After testing his new techniques, Izuku Midoriya felt a surge of excitement.
If he trained these two abilities properly, they could become his trump cards.
"Besides… I might only be able to use this kind of power for now. It's not some all-purpose trick that works in every situation."
Izuku lifted his head and looked toward the rising sun.
"First… I need to be absolutely certain."
After returning home, Izuku immediately began drafting a specialized training plan. In order to take first place at the U.A. Sports Festival, he prepared meticulously.
"Last year's first event was a bowling-style race… the year before that was an obstacle course…"
"Obstacle courses seem to alternate every other year… so this year should be the same."
"The first event is basically confirmed."
"The next one should be some kind of capture or elimination match…"
"Other than Class B and the general studies classes, I don't need to worry too much about the rest…"
"…But there are three people I absolutely need to watch out for."
Izuku turned his gaze toward three photos pinned to the wall.
"Katsuki Bakugo. Shoto Todoroki. Hitoshi Shinso."
His eyes sharpened.
"Bakugo and Todoroki are the strongest contenders…"
"And this guy… is the one most likely to completely turn things around."
Izuku pulled down Shinso's photo and placed it on the desk, studying it carefully.
"His Quirk… brainwashing through speech."
"Once you respond to him, you're under his control."
"Even though a mind-control Quirk is extremely powerful… it's not unbeatable…"
The entire day passed in analysis and preparation.
The long-awaited U.A. Sports Festival officially began the next morning.
Waiting Room
Izuku sat in the competitors' waiting room, taking a deep breath.
It would soon be their turn to enter.
"…I'm still nervous."
Beside him, Minoru Mineta repeatedly drew symbols on his hand and then swallowed them, trying to calm himself down in his own bizarre way.
"Midoriya."
At some point, Shoto Todoroki had appeared beside him.
"Todoroki… what's up?" Izuku turned slightly.
From the side, Todoroki spoke calmly—
"Objectively speaking… I'm stronger than you."
"…Yeah."
Izuku nodded.
Todoroki's dual Quirk—half hot, half cold—was undeniably powerful, far more versatile and aggressive than his own.
"You've caught All Might's attention."
"I don't care why…"
"But I will defeat you."
"Ohhh! A declaration of war from one of the strongest!" Denki Kaminari shouted from his seat, clearly enjoying the tension.
"Even if I don't understand why you're targeting me…" Izuku said, flexing his fingers slightly,
"You're strong. Stronger than most people here."
"But I'm not someone who just gets pushed around."
"If you're challenging me…"
"I accept."
"I'll fight with everything I've got."
"Heh, things just got intense!" Eijiro Kirishima grinned, clearly loving the moment.
"Enough messing around!" Tenya Iida pushed open the door.
"Let's show them what Class 1-A is made of!"
"Yeah!!"
The class moved out together.
Stadium Entrance
The stadium was packed.
The roar of the crowd echoed like thunder.
At the center, the flamboyant announcer—Present Mic—was hyping up the audience.
"THE HEROES SPORTS FESTIVAL!!"
"THE BIGGEST BATTLE OF THE YEAR FOR FUTURE HEROES!!!"
"And now—entering the stage—these rising stars who overcame even a villain attack!!!"
"FIRST-YEAR HERO COURSE—CLASS 1-A!!!"
The students of Class 1-A stepped into the arena under a sea of cheers.
"…That's a lot of people," Izuku muttered, visibly overwhelmed.
"Performing under pressure like this… that's also part of being a hero," Iida said, though he himself looked tense.
They gathered at the center of the stadium.
On a raised platform stood the referee for the first-years—Midnight.
"Alright! Settle down!" she called, cracking her whip.
"Time for the athlete's oath!"
"Get up here—Katsuki Bakugo!"
Under everyone's gaze, Katsuki Bakugo stepped forward.
Hands in his pockets, expression arrogant as ever.
"I swear—"
"I'LL TAKE FIRST PLACE!"
"And I'll prove it!!!"
"…Still as loud as ever," Izuku muttered, but there was a spark in his eyes.
This time… I'll face you head-on.
"Heroes value speed above all else!" Midnight announced.
"So we'll kick things off with a speed-based event!"
All eyes turned to the giant screen.
Names and events rapidly scrolled—
Then stopped.
OBSTACLE RACE
"…Called it."
Izuku immediately crouched down and began unfastening the weights strapped to his legs.
"An obstacle race! Eleven classes competing simultaneously!"
"The course runs around the entire stadium—approximately four kilometers!"
A massive gate opened.
A starting signal blinked.
"…And—GO!!!"
All participants surged forward at once.
The entrance bottlenecked instantly.
Bodies collided, pushing and shoving.
"It's too crowded!" Izuku struggled to move through the mass.
"This is the first filter," Todoroki muttered.
He surged ahead, unleashing his Quirk—
Freezing the ground behind him to block others.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, half-and-half bastard!" Bakugo blasted himself into the air with explosions, chasing after Todoroki.
"Everyone's so fast…" Izuku pushed forward with Mineta.
"What's that? Watch this—!"
Mineta was about to act—
"WHAM!"
A massive green claw slammed into him, sending him flying.
"What the hell was that?!" Izuku dodged just in time.
Then he saw it—
The first obstacle.
Giant robots.
The same type used in the entrance exam.
"…You've got to be kidding."
Even so, Izuku didn't hesitate.
He charged straight toward them.
"If I hit 30 km/h… I can leave everyone else behind."
His legs pumped faster.
"Thirty kilometers… Cyclonus!!"
His speed surged.
With precise footwork and positioning, Izuku slipped past the robots, weaving through their attacks.
"Maintain this speed…"
"Break through the second obstacle!"