Chapter 63 - Battle Royal

On the 1-A side, the reactions were mixed.

Momo was outraged that Shoto would try to distract them from the goal of the competition in such a crude manner, Iida for his part was clearly at a loss as to how to react, since Shoto was in a way showing nothing but excellent comradery by making sure that everyone gave their all.

Bakugo's eyebrows arched, a little surprised but not overly shocked, while the other students' expressions ranged from aghast to excited.

Ochaco's eyes glowed as real 'dollars' replaced her pupils, her fist clenched and smoke billowed from her ears. Jiro even took a few steps back and looked at the teenager nervously.

- Guys, do you realize what you can do with a million dollars, Séro breathed, his eyes wide.

- With that kind of money, who needs to work?, Denki replied half-heartedly, his eyes never leaving the cash.

Shoto leaned over the microphone as if he wanted to share a secret with them.

- Between you and I, you're all so weak that even if you worked as a team, you wouldn't be able to beat me.

Angry shouts ripped through the crowd of students.

Shoto cast a quick, amused glance at Bakugo, who howled louder than the others and whose eyes only turned into that funny upside-down 'D' when he was angry.

- But since I'm in a generous mood, I'm going to offer you a couple of tiers for what we'll call second and third place.

Out of nowhere, while everyone was wondering how they'd missed it so far, he pulled out a mini-board. He'd drawn a podium and corresponding amounts for each place.

- For third place, i.e. $150,000, I have the right to donate the aforementioned amount to any student who has been particularly involved.

There was some murmuring in the crowd.

- In second place, I'll give $500,000 to whoever can remove my mask or damage it enough to show my face.

Some people laughed mockingly, as if it would be the easiest thing to do.

- This guy is so arrogant, laughed a girl

- It means that this 1 million will be the easiest thing to earn in our lives.

Shoto, whose superhuman hearing never fails, made sure to memorize their faces as his eyes scanned the crowd.

- Finally, since it would be unfair since I'm so superior to you, I'm going to handicap myself for the first ten minutes of the first trial. I won't be using any of my Quirks, so I invite you to come at me with everything you've got.

There were excited murmurs and some even started jumping up and down and hugging each other.

- Cheryl, we're going to be rich! Rich!

Groups began to form, making plans.

Shoto looked down at them from the podium, satisfaction written all over his face.

- As a compensation for your participation, I'd like to add that the hundred worst among you will have to give up their place to Yuei.

The speakers crackled.

- I was joking, of course, Shoto interjected, casting a brief, nervous glance in the direction of the tribune.

He wasn't joking, of course, and had really hoped to make half of the freshmen disappear, just to make the story even more chaotic than it already was.

However, he had already foreseen that the faculty might reject this rule, so he hadn't put it at the beginning but at the end of his speech, hoping that no one would notice and that he could simply force the other teenagers to comply.

- I'd like to end my speech by making one last promise to all the students here and to the public.

Shoto shoved his hands into his pockets, his false air of playfulness disappearing to make way for a closed face and dark eyes.

The camera zoomed in on him, and everyone could see the disdain he had for all of the other students.

- Despite all your efforts... I'll be number 1.

And he pushed the button under the desk, the music blaring from the speakers, drowning out the angry shouts, protests and insults of the teenagers.

*

It was hot in the tunnel.

300 students crammed into a ten by thirty meter corridor was bound to make everyone sweaty.

Shoto stood alone in the middle of the tunnel.

Technically, he wasn't alone, but since all the students seemed to have a tacit agreement not to come within three meters of him, it was as if he was.

A perfect circle formed in the crowd, with him at the center.

Hands in his pockets, his calm eyes watched the teenagers around him.

Fifty or so had chosen to face him, their backs to the starting line.

What was a poor plastic medal worth in the face of a - tangible - million dollars ?

Shoto estimated that there were about eighty more students deep in the tunnel behind him.

They'll block my path in front and prevent me from getting out ; the battle royale will take place here.

He would have rather been out in the open where the whole world could see his prowess, but oh, well. Whether in public or in the privacy of the tunnel, Shoto would wipe the floor with these trash.

The screen hanging from the tunnel ceiling lit up, showing Present Mic and Aizawa. Shoto listened with half an ear to the latest comments from the moderators.

- The first trial of the second year promises to be doubly interesting this year, since, I remind you, a student has offered the astronomical sum of one million dollars to the one who defeats him! (He turned to his colleague) Eraser-head, if I'm not mistaken, Shoto is a student in your class. Do you have anything to say about him ?

Shoto reached into his pockets and pulled out a pair of black gloves.

- It's not long into the year, so it's hard for me to make a reliable judgment about Shoto Todoroki's abilities. However, it's easy to say that he has a very good grasp of his two Quirks, which allowed him to gain enough time against Nomu to allow All Might to step in during the USJ incident. (There were surprised murmurs from the audience: Shoto, for his part, sniffed disdainfully as he pulled on his gloves. Stalling for time ? If he'd been on his own, it would have been over in seconds.) But to limit himself for the first ten minutes of the race is a serious mistake on his part. In my opinion, he has already lost.

Present Mic nodded solemnly, inwardly jumping for joy because Aizawa had finally decided to speak and stopped grunting like an animal.

- This is the answer we are going to get, dear viewers! Is Shoto Todoroki just arrogant or does he have the skills to allow himself to bluster? It's going to be an uphill battle for the students facing him, as Shoto Todoroki is the student with the highest score in this year's entrance exam. Anyway, all bets are off, and Shoto's start doesn't look good, because-

Shoto cracked his neck and slowly turned to face the students behind him.

His eyes lingered for a second on a brunette and a redhead.

The two show-offs from earlier.

The present microphone started a ten-second countdown.

Ten ! Nine ! Eight !

Shoto felt a wave of calm invade his entire being.

I said I wouldn't use my quirk, but when it comes to my chakra…

He activated his Sharingan and placed a genjutsu over his eyes so that no one could see him.

The three black commas in his eyes rotated lazily, the influx of information his brain received multiplied by thirty.

He slowly watched the excited faces, the confident smiles, the happy faces.

- I'd like to make one last comment before we begin.

Silence fell around him as everyone listened to what the million-dollar speaker had to say.

- One ! shouted Present Mic.

- If you die here, I absolve myself of all responsibility.

They laughed.

It didn't last long.

*

Bakugo took off like a rocket, using his explosions to propel himself and hinder his opponents along the way.

The crowd applauded as a swarm of other students followed, some hot on his heels. Iida tried to pass him on the right, and Bakugo clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

- Tch.

He sent an explosion right through his legs to slow him down, aiming to overheat his engines from the start.

The recoil from his last attack diverted Bakugo's course, but it was a blessing in disguise: Iida lost ground, and Bakugo found himself alone in the lead, gradually widening the gap to the rest of the students.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw only about forty students behind him.

For a moment, his gaze was drawn to the dark tunnel, from which nothing could be seen.

Two hundred and fifty students against one.

He turned his attention back to the first obstacle that was rapidly approaching. He had a race to win.

*

Author's note :

250 power stones = goal for the bonus chapter

P@treon Nar_cisseENG where you can read up to 50 chapters ahead.