Chapter 29: The Opening Ceremony
The day of the U.A. Sports Festival dawned not with the quiet serenity of a normal morning, but with a distant, thunderous hum that seemed to vibrate in the very air of the city. It was the sound of a metropolis holding its breath, of millions of eyes turning towards a single point on the map: the colossal U.A. stadium. For Rock Lee, waking in his quiet room, it was the sound of destiny calling.
There was no hesitation in his movements. His morning routine was performed with a sharp, focused intensity. He felt no pain, no exhaustion. The two weeks of brutal, soul-crushing training had tempered his body, forging it into something new, something that hummed with a quiet, contained power. When he sat down for breakfast, his parents didn't see a tired boy anymore. They saw a young warrior, his eyes clear and hard as diamonds, his spirit radiating a calm, unshakeable resolve.
The walk to school was a journey through a world transformed. The streets were rivers of people, all flowing in one direction, their faces bright with excitement, wearing the colors and merchandise of their favorite Pro Heroes. He could hear his own school's name being chanted by news reporters broadcasting from helicopters overhead. He felt the stares and whispers as he passed, his green U.A. gym uniform marking him as one of the day's combatants. He was not intimidated. He was energized. Every stare, every shout, was fuel for the fire burning in his soul.
He arrived at the designated waiting room for Class 1-A to find the atmosphere thick with a mixture of nervous energy and fierce ambition. Tenya Iida was attempting to lead the class in some pre-emptive focusing exercises, his arms chopping the air with stiff, robotic motions. Ochako Uraraka was stretching in a corner, her face a mask of intense concentration. And Katsuki Bakugo was leaning against a wall in the far corner, his arms crossed, a silent, simmering volcano of aggression that warned everyone to keep their distance.
Lee found a quiet space and began his own methodical stretches, his mind a calm lake, his focus turned entirely inward. He was in his element.
Then, the quiet tension was broken. Shoto Todoroki, his expression as cold and impassive as ever, walked directly over to Izuku Midoriya.
"From an objective standpoint, I am stronger than you," Todoroki stated, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. "And I will beat you."
Midoriya flinched, startled by the direct confrontation. But he met Todoroki's gaze, his own resolve hardening. "You may be stronger, Todoroki-kun," he replied, his voice trembling but firm. "But I will be giving it my all to win, too."
A heavy silence fell over the room as the two top contenders faced each other down. The air crackled with their unspoken rivalry.
And then, with a joyous laugh that shattered the tension, Rock Lee moved.
In a single, fluid motion, he leaped from his stretching position and landed with perfect, silent balance atop the large table in the center of the room. Every eye snapped towards him, stunned by the sudden, acrobatic display.
He stood tall, a wide, brilliant grin on his face, his fist pumped into the air. "A declaration of rivalry!" he announced, his voice booming with infectious enthusiasm. "How wonderful! The passionate flames of youth burn so brightly in this room today! This is truly a splendid occasion!"
His classmates stared, their jaws agape, before a few of them began to chuckle. The sheer, earnest absurdity of his dramatic entrance was a welcome relief from the crushing pressure.
Lee's gaze swept across the room, his eyes shining. "I, Rock Lee, wish to join in this pledge of competition! Midoriya-kun! Todoroki-kun! Bakugo-kun!" He pointed to each of them in turn. "And everyone else in Class 1-A! I will face you all with the full and unyielding force of my spirit! Let us compete with honor and passion! Let us use this grand stage to push each other to new and glorious heights! It will be a most magnificent festival!"
His speech was so heartfelt, so purely and intensely him, that the mood of the room lifted entirely. Kirishima slammed his hardened fist into his palm with a grin. "Yeah! That's the spirit, Lee! So manly!" Mina cheered, her earlier nerves forgotten.
Only one person was not amused.
"Don't get so cocky, bushy-brows."
The voice was a low, venomous growl. Bakugo looked up at Lee, who was still standing proudly on the table. A cruel, contemptuous smirk twisted his lips.
"Today is your funeral."
Before Lee could respond, the booming voice of Present Mic echoed from the speakers in the room. "ALRIGHT, LISTEN UP, FIRST-YEARS! IT'S ALMOST TIME! MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FIELD! CLASS 1-A, YOU'RE UP FIRST!"
The moment had arrived. Lee leaped down from the table, his heart hammering against his ribs not with fear, but with pure, unadulterated excitement. He walked with his class down the long, dark tunnel that led to the stadium floor. The distant roar of the crowd grew louder with every step, a wave of sound that vibrated through the concrete beneath his feet. He could see a brilliant rectangle of light at the end of the tunnel, the entrance to the arena. This was it. The stage he had dreamed of, a stage he once believed he would never be allowed to set foot on.
"HEEEEY EVERYONE, ARE YOU READY?!" Present Mic's voice screamed, a sound that was suddenly deafening as they stepped out of the tunnel and into the light. "THE FRESHMEN WHO SURVIVED A VILLAIN ATTACK WITH THEIR HEARTS OF STEEL! GIVE IT UP FOR THE MIRACLE STARS OF THE HERO COURSE, CLAAAAASS 1-A!"
A wave of sound and light washed over Lee, so powerful it was a physical force. He looked up, his eyes wide, taking in the scene. A hundred thousand people, their faces a blur of color, their cheers a single, deafening roar. The sky above was a perfect, brilliant blue, dotted with news helicopters circling like birds of prey. The scale of it was breathtaking. He felt impossibly small, yet at the same time, more alive than he had ever been.
All the first-year classes gathered on the field, a sea of determined young faces. The R-Rated Hero, Midnight, took the stage, her presence silencing the stadium. After a brief, flamboyant speech, she called for the student representative to deliver the opening pledge.
"For the first-year pledge… from Class 1-A, Katsuki Bakugo!"
A low murmur went through the crowd. Lee watched with intense curiosity as Bakugo walked calmly to the podium, his hands in his pockets. What inspiring words would their top-ranked student offer? What powerful message would he deliver to the world?
Bakugo stepped up to the microphone, looked out at the silent, expectant stadium, and spoke in a bored, deadpan voice.
"I pledge… that I'll be number one."
For a second, there was only stunned silence. Then, the entire stadium erupted in a tidal wave of boos and jeers from the other classes.
"What the.."
"So arrogant!"
"Damn you, Class 1-A!"
Bakugo simply smirked, unfazed by their hatred. He turned and gave a dismissive thumbs-down before walking off the stage.
While his classmates groaned in embarrassment, Lee found himself smiling slightly. It was not arrogance, he realized. It was an absolute, unwavering declaration of intent. It was the proclamation of a man who had no doubt whatsoever in his own strength. In its own twisted way, Lee respected that kind of conviction.
"Now, without further delay," Midnight declared, cracking her whip. "Let's get to the first event! This year's preliminary round is… THIS!"
A giant screen behind her lit up with the words: OBSTACLE RACE.
"It is a grand, four-kilometer race around the entire circumference of this stadium!" she explained with a grin. "A test of speed, ingenuity, and endurance! As long as you stay on the course, anything goes! Now, take your positions!"
The students were herded towards a massive, single gate at one end of the stadium. The passage was perilously narrow, designed to create a bottleneck from the very beginning. Lee found himself squeezed in the middle of the pack, the bodies of his schoolmates pressing in on all sides. He could feel the tension, the vibrating energy of hundreds of young, powerful athletes, all waiting for a single signal.
The massive countdown lights above the gate began to tick down.
3…
Lee took a deep, centering breath, his mind becoming a calm, clear lake.
2…
He bent his knees slightly, coiling the power in his legs.
1…
His eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on the path ahead.
A deafening buzzer sounded through the stadium.
"START!"
The gates flew open, and with a thunderous roar of shouting voices and pounding feet, the U.A. Sports Festival had begun.