The bracket had been posted for approximately four minutes before Kaito Gojo had already read the entire thing.
His opponent was a third-year named Gregor Vance broad across the shoulders, spear-type weapon, the confident posture of someone who had won enough matches to stop worrying about losing them. He looked Kaito over once when they took their positions across the floor from each other. The assessment was quick and visibly unimpressed.
"You're the rich kid they've been talking about." Not a question. His grip shifted on the spear haft, easy, practiced. "You actually fight, or did you just buy a good weapon?"
Kaito tilted his head. "Weapon?" He turned one hand over, examining it with mild interest, then looked back up. "I don't really need one. These hands are rated E for Everyone."
Gregor stared at him. Then he laughed short and genuine, the kind that meant he thought this was going to be easy and closed the distance.
He hit nothing. His spear punched through empty air where a thirteen year-old boy had been standing a fraction of a second prior.
Gregor turned.
"Behind you," Kaito said.
The spear came around in a clean sweep. Kaito tilted sideways, unhurried, let the haft pass within an inch of his ribs, and then leaned his elbow companionably on Gregor's shoulder.
From somewhere in the crowd above: "Go Kaitoooooo!"
He glanced up. Ruby Rose, standing on her seat, both fists raised. Yang beside her, grinning.
My friends are watching he said out loud so I am gonna show off little Kay
Gregor came again a low drive this time, committed weight behind it. Kaito stepped inside it, not backward, not sideways, but directly through the angle of attack in the half-second before it arrived, and Gregor's own momentum did the rest. The third-year stumbled, caught nothing, and hit the floor.
When the dust settled, Kaito was sitting on him.
"Well," he said pleasantly. "This has been fun."
He stood, took a single step back, and grabbed Gregor by the collar. The larger boy left the ring at considerable velocity.
Kaito blew a raspberry after him.
"Weak."
The gap between his first and second match was forty minutes. He spent it against the same wall, back flat, one knee bent, watching the other bouts with the detached interest of someone reviewing footage rather than witnessing live competition.
Two second-years nearby were not particularly careful about their volume.
"That's him. Gojo."
"The one who just fought Gregor?"
Kaito reached into his pocket, found his earbuds, and put them in. Whatever they said after that was someone else's problem.
Ruby Rose, age thirteen, celebrated her preferred victory by climbing onto Kaito's back the moment he stepped off the floor, wrapping both arms around his neck, and showing absolutely no intention of getting down anytime soon.
"Hehehe." She settled in with great satisfaction. "Thanks for the ride, Kaito."
He adjusted her weight without breaking stride. "Don't worry about it. I'd do anything for you. You're my friend."
"Ohhhh." Yang materialised at his left, eyes bright with mischief. "Sounds like somebody has a crush."
Ruby went scarlet. "Yaaaang
"Don't be mean," Kaito said mildly, without looking at Yang. "I doubt Ruby would fall for someone like me. And honestly a pause, honest rather than deflecting "I don't feel comfortable dating anyone right now. So let's leave it there."
Yang, to her credit, did. Mostly.
They were halfway to the exit when she fell into step beside him more seriously, hands in her pockets. "Hey. So. Dad went by your place today."
Kaito said nothing.
"He found the note. The one your parents left."
Ruby's arms, still around his neck, tightened without a word.
"…It didn't bother me as much as you'd think," Kaito said after a moment. His voice was even. Truthful, as far as it went.
"That's not really the point," Yang said quietly.
He didn't answer that. The three of them walked in silence for a few steps.
Then: "It won't matter in the end." He said it simply, without drama, looking straight ahead. "We're all going to Beacon eventually. And when we get there something shifted in his tone, still calm, but with a weight underneath it that didn't belong to a thirteen-year-old I want to destroy every Grimm on Remnant. Every last one. I don't care what it takes. If I have to move mountains, I will."
Ruby lifted her head from his shoulder.
"I don't want future generations to feel what I've felt." He said it quietly. "Or what anyone else has. If I'm going to be the strongest,
Ruby didn't say anything. She just held on a little tighter.
"Right," Yang said, after a moment. "Well. First things first." She grabbed his arm, steering him firmly toward the-Taxi . "You're eating dinner at our table tonight. Dad's already cooking. And that," she added, pointing at him, "is non negotiable."
Kaito looked at her. Looked at Ruby, still on his back, silver eyes bright.
He let out a slow breath.
"…Fine," he said. "But I want to hear no complaints about how much I eat."
Yang laughed loud and real and the tension broke, and the three of them walked out into the evening together, the tournament behind them and Beacon still two years away, and for now that was enough.