Midnight continued her explanation, her whip snapping sharply against the ground as she turned and pointed toward the massive metal gates looming ahead. The sound echoed across the stadium, instantly silencing the remaining chatter.
"So," she said smoothly, pacing along the edge of the stage, "this is a race where every member of all eleven classes will participate to reach the finish line!"
The camera drones zoomed in as she gestured broadly at the arena.
"The course stretches four kilometers," she continued, her tone rising with excitement, "and it's rigged with traps, obstacles, and surprises designed to push you to your absolute limits."
The gates ahead rumbled ominously, faint mechanical sounds hinting at the chaos waiting beyond them.
"You'll need to be cautious," Midnight said, holding up one finger.
"Clever," she added, a second finger rising.
"And most of all—relentless."
She smiled, sharp and knowing.
"And remember—here at U.A., we preach freedom." The crowd leaned in.
"As long as you stay within the boundaries of the course… anything goes."
A ripple of shock and excitement spread through the students.
"Use your quirks."
"Use your brains."
"Use your guts."
Her whip cracked again, harder this time.
"Now, racers—take your positions!"
The stadium erupted.
Students surged toward the starting line, hundreds of uniforms flooding the field in a chaotic wave before settling into tight ranks. Shoulder-to-shoulder, elbow-to-elbow, the competitors packed together until the front line became a wall of tension.
Muttered strategies filled the air.
"Stay low at the start—"
"Watch for quirk users—"
"Don't get trampled—"
Heavy breathing mixed with the shuffling of feet against the ground. Some students wiped sweaty palms on their uniforms. Others clenched their fists, eyes burning with determination.
Above them, the giant signal light hung ominously, dark and silent.
Izuku stood near the center of the pack.
Calm—but buzzing.
He could feel the heat of the bodies around him, hear the uneven breathing, smell the faint tang of sweat and nerves. The pressure pressed in from all sides, yet instead of suffocating him, it sharpened his focus.
'Four kilometers,' he thought.
'Traps. Obstacles. Anything goes.'
A grin tugged faintly at his lips.
Click.
The light shifted from red to yellow.
The entire crowd seemed to inhale at once.
Students lowered their stances, knees bent, muscles coiled tight like loaded springs. The ground felt suddenly still—too still.
Ding!
The light flashed green.
"START!" Midnight shouted, her voice thundering across the stadium.
The gates exploded open.
And in the next heartbeat, the mass of students surged forward—
a living tidal wave charging headfirst into chaos.
The thunder of pounding feet rolled through the arena like a drumline as hundreds of students surged forward at once.
But Izuku didn't stay with the pack.
Instead, he bent his knees—muscles coiling tight—then launched himself skyward.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he shot upward, soaring cleanly over the mass of bodies below. For a brief moment, he was silhouetted against the stadium lights, cape-less but heroic, before he sailed far ahead of the crowd and landed smoothly on open ground.
Gasps rippled through the stadium.
Before anyone could even process what they'd seen, Izuku broke into a sprint.
His feet struck the ground in powerful, measured strides. Each step ate up distance effortlessly. His breathing stayed even, controlled. To him, this wasn't even close to full speed—just enough to establish dominance and keep momentum.
Behind him, the pack scrambled, already falling behind.
Then—
The ground shuddered.
Metal groaned. Hydraulics hissed.
A massive shadow loomed ahead as something colossal rose up from beneath the course.
A towering robot—nearly scraping the arena walls—locked into place in front of Izuku. Its red eyes blazed to life as steam vented from its chest. One enormous arm lifted, blocking the path entirely.
"EVERY obstacle course needs obstacles!" Present Mic roared. "AND THE FIRST ONE IS—ROBO INFERNO!"
The crowd exploded with excitement.
Behind Izuku, a few students grinned cruelly.
"Ha! That'll show him!"
"Yeah—guess rushing ahead wasn't so smart!"
Izuku didn't slow down.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't even frown.
His eyes locked onto the machine, expression calm—almost bored.
Then—
He accelerated.
The ground blurred beneath his feet as he leapt, body cutting through the air like a missile. His fist clenched, muscles compressing with terrifying precision as he rocketed straight toward the robot's face.
BANG!
The impact detonated like a thunderclap.
The robot's metal skull caved inward instantly, armor folding like paper. Its massive body staggered back—then lifted off the ground entirely before being hurled violently off the course.
BOOOOOM!
It crashed in a heap of sparks and shattered plating, systems frying as smoke billowed upward. The head was completely destroyed.
For a heartbeat—
Silence.
Then the stadium erupted.
Cheers, screams, disbelief flooding the air.
Izuku landed lightly, rolling his shoulder once as if shaking off dust. He glanced at his fist, brushed it against his sleeve, and kept running—never breaking stride.
Class 1-A couldn't help but smile.
That was Izuku. Calm. Efficient. Overwhelming.
Other classes stared in open shock, confidence cracking before their eyes.
"What the hell—?!"
"Did he just—?!"
"Yeah, what the hell?!"
The disbelief spread like wildfire.
But the course wasn't finished.
A deep, ominous rumble rolled through the ground as panels along the path split apart. One after another, Zero Pointers began to rise—massive, towering machines emerging from the shadows.
Their heavy footsteps shook the terrain as they formed a wall of steel and destruction, blocking the course with sheer numbers.
Izuku's lips curved into a faint smirk.
'Alright,' he thought. 'I'll leave some for everyone else. No need to make the race too easy.'
One of the Zero Pointers swung its enormous arm downward.
Izuku dropped instantly—sliding across the ground as the massive hand smashed down above him. Sparks and debris rained as he shot out the other side, springing back to his feet in one fluid motion.
Then he blitzed.
His speed spiked, afterimages trailing behind him as he tore through the machines. Fists slammed into glowing cores. Shoulders crashed through armor plating.
BOOOOM!
CRASH!
KRAKOOOM!
Zero Pointers collapsed like dominoes, exploding into showers of sparks and twisted metal. Fire lit up the course as smoke curled skyward.
And when the dust settled—
Izuku was already gone.
Far ahead. Untouched. Unscathed.
The audience roared in awe, commentators tripping over their own words trying to keep up.
As Izuku reached the next section, the announcers' tone shifted—dramatic, tense.
"AND NOW… the second stage of the course—THE FALL!"
Before him stretched a nightmarish path: towering stone pillars rising high above a seemingly bottomless pit. Each pillar was separated by massive gaps, forcing dangerous leaps. Thin ropes strung between them served as the only lifelines.
One mistake meant elimination.
Izuku slowed just slightly, eyes scanning the layout.
'…This will be hard,' he thought.
TO BE CONTINUED