Chapter 23: Sports Festival (2)
"U.A. Sports festival! The huge battle where fledgling heroes sharpen their swords once a year!
Anyway these are the guy's right?
The miraculous new stars who overcame enemy attack with their hearts of steel!
Hero course, Class 1-A right?!" Present Mic announced as soon as all students of class A got past the corridor. The audience cheered for them the loudest.
"They haven't been getting as much airtime, but this class is also full of talent! Hero course Class 1-B!" They were also cheered but not with the same intensity of Class A.
"Next up, general studies Classes C, D, and E.
Support course Classes F, G and H are here too.
And the business course Classes I, J and K.
All of U.A. 's first years are here now!" Present Mic just screamed like that, and the audience were cheering for all the students.
As the cheering was dying down, a woman walked over to the podium and whipped in the air. Seeing her all of the audience and students recognized her as the R-Rated Hero: Midnight.
"Time for the player pledge." As she said that, the stadium became quiet.
After making sure it's silence she spoke "Representing the students is Katsuki Bakugo from Class 1-A!"
As his name was called Bakugo walked out from where Class 1A was standing and climbed the podium.
Reaching the mic he spoke "I pledge. That I'll be number one."
A second later he said that other students started to curse him.
"What the heck!"
"Stop messing around!"
"Don't be so full of yourselves, Class A"
"You sludge bastard" And many more were heard by everyone.
Not able to understand why he did that, Iida spoke to him from the ground "Why are you doing something so disgraceful?!"
"At least become a nice bouncy step for me to jump off of." Not responding to Iida, Bakugo spoke again.
After he left the podium and the students calmed down a little, Midnight spoke "Now, let's get started right away.
The first game is what you'd call a qualifier. " Looking at the students she continued "Every year, many drink their tears here!" As she said that a hologram screen appeared behind her. "Now here is the Fateful first game" After she said that the words on the screen started to rotate. After a couple of seconds it stopped at a game.
Seeing the game Midnight announced "This year it is an obstacle race."
After that on the screen an animated explanation was given while Midnight gave us a verbal explanation "All eleven classes will participate in this race. The course will be the outer circumference of the stadium, about four kilometers!
Our school's selling point is freedom!"
Licking her lips dangerously she said "As long as you stay on the course, it doesn't matter what you do!
Now! Take your places everyone!"
When she said that, every student gathered around the exit and waited for the signal. As the last green light was turned off Midnight spoke "Start!"
Hearing this all the students started to run into the exit corridor.
As the game started Present Mic started to do his commentary "Okay, here's the play-by-play! Are you ready to do the commentary, Eraser?"
A tired Eraser Head spoke "You are the one who forced me to come."
Not minding his reply, Present Mic spoke "Let's get started right away!"
"What should we pay attention to in the early stages?" he asked Erasure head.
"This part now."
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"Start."
As soon as Midnight gave the signal all the students started to run into the corridor.
Knowing what would happen here I slowed down and ran at the back of everyone slowly.
A second later they were all crammed in there, and started to curse at each other for either stepping on their toes or for pushing them aside.
As I was enjoying the show from the back and as the front runners reached the exit, ice started to form on the floor. So as I know it's due to Shoto I just jumped up and let it pass under me.
As I was also out of the corridor I saw some students stuck in ice, they couldn't do anything about it. So I just ran past them at my normal speed.
From a bit ahead I could hear Momo, Kirishima and Bakugo speaking towards Shoto. Suddenly the robots from the entrance exam appeared and hit some of the students taking them out of the course. Seeing that everyone stopped since in front of us was the gigantic zero pointer.
Before they could complain about seeing the zero pointer here, I launched myself on to one of the zero pointers and punched it.
*Boom*
With an explosion, the zero pointer was destroyed and went past it easily.
"What the hell was that?" Present Mic couldn't help but scream as he saw that someone took down the zero pointer in one hit.
Shoto just froze one and ran past it, seeing that some students, Kirishima and Tetsutetsu ran after him but the frozen robot just fell on them. A couple of seconds later they both came out of it and as they were arguing, Bakugo just flew over the zero pointer and took the third position.
As I was on my way, I sensed three more zero pointers being destroyed thank's to Momo and a lot of students passed by them.
As I was running ahead, Shoto and Bakugo were behind me, but they were not even close to me. So I just decided that I should finish it as fast as possible and wait for them at the finish line.
Just as I thought about it, I saw Iida nearing Bakugō with his Engine quirk.
Within a minute I reached the second obstacle, "The Fall."
Looking at the obstacle I thought 'I should just jump over this and get it done.'
Without wasting any more second, I squatted down to get into position of jumping and launched myself into the air as far as I could. I was in the air for three to four seconds before I landed on the other side of the fall.
*Boom*
A booming sound and a crater formed at where I had landed.
"Erasure Head! What are you teaching your students!" I could hear Present Mic asking Aizawa sensei, and his reply was just a grunt as he didn't want to comment on that.
As he didn't get an answer he went back to his commentary.
"A lot of different people are working hard for their chance, huh, Eraser Head?
And now, the leader of the pack is easily first."
After running for a bit more I reached the minefield, as soon I reached there Present Mic announced "And now, we've quickly arrived at the final barrier! The reality here is... that it's a minefield! It's set up so you can tell where the mines are if you look carefully!
So you have to exploit your eye's and legs!
By the way, these landmines are for games, so they're not that powerful, but they are loud and flashy enough to make you wet your pants!"
I didn't think much about searching for where the mines were, I just did what I had done at the fall, I jumped just enough to clear the minefield.
"The leading runner had again jumped past the mine field just like he did with the fall. This may look like this obstacle course is an easy one if you observe the lead, but mind you, not everyone has the same quirk." Present Mic stayed true to his role.
As soon as I reached the finish line, Present Mic announced "And there you have it ladies and gentlemen, with a new record in finishing an obstacle course in the sports festival, Jōichirō Saiba had secured his first position in the first game!"
Cheers were heard from the audience, and I could see my family and Fuyumi cheering for me while standing.
*Booooooommmmmm*
As I heard the sound I understood that the three main heroes had reached the minefield.
And I saw both Bakugō and Shoto at the end of the mine field with Midoriya right behind them in the air, then he slammed the iron plate on the mine and propelled himself forward passing both Bakugō and Shoto in one move.
"Midoriya swiftly blocks those behind him!
Would you believe it?
He cleared the minefield in an instant!" Present Mic was fired up for sure.
"And now, they're finishing one after another! We'll make a list of the results later, but for now, good work!"
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After the preliminary round was finished with forty two students finishing it, Midnight came to the stage and announced "The first game of the first year stage is finally over. Now look at the results!"
1. Jōichirō Saiba
2. Izuku Midoriya
3. Shoto Todoroki
4. Katsuki Bakugo
5. Ibara Shiozaki
6. Jizo Honenuki
7. Tenya Iida
8. Fumikage Tokoyami
9. Hanta Sero
10. Eijiro Kirishima
As I looked through the results I saw that Aoyama didn't make it past rank 42.
"The top 42 made it through to the next round. It's unfortunate, but don't worry even if you didn't make it! We've prepared other chances for you to shine." She paused.
"The real competition begins next! The press clearly will be all over it! Give it your all!" After she said that just like the preliminary round a screen appeared behind her "Now then, here is the second game. I already know what it is, but what could it be? What could it be? I Just said it, and now here it is... Calvary Battle!"
Looking at the confused students she spoke "Let me explain. The participants can form teams of two to four people as they wish. It's basically the same as a regular cavalry battle, but one thing that's different is based on the results of the last game, each person has been assigned a point value."
After she said that the point table was shown starting from the 42nd position with five points and the coming position having five points extra of the previous one.
"And the point value assigned to first place is....
ten million."
Hearing this everyone looked at me with the eyes of predators and I just gave them a simple smile that may or may not have provoked Bakugō and Monoma. Bakugō was held back by Kirishima and Monoma was held back by the Class 1B president. I just chuckled at their reactions and went to the side to get some water as I'm sure that someone will come to me in order to team up.