[16] Shadows of Greatness
"Notice anything interesting about the rankings?" she whispered.
I looked again. Beyond the obvious placements... "The top performers all used indirect approaches."
"Mmhm." Her tail squeezed gently. "Even you, eventually. Though it took you getting hit a few times to figure it out."
"I didn't get hit," I protested.
"Your uniform says otherwise." She poked a small tear in the fabric. "But that's not the interesting part. Look at the bottom half."
I studied the names. Monoma, Kuroiro, Tetsutetsu, Yanagi... "They all tried to overpower or directly counter Vlad-sensei's attacks."
"Smart boy." Jane released my wrist. "Almost like it was designed to teach that lesson."
Before I could respond, Todo's voice rang out: "Behold, my most refined technique!"
He clapped his hands, activating his quirk - and swapped places with one of Vlad King's blood constructs. The move would have been impressive if the construct hadn't been about to hit a wall.
Todo slammed into the barrier face-first.
"Yo," Camie winced, "that's gonna leave a mark."
"Should we help him?" Shiozaki asked, her vines twitching with concern.
"He's fine," Vlad King called out. "Though that's exactly what I meant about thinking things through. Power means nothing without proper application."
As if to prove his point, Todo stumbled to his feet and immediately clapped again - this time swapping with a different blood construct that was mid-swing.
"This is painful to watch," Kuroiro muttered from within Monoma's shadow.
"When did you-" Monoma jumped. "Stop doing that!"
"Never." Kuroiro's grin floated in the darkness. "Your shadow's quite comfortable."
I watched Todo continue to swap himself into increasingly worse positions, each attempt more desperate than the last. Part of me wanted to look away, but there was something admirable about his persistence.
"He's got spirit," Shishida noted. "Though perhaps not the most strategic mind."
"At least he's entertaining," Setsuna said, her floating head now wearing tiny sunglasses she'd apparently stored... somewhere.
"Focus," Vlad King barked. "You're not here to spectate. Study his mistakes. Learn from them." He paused as Todo clapped himself directly into the path of three blood spears. "Or in this case, learn what not to do."
"I meant to do that!" Todo called out, dodging at the last second. "It's all part of my refined plan!"
"Your plan sucks!" Tetsutetsu shouted back.
"You're one to talk, Mr. Ninth Place!"
"Hey, at least I finished!"
Todo clapped again, this time swapping with Tetsutetsu - who immediately got hit by the blood attack Todo had been avoiding.
"That's it!" Tetsutetsu's skin turned to steel. "Come here and fight me properly!"
"Both of you, enough!" Vlad King's blood constructs separated them. "This is exactly the kind of behavior that will hold Class 1-B back. You're too focused on showing off instead of improving."
I focused on Todo's continuing attempts to complete the course. He'd finally stopped trying to swap with blood constructs, but his new strategy of rapid-fire teleportation wasn't much better.
"This could take a while," I muttered.
"Good," Jane replied. "More time to study." Her tail flicked playfully. "Unless you'd rather discuss something else? Like why you're so interested in my performance?"
"Maybe I just appreciate good technique."
"Oh?" Her smile widened. "Then you should definitely watch closely. I might show you some new tricks later."
"Fam," Camie cut in, "what did we say about dibs?"
"Right, right." Jane raised her hands. "Though sharing is caring..."
I tuned out their bickering, my attention drawn back to Todo's run. Despite his struggles, there was something familiar about his movement pattern. Something that reminded me of...
My thoughts were interrupted by Todo's victory cry as he finally crossed the finish line - backward, upside down, and slightly singed.
"Time," Vlad King called out. "And a new record for most blood constructs hit in a single run. Though I'm not sure that's something to be proud of."
"Au contraire!" Todo struck a pose despite his disheveled state. "Each hit was part of my refined learning experience!"
"Sure it was." Vlad King sighed. "Next up... Camie Utsushimi"
Camie stretched lazily and gave a peace sign. "No cap, this gonna be lit fam."
"Remember the objective," Vlad King said. "Speed and efficiency."
"Bet." She sauntered to the starting line.
Jane whispered in my ear again. "Watch carefully."
I raised an eyebrow. "You seem very invested in everyone's performance."
"Just the interesting ones." She leaned forward. "And our resident valley girl is more interesting than she lets on."
The moment Vlad King called start, Camie disappeared in a shimmer of air. The blood constructs paused, scanning for movement.
"Yo, over here!" Her voice called from three different directions.
Vlad King's constructs attacked each source, but hit nothing. Meanwhile, a fourth Camie casually strolled through an unguarded section.
"That's... not how illusions usually work," I said.
"Notice how the fake voices drew attacks in specific directions?" Jane pointed to where the blood constructs were regrouping. "She's not just creating distractions. She's controlling the battlefield."
Camie continued her casual walk, each step perfectly timed between the constructs' attacks. When they finally noticed her, she simply waved - and split into six identical copies, each moving in different patterns.
"No way to tell which is real," Shiozaki murmured. "Even their movements match perfectly."
"Cap," all six Camies said in unison. "Y'all still sleeping on me."
The blood constructs attacked again, this time more coordinated. But instead of hitting illusions, they passed through what looked like solid obstacles - benches, walls, and barriers that hadn't been there before.
"She's not just making copies," I realized. "She's changing how we perceive the entire course."
"Took you long enough," Jane smirked. "Look at Vlad-sensei."
Our teacher's expression had shifted from stern to focused. His constructs moved more cautiously now, probing the environment before attacking.
"The thing about illusions," Jane continued, "is that knowing they're fake doesn't make them less effective. Your brain still processes what it sees."
As if proving her point, Camie - or one of her copies - tripped on nothing and fell face-first. Every construct in range attacked the spot.
"Sike!" The real Camie emerged behind them, already past the halfway point. "That's the wrong number!"
"Did... did she just meme during combat?" Monoma asked.
"Respect the drip," Setsuna's floating head nodded sagely.
The course's second half brought new challenges, with tighter spaces and more complex construct patterns. Camie's response was to make the entire area appear to be on fire.
"It's not real!" Tetsutetsu shouted.
"Obviously," Kuroiro replied from his shadow. "But try telling that to your instincts."
Even Vlad King's constructs hesitated before entering the illusory flames. Those that did moved slower, less coordinated - fighting against basic survival instincts.
"That's actually brilliant," I said. "She's using primal fears to-"
"Shh," Jane pressed a finger to my lips. "Analysis later. Watch now."
Camie reached the final stretch, where the most powerful constructs waited. Instead of more illusions, she simply stopped and pulled out her phone.
"Yo, this lighting perfect for the gram."
The constructs charged. She snapped a selfie.
And every construct froze, caught in the flash of her phone's camera.
"Did she just-" Monoma started.
"No way," Tetsutetsu finished.
Camie tucked her phone away and walked past the stunned constructs. "Thanks for the collab, fam. This gonna get mad likes."
She crossed the finish line with the third-best time of the day.
"Very creative use of your quirk," Vlad King nodded. "Though perhaps less social media next time."
"Sorry sensei, you know I had to do it to 'em." She rejoined our group, immediately showing her phone to Setsuna's floating head. "Look how many followers I got during that run."
"The selfie was a distraction," I said. "You used the moment they focused on the phone to layer a stronger illusion."
"No cap." She winked. "Gotta give the people what they expect, you feel me?"
"Playing into assumptions," Jane mused. "Making them see what they want to see. Very clever."
"Facts." Camie's grin widened. "But that's not even my final form."
"Save something for the sports festival," Vlad King called out. "Next up: Pony Tsunotori."
I watched Camie compare social media stats with Setsuna, her earlier precision hidden behind valley girl charm. How much of her persona was real, and how much was another layer of illusion?
I watched as Yui crossed the finish line, her enlarged shield shrinking back to pocket size. She'd handled the course with her usual efficiency - no wasted movements, no flashy displays. Just precise timing and clever use of pre-prepared items.
"Well done," Vlad King said. "Last up: Rei Kazama."
My attention snapped to the final student. The guy from the elevator. He stepped forward with the same measured calm I'd seen earlier, his dark blue eyes scanning the course.
"Kazama?" Monoma's voice cut through the quiet. "As in Jin Kazama? The Horizon Hero?"
Rei's shoulders tensed slightly. Almost imperceptible, but there.
"Oh shit," Setsuna's floating head whispered. "I thought that name sounded familiar."
"The hero who died stopping that villain attack in Hokkaido?" Tetsutetsu asked, his usual volume dropping.
"My brother," Rei said simply, not turning around. His voice was flat, controlled. Too controlled.
The silence that followed felt heavy. I'd heard about that incident - a massive villain attack that had been stopped at the cost of several pro heroes' lives. Horizon had been the one to ensure civilian casualties stayed at zero.
"Ready?" Vlad King asked, his tone softer than before.
Rei nodded once.
"Begin."
The blood constructs surged forward. Rei didn't move. His eyes darted between them, tracking their movements. At the last possible moment, he shifted - a minimal motion that let the attacks pass harmlessly by.
"His quirk," Jane murmured. "Look at his eyes."
I was already watching. The way he moved... it wasn't just good reflexes. He was processing everything faster than normal.
"Bullet Time," Todo said. "The ability to perceive and process information at accelerated speeds. His brother had a similar quirk."
Rei continued through the course, each movement precise and calculated. Where others had dodged wildly or countered with force, he simply... wasn't there when the attacks landed.
"It's like he's reading a battle manual in real-time," Shiozaki observed.
"More than that," I said. "He's reading multiple moves ahead."
Rei reached the halfway point without a single wasted action. No showing off, no unnecessary risks. Pure efficiency.
"Kinda scary," Camie commented. "Like, no cap, he's giving me terminator vibes."
"The real test starts now," Vlad King called out, sending more complex attack patterns.
Rei's expression didn't change as he analyzed the new threats. His movements remained minimal, but I noticed something. A slight hesitation before certain dodges. Like he was fighting against muscle memory.
"He's actively avoiding using his brother's techniques," I realized.
"You noticed too?" Jane's tail twitched. "Interesting how much effort he's putting into being different."
The constructs switched to a familiar pattern - the same one that had caught me off guard earlier. Rei's eyes widened slightly. Recognition.
He'd studied his brother's fights.
Instead of dodging like Jin would have, Rei took a completely different approach. Where his brother might have rolled right, he stepped left. When a high attack came that Jin would have ducked under, Rei sidestepped.
Each choice deliberately opposite to what his brother would have done.
"You're overthinking it," Vlad King said, his voice carrying across the field. "Sometimes the obvious solution is the right one."
Rei's jaw tightened. The next wave of attacks came faster, more aggressive. His movements became less precise, more desperate to be different.
"He's gonna get hit," Tetsutetsu muttered.
"No," I said. "He's going to have to choose."
The constructs formed a pincer movement - one Jin Kazama had famously countered in his last fight. Everyone knew the footage. Everyone knew what came next.
Rei froze for a split second, caught between his desire to be different and the obvious solution.
He chose.
The same roll, the same counter, the same technique his brother had used. Perfect execution.
"Plus Ultra," he whispered, so quietly I barely heard it.
He crossed the finish line with the second-best time of the day. Better than mine.
Nobody spoke. Rei stood there, shoulders tight, waiting for the comments about his brother's technique.
"Good work," Vlad King said simply. "Class dismissed. Remember to review today's footage before tomorrow's session."
As everyone started to leave, I caught Rei's eye. He met my gaze steadily, a silent challenge in his expression.
I smirked. "Nice run. We should talk next time in the elevator."
"Perhaps," he replied. His tone was carefully neutral, but I saw the way his eyes narrowed slightly. Analyzing. Assessing.
This year just got more interesting.