Chapter 41: Forging the Path
The towering, frozen Zero-Pointers crashed to the earth with a deafening roar, sending a massive shockwave of dust and debris washing over the stunned students. Todoroki's calculated trap had worked perfectly; the path was entirely blocked by thousands of tons of impenetrable steel and ice.
But while the rest of the first-years coughed and panicked, Zoro simply took a step forward.
He held the Wado Ichimonji in his right hand and the Sandai Kitetsu in his left. He didn't look at the massive mountain of metal as an obstacle. He closed his eyes, tuning out the frantic screams of the students behind him.
Listen to it, Zoro thought, his breathing slowing down until the chaotic world around him seemed to freeze. Everything in this world has a breath. Trees, dirt, stones... and steel.
To the outside observer, Zoro was just standing there like a statue. But in Zoro's mind, he was feeling the rhythm of the giant robot blocking his path. He felt the exact frequency of its metal armor, finding the weakest point where the "breath" of the steel paused.
Zoro opened his two eyes, and a terrifying, demonic aura flared around him. He crouched low, crossing both blades in front of his chest.
"Nitoryu Iai..." (Two-Sword Style Draw...)
Before anyone could even blink, Zoro vanished from his spot. A massive gust of wind blasted the surrounding students backward.
"Rashomon!"
A silver flash of light carved through the air in a perfect cross. Zoro reappeared on the other side of the massive robot, slowly sheathing his two blades with a sharp click.
For a split second, nothing happened. Then, a horrific screech of tearing metal echoed across the stadium.
The colossal, frozen Zero-Pointer cleanly split into four perfect, massive chunks. The solid steel had been sliced as smoothly as butter. The giant pieces slid apart and crashed onto the ground, creating a perfectly clear, wide path right through the middle of the wreckage.
Up in the commentator booth, Present Mic leaped out of his chair, nearly knocking over his soundboard.
"HE DID IT AGAIN!" Present Mic screamed into the microphone, his voice echoing across the roaring stadium. "JUST LIKE IN THE ENTRANCE EXAM! RORONOA ZORO FROM CLASS 1-A CLEAVES SOLID STEEL WITH HIS BARE HANDS! NO QUIRK, JUST PURE, UNADULTERATED SWORDSMANSHIP! ERASERHEAD, YOUR STUDENT IS A MONSTER!"
Aizawa leaned into his microphone, an exhausted but proud smirk hidden beneath his bandages. "I told you before. That is purely his own physical strength and skill. He doesn't need a Quirk to cut through an obstacle."
The stadium erupted into absolute madness. Pro heroes in the stands jumped out of their seats, staring at the screens in pure disbelief.
Back on the course, Bakugo blasted himself into the air using his explosions, his face twisted in absolute fury. "DON'T GET FULL OF YOURSELF, MOSS-HEAD!" Bakugo roared, flying right over the sliced robot. "I'M STILL CRUSHING YOU!"
As the frontrunners continued the race, Midoriya stood near the back, his green eyes wide in awe. He had seen Zoro's strike up close. Zoro and Kacchan are already pulling ahead, Midoriya thought, gritting his teeth. I can't fall behind! Think! There has to be a way!
His eyes landed on a large, heavy piece of curved armor plating that Zoro had sliced off the robot. An insane, reckless idea sparked in Midoriya's mind. Without a second thought, he grabbed the heavy piece of metal, hoisted it over his shoulder, and started running toward the opening Zoro had created.
A few minutes later, the frontrunners arrived at the second obstacle: The Fall.
It was a massive, deep canyon. The only way across was to navigate a series of tall, isolated pillars of dirt, connected only by thin, tightrope-like wires.
Todoroki didn't even slow down. He smoothly froze the tightropes, creating an ice path and sliding across effortlessly. Bakugo simply ignored the ropes altogether, using his explosions to fly directly over the canyon like a human missile.
Zoro arrived at the edge of the canyon and slammed on the brakes. He looked at the winding, zigzagging layout of the ropes and clicked his tongue in deep annoyance.
"What kind of stupid layout is this?" Zoro grumbled to himself, scratching his head. "The finish line is straight ahead. Why are the ropes going left and right? Whoever designed this has a terrible sense of direction. I'm not playing this stupid maze game."
Ignoring the intended path entirely, Zoro took a few steps back, took a deep breath, and sprinted forward. He leaped off the edge of the canyon directly into the open air.
As gravity began to pull him down, Zoro quickly drew the Wado Ichimonji and swung it fiercely behind him.
"Ittoryu: 36 Pound Hou!" (One-Sword Style: 36 Pound Phoenix!)
The sheer force of the air pressure generated by the slash acted like a jet engine. The recoil blasted Zoro forward like a rocket, propelling him across the massive gap of the canyon. He landed heavily on the other side, his boots digging into the dirt, and kept running without missing a beat.
"HE SKIPPED THE ROPES!" Present Mic yelled. "HE USED THE AIR PRESSURE OF HIS OWN SWORD TO FLY! IS THERE ANYTHING THIS KID CAN'T DO?!"
Finally, the top three students—Todoroki, Bakugo, and Zoro—reached the final obstacle.
The Minefield. Todoroki was forced to slow down, carefully watching his step to avoid triggering the explosives. Bakugo was flying over them, but the continuous use of his explosions was clearly straining his arms.
"DON'T THINK YOU'VE WON, HALF-AND-HALF!" Bakugo yelled, finally catching up to Todoroki and swinging a massive explosion toward the ice user. Todoroki blocked it with a wall of ice, and the two immediately began fighting for first place.
Right behind them, Zoro entered the minefield. He was dodging the traps with his incredible agility, but the dense layout was slowing him down.
"THE TOP THREE ARE BATTLING IT OUT IN THE FINAL STRETCH!" Present Mic announced.
But then... a sound pierced through the chaos. A loud, distinct metallic CLINK.
At the very beginning of the minefield, Izuku Midoriya had arrived. He had gathered a massive pile of landmines into one spot using the metal plate he carried from the Zero-Pointer. Midoriya leaped into the air, holding the metal plate like a shield, and slammed it directly into the pile of explosives.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The biggest explosion of the entire festival erupted at the back of the course. A massive, towering pillar of pink smoke and shockwaves shot into the sky.
Todoroki, Bakugo, and Zoro all stopped and looked over their shoulders.
Riding the shockwave of the blast on his piece of metal, Izuku Midoriya soared through the air. The massive push sent him flying right over the heads of the top three, completely bypassing the minefield and taking the lead.
Todoroki and Bakugo were stunned. The shockwave of Midoriya's blast threw them off balance, forcing them to stop and brace themselves.
But Zoro didn't brace himself. Instead, his eyes widened, and a massive, feral grin spread across his face.
"Not bad, Midoriya," Zoro laughed, his competitive spirit burning hotter than ever. "But I'm not losing to you!"
Zoro grabbed the hilt of the Wado Ichimonji. He didn't jump. He didn't run. Instead, he locked his eyes on the finish line, which was hidden behind a sea of unexploded mines.
"Ittoryu..." Zoro muttered, his muscles bulging as he swung the blade in a fierce, upward horizontal arc. "Yakkodori!" (Disaster Harbor Bird!)
A crescent-shaped projectile of compressed air shot from Zoro's blade. It flew inches above the ground in a perfectly straight line, cutting right through the center of the minefield.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Every single landmine in the path of the flying slash detonated simultaneously. The massive chain of explosions created a perfect, smoke-cleared tunnel straight through the dangerous field. Zoro had literally carved a safe path with his sword.
Before the smoke could even settle, Zoro exploded forward. Relying purely on his terrifying raw speed and leg strength, he dashed through the cleared tunnel like a green blur.
Midoriya was falling from the sky, reaching his hand out toward the finish line. I did it! Midoriya thought, his heart pounding. I'm going to be first!
But just as Midoriya's foot was about to touch the ground just past the finish line, a violent gust of wind blew past him.
SWOOSH.
Midoriya's eyes widened in shock. He hit the ground and rolled, quickly looking up.
Standing exactly one step past the finish line, slowly sheathing his white sword, was Roronoa Zoro.
"RIGHT AT THE VERY LAST SECOND!" Present Mic screamed, the entire stadium trembling from the roar of the crowd. "WITH A DISPLAY OF UNBELIEVABLE SPEED, RORONOA ZORO STEALS THE CROWN!"
Midnight cracked her whip, pointing at the finish line. "First place: Roronoa Zoro! Second place: Izuku Midoriya! Third place: Shoto Todoroki! Fourth place: Katsuki Bakugo!"
"AND LET ME REMIND YOU FOLKS!" Present Mic shouted, completely losing his composure. "ERASERHEAD CONFIRMED IT EARLIER! THIS KID IS COMPLETELY QUIRKLESS! EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAW WAS PURE PHYSICAL STRENGTH AND RAW SWORDSMANSHIP!"
A wave of absolute shock washed over the massive stadium. The crowd roared even louder, sheer disbelief painted on tens of thousands of faces. A Quirkless kid had just conquered U.A.'s most grueling race, beating out top-tier Quirks with nothing but steel and muscle.
Zoro turned around, looking at a panting Midoriya, and offered a confident smirk. "You almost had me there, Deku."
Midoriya smiled back, catching his breath. He had lost the first place, but he had proved he could keep up with the monsters.
Miles away, sitting quietly on the wooden porch of his dojo, Master Kenji watched the screen. A warm, genuinely happy smile broke across his scarred face. His student had just shown the entire world the true, terrifying peak of the sword.
In a dark, rundown bar on the other side of the city, the glowing screen of a television illuminated a pale, scarred face. Tomura Shigaraki leaned forward in his stool, his red eyes narrowing as they locked onto the broadcast. He stared intently at the images of Zoro and Midoriya standing at the finish line.
He lifted a hand and began to aggressively scratch his neck.
"Those brats..." Shigaraki rasped, his voice dripping with venom and irritation.
Back at the stadium, up in the private teachers' seating area, a skeletal blonde man stood in the shadows. Toshinori Yagi—All Might—watched the two boys with wide, shining eyes. He couldn't contain his excitement, his bony hands clapping enthusiastically together.
Young Midoriya... Young Roronoa... All Might thought, his chest swelling with immense pride as he looked at them. You both did wonderfully!
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Chapter 49 is Available Now
Zoro will finally face Mina Ashido. How will he protect his swords from her dangerous acid? Is it possible he'll find a solution without using his swords?
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