildren. Torashinai would more than likely be enough. Now there was the grand question however of how many standing before him would be foolish enough to fight him.
...
The remainder of the school day seemed to drag on and on before the final bell rang, signalling that they were free to leave the premises. Todoroki meanwhile had no intention of leaving the grounds when the rest of the academy opted to head home. Many of his fellow Class 1-A students had the same mindframe. Shirou had already been permitted to head to the gymnasium to prepare himself for the training he was going to give.
'Training' being the subjective word in that statement.
He could hear the gossiping of his peers as they marched around him to the gym. He cared not for their meanderings as he focused on the objective before him. Could he go toe to toe with Emiya Shirou? He was going to find out one way or the other.
The doors to the gymnasium opened up, Ashido being the one to open the entryway to reveal that Shirou already had his first opponent standing opposite him. While it momentarily shocked some of those around him, Todoroki quickly worked out that this was likely a way for upperclassmen to have an opportunity to go against one of the best the school has to offer in a semi controlled environment.
He, along with his peers, entered the area as quietly as they could before closing the door behind them. Other than the two competitors and Midnight, there were only two other students in attendance, likely friends of the person who had challenged Shirou. It would be interesting to see how someone else who had yet to see Shirou in action could face off against him.
Or it would just be plain interesting as numerous screams of shock echoed around him as the person whom had challenged Shirou found himself naked, his clothes falling off his body without any warning whatsoever.
Chapter 14
If the opening moment had intended to shock Shirou, no such surprise came across his features. Instead of a look of horror, there was simply a single eyebrow raised in curiosity.
His opponent, the third year student who had earlier introduced himself as Mirio, seemed to only smile in response. Whether the boy had been expecting a larger or more dramatic response from Shirou it seemingly no longer mattered.
It was an opening move Mirio had used against all first time sparring partners, getting a psychological advantage before a punch had even been thrown. Whether or not Shirou had encountered somebody with a similar quirk to his own, Mirio didn't know. What he did know was that he could practically feel his blood boiling.
The tension in Shirou's feet was the opening sign that something was about to happen before the weapon creator charged forward, crossing the distance between the two competitors in a flash. In his hand, Torashinai roared through the air with the will to deal damage to the person before it.
The strike struck true but there was the surprising lack of weapon on flesh which usually came when a blow connected. Many on the sidelines could only watch in curiosity but in the middle, Shirou had already garnered something of an understanding of Mirio's quirk.
Mirio, feeling like he had already given too much away, pressed on the offence, his fist cocked back with his target in sight. Shirou reacted in time, gliding slightly to the left to avoid the blow which had threatened to imbed itself into his stomach. He watched as his retaliation strike went over Torashinai's prey but not by his own merit, but rather Mirio having sunk into the ground.
It took only a handful of moments for Mirio to have completely submerged himself from view before Shirou swung out behind him, adjusting slightly to the fact that Mirio was several feet off the ground.
Like his previous assault, Torashinai phased through Mirio but Shirou halted his attack midway, keeping the weapon fixated in Mirio's body. The third year student landed on the ground and Shirou got the answer in that moment he required. It was only when Mirio went to attack him, did he allow Torashinai to glide out of Mirio's body.
Mirio's oncoming attack was a twofold one from what Shirou could tell. The hand reaching for his face was merely a distraction to the fist cocked and primed to strike him in the chest once more. Ignoring the fingers mere inches away from his eyes, Shirou conjured his counter for what was about to happen.
Mirio meanwhile felt himself freeze for the briefest of seconds as his phased fingers didn't necessarily go through closed eyelids, but rather the very wide opened eyes of Shirou who seemed to have realized that he had no intention of permanently blinding a fellow student. Mirio pressed on however and launched his fist forward, this time managing to connect with Shirou's torso.
Only to pull back his hand in shock and pain, blood openly oozing from several nasty cuts he had received. It had been a while since he had felt such pain though he didn't try to let the emotion show on his face. Those on the sidelines could only watch on in confusion, partially because of what had happened and the pace of everything. The entire bout had so far lasted no longer than six seconds and so much had already happened in such a short period of time.
"You crafted weapons underneath your clothes," stated Mirio, having worked out what Shirou had done.
"You aren't always intangible, you have to focus on what part of your body you want to be at any given time," retorted Shirou, mildly reeling from the blow which had pushed the steel he had crafted into his abdomens. The boy could pack a punch that was for sure.
While the words couldn't be heard by those standing in attendance, it was clear that there was some sort of understanding between the two combatants, the following clash was clear as day. Again, it was an incredible display of agility, skill and cunning as Shirou did his best to try and strike down an enemy he couldn't hit while his opponent tried to get an upper hand on a swordsman who was prepared for blows coming from his blind spots.
Breaking apart momentarily, Shirou altered his course of action as Torashinai vanished from sight. Mirio figuring something was afoot, allowed himself to slip beneath the surface once more, forcing his body to reappear several feet behind where Shirou was standing, having expected a trap of some sort. What he hadn't expected to see was that his opponent was not in his line of sight. As his feet hit the ground, Mirio turned around to protect his back and gain some leverage of sight of where Shirou would attack him from. Yet again however, he saw nothing.
Once more, the unfamiliar sensation of pain pierced through his body as an arrow struck his foot, grateful that the tip hadn't pierced his flesh. It would seem as if his opponent had opted not to use a tipped area, choosing to use one with a rubber end. Considering the accuracy of which it was shot, Mirio knew that it had been Shirou's target, his opponent already having utilized the times they had collided to work out several vantage points. Most people out of force of habit, aimed for the torso and head, two of the major targets.
While he could manipulate his quirk to allow blows to phase through when he knew they were coming, having his quirk permanently activated on his torso would prevent him from seeing or hearing anything. Perfect timing was required for him to utilize his quirk to the fullest.
His feet however, as soon as he allowed his quirk to flow through that part of his body he would lose his footing and begin to fall. Shirou had worked out that anytime they were standing across from each other was a time Mirio could be struck.
Shifting his gaze, Mirio looked above him to where Shirou hung more than thirty feet in the air, a black bow in his hands and another arrow notched and ready. Upon the loosening of the projectile, Mirio sunk into the ground beneath him, already having worked out the necessary amount of time to fall in order to find himself next to where Shirou was.
It was with little surprise that once light was once again accepted into his eyes to find Shirou facing him, the two of them on the descent towards the ground. In that brief moment when Mirio had been absent from sight, Shirou had changed weapons once again. The behemoth of a weapon was something which sent shivers through Mirio's system.
The club was nearly the same size as him and seemed to be some sort of hybrid between an axe and a club. Crafted of seemingly solid stone, Mirio prepared himself, watching the swing arc to see where Shirou would try to strike him with the weapon.
Yet it wasn't coming at him.
Shirou plummeted downwards, doing a complete front flip and bringing the club down with all the force he could muster. The moment that the weapon struck the ground the results were instantaneous. For those on the sidelines, they could do little more than scream in panic and shield their eyes as debris was sent in every feasible direction, crashing into the walls of the gymnasium.
Mirio landed on the ground as the dust was subsiding to discover the sheer destruction that Shirou had just displayed. The ground was in tatters, chunks of the ground stuck up from the floor while severe cracks more that half a foot wide spiderwebbed their way to the walls. Yet that was only the surface damage, Mirio could only imagine what had happened beneath ground level.
"You got me," he said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I'm going to go out on a limb here," said Shirou as he hefted the colossal weapon so that it sat on his shoulder. "When you go beneath the surface, distance, timing and angle have something to do with where you next find yourself. You've only ever had to worry about beneath surface areas which were flat. If you were to fall now and try and reappear when your body would theoretically be where a crack of open space was, your trajectory would drastically change."
"You're not far off, when I deactivate my quirk and relocate myself, as far as I know it is only due to two objects of mass not being able to exist in a single location," explained Mirio. "With what you have done to the battleground, I sincerely doubt that I would be able to accurately predict where I would appear."
"Would you like to continue?" asked Shirou.
"No, I think you have given me enough to think about, though if you ever wish to spar again I will be more than happy to be your opponent," said Mirio giving Shirou a genuine smile.
"Very well, until we meet again," said Shirou as the massive weapon he had been holding vanished into nothing. He watched as Mirio went about putting his clothes back on, much to the relief of those who had been in attendance. Shirou had to admit that the student's ability was powerful when used correctly, though the mindframe he'd have to constantly be in would have taken an incredible amount of time to get to the level he was at.
"What's your name?" asked Shirou as Mirio finished dressing himself. For a couple of seconds, Mirio didn't respond considering he had given his name before the two of them had begun to combat one another. Slow realization came through before he gave his answer.
"Lemillion!" he boldly declared.
"Lemillion," repeated Shirou.
"Yes, the hero who will save a million people," said Mirio as he clenched his fist in front of his body, emphasising his declaration.
"Best of luck," said Shirou, Mirio giving him a farewell gesture before making his way across the desolation towards the exit.
While Tamaki followed behind Mirio, Nejire watched on for a little bit longer. Ryuko, the professional hero whom she trained under, had asked her to get any sort of intel that she could about the individual who had battled against her peer. What she had witnessed was something that she had kept rapt attention to and her usual bubbly demeanour had found itself silenced at the feat she had seen. Such things like the ability to leap as high into the air as Shirou had without a quirk that boosted him in such a way were definitely things that Ryuko would wish to be informed about. With those thoughts in her mind, she left the gymnasium following behind her fellow third year students.
With them now gone, Shirou turned his attention to his classmates, many of them staring at him standing in the middle of the destroyed landscape. "So, who's next?" he asked casually.
Understandably, nobody was keen to go first.
...
Principal Nezu sat in his chair, watching the footage from the gymnasium with his paws pressed together beneath his chin. To say that what he was watching was outstanding was putting it lightly. Also in the room were a vast number of the school faculty who had gone to the aid of the first year students when they had been under attack only to arrive at the scene too late.
"Kid's got some power," commented Snipe, analyzing the damage done to the establishment. Cementoss nodded in agreement, already preparing himself to fix the damage that had been done.
"I think that's putting it lightly," said Ectoplasm as she scratched at her cheek. "The force necessary to deal that level of damage is something which shouldn't be possible for someone with his quirk."
"Which means that he did that with just raw strength," stated Snipe.
"Raw strength, the ability to react to the difficult situations placed before him and adapt accordingly, incredible bursts of speed and we haven't even gotten to his quirk," listed Nezu as the camera showed Kirishima stepping forward to challenge. "At this stage if he felt like leaving on his own accord I don't believe that we'd have the ability to stop him."
"But All Might..."
"Isn't here all the time," said Nezu as he turned from the monitor. "The question is how do we keep him here? He was forced here through no will of his own and while he will be wanted by the authorities, he could fend them off if he so wished and only perhaps the top thirty heroes could stop him."
"Should we increase our security?" asked Snipe.
"No, that would make it too obvious that we are watching them," said Nezu. "I dare not set up cameras watching their lodgings under fear that they would be discovered and it could trigger them. Having Hound Dog doing perimetre checks should be enough for the moment."
"Well considering there is no school records for him, should we offer him some Quirk Counseling?" suggested Cementoss.
"I don't think that would be a wise option," stated Nezu, dreading the idea of one of his staff trying to talk to Shirou about when and where to use his quirk. "No, for now I think it best we wait and watch, act accordingly when the time is right. Plus we cannot focus on a single student when we have the Sports Festival approaching."
"And what's to prevent him from wiping out the competition?" said Snipe, pointing to the monitor where Shriou had successfully dispatched Kirishima with ease before beckoning the next student to step forward. The faculty members watched Midoriya approach, the green haired boy nervously moving forward before standing in front of Shirou. There was a brief exchanging of words, Shirou saying something that seemed to trigger Midoriya into action.
It was almost comical, how Shirou dodged the first three punches with ease and on the fourth blow simply extended his foot causing Midoriya to trip over it. There had been a good chance that the boy could have maintained his balance until Shirou gave him a moderate nudge with the end of the non lethal weapon he was holding. Midoriya fell to the floor and as he turned, the tip of the training Shinai found itself pressed to his chest, right where his heart was.
Shirou, his point having been made, turned his attention to where the rest of his peers were located, signalling for the next one to step up to him. As Momo came forward, the members of the staff could understand that this wasn't a training exercise for Shirou per say but he was pointing out the most obvious flaws with his opponents plans of attack.
"Something tells me that he won't go all out in the festival," commented Nezu, hoping that he was right in his beliefs.
...
Shirou took the empty dishes to the sink, he and Rin having finished their dinner for the evening. The sun had long since set and their homework was done for the day (as ridiculous as it was to do homework, though it helped them learn more about the world around them) but Shirou could see a look in Rin's eye informing him that there was something she wished to discuss. Placing the empty dishes down and opting to clean them later, Shirou returned to the table where Rin was resting, one hand holding her head up as her elbow rested on the wooden top.
"Are you aware there is a sports festival coming up?" she asked.
"First I've heard of it," said Shirou as he knelt down. "I take it, it's not your standard school sports carnival."
"Over the top is putting it lightly," said Rin. "We were shown last year's event in class today and it is essentially a platform for everyone to show off their abilities. The flashier your moveset, the higher the opportunity that you will get scouted by a pro. It's basically a giant promotional event staged as a festival."
"Okay, and what do you want me to do?" asked Shirou.
"It's not so much what I want you to do, but what you're going to have to do," said Rin as she sat up straight. "They have a tradition where the highest ranking student has to do an opening speech."
"Yeah, what's the problem with that?"
"The problem is that I know you Shirou," stated Rin, her eyes sharpening. "I know that given the chance, you will say something that will irk the entirety of the world to the point where you are the most hated person on the planet."
Shirou remained silent but didn't dismiss the thought that that was a distinct possibility. "So, with your help to ensure it at least sounds like you, we're going to spend the night working you what you're going to say to ensure we don't get lynched down the street."
"We? So you're participating in the event as well," said Shirou picking up the single word used.
"Of course," said Rin as she flicked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I have my own agenda at the moment."
Shirou wasn't even surprised.
...
The following two weeks passed quicker than anybody in class 1-A could have realized. Between classes and the extracurricular training they did with Shirou almost daily after school had finished time seemed to just fly by. To say that the majority had improved would be an outright lie on the surface. None of them could say that they had witnessed improvement in their battles against Shirou but it had all been a good learning experience about the difference between where they were now and what their ultimate goal was.
One thing that the training that they had gone through was surprisingly helpful was that they were no longer afraid of failure. The almost repetitive nature of getting knocked know and then to force themselves to get up and do it again and again was something they hadn't particularly counted on. It was an awkward conundrum for the faculty to find themselves in when during practical sessions the students who took the loss seemed to learn more from how they had failed then from those who succeeded. On a handful of occasions, members of the teaching staff had overheard conversations of how students had felt that they were so close to a breakthrough, if they were a touch faster, a smidgen smarter or even a little more mentally prepared they could last longer. They weren't focused on actually being able to overcome the obstacle in front of them, just to be able to stand in its presence for just a touch longer.
Understandably, this mindset had ruffled a few feathers and one of the teachers had actually marched in and demanded that Shirou stop what it was he was doing. Present Mic had laid down the challenge and Shirou had instructed the class to wait outside while the two of them, 'talked it out like adults.' From outside the building, they had heard the destructive wails that Present Mic could produce for all of twelve seconds before he went silent and a minute afterwards, walked out of the gymnasium, clutching his right arm whilst walking with a noticeable limp and rightfully looking ashamed as he made his way to see Recovery Girl.
Surprisingly, after the encounter with Present Mic, Shirou did alter his training a bit. When a student got knocked down, they had to do twenty push ups before joining the line again. A little change but a change nonetheless.
A small alarm went off in the room where the room that the students of 1-A were gathered in, signalling that it was time. For a few it was at that moment when their nerves started to kick in. However, the first person to move was where all eyes caught on. Shirou stepped out of the room and was swiftly followed by the rest of the class. The walk behind him was more than a little symbolic as they watched him march on without hesitation. They forced themselves to remember that this was their chance, their opportunity to show just what they were capable of in front of an audience. The world knew what Shirou was capable of, now it was their time to show just what they could do.
Chapter 15
Bakugo growls were inaudible compared to the roar of the crowd that surrounded them. They had gotten the biggest pop which was rightfully given. It didn't matter that Present Mic was upselling their achievements thus far, the masses weren't aware of it but they had come to see them anyways. They were the prized students of the year. Half and Half Bastard, Raccoon Eyes, Shitty Hair, Four Eyes. They might have all been pebbles in his path towards greatness but they had scrambled their way to be standing alongside him above all others who may have tried. They were the best of the worst and they deserved to be acknowledged for that.
Then there was Shirou.
Other than the Half and Half Bastard, he was the only one who hadn't gone to get their ass handed to them over and over by Shirou. That didn't mean that he had been sitting down doing nothing with his time. He'd found himself pushing himself, harder than he ever had before. For years he had been worshipped with the belief of those around him pushing him forwards. Now he realized that he should have been exerting himself harder.
Bakugo knew that he was at the peak of the opportunities he had given himself, of that there was little doubt. The issue was that he hadn't chased up certain opportunities that he wasn't aware existed. Spending his youth bragging about how he was going to be the best when he didn't spend that time working himself to become the best. He knew that the last two weeks of intense training would have only closed the distance a little, but it was a start.
And a start was as good as anything.
...
"Now for the student representative, Emiya Shirou!"
The crowd didn't applaud him as much as they would have any other student and Shirou was more than aware of it. They knew who he was, what he was capable of and he could see those in attendance whispering amongst themselves. Thankfully, he didn't ultimately care about the opinions of the masses but he had a script to follow and he knew that to stray away would lead to more trouble than it was worth.
Stepping up to the podium, his eyes found Rin in the crowd of general studies students. He also had managed to find a small banner in the crowd with her name plastered on it. It seems as if some of the students who had opted not to compete had decided to throw their support behind her, whether from manipulation or her charm he wasn't fussed. She had never had a problem with people showering her with support before so why would it be any different in another world?
Allowing himself to exhale slightly, Shirou recalled what he and Rin had prepared and spoke. "Ladies, Gentlemen, Heroes, Civilians," he started, his words causing all those watching to go silent. He paused for several moments before he announced the final group of people that this speech was meant for, "And Villains."
That single word caused a murmur of discontent to spread around the arena but it didn't phase Shirou as he continued. "We are gathered here before you today to compete against one another for your entertainment. I'm sure you will take joy in children injuring themselves all for the sake of trying to show off what they are capable of. We will throw ourselves against whatever obstacles are in our way and if someone is to maim or perhaps even kill themselves, well that's amusement I guess."
"Those gathered before you are the future heroes of this world and if what I have said has already caused their nerves to come into question then they should forfeit their right to study here effective immediately," declared Shirou. "Grit and determination are a necessity in this line of work and even those who have signed themselves into other courses must be prepared for the consequences of failure. Not every mission is successful and it is never just the one who failed who has to deal with the fallout."
"These burdens are not what teenagers can even begin to comprehend, for the media only ever shows about how the hero valiantly saves the day. Never do we have an in depth look at the psyche, to work out just what is left of the person who spends every day in the limelight knowing that their successes will garner them fame while their failures will have them lynched in the streets. Will we garner success in the future or will we succumb to the wills of society?"
"Finally, I leave you with a final question which I know you all have an answer for. What is a hero? To me, a hero is someone whose name will be etched into legend. History will remember a true hero not for the amount of subordinates under them, or the fact that they spent time with those who adored them. They won't be the most famous or most sought after. The true heroes will be remembered by the fact that they never rescued anyone for the money or glory, but simply because it was the right thing to do."
His final part said, Shirou stepped away from the microphone he had been speaking into and made his way down off of the platform. His footsteps down the handful of stairs almost echoed in comparison to the silence which filled the arena. The words he had spoken resonated with the crowd to the point they were almost afraid to whisper their opinions to those next to them. It was no real surprise that they were quiet. He had poked the hornet's nest in a sense. The civilians of this world felt safe because there was an oversaturation of heroes patrolling the streets and help could arrive within minutes. The sad fact of the matter though, was sometimes those few minutes it took for the hero to arrive already meant that it was too late. Nobody liked to address the issue unless they were pointing fingers about who was to blame and unfortunately the blame wasn't always on the culprit.
"Okay...with that being said," started Midnight, a bit flummoxed by what she had just heard but doing her best to roll on ahead. "It's time to move on to our first event! The preliminaries as they are better known! This year's first round is...this, an Obstacle Course! It's a race between all eleven classes with the course making a nearly four kilometre ring around this stadium! We sing about freedom on campus so you're free to do anything so long as you remain in the course."
Midnight felt herself pause at the end of her statement, preventing her from telling the children to take care. It was something she never would have even contemplated beforehand but Shirou's speech had even sent cold feelings deep down into her soul. She still remembered when she had been a third year student right here in the Academy and was interning under Purple Highness in a lead up to her graduation, how she had worked side by side with a second year student she had called a friend.
And how it had all gone so terribly wrong.
Shaking her head lightly, she focused on the start of the obstacle course where the students had crowded behind one another, cramming as close to the start as they could. As the first light flashed on, she called out, "On your marks!"
...
"Start!"
The opening of the event saw those at the back of the pack watch on with mild entertainment as those at the front tried their hardest to squeeze through the narrow opening. This was where Shirou and Rin had found themselves, in no real rush to force their way to the front of the crowd. It was unsurprising for Shirou to find that a number of his peers had chosen the same course of action. Apparently a number of them had learned in the last couple weeks not to charge ahead without a plan.
At least they were taking something from his lessons.
Their patience was well rewarded with Todoroki having taken the lead and in doing so, freezing the field beneath him and trapping those who had thought to get an early start. Those who found themselves lucky enough to not have their feet stuck to the ground had to suffer the humility that came with falling face first into the ground, their footing ill prepared for the change in surface friction.
"So that was the opening act," said Rin as she leapt up, far higher than anybody had the right to and landed gracefully atop the starting gate, Shirou joining her side only a moment later. They paid little attention to the masses that were sandwiched beneath them, scrambling over one another in an attempt to get a step ahead of the rest.
"It was the simplest way to weed out those ill prepared, Midnight stated anything was far game," added Shirou. "If they fall at the first hurdle that just shows where they are." Shirou's attention shifted slightly to where his peers from Class 1-A were making their way forward, following after Todorok and towards the next obstacle. "Oh it's those things again."
By 'those things,' Shirou was referring to the gigantic machines that stood in the path of those who had gotten to the front of the pack. Shirou's ears perked up, hearing one student cry out that there were way too many to slip past. That to him sounded like a good warm up, certainly not a challenge but it would provide some entertainment.
...
Todoroki stared at the second obstacle and the drop that surrounded the handful of safe platforms. The rope that hung between the few havens differed greatly from spot to spot, meaning he would have to pick and choose which paths he took carefully.
"Well, that was easy," said a female voice behind him, Todoroki mildly surprised thinking that he had had quite a large gap between him and the rest of the field. Turning to look over his shoulder, Todoroki spotted Shirou accopaning said female, one whom he could mildly recall having fought alongside Shirou some time ago.
"So what's next?" asked Shirou as he came to stand by Todoroki's side, no sign that he was in anyway exhausted from having caught up to the lead with seeming ease. Not that Todoroki found this surprising in the slightest.
"Hmmph," scoffed Rin, ignoring the sounds of explosions and disaster raining on behind her as the rest of their year level did their best to make their way through the robot inferno. Without a second thought, she leapt forward, the abyss not terrifying her in the slightest. At first glance, Todoroki thought such reckless actions would lead to disaster and was already preparing some way in which to catch the general studies student.
His fear filled thoughts were unwarranted however, Rin crossing the gap with the simplest of ease, landing before leaping once more in a fluid motion, crossing the darkness without any fear for what lay beneath her. Before Todorki could even allow some manner of surprise to seep in, he could only watch as Shirou crossed the gap without hesitation though taking a slightly different path to the one that his companion was taking.
A momentary thought of panic came into Todoroki's mind as he questioned whether the sword crafting student would sabotage those behind them and cut the ropes connecting the platforms together. Thankfully it seemed as if fears were misplaced, Shirou seeming to have no need to destroy the hopes of those behind him.
Biting at the inside of his lip, Todoroki realized that he had spent far too long simply staring at the obstacle in front of him and began to press forward. Humorously he wondered if Endeavour was having an aneurysm watching him get so easily overtaken.
...
"First place goes to Tohsaka Rin from the general studies department, closely followed by Emiya Shirou in second place, the two having completed the third obstacle while many are still struggling their way through the second! They really are showing the difference in strength here."
Present Mic's commentary caused many of the students outside of 1-A to panic slightly the realization that two of the coveted spots were already claimed. For those who studied alongside Shirou, they simply weren't surprised by this outcome in the slightest and simply chose to press on.
Midoriya clung onto the rope he was traversing tightly, the large chunk of scrap metal he had claimed from the first obstacle hanging from his back and weighing him down as if trying to drag him to the depths below. In his mind he could still recall the lecture that All Might had given him, about how this was his chance to show the world that he was here. He didn't quite know how he was going to do so at this stage but he knew that if an opportunity came his way he would have to take it.
He struggled to pull himself up to the platform he had just made it to and on his hands and knees was able to see that he still needed to cross two more gaps to make it to the finish of this obstacle. Judging from the number of people in front and behind him, Midoriya made the deduction that he was roughly midfield which considering he had yet to make use of his quirk wasn't a terrible spot to be in.
A familiar scream nearby however caught his attention.
He couldn't help but look as Ochako's balance faltered and she fell, her fingers swiftly pressing against each other to slow her descent considerably. She would float there and rise a touch but chances were that she would be unable to reach the rope she had fallen off. Midoriya knew that she couldn't maintain her composure long without getting nauseous and falling however further down into the darkness the pit stretched. While it might have been completely safe with a net or something similar prepared to catch a falling student, Midoriya didn't see it that way, he saw someone in danger.
His mind raced as he took the large chunk of scrap metal off of his back and using the wiring that had the steel hanging from his back to tie the metal on to his feet. Pushing himself to a standing position, Midoriya looked at the rope before him and the falling figure of Ochako who was visibly starting to get a bit queasy.
Then he leapt.
Miroriya allowed no fear to spring into his mind as his hands gripped onto the former balancing device and thrust his feet downwards as hard as he could, the metal connected to him shearing through the rope with ease. He fell, his grip on the rope solid as his eyes focused on the objective ahead. "Grab on!" he shouted, his voice reaching Ochako who saw the rope coming her way.
She released her quirk with precision timing, grabbing onto the rope that was swinging at her and allowed the motion to push her towards the nearby pillar. Down the bottom of the rope, Midoriya had awaited this moment as he angled his legs and drove the sharp edge of the metal sheet straight into the pillar, creating a platform for him to stand on. His motion forced him to bounce off the wall quite painfully but he focused instead on the form of Ochako above him, the girl having managed to keep her grip on the rope.
Seeing that Midoriya was standing beneath her, Ochako began the slow descent down, climbing down one hand after the other step by step. The rest of the competition seemed to just go by without noticing the development going on beneath them. It didn't take too long before Ochako found the safety of Midoriya's arms, the boy freezing momentarily at the fact that there was a girl in his arms before focusing on what was needed.
"A...A...Are you okay?" he asked, stuttering slightly.
"Yes, thank you," said Ochako, slightly unnerved that despite being so far down the pillar she still couldn't see the bottom beneath her. "You didn't have to save me."
"No, I did, it was the right thing to do," said Midoriya realizing that while he may have blown his chances at making it through the obstacle course he had made the right choice overall. Shirou's words from earlier rang through his mind at that moment as he wondered how many professional heroes would have done the same thing if they had seen the situation he had.
Ochako meanwhile was mildly panicking, wondering why she had opted to climb down the rope as to why she had chosen to go down as opposed to climb upwards and give herself a chance of victory. Even if she was to secure a spot however, she felt that she wouldn't have deserved it after having been saved by someone who was unable to make it to the end themselves.
Midoriya meanwhile was making plans. Utilizing One for All, he could easily throw Ochako towards the end of the second obstacle and allow the girl a chance to continue. He couldn't use the full strength he was capable of, such power would send the student flying out of the stadium. No, he'd have to use a portion of his strength, the tiniest amount which would send Ochako in the right direction at a speed which she could float herself to safety.
"How's your stomach?" he asked of the girl in his arms, a situation that was still causing his body temperature to rise.
"A little queasy but nothing I haven't been able to handle before," admitted Ochako. "What do you have in mind?"
"I'm going to throw you up there," declared Midoriya. "I'll need you optimizing your quirk to adjust your landing but you can make it."
"Midoriya," said Ochako softly, finding it hard to believe that even in this situation the boy holding her was still trying to find a way to help her. Before he could start telling her what to do, she stopped him before he started his spiel. "Don't. Too much time has passed, I won't make it in."
"You could still..."
"Deku," she said, using the name he had given her permission to use. "Let's just wait here, okay?"
Midoriya blinked several times as he wondered why Ochako opted not to continue but chose to simply nod in acceptance. If she simply wanted to wait out the rest of the time here in his arms then...then...
The darkness covered the shade of red his face went.
...
All Might watched on, awaiting the next portion of what was to happen. Midoriya's brave efforts had likely gone unnoticed by a majority of the people in attendance but his actions would not have gone unseen by those that counted. Many of the audience were members of the hero community who were scouting for potential students to put under internship. While the first year student who came through the tournament in the top position was always the one that garnered the most attention, professionals were always looking for something they could work with.
To ignore the objective to save a single life, it was admirable and something that would be taken into consideration for sure. Though not once during the showing had Midoriya utilized his quirk. Whether this would work in his benefit or not was difficult to say as he hadn't technically shown anything other than his determination to help those in need. He wouldn't get many proposals but there would undoubtedly be some who saw the potential.
It wasn't technically the way for him to announce that he was here, but it was still a way nonetheless.
...
"The forty two at the top have earned the right to advance!" announced Midnight, the names of those who had made their way into the second obstacle being displayed on the screen behind her.
"Forty two seems such an odd number," said Rin as Midnight continued her spiel.
"I don't know how many students are in our year throughout the classes, perhaps it is divisible by forty two," said Shirou offering an answer to the unspoken question.
"As improbable as it sounds, you might be onto something," said Rin casually as Midnight accounced the next conquest to be a cavalry battle. "Don't you think for a second that I'm carrying you."
"Wouldn't dream about it," chuckled Shirou as he momentarily scoped the rest of the competition. As entertaining as it would be to have Rin sitting atop his shoulders for the entirety of the bout, there was a chance that she would fall from up there and the two of them would be disqualified. So he needed to find someone willing to join them that wouldn't slow them down.
"With the exception of first place whose head is worth TEN MILLION POINTS!" exclaimed MIdnight, upselling just how valuable the leading position was. Along with how much of a subsequent target it now was.
"What!" shouted Rin in shock as all eyes turned to her.
Shirou meanwhile chuckled at the turn of events and now had to try and figure out who would be willing to join their team with the fact that everyone else would be hunting them down.