Chapter 3 - The Sports Festival: 8

A blond-haired boy sat at a table, a smirk on his face as he watched the mini-screen in Class 1 – B's prep room. He had watched the previous two battles before the one that finished in the crowd. He had to admit, he wasn't exactly wrong to think that those battles were leagues better than this one. After all, it was hard to follow the fight when one person was seemingly doing nothing and still winning.

It also didn't help that said person who was winning the fight was a convicted murderer, but that was neither here nor there.

The boy in question had his hair combed back, his dark blue eyes cascading a condescending glance around the room as he looked away from the T.V. He wore the U.A. gym uniform, as did every other contender of The Sports Festival, and his skin was a touch paler than most of his classmates.

The way he sat made him look like the height of royalty, although he was, in fact, a middle-class citizen. Then again, who wouldn't want to at least pretend that they're rich? At least he wasn't dirt poor. And yet, despite this front of a snarky, condescending personality, Neito Monoma knew very well that his opponent, Itsuka Kendo, was someone to respect.

In fact, his whole class were people who he elected to respect. They were the misfits. They weren't the "main characters" so to speak. Class 1 – A ensured that thanks to their whole wack-ass ensemble of people. Hell, they survived a villain attack, and now they had a killer in their midst. In the beginning, he saw both their classes as equal. But now? Now that they were harbouring a murderer? He saw them as lesser.

And who wouldn't? Someone who killed someone, villain or otherwise, was themselves a villain. That was a human life they ended. Regardless of who they were, their life mattered. At least, depending on the crime. As far as Neito was concerned, if the villain's crime was the rape of a child or the mass-murdering of a public place, then at that point that villain's death was deserved.

Innocent people, on the other hand? Well, that was a completely different story for very obvious reasons.

"Would the next fighters please come to the arena? I repeat. Would the next pair of fighters please come to the arena? The next round is about to begin."

Neito sighed, standing up as he dusted off his gym uniform. His Copy Quirk was pretty overpowered all things considered. Anyone he touched, with a few exceptions, he could copy the Quirk of for 5 minutes. Currently, he decided to copy Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu's Quirk: Steel.

His reasoning for copying it was that it would make him sturdy enough to contend against Itsuka's Big Fist Quirk. Not only that, but if she tried to shove him out of the arena, he could just become Steel and stand his ground. Not to mention his steel fists would hurt a hell of a lot more than her fists against his Steel skin.

In other words, he picked the Quirk that would counter hers completely. Just because they were classmates, didn't mean he was going to make this a fair fight.

And so, as he walked onto the Arena, he watched Itsuka come onto the battlefield. There was a look of determination in her eyes, as did he. They were the only two in Class 1 – B to make it this far. He knew only one of them was going to continue to the next round, and he was going to make damn sure it was HIM who did.

Itsuka might've been the class's president, but he was their strongest member outside of Jurota and her. And it wasn't as if that was something he thought up to boost his ego, it was simply the truth. With his ability to copy a majority of all Quirks on the planet, he was quite literally what one might call a jack of all trades.

While he only had a five-minute time limit with each Quirk he copied, he could theoretically increase the time limit by copying Quirks back to back. It was something he mentioned to his teacher, Vlad King, when he thought of ways to train his Quirk.

For now, five minutes would have to do. And it would be more than enough to defeat Itsuka.

"FROM ONE EXCITING MATCH TO ANOTHER, PEOPLE OF THE CROWD, FOR ROUND 4 OF THE QUARTER-FINALS WE HAVE TWO CONTENDERS WHO ARE CONSIDERED THE UNDERDOGS OF U.A.! ON THE RIGHT, WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO CAN AND WILL SHOW YOU THAT THROWING HANDS WITH THEM WOULD BE A BAD IDEA, IT'S KENDO ITSUKA FROM CLASS 1 – B!" Present Mic shouted as the crowd roared with applause and cheers. "AND ON THE LEFT, WE HAVE SOMEONE WHOSE QUIRK IS ALWAYS CHANGING, IT'S MONOMA NEITO, ALSO FROM CLASS 1 – B!" Once more, the crowd cheered and filled with applause.

Neito had to admit that Present Mic wasn't wrong, though it was a bit misleading. His Quirk did change a multitude of times, but it wasn't as if he was stealing Quirks. He was copying them, and that was it. Still, it made him a jack of all trades, and he would use that to his advantage.

Itsuka bowed, as did he to show respect. Then, Present Mic gave the word, and the fight began. Itsuka wasted no time in closing the distance, enlarging her fists. Neito activated the copy of Steel, his skin hardening to its shiny reflective state, which gleamed in the sunlight. Itsuka's enlarged fist made contact with him, but it did nothing but shake his stance and daze him for a split second.

"So you copied Tetsutetsu's Quirk?" Itsuka questioned, earning a smirk from Neito.

"It directly counters you in many ways, Kendo," Neito responded, delivering a quick jab to her gut, knocking her back and making her gag. Her fist deflated. This time, it was Neito who closed the distance and slammed a steel fist once again into her gut, knocking her to the ground. He placed a foot on her stomach, applying barely any pressure as he smirked. "You know you can't win. So why don't you forfeit?"

Itsuka attempted to get up, and in response Neito leaned forward just a little bit, applying a small amount of pressure on her stomach, smirking as the orange-haired teen coughed. "I give up." Itsuka groaned, slapping the ground as Midnight nodded.

"Itsuka Kendo Forfeits the battle! The automatic winner of the round is Neito Monoma!" Midnight announced as the blond took his foot off of her, deactivating Steel. He reached out to help the orange-haired teen up off the ground, the class president of Class 1- B taking it without hesitation. Her green eyes looked into his as he smiled.

"Sorry 'bout that, I just had to win, ya know?" Neito said as Itsuka scoffed. Neito frowned, slipping his hands into his pockets. "What? I'm not lying, am I?"

"Your Quirk is a walking cheat code, I knew you were going to pick something that would counter me. But I had to try, ya know?" The orange-haired teen said, punching him in the shoulder. Neito stifled a laugh as the pair left the arena through the same gate. His opponent in the next round was going to be the murderer. He still had no idea what her Quirk was, or how to counter it. He couldn't copy Dark Shadow, so he had to find something else within his Class that would allow him to win.

He glanced over to Itsuka, then smirked. He tapped her on her shoulder, catching her attention. "Hope you don't mind, but I'm gonna copy your Quirk for the next round. It should be enough to defeat… her," Neito said as Itsuka grimaced, nodding.

"Show her no mercy. Neito, you have the whole class cheering you on in the semi-finals, bring Class 1 – B some pride!" Itsuka said as Neito nodded, his smirk turning into a smile.

"AND THUS, WITH MONOMA NEITO'S QUICK AND PAINLESS VICTORY, WE MOVE ON TO THE SEMI-FINALS! EVERYONE STAY PUT WHILE WE ARRANGE THE MATCHES AND GIVE THE CONTENDERS A MOMENT TO PREPARE!" Present Mic announced. A few members of the audience got up and left to do some things before the Festival Continued, while others simply just left, not wanting to see anything more than they already had.

Meanwhile, during the announced break, Josefumi walked into the crowded seats of the stadium, worming his way over to where his class was at. He noticed a seat that was empty next to Kira and immediately took it, catching her attention. "Hello, err, Fumi-kun, right? That's what you want the class to call you now? Anywho, how are you doing? Might I ask where you've been?"

"Occupying the bathroom. I saw the tail end of that battle, by the way. What's your take on Tokoyami's Dark Shadow being able to hit your Killer Queen?" Josefumi asked as the blonde-haired Stand User frowned, playing with a few strands of hair that had grown down to her chin. Her hairstyle was starting to look a tad bit like Uraraka's, if she had bleached and dyed her hair blonde, that was. At least, when it came to the bangs, anyway. The rest of her hair reached down to just passing them by an inch or two, whereas before her hair was just touching her shoulders.

"My opinion? I'd say that he has an underdeveloped Stand. He's close to fully manifesting it, but something is preventing him from going all the way. Either that or his Quirk is at the same wavelength as our Stands. Tokoyami cannot see Stands, but Dark Shadow can. Normally it should be the other way around, but in this case, it might make sense."

Josefumi hummed, turning to look at the arena down below. "So you think so, too? Interesting. That will have to be something we talk to him about. If it's true, we might be able to help him fully awaken his Stand. If not, then we'll at least fill him in on the danger of Stands. There's no doubt that a few Stand Users might've been watching the tournament, and for them to see someone without a Stand have their Quirk attack one, it might paint a target on his back."

Yoshihara hummed in acknowledgement, folding her hands together as she rested her elbows on her knees, staring down at the arena, her expression that of thought as she stared.

"You're moving into the Semi-Finals. Midoriya's up against Sato, and you're fighting Monoma. Depending on how things go, you might be fighting Midoriya in the finals. What's your plan?" The former pompadour-haired teen asked. Yoshihara sent a small glance the boy's way as she hummed in thought, closing her eyes as she spoke.

"To be honest, I don't have a plan against Midoriya. All I know is that I won't be holding back, and neither will he. I'll try using sheer brute force against him, and if that doesn't work, I'll use my second bomb to trap him in an unwinnable situation. If that somehow fails, then I don't know. My best chance is to knock him down before he can charge up, and even then I might not be fast enough to stop that. That's not even mentioning the fact that he can fight against Stands based on the air footprint they leave behind. This coupled with his strength and speed will no doubt make him an extremely dangerous and versatile opponent. My best chance to defeat him is to wait for him to tire, or break enough bones to where he's slower than he usually is while he uses his new charge-up technique. When that happens, I—"

"Oi, Kira, slow down a little! I think Midoriya's muttering might've spread to you," Josefumi interrupted, making the blonde-haired teen snap out of the trance she had unwittingly put herself in.

"I see…." Yoshihara said, biting the inside of her lip. Just as she finished talking, the sound of the speakers flaring to life once again rang throughout the stadium. There was a brief moment of silence, and then, Present Mic began to talk.

"ALRIGHT, EVERYONE! WE'RE READY TO MOVE ON TO THE SEMI-FINALS! WE HAVE TWO MATCHUPS PREPARED, AND BOY OH BOY DOES THIS FIRST ONE SEEM LIKE A DOOZY! BUT, BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT, PLEASE GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO EVERYONE WHO'S MADE IT THIS FAR!"

When Present Mic spoke, two brackets appeared on the Jumbotron in the center of the stadium, displaying the next two rounds of fights, even though it would be obvious to know who was fighting who if one paid attention, it was good for those that weren't.

Fight 1: Izuku Midoriya – Versus – Rikido Sato

Fight 2: Yoshihara Kira – Versus – Neito Monoma

At Present Mic's behest, the crowd began to clap and cheer. Yoshihara let out a short sigh, standing up as she began to leave. Just before she could, Josefumi grabbed her wrist, causing the blond to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "What is it, Josefumi?"

"Before you go, I want to talk to you about something regarding the information I know about The Stand Bullets. After your match, we'll need to talk. That includes Midoriya and Karera. M'kay?" Josefumi said, causing the blonde to narrow her eyes. Josefumi let go of her wrist, letting the blonde leave. However, just before she did, Josefumi spoke up once again, making her pause where she stood. "Oh, and Kira? Good luck, you're gonna need it. Not for Monoma, you'll beat him easily. But with Midoriya."

With a small nod, Kira left the seating arena to ready herself for her battle with Class 1 – B's arrogant tard of a classmate.

xxXXxxXXxx

Izuku stood in the tunnel that separated the Arena from the rest of the building. He had to admit, that his opponent, Sato Rikido, was a strong person. He knew for certain that he was going to be hit at least once by him, but after that was a mystery. He saw how Sato was able to punish Ida for thinking speed would help him in the fight. However, unlike Ida, who had months, no, years of training with his speed only to reach a certain limit, Izuku knew he was built differently. But only thanks to One For All.

Speaking of that Quirk, he had begun to notice subtle changes to it. The main change he noticed was how unlike before, he was no longer getting the glowing veins thing. Whatever might have caused that before was now gone, and now, he had this strange green lightning that bounced off his skin instead. He didn't mind it, but he thought it to be a bit weird.

What was also weird was how it was seemingly for show. It didn't serve any purpose other than to look flashy. It wasn't even the reason why he moved faster. If anything, it was the adrenaline in his system caused by activating One For All that was seemingly slowing down his perception of time and allowing him to move faster at the same time. The lightning was simply there to show that the ability was working.

"Don't focus on that right now, focus on the opponent. Rikido Sato, Quirk: Sugar. The more Sugar he eats, the stronger and potentially faster he gets. If not enhancing his speed, it enhances his reflexes. If he eats too much Sugar he becomes mindless. Conversely, it also dictates how long he can be on the battlefield. If he eats too much sugar and goes into his mindless state, he'll only have 5 minutes of action before his body craps out on him. He most likely won't eat that much sugar, but just enough for him to do some real damage. In other words, I have to overpower him and outspeed him before he can so much as move five steps. I do that, I win and move on to the finals."

Shaking his head, he put on a game face and stepped onto the Arena. As he did so, Sato stood on the other end cracking his neck from side to side. Once he was done, he looked at Midoriya and smirked. "I gotta say, Midoriya, when I saw you fight Todoroki I was kinda scared. It makes me glad that you didn't turn to the dark side. When I fought Ida and won, I felt twice as scared as I was when I watched you fight Todoroki, because now I have to fight a guy who could punch a Glacier into little shards. But now that I thought it over, I think I'll be able to beat you."

Once Sato was finished talking, Izuku smiled, nodding. "Give it your all, Sato. You're going to need it!" Izuku responded, balling up his left hand into a fist. Sato did the same thing, only with this right.

"LADIES, GENTLEMEN, AND PEOPLE IN BETWEEN WELCOME TO THE SEMI-FINALS! OUR FIRST MATCH OF THE AFTERNOON IS QUITE THE MIGHTY ONE! ON THE LEFT, WE GOT THE GREEN-HAIRED MENACE HIMSELF, THE ONE WHO SHOWED TODOROKI WHO THE STRONGEST IN CLASS 1 – A TRULY WAS, IT'S MIDORIYA IZUKU!"

The crowd went wild as a nervous bead of sweat found itself dripping down the side of Izuku's face. He hadn't expected the crowd to erupt so violently. In fact, he was now feeling a bit anxious with all the praise and cheers being levied his way.

"AND ON THE RIGHT, WE HAVE THE SUGAR-POWERED BRICK-WALL OF A PERSON, WHO NOT ONLY BEAT THE FASTEST MEMBER OF CLASS 1 – A WITH SHEER BRUTE FORCE, BUT ALSO SHOWED KINDNESS IN THE SAME BREATH BY HELPING HIM BACK TO HIS FEET, IT'S RIKIDO SATO!"

Once more, the crowd cheered and showered them with applause, though Rikido was left undeterred. Izuku cleared his throat and readied himself. Verdant eyes met black, and as soon as Present Mic was done calling them out, with a mighty roar, he shouted: "BEGIN!"

Sato's first move was to put up a block. Izuku's first move was to charge up his Full Cowling. Once that was done, Sato blinked, and Midoriya was gone. Caught off guard by this, he only had a split second to shift his body around to block a kick meant for his head. The kick was strong enough to break the block and send the boy skidding back.

The sugar-amped teen dodged to the right to avoid yet another kick, and then again to the left. Sato then shot a punch straight for the green-haired teen's gut, only for it to be avoided and immediately countered, socking Sato in the chest and sending him flying. Had it not been for him planting his feet into the ground, he would've been launched out of the arena.

Sato grit his teeth, watching as Midoriya came right at him, not giving him a break. The massive hulk of a teen sent faked a left hook, which Midoriya went to block for. Using that to his advantage, Sato was able to clock Izuku in the side of the face, sending him tumbling to the ground. Without skipping a beat, Sato kicked Midoriya while he was down, sending him up in the air as the boy spat up saliva. Using this to his advantage, Izuku was hammered down with a solid dual-fisted slam by Sato into the ground.

The audience made several ooh's and awe's while Sato proceeded to manhandle the green-haired teen. Several punches and kicks were dished out. Izuku tried to block all of them, but it was no use. He was able to block three of the eight attacks that were sent his way, but the rest made contact, dazing him as he tried to get his barrings.

However, during the beating, Izuku did notice something amidst all the attacks. With each punch Sato was throwing, each of his attacks kept getting slower. "He's about to have a sugar crash. Once he slows down to a manageable point, I'll take him out!" Midoriya thought, gritting his teeth as endured one more attack. Then, he saw an opening.

Just as Sato was about to unleash yet another kick on the boy, Izuku jumped up from the ground that he had pretty much been pummelled into, slid his right foot back just close enough to the disqualification line to make it dubious to whether or not he crossed it, and then full-on tackled Sato, staggering the teen. It wasn't enough to send him through the ground, but it was enough to make him lose his balance. Then, without missing a beat, he delivered an uppercut to the teen's jaw, sending him falling backward.

Using his few-second window of opportunity to activate Full Cowling, Izuku ducked his left arm underneath Sato's back moments before he hit the ground, grabbed him by the back of the gym uniform, and used his free right arm to grab his left ankle; and just before he was able to hit the ground back of his head first, Midoriya flipped him upside down, putting him face-side to the ground, slamming him into the dirt, causing the arena floor to crack upon making contact with it.

The impact was so great that the boy bounced into the air with enough force to flip over. Sato, now on his back, took in several ragged breaths, his nose and upper lip bloody and his eyes hazy. He was dazed and staring up at the sky, blinking a few times. Midoriya stood over Sato before kneeling to his level. The brown-skinned teen looked over at Izuku, a look of shock and surprise in his eyes. Once he knew he had Sato's attention, he spoke. "Can you continue? I'm sorry if I hurt you too badly," Izuku questioned, his voice genuine as Sato smirked.

"I… I think I'm done…." As Sato spoke those words, he passed out from the sugar crash that was setting in. Midnight raised her riding crop to the air and shouted so that the audience could hear.

"Sato Rikido is unable to battle, Midoriya Izuku moves on to the finals!"

As that echoed throughout the arena, cheers soon filled it soon after. Midoriya helped Sato up from the floor as a pair of medical robots came onto the scene, both of which carrying a stretcher. Izuku didn't think Sato needed it, but if that's what the staff believed to be necessary, then he wouldn't question it. Placing his classmate on the stretcher, the two medical robots took him away.

After Sato was taken away, Izuku left the arena with a contemplative expression on his face. Just before he did, however, he heard Present Mic announce something to the crowd.

"WELL FOLKS, AFTER THAT RATHER INTERESTING FIGHT, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT MIDORIYA IZUKU IS NOW MOVING ON TO THE FINALS! JUST WHO WILL HIS OPPONENT BE? WILL IT BE MONOMA NEITO? OR WILL IT BE KIRA YOSHIHARA? FIND OUT IN A FEW MINUTES AS WE LET THE NEXT TWO CONTENDERS PREPARE!"

With those last words being spoken, Izuku left the Arena completely, heading his way toward the seating area so he could watch the impending fight. As he walked through the tunnel, he saw Kira making her way to the entrance, a determined look on her face. As they passed, Yoshihara shot him a glance.

"After this match, Kujo has a lead on the Stand Bullets he wants us to hear about. He wants to talk in the gender-neutral bathroom, that way no one will eavesdrop on us. See you then." With that, Kira left, leaving Izuku behind with a confused expression on his face.

"Okay… uh, alright Kira! Good luck with your next match!" Izuku called out, earning an over-the-shoulder glance from the blonde and a thumbs up. Yoshihara continued walking, her eyes narrowed as she stepped out onto the battlefield. It had only been 5 minutes since her last match, and to her, it was kind of annoying. She hadn't expected Izuku's match to last only a handful of minutes.

Then again, seeing as Izuku had pretty much stolen the whole competition without a passing glance, she couldn't blame the teen for finishing so fast. It didn't help matters when he made Todoroki look like a fool during their fight. So an opponent like Sato wouldn't be too difficult to beat. And while he was getting pummelled pretty badly by their classmate, he turned it around on him rather swiftly.

And now, her next opponent was Neito Monoma, from Class 1 – B, whom she was pretty sure was the one who came up to their table and taunted her about the whole "killing innocent people" thing. As Yoshihara stepped onto the arena floor, she stared the blond-haired boy down, his eyes narrowing with a small scowl on his face.

He was of average height, maybe 5 foot 7, or maybe 8 if he was lucky. His hair was slicked back, and he too wore the gym uniform. He also had blue eyes, though his were a darker shade than hers. From what she observed from the battle, he had the same Quirk as Tetsutetsu, the boy with the steel skin. Although, that sounded like a bunch of nonsense to her.

How did someone have the exact same Quirk as one of their classmates? There was something else afoot with him that she knew he was hiding, and due to what Present Mic said earlier in his introduction about how his Quirk constantly changed, she had to bet he could copy other Quirks.

If that were the case, she wouldn't know what his ability was. That made him a difficult opponent in his own right. But then again, she had Killer Queen, something that she could use to her advantage against the boy, seeing as he knew nothing about it.

Her eyes narrowed toward him in response to his glare. He cracked his neck side to side as a smirk took up his visage. The blond-haired boy was about to speak up when Present Mic's voice came to life on the speakers, cutting the teen off.

"AND FOR OUR FINAL MATCH OF THE SEMI-FINALS, WE HAVE WHAT SOME MAY DEEM TO BE A ONE-SIDED BEATDOWN, DEPENDING ON WHO'S SAYING IT. BUT REGARDLESS OF THAT, LET'S INTRODUCE OUR FIGHTERS, THOUGH YOU ARE ALL AWARE OF WHO THEY ARE! ON THE RIGHT, WE HAVE THE JACK OF ALL TRADES, THE TRICKSTER OF CLASS 1 – B! IT'S MONOMA NEITO!"

The crowd roared with a massive amount of applause. The smirk on Monoma's face was ear to ear, bordering on a smile. His eyes gleamed with the thoughts of victory, a gleam of which showed that he was inherently more human than his opponent. For a split second, Yoshihara felt a wave of anger roll over her. It was like he was mocking her, and in that sense, a part of her wanted to break match regulations, walk up to him, and beat the snot out of him during the introduction.

"AND OVER TO THE LEFT, WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO STILL BOGGLES MY MIND IN TERMS OF HER QUIRK, SOMEONE WHO SHOWS THAT GETTING THEIR HANDS DIRTY ISN'T ALL TOO BAD, AND DOES SO WITH AN APATHETIC EXPRESSION. IT'S KIRA YOSHIHARA!"

There was no roar of applause, although there was far less booing and more silence than the last two times her name was shouted out to the crowd. There were some cheers, mostly coming from her supporters—her friends, something she didn't mind at all. Kira simply huffed out a sigh of annoyance, staring absently at Monoma.

"AND BEGIN!"

"You know…. I wonder why it is that you made it this far," Neito spat as his eyes narrowed. "I would've thought that the scandal that occurred over the last two weeks would've made you quit. But somehow, you're still here. This is where I would usually give props, but you're a murderer, and therefore, all you get is my ire and the rest of U.A.'s. You shouldn't be here, and you know it. Don't you?" Neito continued, keeping his distance from the blonde, who simply stared blankly at him. "So, here's what I'm asking. Why are you here? Why do you think you deserve to be here? Because let's face it, you don't! You put a bad name on being a hero! As that Tokoyami guy said, you're a rat who snuck in to ruin U.A.'s good name! You alone are dragging it through the mud, and should be shamed for it! Not only did you drag down U.A's good name, but also Class 1 – A's! This fight will show to the world that Class 1 – B is better than yours, you filthy murderer!"

And just as he was about to charge toward Kira, a wave of killing intent filled the arena, stopping the boy in his tracks. The whole arena felt it, including the commentators in the booth watching overhead. A sense of dread followed suit, a couple of murmurs coming from the crowd as the two contenders stood stock still. Kira let out a small sigh, shaking her head as she stared directly at Neito Monoma, her face expressionless as she began to fiddle with a coin in her right hand.

"My name is Yoshihara Kira. I am 16 years old. I live in a suite on Naboo Street where the busiest part of Musutafu is located, and I am no longer single. I am a student at U.A. High, specifically the Hero Course, and I get home every day at around 4:30 PM, no earlier and no later than that. I do not smoke, nor do I drink."

Monoma blinked, confusion taking over his visage as Yoshihara spoke. "W-Why are you—"

"I'm in bed by 9:30 PM, and I make sure to get, at the bare minimum, eight hours of sleep, no matter what. After having a glass of warm milk and doing about twenty or so minutes of stretches before going to bed, I usually have no problems sleeping until morning. Just like a baby, I wake up without any fatigue or stress. During my previous doctor's appointment, I was told I had no outstanding medical issues, mental or physical."

More confusion clouted Monoma's mind, his expression showing that clearly. He was about to speak again, to ask why she was going on about this nonsense, when the wave of killing intent got worse. He choked back a gasp for air, looking at the now terrifying person in front of him. It was almost as if he could see the killing intent waft off of her like a plume of smoke, fixating around her body as she fiddled with the coin.

Her expression became dark, and her eyes became pointed—like that of a cat. Despite that, every ounce of fear he felt only tripled when she moved a few steps forward. Building up enough will, he spoke up, even if his voice was now shaky, and his determination all but shattered.

"G-Get to the point! A-And stop w-whatever the hell this is! N-No words you say are going to make m-me change my and the rest of the world's view on you!" Neito barked, his glare returning to him. All he got in response was the shake of a head and a disappointed hum.

"What I'm trying to explain, Neito Monoma, is that I'm a person who wishes to live a very quiet life. Now, as of recent, that has been foiled by a lot of outside factors up and including this school. However, my stance still has not changed. I try and take care not to trouble myself with enemies, like winning and losing. That would cause me to lose sleep at night."

As she spoke, the negative energy surrounding her only got worse, Monoma taking a step back as a result. For a moment, he saw the mask slip as her eyes became dead, any emotion she once held onto gone as Monoma was met with her true self. The true Kira Yoshihara. An uncaring, unrelenting force of malice given human form. Someone to not make angry, someone to not step in the way of.

And that glare she gave him summed it up to him in a matter of seconds. It showed him that she never showed mercy to anyone. To villains, to citizens, to heroes—nothing. She cared not for any of that. But just as he thought she was done speaking, she continued.

"That is how I deal with society, and I know what brings me happiness. For as long as I can remember, I've tried my damndest to live a somewhat productive life. I've never once had to deal with people who would stand to strip that from me. But, as recent events have proven to me, some people would wish me harm. Another thing that recent events have proven to me, is that If I were to get into a fight with anyone, I would not lose."

The wave of killing intent ceased as Kira flipped the coin over to Neito, landing at the edge of his feet. His eyes narrowed at the coin as he reached down to pick it up. Once he had it in his hands, he examined the coin, raising a left eyebrow. "What the… it's just a 100 yen coin? What kind of stupid thing is this about? Thanks for the money, I guess—"

"Do you even know what my Quirk is?" Yoshihara asked, putting one of her hands in her pocket, and keeping the other one out. Neito scoffed, looking at her with an expression that screamed "duh"

"You can create bubble bombs from your fingertips. You can also shrink them down to near-microscopic size to protect you like a barrier, but that's it. Nothing too outlandish or flashy, but definitely powerful. If only you used it for good, then maybe—"

"You got half of my Quirk right," Yoshihara said as Killer Queen appeared beside her, its right hand making a detonator-like charade. "But you don't know its other half, so allow me to explain it to you. My Quirk, Bomb Creation, allows me to create bubble bombs, that much you were correct about. But it also allows me to turn anything I touch into a bomb. Including a 100 Yen coin."

The realization hit Monoma like a freight train, but before he could throw it away, a clicking sound filled the arena as a massive explosion overtook Monoma's person completely. In one attack, the boy was sent flying out of the arena, blood flying out of his body as his arms, legs, chest, waist, and face were filled to the brim with cuts and lashes. Not deadly, mind you, but most certainly painful. Gasps and wide eyes filled the arena as Yoshihara scoffed. She hadn't expected that to work. She had thought that Monoma would've been smarter than that, but instead, she was proven wrong.

The coin lay on the floor of the arena perfectly intact as Kira walked up to it and picked the coin up. There was no hint of emotion on her face, no hint of sympathy, no nothing. Just a pure, blank expression. Putting the coin back into her uniform pocket, she waited for the dust to settle so that she could see the extent of the damage.

When the smoke cleared, Neito was slumped against the wall near the exit tunnel, his eyes squinting as he tried to remain conscious. Blood streamed down his face and his arms, the top half of his uniform torn to shreds. The top half of his body was covered in cuts and burn marks, but nothing too serious. Blood streamed from those too, but once again, it was nothing too serious. The rest of his wounds were small cuts and bruises.

She hadn't packed too much firepower in the explosion, only enough compared to a quarter of a grenade. There was enough firepower within that explosion to send him flying and to leave some small wounds behind after the fact.

Yoshihara was cruel to her enemies, but not that cruel. At least when it came to other students.

"AND… UM, WITH THAT RATHER ANTI-CLIMATIC FIGHT, KIRA YOSHIHARA MOVES ON TO THE FINALS. I… ER, LET'S TAKE A BREAK BEFORE WE BEGIN THE END ALL BE ALL MATCH OF THE SPORTS FESTIVAL."

Kira left the arena as the medical bots scooped Neito up onto the stretcher, the teen barely conscious of what had happened. His fist slightly enlargened for a split second, then returned to normal size. His eyes widened at that. She had distracted him for enough time for the time limit of his Copy Quirk ability to be up. Perhaps it was unconsciously, but she drained all the time he had for it.

She beat him with words and then blew him up just to add salt to the wound. With his pride now wounded, he drifted off to the land of unconsciousness, anger in his veins at the insult that had been tossed his way without the use of words.