Mineta squirms in Dragreder's coils, his initial surprise giving way to panic. The dragon's grip is firm, unyielding. He glances up at the crimson-armored figure looming over him, his mind struggling to process the situation.
"W-what's going on?" Mineta stammers, his voice trembling. "Why are you doing this? Let me go!"
Ace, in his Kamen Rider Ryuki form, ignores Mineta's pleas, his attention focused solely on the task at hand. He turns to Yu, a silent acknowledgment passing between them.
"Thanks for your help, Yu," Ace says, his voice amplified by the Rider suit. "Everything's going according to plan."
Yu nods, her expression a mix of concern and determination. She knows the stakes are high, and the safety of the U.A. Sports Festival may depend on their success.
"Of course, Ace," Yu replies, her voice resolute. "I'm here to help in any way I can. Just tell me what you need."
Mineta's eyes dart between Ace and Yu, his confusion deepening. He recognizes Ace from Starry Cafe, the kind barista who always seemed so friendly and approachable. But now, transformed into the menacing Kamen Rider Ryuki, he's a completely different person. And the fact that he's working with Mt. Lady, a Pro Hero, makes the situation even more perplexing.
"Wait, what's going on?" Mineta repeats, his voice rising in pitch. "What plan? What are you talking about?"
His eyes widen in realization as he remembers the recent news reports about Kamen Rider, the vigilante who has been making headlines for his brutal methods. Rumors have swirled about Kamen Rider's ruthlessness, his willingness to cross lines that Pro Heroes would never consider. And the most disturbing rumor of all: that Kamen Rider kills the villains he fights.
"Kamen Rider?" Mineta whispers, his voice laced with terror. "You're that Kamen Rider? The one who... who kills villains?"
A wave of nausea washes over him. Is he about to become another one of Kamen Rider's victims? Is this the end for him?
"Are you going to kill me?" Mineta asks, his voice barely audible. "Please, don't kill me! I don't want to die!"
Ace remains impassive, his gaze unwavering. He knows that Mineta is just a pawn in a much larger game, a host for the true threat he seeks to eliminate. But he also knows that he can't afford to make any mistakes, to risk harming an innocent life.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Mineta," Ace says, his voice firm but not unkind. "Just tell the Imagin inside you to reveal itself. It's the Imagin I'm after, not you."
Mineta's eyes widen in disbelief. An Imagin? What is Kamen Rider talking about?
An Imagin? Mineta wonders, his mind racing. Could he be talking about… the voice?
He thinks about the voice that has been guiding him, pushing him to become stronger, more popular, more attractive. The voice that promised him everything he ever wanted. The voice that he thought was his own.
Could that voice be an Imagin? Is that what Kamen Rider is talking about?
Ace watches Mineta closely, searching for any sign of recognition, any indication that the Imagin is listening. But Mineta remains silent, his expression a mix of fear and confusion.
Nothing? Ace wonders, his brow furrowing. Why isn't it responding?
He knows that time is of the essence. The longer the Imagin remains hidden, the more difficult it will be to defeat it without harming Mineta. But he also knows that he can't afford to act rashly, to attack without knowing the full extent of the Imagin's power.
I can't attack the Imagin without hurting Mineta, Ace realizes, his mind racing. I need to find a way to separate them, to draw the Imagin out into the open.
He decides to change his strategy, to play a waiting game. He knows that the Imagin's primary goal is to fulfill Mineta's wish, to make him a popular and successful hero. And he suspects that wish is somehow tied to the U.A. Sports Festival, to Mineta's performance in the upcoming events.
If I can keep Mineta from participating, the wish will go unfulfilled, Ace reasons, his mind focused. And if the wish goes unfulfilled, the Imagin will have no reason to stay hidden.
"Alright, Mineta," Ace says, his voice calm and measured. "I'm not going to force you to do anything. But you're going to stay here, with me, until the Sports Festival is over. If you don't participate, the Imagin won't be able to fulfill its wish. And if it can't fulfill its wish, it'll have no reason to stay inside you."
He glances at Yu, silently communicating his plan. She nods in understanding, her expression determined.
"We're going to keep you safe, Mineta," Yu says, her voice reassuring. "Just trust us. We know what we're doing."
But before Mineta can respond, before Ace can put his plan into action, a new voice echoes within Mineta's mind, a voice filled with anger and frustration.
"Damn you, Kamen Rider!" the voice snarls, its tone venomous. "You think you can interfere with my plans? You think you can stop me from fulfilling Mineta's wish?"
Ace smirks, a sense of relief washing over him. The Imagin has finally revealed itself.
"So, you're the Imagin, huh?" Ace says, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Took you long enough to show your face."
Yu steps forward, her expression hardening. Now that she knows the voice is not part of Mineta, she can act accordingly.
"Leave Mineta's body, Imagin!" Yu demands, her voice authoritative. "You're hurting him, manipulating him. It's time to let him go."
But the Mantis Imagin, its presence now unmistakable, scoffs at Yu's demand, its voice filled with defiance.
"I'm not going anywhere," the Imagin says, its tone unwavering. "Mineta and I have a contract. And I intend to fulfill that contract, no matter what you say or do."
Dragreder growls in response, its fiery breath warming the air around Mineta. Ace raises his hand, silencing his Contract Monster.
"Alright, fine," Ace says, his voice calm and unhurried. "If you want to play it that way, we can wait. We're in a secluded area, where no one will bother us. We can stay here until the Sports Festival is over. It doesn't matter to me."
He pauses, allowing his words to sink in.
"But you have to ask yourself, Imagin," Ace continues, his voice low and menacing, "how long can you afford to wait? How long can you afford to let Mineta's wish go unfulfilled?"
The Mantis Imagin remains silent for a moment, its thoughts hidden, its intentions unclear. Ace knows that he has struck a nerve, that he has touched upon the Imagin's deepest fears.
But then, the Mantis Imagin chuckles, a chilling sound that sends a shiver down Ace's spine.
"You think you're so clever, Kamen Rider," the Imagin says, its voice laced with amusement. "You think you've anticipated every possibility. But you're wrong. You've underestimated me."
It pauses, allowing its words to hang in the air.
"I knew you would interfere," the Imagin continues, its voice smug and self-satisfied. "I knew you would try to stop me from fulfilling Mineta's wish. That's why I made a backup plan."
A sudden explosion rocks the stadium, shaking the very ground beneath their feet. The sound is deafening, the force of the blast sending shockwaves through the air.
Ace and Yu both turn towards the direction of the explosion, their eyes widening in shock and alarm. A plume of smoke rises into the sky, obscuring the stadium lights.
"What was that?" Yu asks, her voice filled with concern.
Ace's mind races, his thoughts tumbling over each other in a desperate attempt to make sense of the situation. He glances back at Mineta, at the Mantis Imagin that still controls his body, and realizes the full extent of the Imagin's cunning.
The Imagin laughs, its voice filled with triumph.
"Oops," the Imagin says, its tone mocking. "Looks like my accomplice has already made their move. I hope you're ready for what comes next, Kamen Rider. Because this is only the beginning."
Back at the stadium, before the eruption of destruction, the atmosphere is buzzing with anticipation. After the Cavalry Battle, the top sixteen participants stand ready for the next stage. Class 1-A observes the absence of a familiar, grape-headed classmate.
"Where's Mineta?" Uraraka asks, looking around the waiting area.
"Yeah, he was doing pretty well. I thought he'd be here," Kirishima replies, scratching his head.
Their questions are cut short. Midnight struts onto the stage, her usual playful demeanor replaced by an air of business. The crowd cheers, their energy undeterred by the previous events.
"Alright, everyone, settle down!" Midnight announces, her voice booming through the speakers. "It's time for the final round! Our top sixteen competitors from the Cavalry Battle will now face off in a tournament-style competition! The rules are simple: incapacitate your opponent or force them out of the ring! Got it?"
A hush falls over the audience as they await the start of the matches. But before the first names can be called, a new threat emerges.
In a shadowed corner of the stadium, a mysterious figure stands cloaked, watching the proceedings. His face is hidden in darkness, his presence unnoticed amidst the festival's excitement. The figure clutches a Lockseed, a small, fruit-shaped device crafted with intricate mechanical details. The Lockseed pulses with an eerie energy, casting a faint glow on the figure's concealed features.
With a deliberate movement, the figure presses a button on the Lockseed. A distinct click echoes in the air, barely audible above the crowd's chatter. The Lockseed's glow intensifies, and suddenly, rips begin to tear across the stadium. These openings look like zippers. The crowd gasps, pointing towards the new anomalies.
From these rifts, monstrous beings pour into the arena. These are Inves: humanoid figures with wildly exaggerated animalistic features. Some have reptilian scales, others boast insectoid armor, and all possess glowing eyes that burn with predatory hunger. They move with unnatural speed and ferocity, their bodies composed of jagged, plantlike armor.
Panic explodes through the stands. Screams erupt as civilians realize the Sports Festival is under attack. Parents grab their children, students huddle together, and the festive atmosphere shatters into terror. The Inves charge, their guttural roars filling the air as they begin their rampage.
The Pro Heroes present immediately react. Eraser Head leaps into the fray, his scarf swirling as he attempts to nullify the Inves' powers. Cementoss raises walls of concrete to protect the fleeing crowds, while Present Mic uses his Quirk to blast the Inves back with sonic waves. However, the sheer number of creatures and the suddenness of their appearance quickly overwhelm the heroes' defenses.
The students, though well-trained, are stunned into inaction. They have faced villains before, but never anything like this. The Inves move with a savage intensity, their bizarre forms and chaotic attacks unlike anything they have learned to combat. Fear grips them as they realize the gravity of the situation.
"What are those things?" Ashido cries, her voice barely audible above the chaos.
"I-I don't know!" Kirishima stammers, his eyes wide with terror. "But they're not human!"
The stadium devolves into a war zone. Inves tear through the stands, attacking anyone in sight. The Pro Heroes struggle to hold the line, but more and more creatures pour from the rifts, their numbers seemingly endless. The air fills with the sounds of screams, explosions, and the Inves' terrifying roars.
Amidst the pandemonium, the mysterious figure in the cloak watches with a satisfied smirk. His plan has been set in motion. He melts into the fleeing crowds, vanishing without a trace, leaving the heroes and students to face the consequences of his actions.
The Sports Festival, once a celebration of heroism and youth, is now a battleground. As Pro Heroes and students alike struggle to regain control, the threat is apparent, promising more to come. The mysterious figure and the questions surrounding him now linger, setting the stage for a dangerous and uncertain future.
***
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Advance chapters are in my P@|r3on - Najicablitz