Chapter 30 - The Yuuei Sports Festival

(Nero POV)

The next day, classes began normally. All the students were at their desks, waiting for the teacher.

I was in the last seat in the last row. Our class is divided into four rows, and in addition to being in the last row, I also sit at the last desk. A nice balance, I would say.

At the second-to-last desk was Cassandra Cain, and next to me was Kamala. Gwen sits in front of Kamala, while Ochaco occupies the last seat in the front row.

Speaking of Gwen, after our meeting, she became much closer.

Ochaco is the type of girl who is embarrassed to make intimate contact with me around people, while Gwen doesn't mind, so it was common to see her clinging to me.

Leaving aside my beloved spider, my glasses had not yet arrived. According to the company's notification, it will take some time.

Considering that the glasses will be made with the darkest material possible, I think this delay is quite justifiable.

As I thought about this, Cassandra turned to me.

"Are you well?" she asked, moving her hand.

"Yes, but why do you ask?" I responded.

"The day before yesterday, your body showed several signs of fatigue, both physical and mental." She moved her hands while her black eyes watched me.

Hmm! She really can analyze people very well. The human body seemed like an open book to her. Combining that with her quirk, made Cassandra quite strong.

Although I can now do something similar to Cassandra because of my eyes. I can easily do body reading, which is very useful in battle. After all, being able to read what your opponent is going to do is invaluable.

Out of my thoughts, I said with a smile, "Just tired. A day of rest was more than necessary."

Cassandra looked at me as if she wanted to say something.

"…" She started to sign but stopped, almost as if she were considering how to express herself. Then she moved her hand again. "Thank you for saving me from that creature." Cassandra gave a slight smile, moving her hand.

Cassandra's hesitation must have come from her difficulty showing feelings. From the little time I spent interacting with her, her lack of talent in social interactions was quite noticeable.

"You're welcome." Finding her cuteness, I smiled at her.

For a few seconds, her black eyes stayed fixed on me before she moved her hand again.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked. From the gesture of her hand and the intensity of her gaze, she wouldn't accept a simple "No, thank you."

"Well, there is something, but if you think it's too much, you can refuse, okay?" I moved my hand to express myself.

"Yes." Cassandra shook her head.

"So, you're really good at martial arts, right?"

"I am the best," she signed quickly.

It was obvious that this was not false pride but a statement of fact. Cassandra was 100% sure that there was no one better than her in martial arts.

"Good! So I request that you teach me a little?" I asked, a little embarrassed.

"Of course," Cassandra responded instantly, without the slightest hesitation. "Can it be at my house?" she asked, moving her hand.

"Fine by me." I gave her a grateful smile.

Although I know how to fight thanks to Roberta, I don't have technique, as Roberta didn't exactly have a style. Her style was "Pursue and Destroy," like a real robot from the future, and she refused to teach me this "style" of fighting, saying that it is not suitable for a good person like me.

Before I could continue my train of thought, Aizawa-sensei entered the classroom.

"Good morning," he said in his dejected voice, entering the room.

"…"

A slight silence fell over the room as Aizawa-sensei was wrapped in cloths like a mummy. He was in a terrible state, and he still came to teach. An example of a man dedicated to his work.

"Sensei, are you okay!?" Tenya raised his hand, asking.

"Can you really call that 'being okay'?" Ochaco muttered, looking at our sensei, who only had his eyes visible.

"The teacher would make a great cosplay," Gwen said cluelessly as she smiled, crossing her arms over her head as she tilted her chair back.

"I'm fine; don't worry about me," Aizawa said, standing at the teacher's podium. Suddenly, his eyes looked at us seriously. "After all, the battle is not over for you yet."

"What?"

"Huh? Battle?"

"What battle?"

"Are we going to fight villains again?"

Everyone's tension had just been relieved, but they couldn't help but feel nervous again. The word "battle" seemed like a trigger for this group.

"No, Yuuei's sports festival is approaching, boys and girls!" Aizawa said solemnly.

"A sports festival!"

"At that moment, I remembered that we were still in school," Gwen exclaimed.

I smiled. It's a shame she doesn't know that this "sports festival" isn't normal, since this isn't a normal school.

"Teacher, I have a question," Momo said, raising her hand. Aizawa simply nodded for her to speak.

"Couldn't this be a perfect opportunity for the villains?"

This possibility once again scared the whole class. They didn't want to face villains so soon. Well, considering it's only been a few days since our confrontation with the villains, I think being scared by that possibility seems pretty fair.

"Don't worry, Yuuei will reinforce security at least five times. We will double the number of police patrols, and many professional heroes have been hired to deal with any situation during the festival," Aizawa spoke, clarifying the students' doubts and leaving them relieved.

"Don't worry about that. What you should worry about now is your future. The festival is a great opportunity." His voice was more serious than usual.

Aizawa was right. This was a great opportunity for everyone. Professionals from all over the country, and perhaps the world, will be watching and evaluating us to recruit us. Being recruited by a recognized professional will greatly help us, not only for our future connections but also for increasing our hero skills.

Furthermore, participating in the festival will give us a small fan base with which to build the foundations of our future career and fame.

"This is a golden opportunity that you only get once a year, that is, three times in your life. Don't miss it. You have two weeks off to prepare."

•••

After the fourth class, which was literature, we were on break, sitting in the cafeteria. There was Ochaco, Gwen, and me.

"This will be a chance for all of us…" Ochaco exclaimed excitedly, sitting in front of me.

"A chance?!" Gwen, sitting next to me, cocked her head to the side.

I leaned my body back and explained:

"She is right. Showing a good performance at the Yuuei sports festival will attract scouts from professional heroes, especially famous ones. This would allow us to receive an internship and a guaranteed place when we graduate."

"Hmm! Apparently, this is more important than I thought," Gwen said, leaning her body back, making the necklace around her neck move.

"Yes, so we have to try our best," Ochaco, still excited, exclaimed even louder, raising her hand. She was definitely very excited.

"Yes," Gwen said, raising her hand, following Ochaco's excitement.

Her eyes turned to me, almost as if she expected me to participate in this strange ritual.

"Of course," I said with a smile.

"Hmm! You dullard." Gwen stuck her tongue out at me.

I just smiled and ruffled her hair, making her smile too.

"But this brings us to a new question," Ochaco said, putting her hand on her chin. "We're going to need to train."

That was obvious, my little badger.

"That's easy; we just need to train together." Gwen, enjoying my touch, exclaimed.

"This is a good idea," Ochaco said, but her eyes narrowed when she saw my hand in Gwen's blonde hair.

"I wouldn't mind, but unfortunately I have an appointment for the next two weeks." I decided to focus these two weeks on physical training, which would be more beneficial for me, especially since I would be learning from Cassandra.

"You killjoy." Gwen gave me a teasing look, while Ochaco just sighed.

They both already knew that I was going to train with Cassandra. They just didn't know it would be for two weeks. Now they know.

"But that aside, we can train in the house where Nero and I are living," Ochaco said innocently.

"You perverted couple living together before marriage," Gwen exclaimed, amused. "But I have no problem training in your nest of perversion." Gwen, being Gwen, can't help but make fun of us.

I just flicked her head, making her put her hand on her head and give me a resentful look.

After this event, Gwen and Ochaco decided to train at my house for two weeks. Meanwhile, I would spend these two weeks training with Cassandra.

"Things are really going to get lively," I said with a smile.

"Hehehe! Only you would see an opportunity in life as something fun," Gwen exclaimed, looking at me with her beautiful blue eyes.

"I think this is a right of the strong," Ochaco shrugged.

I didn't say anything, but inside I was excited. This would be a good opportunity for me to grow in terms of strength.

Altair, I will beat you next time, I thought with a smile on my face.