BNHA: Singularity

Once everyone had gathered around, Midnight revealed what the second event would be, surprising everyone but Izuku as she explained, "As some of you have very clearly realized, teamwork and a spirit of cooperation are among the most important traits of a Pro Hero. As such, the second event is one of the favorites of the UA High Sports Festival, the heart-pounding Human Cavalry Battle!!"
From her position next to Izuku, Tsuyu's eyes widened as she remarked, "I guessed correctly..." in a disbelieving tone. As Midnight had pointed out, the Human Cavalry Battle was one of the more common events at the UA High Sports Festival, but Tsuyu was still surprised since it meant she had won her bet with Izuku and Ochaco.
Hearing Tsuyu's utterance, a teasing smile developed across Izuku's face as he whispered, "Just don't request anything inappropriate..."
Opening her eyes even wider, Tsuyu was about to assert she would never do such a thing but stopped when she noticed Izuku wasn't staring back at her. He, like most of the other students, was paying close attention to Midnight's explanation, so Tsuyu swallowed her 'grievances' and did the same...
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Much like the canon he was familiar with, Izuku was given a headband with a point value of 10,000,000. Unlike the original, however, Izuku wasn't lacking in people who were willing to team up with him. Rather, the moment Midnight afforded them fifteen minutes to find up to three team members, Mei asked the obvious, "I guess that means the four of us will form a team...?"
Though he didn't mind forming a team with the three girls, Izuku pointed out, "That's fine by me, but it might be better if we split up for this leg of the competition. Working together during multiple events could make the Scouts believe we're a 'packaged deal.' If that doesn't bother you, we can have Tsuyu-chan as our rider. With how skilled she is with her tongue, she should be able to snatch multiple headbands with ease."
Hearing Izuku comment on her 'tongue skills,' a potent blush developed through Tsuyu's cheeks. Her expression didn't change, but she pulled the usually dangling tip of her tongue back into her mouth with a 'fwip.'
Appreciating Izuku's choice of words, Mei held her stomach and laughed heartily before remarking, "I always knew we were kindred spirits, Izuku-kun!"
Feigning ignorance, a bewildered look marred Izuku's face as he asked, "What? Did I say something strange...?"
Intruding on the conversation before any of the three girls could respond, the towering, six-armed Shoji appeared rather abruptly, directing his gaze to Tsuyu as he said, "If the four of you have yet to form a team, would you mind joining mine? With my arms as a shield, we should be able to protect and snatch headbands easily."
Not expecting someone other than Izuku to approach her, Tsuyu found herself in a difficult position. She didn't like disappointing others, so she hated being placed in situations where she had to choose between two or more people.
Instead of directly responding to Shoji's request, Tsuyu shifted her gaze to Ochaco, asking, "What will you do, Ochaco-chan?"
Blinking in surprise, Ochaco pointed to herself and asked, "Me? I'm going to team up with Izuku-kun. I mean, we still have two more years to prove ourselves to the Scouts. I don't mind if I don't stand out much right now. I just want to give it my all alongside my friends."
"Kero..."
Turning her attention to Shoji, Tsuyu adopted an apologetic expression as she said, "Sorry, Shoji-kun. I'm going to continue teaming up with Ochaco and Izuku-chan for this Sports Festival, ribbit."
"I understand," replied Shoji. Then, with a wave of his right hand and tentacles, he turned to leave, adding, "I wish the four of you the best of luck during the remaining events," as he returned to his other teammate's side. When Tsuyu saw it was Mineta, goose pimples spread across her body as she imagined being trapped in Shoji's arms alongside the Class pervert...
"Then it looks like everything's decided!" exclaimed Mei. However, before she could suggest distributing her gear across their team, another person showed up, Toru in her gym uniform.
Sounding audibly nervous, Toru bent forward slightly, her hands behind her back as she asked, "Umm...if it isn't too much to ask, can I join your team?" while staring up at Izuku.
Sparing Izuku the need to respond, at least for the moment, Ochaco smiled apologetically as she expressed, "Sorry, Hagakure-san, but our team already has four members. You could try asking Koda-kun or Sato-kun if they need a fourth."
"Oh, I see..." replied Toru. She already suspected the four had formed a team when she noticed them together, but a part of her hoped that Izuku would make a concession for her sake. It was 'really' difficult to stand out with a Quirk like Invisibility, so attaching herself to a high-profile team like Izuku's was one of her only options.
Catching all four girls by surprise, Izuku exhaled a faint sigh through his nose before saying, "Sorry, Mei-san, but can you please let Toru-san take your place? I promise to make it up to you later."
While Toru was surprised to the point of tearing up, Mei didn't hesitate to respond, "Sure thing!" in a chipper tone. "I mean, the only reason Support students participate in events like this is to attract Sponsors. I can do the same during the School Festival a few months from now, so it's no sweat off my brow. Besides, I already have a sug&ndash;I mean, I already have you to Sponsor me."
Without waiting for Izuku to respond, Mai followed Shoji's example by abruptly leaving the moment she was finished speaking. There were only ten minutes left until the second round started, so she needed to find a few teammates(suckers) to help promote her Support items.
After following Mei's departure with his eyes, Izuku turned to Toru, his smile tinged with a certain 'gentleness' as he said, "Be sure to thank Mei the next time you see her, okay?"
As she was too busy covering her mouth to stifle her faint sobbing, Toru just nodded in response to Izuku's words. Ochaco and Tsuyu both noticed this abnormality, but instead of drawing attention to it or asking what was wrong, they politely feigned ignorance...
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Though Tsuyu was indisputably their best option for their rider/headband snatcher, she relinquished the role to Toru without needing to be asked. It was obvious to her why Toru needed to be on a team like Izuku's, so she and Ochaco served as the back-end supports while Izuku functioned as the 'horse.'
To make it more difficult for their opponents to snatch their headbands, Toru did the same thing she did in the anime, removing her top and bra so that her upper body was invisible. While this seemed incredibly risque, it actually provided two benefits. The first was that the enemy couldn't see her hands, allowing her to snatch headbands more easily. The second, far more significant benefit was that most of the male participants wouldn't even attempt to grab her headband. After all, if they missed and touched something they shouldn't, they risked being labeled a pervert...
Despite feeling something occasionally graze the top of his head, Izuku's expression was a mask of intense focus as he eagerly awaited the start of the match. The rules prohibited participants from deliberately attempting to trip or knock down other teams. Because of this, Izuku had positioned his team near the very edge of the area, intending to stand his ground and 'crush' anyone that came their way. After all, with 10,000,425 points, they weren't exactly hurting for more.
With similarly intense looks on their faces, virtually every other team in the second event's Cavalry Battle had their eyes on the 10,000,425-point headband around Toru's head. This was especially true for the teams led by Bakudo and Todoroki, both enthusiastic, maybe even a little desperate, to show their worth.
"Now, without further ado, let the final countdown begin! Three....two..."
As Midnight started the final countdown from three, Izuku's expression hardened as he muttered, "Remember, our goal is absolute victory. We will not give a single centimeter..."
"Right...!" replied the three girls, albeit with varying degrees of excitement and nervousness. Ochaco had proposed they avoid combat by flying into the air, but Izuku insisted they remain on the ground. Toshinori had asked him to exhibit his power, much like he had petitioned 'Deku' in the original series, so Izuku didn't have the option of running. Not because it was a request from Toshinori but because he refused to lose to a bunch of brats when monsters like All-for-One awaited him in the future...
"One...!"
"Back off, you extras! That ten-million headband is mine...!"
The moment Midnight finished her countdown, Bakugo abandoned his team and charged at Izuku, propelling himself through the air with his explosions. His actions could be seen as a violation of the rules, but so long as contestants didn't touch the ground or purposely knock off their opponents, pretty much anything was allowed.
Narrowing his eyes, Izuku said, "Tsuyu-chan, don't let Toru fall..." as he began channeling energy into his right leg. In response to his words, not only did Tsuyu wrap her tongue around Toru's waist, the latter sat on the two girls' shoulders for support, allowing Izuku a greater range of motion as he raised his foot in a faux Muay Thai pose, waiting until Bakugo was within his range before extending his foot like a spring.
Though Bakugo was among the students with the highest Level, his Quirk was an emission type. It very clearly enhanced his body when in use, but compared to Izuku, whose attributes could briefly exceed 10,000, there was an incomprehensible gulf between them. If Izuku didn't arrest his foot's momentum mere centimeters away from Bakugo's face, repelling him with pure wind pressure, he might have kicked the boy's head clean off.
"What the hell...!?" screamed Bakugo, barely gaining control of his body after flipping several times through the air. Once he had, a mixture of fear and anger reflected in his crimson eyes as he looked at Izuku, unable to understand how a boy that had once followed him around like a homeless puppy was so powerful.
Lowering his foot, Izuku's voice was loud enough that everyone paying attention to him was able to hear as he borrowed a page out of Toshinori's book, declaring, "You will not get your hands on this headband? Why, you ask? Because I. AM. HERE...!"
Realizing that Izuku was mimicking his Hero, All Might, Bakugo's explosion-like hair became noticeably spikier as he shouted, "Dekuuuuuuuuu...!" in a blind rage.
Propelling himself forward like a rocket, Bakugo looked like he was ready to blast Izuku directly with his Quirk. Instead, just out of range of Izuku's kick, he performed an abrupt spinning maneuver, creating a 'smokescreen' with his explosions before propelling himself through the wall of flames in an attempt to get his hands on the 10,000,425-point headband. Doing so left him with slight burns on his face, but he wasn't phased as he shouted, "This belongs to me...!" in furious triumph.
Instead of trying to block Bakugo's 'attack,' Toru left the ashen-blonde speechless by dodging backward, effectively rolling off of Ochaco's and Tsuyu's shoulders, trusting that the latter wouldn't let her hit the ground. As a result, Bakugo flew clean over her, his hand momentarily following in the direction of her movement before he clicked his tongue and retracted it. After all, while he was known for his explosive temperament, he wasn't a pervert...
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Though he still intended to get his hands on the 10,000,425-point headband, Bakugo temporarily had to retreat since his forearms were beginning to cramp due to overusing his Quirk.
With the pressure off of them, at least for a moment, Tsuyu and Ochaco helped Toru right herself. In the process, two very soft objects touched the back of his head as Toru exhaled a sigh of relief and said, "That was terrifying..." in a slightly shaken tone.
Maintaining his focus, Izuku said, "It's not over yet. Even Mineta's Quirk can be troublesome if utilized properly, so let's stay on our toes!"
As if in response to Izuku's words, the ground beneath them began to soften like thick mud, the result of a somewhat scary-looking youth with teeth on the outside of his mouth utilizing his Quirk. However, instead of attacking, it was a completely different group, comprised entirely of girls from Class 1-B, that made a push for the 10,000,425-point headband.
Supported by a gloomy-looking girl with grey hair, a green-haired girl with pointed teeth, and a diminutive girl with mushroom-like brown hair, a very sporty-looking girl with teal eyes and orange hair tied in a side ponytail on the left side of her head, shouted, "Sorry about colluding, but we can't let Class 1-A hog all the limelight...!" while growing her right hand to the size of a car door.
Though he only remembered that the orange-haired girl was named Kendo, Izuku had a vague impression of the other three girls' Quirks, shouting, "Secure the headband...!" as he kicked some of the mud-like goop around his feet at the approaching girls. Others might have trouble moving in the swamp-like environment, but it gave Izuku a much-needed way to repel attacking enemies.
Using her oversized hand, Kendo managed to block most of Izuku's 'surprise' attack by leaning forward and covering her horse's, Yanagi's, face and upper body. The lower halves of the three girls supporting her got 'muddy,' but as aspiring Pro Heroes, it would take more than a bit of dirt and grime to deter them.
What Kendo hadn't anticipated was that while she was busy protecting her team, a whip-like tongue would come out of nowhere, snatching her headband and inadvertently unfastening her ponytail.
Amidst the confusion, Izuku said, "Sorry, but I'm not the only capable person on our team. You'll need to do much better than that if you want to steal our headband."
Punctuating his statement, Izuku leaped into the air, aided by Ochaco using her Quirk to make herself, Tsuyu, and Toru functionally weightless. He had no intentions of staying in the air, but the liquefied terrain would become an extreme detriment if someone like Sero, Mineta, or the glue-spewing member of Class 1-B showed up.
As if reading Izuku's mind, the team comprised of Mina, Sero, Kirishima, and Tokoyami came charging at them the moment they landed. Mina was the group's rider, Kirishima was the horse, and Tokoyami and Sero were in the somewhat enviable position of providing support. With the former being able to harden his body and the latter two's Quirks allowing them to manipulate a powerful shadow beast and exceptionally durable tape, they were an exceptionally powerful combination.
Unleashing a veritable torrent of viscous, pH-neutral acid, Mina, smiling like an imp, exclaimed, "Sorry, Izuku, Ochaco, Tsuyu, and Toru-chan, but this is a competition, after all! No hard feelings, okay~!?"
"I hope you feel the same way...!" shouted Izuku, kicking his foot out to repel Mina's acid with a blast of wind pressure. As a result, the acid goop intended for his team ended up covering Mina's. Seeing the latter covered in a viscous liquid was a fairly captivating sight, but the same couldn't be said for the boys. In fact, Izuku felt genuinely apologetic toward Sero and Tokoyami when he saw the two of them with deadpan, slightly accusatory looks on their faces. As for Kirishima, Izuku felt like he had done the boy a favor since he currently had an excited grin on his face...
"Dekuuuuuu...!"
Conveniently announcing his presence, Bakugo came charging at Izuku and his group for the second, or was it the third time? Either way, Izuku was starting to get annoyed as the Cavalry Event was far more limiting to his abilities than he expected. If he had selected just a single teammate to give a piggyback ride, specifically Tsuyu, they would have been able to dart around the battlefield, potentially snatching every other headband...
("I 'really' need to awaken Blackwhip...") thought Izuku, turning to meet Bakugo with a fierce resolution on his face. However, what awaited him the moment he turned around was a desolate landscape enveloped by a storm-like swirl of purple energy...
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"..."
Looking down at his body, enveloped by a dark-green haze veiling what appeared to be glowing green pathways reminiscent of a circuit board, Izuku thought, ("I really must have inherited the fate of the Protagonist. This timing is way too convenient...")
"Hey, you! The Ninth Wielder...!"
Turning his head, Izuku found a large muscular man with a bald head, square jaw, and beady blue eyes walking toward him. He looked like a generic street thug or a biker at first glance, especially with his leather jacket, pants, boots, and a bandolier around his chest, but he gave off a strangely 'friendly' aura despite shouting, "Even if that Quirk of yours is super amazing, you can't become complacent! The easier things are for you, the harder you need to work! The moment you let your guard down, that's it! You're done...!"
Opening his mouth, Izuku attempted to speak but found himself unable to. The bald man, seemingly noticing this, adopted an uncanny yet gentle smile as he said, "You won't be able to act freely in this place just yet. The power inside of you, the Singularity serving as the core of One-for-All, has only just begun to stir. I'd like to explain more, but I don't have much time. For now, let's focus on my Quirk."
Raising his right hand, palm up, the thug-like man generated several tendrils of black, teal-tinged energy as he explained, "This is Blackwhip, an Emission-type Quirk that allows you to produce and manipulate energy tendrils from any part of your body. Like most Emission Quirks, the power of Blackwhip is heavily influenced by your mental and emotional state. To master this power, you'll need to be calm and collected in even the direst circumstances. Do not lose yourself to anger or hatred, as, no matter how effective they are as a fuel source; they consume your body and mind just as much as they empower your Quirk..."
Following his words, the thug-like man placed his fingers against Izuku's chest, sinking into the dark-green swirl of energy comprising his form as he said, "Listen, kid. Alongside mine, you'll have six more Quirks manifest within you. The power they grant you will be tremendous, but don't worry. If you ever find yourself straying or backed into a corner, we'll be here to pull you back from the brink and guide you back to the light. You are not alone..."
Accompanying the man's words, several silhouettes appeared in the hazy purple storm at his back. Izuku couldn't make out their features, but the moment they appeared, a surge of positive emotions flowed through him, the most powerful among them being trust...
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"Izuku-kun, what are you doing!? Snap out of it!" shouted Toru, breaking Izuku from his apparent daze just in time to see Bakugo snatch away the 10,000,425-point headband.
Grinning like a demon, Bakugo bellowed, "Way to space out in the middle of a fight, dweeb! Good luck getting enough points to pass now!" while using his free hand to propel himself away.
Feeling what he could best describe as a cold fury swelling from within him, Izuku forced himself to remain calm, inhaling a deep breath before adopting a smile and saying, "Sorry, but I'm not the 'extra' here..." as a series of black tendrils 'erupted' from his chest.
"What the hell!?" exclaimed Bakugo before hastily placing the 10,000,425-point headband in his mouth to increase his mobility.
Using several additional tendrils to grasp each of the girls, Izuku leaped into the air, shouting, "That's against the rules! Stolen headbands need to be placed around the head or neck! Cough it up, explosion boy...!"
With Izuku closing the distance between them in an instant, Bakugo exclaimed ("Shit...!") in his mind. However, as there was some truth to Izuku's words, he also spat out the headband, screaming, "Just try and take it from me...!" as he flipped to avoid Izuku's charge, using the brief window to place the headband around his neck.
Unfortunately, while Bakugo's aerial maneuverability and athleticism were a sight to behold, he was effectively Quirkless while placing the headband around his neck. As a result, he could only clench his teeth as Blackwhip's energy tendrils enveloped him, forming a spherical cocoon. Izuku couldn't permanently entrap him, as it would likely constitute deliberately knocking his opponent down, but all he needed was a moment to create two extra-thin energy tendrils, looping them around the 10,000,425-point headband and the 265-point headband around Bakugo's head. Then he just needed to trust that Mr. Boomboom would do something stupid.
"You think you can capture me!?" shouted Bakugo, unleashing his Quirk to disperse the tendrils surrounding him before retreating with a vicious yet victorious grin. Unfortunately, what awaited him when he looked over to see the despair on Izuku's face was a playful smile.
"Thanks for the extra 265 points," said Izuku, raising his hand to reveal the headbands he had snatched. With Ochaco using her power to keep their team in the air, Izuku momentarily felt like a god looking down at a very angry insect.
"Dekuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...!"
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"First Place in the second round goes to Izuku Midoriya and his beautiful team members, Toru Hagakure, Ochaco Uraraka, and Tsuyu Asui! Let's all give them a round of applause~!" exclaimed Midnight, waving her whip in the air with enthusiasm.
While the crowd cheered loudly in response to Midnight's words, only a few of the second round's participants joined in. The rest had somewhat gloomy looks on their faces as, after awakening Blackwhip, Izuku went on an absolute tear, securing nearly every other headband. As a result, only three other teams had points, chiefly those helmed by Todoroki, Bakugo, and Mina. Izuku had spared the team that Mei was a part of, but Bakugo blitzed them at the last moment, securing their headband as a last-ditch effort to ensure his participation in the Finals.
Following the announcement of First Place, Midnight went on to declare Todoroki's team as Second, Mina's team as Third, and Bakugo's as Fourth. Then, to prepare for the Finals, an hour-long intermission was announced, during which the qualifying students were advised to recuperate while those who had been eliminated were given another opportunity to prove themselves in a special half-time event.
As the audience and the bulk of the students began to depart, Toru, still topless, exhaled a sigh of relief before perking up and exclaiming, "That was so tense!" Then, while striking a pose and pointing her invisible finger at Izuku, she added, "And you! Warn a girl before you suddenly whip out a bunch of tentacles! They didn't feel slimy or gross, but I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest!"
Agreeing wholeheartedly with Toru's remark, Tsuyu nodded her head, appending, "I'm not really one to talk, but you could have told us before you suddenly wrapped us up. Some of your tentacles...never mind. Just forget about it, ribbit..."
Though it was purely semantics, Izuku felt compelled to point out, "They were tendrils, not tentacles..." with a wry smile. At the same time, he cast his gaze to Ochaco, who, since the end of the event, hadn't said so much as a word.
Seeing Izuku look at her, Ochaco's face became progressively ruddy until she abruptly exclaimed, "W-We should probably join our classmates and get something to eat! Also, since the final event is a tournament, we'll be rivals from this point onward! I wish you the best of luck...!" before turning around and taking off at a speed that could rival Ida without his engines...
While Izuku, Tsuyu, and Toru observed Ochaco's departure in silence, the former couldn't help thinking, ("What's with the girls in this world running away after they say something...?")
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"What the hell is that...?"
"Are you freaking kidding me...?"
"Lucky bastard..."
Though most of the contestants were focused on the gate in front of them, patiently awaiting the starting countdown, those stuck at the back of the group, who were already annoyed, couldn't help feeling even more annoyed after witnessing Izuku's, Ochaco's, and Tsuyu's 'lovey-dovey' display.
Since Tsuyu was the smaller of the two, not that it mattered too much with Ochaco's Zero Gravity Quirk, Izuku was cradling her in a princess carry while Ochaco floated behind him, her blushing face next to his and her arms wrapped around his neck and chest. She had made herself functionally weightless, but Izuku could still feel her admittedly sizeable breasts pressing into his shoulders as he focused intently on the three lights above the gate.
"This is way more embarrassing than I expected..." muttered Ochaco. However, despite her words, her hold on Izuku strengthed, the result of the lights above the gate glowing green before slowly disappearing as a countdown.
Though Ochaco was already doing precisely that, Izuku said, "Hold on tighter..." as he leaned forward slightly, increasing the amount of energy being channeled through his body. He wouldn't be able to take off like a rocket as he originally planned, but he could gradually ramp up his speed until not even Ida could hope to compete.
As the final light blinked out, Izuku quickly closed the distance he had created between himself and the people at the back of the pack, picking up just enough speed so that when he kicked off against the ground, he leaped over the clumping students. At that exact same moment, Ochaco used her power to make him weightless, allowing them to effectively fly through the corridor while most students could only look up at them with envy. The operative word being 'most.'
While Todoroki created an ice field, using it to trip up other students and accelerate forward, a certain ashen-haired blonde borrowed a page from Izuku's book, propelling himself through the air using the explosions from his palms as he bellowed, "You scheming bastard! Don't think I'll stand by and allow you to keep showing off...!"
Though he recognized the voice as Bakugo, Izuku didn't bother to look back, muttering, "Release your Quirk and then reapply it to yourself. I'm going to speed up..." in a voice only Tsuyu and Ochaco could hear.
Obeying Izuku's instructions, Ochaco pressed the pads of her fingers together, canceling her Quirk before reapplying it to herself before they landed. The frozen terrain allowed them to keep their forward momentum, but Izuku wasn't satisfied with just skating along. The moment he landed, he channeled the energy of One-for-All through his soles, fracturing the ground beneath him as he propelled himself forward with blinding speed. He made sure to limit himself so that Ochaco didn't lose her hold on him, but it was still fast enough to leave most sports cars in the dust.
"What...!?"
Though he was able to propel himself using his ice, Todoroki's physical parameters weren't much higher than a 'peak' human's. Thus, the moment Izuku overtook him, there was little the heterochromatic, red, and white-haired youth could do but stare in awe as the gap between him and Izuku became unbridgeable in an instant.
Liberating Todoroki from his stupor, Bakugo quickly caught up to him, shouting, "Get out of my way, you icy bastard...!"
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Reaching the point in the course where the path opened up quite a bit, Izuku's eyes narrowed as more than a dozen 0-Pointers, accompanied by an assortment of 1, 2, and 3-Point Villain bots, appeared to obstruct their path. If he were alone, Izuku would have capitalized on the opportunity to get his vengeance against the 0-Pointer he was powerless against during the Entrance Exam. Instead, he kicked against the ground with explosive strength, doubling his speed to nearly 100m/s for a brief moment.
Barely managing to hold on, Ochaco closed her eyes and screamed, "I don't think I can hold on for much longer...!!!" at the top of her lungs. Fortunately, Tsuyu was able to hear this, prompting her to use her long, strong, and incredibly elastic tongue to wrap around Ochaco's body.
After passing beneath the 0-Pointers in an instant, Izuku gradually reduced his speed to a more comfortable level, saying, "Sorry about that, Ochaco-san. Fortunately, it looks like the next obstacle was tailor-made for our combination of Quirks..."
Tentatively opening her eyes, Ochaco's body tensed when she saw them approaching a massive pit with rocky platforms linked together by ropes.
"What the heck!? How was UA able to prepare something like this on such short notice!?" exclaimed Ochaco.
Envisioning a blonde-haired, cat-themed Heroine, Izuku remarked, "With the power of Quirks, anything is possible. Speaking of which, you should probably reduce mine and Tsuyu-chan's weights..."
Instead of slowing down, Izuku began ramping up his speed once again. This time, however, the acceleration was markedly more gradual, making things much easier for Ochaco as she used her right hand to pat Tsuyu's head.
"Kero..."
With Tsuyu's weight disappearing, Izuku abruptly sped up before leaping into the air, controlling his strength to ensure he didn't jump too high. The simulated canyon was about 200m across, but with Ochaco making him weightless at the pinnacle of his arc, they were able to clear it in a single bound.
Though it took less than three seconds to clear the canyon, Izuku had enough time to think ("I should look into methods to awaken my other Quirks. Float would be incredible once I master maneuvering through the air with shockwaves...")
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With the final obstacle being a minefield they could simply fly over, no one was surprised when Izuku's group took First Place in the Obstacle Race. There was a bit of contention about who should be the 'true' First Place, but as Izuku had literally carried them through the event, neither Ochaco nor Tsuyu contested the title. As for Second, Tsuyu yielded it to Ochaco since her Quirk was what allowed them to overcome most of the obstacles. The only things she did were curl up in Izuku's arms and use her tongue like a safety harness.
Arriving a few minutes after Izuku's group, crossing the finish line at nearly the same time as Todoroki, Bakugo glowered at the former but didn't say anything. Instead, he stuck his hands in his pockets and moved off to the side, clearly in a bad mood but not wanting to make too much of a scene...
Though he noticed Bakugo's actions, Izuku didn't pay him too much mind. He had used One-for-All to amplify his power by twenty and thirty times during the Obstacle Race, so he was taking a break to recuperate his lost Vit. More accurately, he was chatting with Ochaco and Tsuyu at the water station until Todoroki approached him to say, "You've gotten faster..." with his usual, borderline expressionless face and tone.
Raising his brows, Izuku asked, "As opposed to what? Getting slower? Did you think I just played around these past few weeks...?"
Leaving Izuku a little speechless, Todoroki gave an affirming nod, stating, "That's what it seemed like to me. I heard from the others that you spent most of your time doing basic training at the gym and loitering around the Support Department's Development Studio. Was that some kind of ploy to get us to lower our guards...?"
Adopting a slightly annoyed look, Izuku asked, "If it were, would there be any merit in me telling you?"
Shaking his head, Todoroki replied, "I suppose not. Either way, First Place in this year's Sports Festival is bound to be mine. I wish you luck securing Second..."
Finished with what he had to say, Todoroki turned around and walked away with a resolute look on his face. If Izuku was the original, he might have attempted to stop him. Instead, he just shook his head, waiting for the icy-hot youth to get out of listening distance before continuing his conversation with Ochaco and Tsuyu. They were currently speculating what the second event would be based on information from past Sports Festivals. Tsuyu, somewhat surprisingly, landed on the right answer from the beginning, but, despite knowing this, Izuku still agreed that if one of them were correct, the other two would have to obey one request issued by the winner...
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By the end of the Obstacle Race, forty-seven students had qualified for the second round. Most, unsurprisingly, originated from the Hero Course, but there were a few outliers from the General and Support Courses. This included a salmon-haired inventress, who, after spotting Izuku, bolted over to him, exclaiming, "How come you never told me you were so fast!? Wait, now that I think about it, you never did tell me what your Quirk was, did you?"
Before Izuku could respond, Ochaco, with a somewhat guarded look on her face, asked, "Who's this girl, Izuku-kun? The two of you seem pretty familiar with one another..."
Answering in Izuku's stead, Mei puffed out her chest, emphasized by the harness she was wearing, declaring, "I'm Mei Hatsume! Izuku-kun and I make babies together when he isn't busy with classes or training!"
"..."
Though he expected Mei's response, Izuku was still left speechless. As for Ochaco and Tsuyu, they both looked toward him with narrowed eyes, the latter questioning, "Don't you think it's a little too early for things like that, Izuku-chan?" in a judgmental tone.
Adopting a deadpan expression, Izuku asked, "Just what do you think of me?" before clarifying, "The 'babies' Mei is referring to are her inventions. I sponsor her with materials, and the two of us share a workstation in the Support Department's Development Studio..."
Providing Izuku some relief, Mei nodded in affirmation, stating, "That's right. And since they're babies that Izuku helped me build, that makes him the Father of Invention and me the Mother. Pretty awesome, right?"
Realizing they had misjudged the situation, Tsuyu hung her head slightly and muttered, "Sorry, Izuku-chan..." while Ochaco just stared at Mei as if she were a strange, unidentified organism.
Shaking his head, Izuku said, "It's fine. I'm not the type to take misund-"
Interrupting Izuku's response, Midnight, standing atop the same stage as before, shouted, "Students who triumphed during the preliminaries, stand before me! I will now be explaining the rules for the second event...!"
With everyone shuffling over in response to Midnight's instructions, Izuku adopted a wry smile and suggested, "Let's make our way over. And good luck with your predictions."
"Hmmm~?"
Hearing Izuku mention predictions, Mei moved closer to him, standing well within his personal space as they walked along, asking, "What's this about a prediction? Did the three of you make a bet?"
Nodding his head, Izuku was about to explain the terms of their bet when Ochaco abruptly grabbed his hand, pulling him along as she shouted, "We don't have time for this! We need to hurry up and join the others...!"
With Ochaco utilizing her Quirk to 'force' his compliance, Izuku blinked several times in surprise as he thought, ("Was she always this prone to jealousy? Or did I overdo it when I pulled some strings to get her family a government contract...?")
With Ochaco refusing the phone he tried to gift her at the last moment, Izuku made good on his promise to 'uncover' the reason for her inability to upgrade her flip phone. It turned out her parents, or, more accurately, the construction company they owned, had been saddled with debt after a workplace accident resulted in them being sued for negligence. Izuku lacked the means to pay off their nearly &yen;300,000,000 debt, but he was able to convince Nezu to pull some strings to secure them some work. Izuku hadn't told Ochaco any of this, but he wouldn't be surprised if she had figured it out when her parents told her the good news...after all, it occurred only three days after she rejected his offer...
...
..
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Chapter 30: Chapter 30