"I can't believe you dragged me out here, Makoto!"
Kazuho squirmed in her seat; the pink fabric of her sweater stretched slightly over her modest figure as she tugged at the collar of the garment. The patch over her left eye caught the afternoon sunlight while she nervously eyed the packed stadium around her.
"We look like... a couple of total stalkers," she added, her voice dropping to an embarrassed whisper as her cheeks turned pink.
Makoto Tsukauchi didn't even bother lowering her binoculars. Her long black hair swayed lightly in the breeze as she adjusted the focus with practiced fingers, scanning the field below where hundreds of first-year students were gathering in neat formations.
"Isn't this awesome?!" Makoto's voice was packed with excitement when she finally lowered the binoculars to flash Kazuho a grin. "C'mon, you need more of an investigative spirit! Besides, you didn't have anything important to do today, and I'm pulling you out of your depression pit."
"Y-you...!" Kazuho stammered, her face going even redder.
Before she could come up with a proper comeback, an imposing voice impossible to ignore boomed through the stadium speakers.
"And now!" Midnight's voice cut through the air. "Before we kick off the festivities, we have a little tradition here at U.A.! The student with the highest score on the entrance exam will come up to give a few words to their fellow competitors!"
She glanced at a small card in her hand.
"This year, that honor goes to... Katsuki Bakugo of Class 1-A!"
"Shhhhh!" Makoto hissed, waving frantically at Kazuho. "It's starting!"
Kazuho fell silent; curiosity won out over embarrassment as both of them leaned forward in their seats.
Awesome, I'm actually about to witness Bakugo's legendary opening speech in person.
Ren stood in the Class 1-A formation, his heart racing with excitement. Thousands of spectators were waiting to hear inspiring words from U.A.'s top-scoring first-year student.
This feels like being in a My Hero Academia theme park, except it's even better because I'm actually IN the world of My Hero Academia! I'm not watching this through a screen anymore!
His thoughts briefly drifted to the chaos of his late arrival.
Even though I almost missed everything because I showed up late. Love you, Ochako. Thanks for those ten thousand texts telling me to get my ass moving.
Bakugo climbed the steps to the platform with his usual aggressive confidence as he snatched the microphone from Midnight's outstretched hand. The crowd settled into expectant silence.
Bakugo brought the mic to his lips.
"I'm only gonna say one thing," he announced, his tone arrogant. "I'm gonna be number one."
The words hung in the air for a few seconds before the stadium exploded.
"BOOOOOOOO!"
"Who the hell does this guy think he is?!"
"Arrogant bastard!"
Bakugo's expression didn't soften; if anything, his scowl deepened with satisfaction as he kept going without missing a beat:
"At least serve as decent stepping stones so I can leap over you."
The booing intensified. Students from Classes B, C, and D rose up out of their formations, their faces twisted with outrage.
"How full of yourself can you get?!" someone from Class B yelled.
Bakugo's lips curled into a smirk.
"I'm the one who's gonna crush all of you, you damn extras!"
The hostile energy aimed at Class 1-A in the stadium spiked so dramatically that Ren could practically feel it pressing against his skin.
Lucky for me the canon of the story isn't too off track; Bakugo's still the same arrogant idiot... THANKS A LOT, BAKUGOOO!
Up in the spectator stands, Mitsuki dragged a hand down her face and let out a long sigh.
"Damn arrogant brat," she muttered through her teeth. "They give you one chance to make a good impression and you blow it completely."
She lowered her hand, getting ready to keep on with her mental tirade against her son's total lack of social awareness, when an unmistakable flash of bright sunlight caught her eye from the field below.
Her gaze locked onto the source: a bald head shining like a beacon in the sea of students.
Mitsuki's expression softened a little, and a small smile tugged at her lips.
"Why can't you be a little sweeter?" she murmured to herself. "Or more like the melon head kid."
The smile lingered as she sank back into her seat, momentarily forgetting her irritation with Katsuki.
Down on the field, the reactions were considerably less affectionate.
"Don't make fun of us!" a Class C student shouted, his face red with anger.
"Stuck up piece of shit!" someone else added.
"Don't get full of yourselves, Class A!"
The whole stadium had turned hostile toward Class 1-A in the span of thirty seconds. Ren could feel his classmates shifting uncomfortably around him, their initial enthusiasm curdling into mortification.
Iida looked like he might detonate from sheer embarrassment.
"Why would you say something so shameful?! You're staining the reputation of the school!"
"I knew he was gonna say something like that," Kirishima groaned nearby, running a hand through his spiky red hair.
"Of course he did," Kaminari added with a sigh. "It's Bakugo."
Ochako edged closer to Ren, keeping her voice low.
"Is he... trying to make everyone hate us?" she whispered.
"Probably," Ren whispered back. "But he doesn't care what people think of him."
"That must be nice," she murmured, though she didn't sound entirely convinced.
Even the pro heroes scattered through the crowd were murmuring among themselves. Ren caught fragments of their conversations floating above the general noise:
"Is that really appropriate behavior for a future hero?"
"Aggressive personality type... could be a problem in team situations."
"Then again, he's U.A.'s number one student. The scores don't lie."
Bakugo finally reached his spot in the Class 1-A formation. He stood there with his arms crossed, radiating total indifference to the chaos he'd just stirred up. His red eyes swept across the hostile faces surrounding them and, if anything, he looked pleased with himself.
He's treating it like a declaration of war, Ren observed, watching Bakugo's stance. Which, knowing him, is exactly what it is.
Midnight let the chaos roll on just long enough to build dramatic tension. She waited until the booing and shouting peaked before raising her whip above her head.
CRACK!
The stadium fell silent almost instantly.
"Wonderful!" Midnight's voice dripped with theatrical approval as she struck a pose on the platform. "That's exactly the kind of energy we need today! Now then, contestants, are you ready to find out your FIRST EVENT?!"
The tension in the air shifted instantly from hostility to anticipation. Every student on the field straightened up, their attention locked on Midnight.
She savored the moment, letting the silence stretch before continuing:
"Your first challenge will be... an OBSTACLE RACE!"
The giant screens around the stadium lit up, showing a detailed map of the course.
"The rules are simple!" Midnight announced, pacing along the platform. "Four kilometers around the stadium! You can use your Quirks however you like, as long as you stay within the designated boundaries of the course!"
She paused for dramatic effect, her whip trailing behind her.
"The first forty-two finalists will advance to the second round!"
The excitement in the air soured into nervous energy as the students started glancing at each other, silently calculating their chances.
"The course contains multiple obstacles designed to test your creativity, your endurance, and your ability to react fast!" Midnight continued, clearly relishing this. "Some of you will shine! Many of you will fail! And all of you will give us an incredible show!"
The crowd roared its approval. Cameras swiveled to capture reactions from different sections of students. Ren spotted several drones hovering overhead, their lenses pointed straight at the field.
This is making me nervous.
"Contestants!" Midnight's voice dropped to a dangerous purr. "Take your positions at the starting gate!"
The mass of students started moving toward the tunnel entrance. There were over two hundred teenagers trying to squeeze into a space designed for maybe fifty. Bodies pressed against each other while everyone fought for a position near the front.
Ren got swept up in the current of moving bodies; even so, someone clearly stood out from the crowd.
Inko Midoriya was about twenty feet ahead, easy to spot despite the press of bodies around her. Her green hair stood out as she stretched her arms above her head, loosening her shoulders in preparation. The motion made her figure shift under her gym uniform, accentuating her pronounced curves. Faint green sparks flickered across her skin, barely visible yet unmistakably there. Her expression was one of pure determination.
One For All, Ren thought, swallowing hard. The true heir to All Might's power.
Inko rolled her shoulders and more green lightning flickered along her arms.
She's probably the strongest person in this whole stadium who isn't a pro hero.
"Ren!"
He turned to find Ochako shoving her way through the crowd toward him. Her face was flushed from the pressure of bodies, but her eyes sparkled with nervous excitement.
"This is insane!" she said, grabbing his sleeve to keep from getting separated. "Did you see the course map? There are like... actual giant robots out there somewhere!"
"Yeah, I saw," Ren replied. "Should be fun."
"Fun?! We could die!"
"We're not gonna die. This is U.A., they have safety measures."
"Safety measures don't help if you get trampled by another two hundred students!" Ochako hissed, gesturing toward the packed tunnel entrance ahead. "Look at this! We're gonna get crushed before we even make it to the first obstacle!"
She had a point. The tunnel leading to the starting line was getting more congested by the second. Students were already starting to shove, trying to lock down better positions.
"Just stick close to me," Ren said, making a decision. "When the race starts, follow my lead."
"What are you planning?"
"You'll see."
The crowd shoved them closer to the tunnel entrance. Ren could already see the starting line, painted bright white on the ground. A massive electronic gate blocked the exit, its red lights blinking ominously.
Midnight's voice boomed through the stadium one last time:
"ON YOUR MARKS!"
The crowd surged forward, and Ren felt someone's elbow dig into his ribs as students fought for position around him. He clenched his teeth and held his ground.
"GET SET!"
The green lightning flashed brighter around Inko. Other students activated their Quirks, getting ready to launch the second the gate opened.
Ren took a deep breath and focused. He could feel his telekinesis responding, ready to be deployed the moment he needed it.
All right. Here we go. Time to show everyone what a bald isekai protagonist can do in a world full of superpowered teenagers.
Midnight raised her whip above her head, her smile visible even from a distance.
"GO!"
********
Hey everyone! Just a quick heads-up: due to some academic and health stuff going on, the update schedule is changing to Mondays only from here on out. I really appreciate your patience with me on this. If you want to read chapters early, you can get access before the public release over on Patreon.com/itszeroo — plus you get to vote on where the story goes, which is always a good time. Thanks so much for all the support, and remember that likes and comments are the best way to keep the thread alive and the conversation going. Seriously, it means a lot. Thanks!