As the start of the race is announced, all the competitors begin moving, squeezing through the tunnel.
I release my Rinkaku, using the tentacles to latch onto the ceiling and pass freely over the crowd.
From the ground, some students notice what I'm doing. One in particular, a short guy with strange purple ball-like hair, stares at me with horror and disbelief.
"This is so unfair!!" I hear him complain loudly as I pass overhead, knocking loose bits of dirt and dust.
"AHHHHHH!! MY EYES!!!!" The debris falls directly into his eyes.
I completely ignore it.
Then, at the tunnel exit, the front runners begin to emerge, but their feet are frozen by Todoroki, who starts raising a wall of ice to block the exit.
I launch forward, throwing myself through a narrow gap just before he finishes the wall. Mid-air, I exchange a quick glance with him, he's still focused on forming the barrier, his brows furrowed.
I land and keep running.
I barely make it a few meters before I hear a massive explosion behind me. Bakugo blasts a path through the ice wall, opening a way for himself and the others.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!!" Bakugo roars, his hands still smoking.
"Tsk." Todoroki clicks his tongue as he tries to reclaim the lead, clearly annoyed.
"Yo hey, we're live broadcasting! Are you ready!? Care to comment, Mr. Mummy?" Present Mic's voice booms through the speakers.
Aizawa's tired voice follows:
"Sure… since you dragged me here."
I blink as I spot the familiar silhouettes of the entrance exam robots blocking the path ahead.
"And right from the start! Obstacles appear out of nowhere!!" Present Mic announces.
"The first barrier, Robot Hell!!"
I barely pay attention to the smaller robots around me, dodging their attacks easily. My eyes are fixed ahead, where several massive Zero Pointers are gathered.
Tec
My Kakugan activates on its own, red veins spreading around my eyes, glowing ominously.
Thankfully, I'm far enough not to terrify the audience, just enough to look more intimidating.
'Thanks, Principal Nezu… I couldn't break one of these during the entrance exam.'
I leap over a punch from a Zero Pointer, landing on its arm and sprinting forward, using my Kagune to balance as I climb.
The robot raises its arm and shakes it, trying to throw me off.
Reaching the shoulder, I jump again, switching to my Koukaku mid-air, forming a massive red spear.
I drive the blade into the robot's head, using the weight and impact to tear through the metal, sparks and internal explosions bursting along the path of the Koukaku.
The giant begins to fall backward, dragging other Zero Pointers with it like a domino chain.
I switch back to my Rinkaku, leaping across them before they collapse.
Jumping off the last one, I wrap myself in my Rinkaku to cushion the fall, rolling slightly before opening the Kagune shell and looking at the destruction I caused.
The Zero Pointers lie piled on top of each other, struggling to rise.
The ones still standing stare at the fallen ones.
Dust clouds rise, creating a scene straight out of a disaster movie.
'That was badass,' I think, turning to continue the race, almost smiling.
"HELL YEAHHHH!!!" Present Mic screams before being abruptly cut off, sparing the audience's ears.
─── ◆ ───
At the start of Robot Hell, students from other classes stare wide-eyed, mouths hanging open, it all happened too fast.
But some, mostly Class 1-A, are already moving.
Todoroki froze the robots just long enough to pass, leaving them as obstacles again once they broke free.
Bakugo blasts across them, followed by Sero and Tokoyami.
"Show-offs…" he mutters mid-air.
Midoriya grabs an armor plate from a smaller robot, destroying it without using his quirk, seemingly planning something.
Momo blows up the remaining Zero Pointers with a cannon she creates.
Himiko crosses the fallen robots easily, smiling to herself at Kaneki's actions, remembering how upset he had been about not destroying a Zero Pointer during the entrance exam.
─── ◆ ───
Back to Kaneki.
Before long, I reach the second obstacle. Present Mic explains it, but it's easy enough to understand.
Stone pillars connected by ropes, with a significant drop below, cushioned, obviously.
I don't hesitate.
I jump, grabbing the ropes, then launch myself onto the nearest pillar.
My Kagune tentacles latch onto the surface as I circle it with a few leaps, repeating the process until the end.
Reaching the other side, I glance back briefly, the others are just arriving at the obstacle. Even with the lead, I don't slow down.
"Kaneki has reached the final obstacle!! Sorry for the spoilers, but what can you do, right?"
"I present: The Minefield! If you look closely, you can see the mines buried underground, but how much will they slow you down?!"
"..."
"Huh?"
Present Mic is left speechless as I pass through the minefield with ease, using my Rinkaku tentacles as legs to elevate myself high enough to spot the mines, casually advancing over them.
As I cross the finish line, Present Mic announces:
"First place goes to Ken Kaneki from Class 1-A! No competition for that first place!"
From the stage, Midnight gives me a wink and a thumbs-up, smiling proudly.
I nod back, wiping sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.
She tosses me a water bottle, which I catch and immediately start drinking.
I sit on the ground at a good distance from the finish line, watching the others deal with the minefield.
I see Todoroki and Bakugo blasting through mines, running neck and neck near the end.
Further back, a massive explosion erupts, out of the smoke, Midoriya appears, flying over the minefield on a piece of robot armor at insane speed.
He quickly catches up, then launches himself forward, slamming the armor into the ground, triggering another explosion that knocks Bakugo and Todoroki aside.
'Crazy…'
I stand up, finishing my water, and walk toward the finish line as an exhausted Midoriya crosses it.
I extend my hand. He looks confused for a second, then smiles tiredly, and we greet each other with a dap that echoes with a satisfying "Pop" across the arena.
"Nice idea."
I grab another bottle tossed by Midnight and hand it to him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see staff placing crates of water for the others.
"Haaa… Thanks…" He opens it and drinks.
Soon after, Present Mic announces Izuku Midoriya as second place.
─── ◆ ───
[A/N]: Give me your stones! 🫵
....
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