After that, Izuku prevented the girls from being deceived by Mineta into wearing cheerleading uniforms, earning himself some grateful looks and a grumble of disappointment from Mineta. The air shifted quickly, though, as the buzz in the stadium built to its peak. The final event was about to begin.
Present Mic's voice exploded across the arena, practically rattling the walls.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!! IT IS NOW TIME FOR THE FINAL EVENT! The moment you've all been waiting for! Between the sixteen members of the four winning teams— we'll have a formal tournament! What kind, you ask?! A one-on-one battle!!!"
The crowd roared in excitement, stomping and cheering so loudly the stands trembled.
"I wanna see that Midoriya kid against Todoroki!" someone yelled from the front rows.
"Yeah, or that blonde kid with anger issues—someone needs to get that checked out!" another fan laughed, though a few nervous chuckles followed when Bakugo's explosions rang out in the background.
The energy was magnetic, the entire stadium leaning forward in anticipation. Thousands of eyes were glued to Izuku as if he were already the main event. And yet, Izuku just stood there with quiet confidence, hands folded neatly behind his back, gaze locked forward on Midnight as she strutted into view.
"The matches will be decided by drawing lots," she explained, twirling her whip lazily. "That way, no one here complains about rigging. Also—participation in the final is not mandatory. If you wish to withdraw, you're free to do so."
Almost immediately, Ojiro raised his hand, his voice calm but firm. "I'll forfeit. I was carried through by my teammates. It wouldn't sit right with me to continue."
Gasps filled the crowd. Midnight blinked in surprise before nodding. "Very well. That's one."
Not long after, Class B's Shoda stepped forward with the same sentiment. "I don't want to advance on something that wasn't really mine."
The stadium booed, but rules were rules. They were replaced by the fifth-place team's representatives—Kendo from Class B and Tetsutetsu. Excitement surged again as the lots were drawn.
When the names flashed across the display board, Izuku tilted his head slightly. Somehow, his first opponent ended up being Shinso.
"Wow," Izuku muttered under his breath, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Guess it's fate."
Across the stage, Shinso glared at him, eyes narrowed like sharpened blades. He could feel the weight of the boy's hostility, as if Shinso had been waiting for this.
'He looks like he likes to talk,' Shinso thought coldly, already planning. 'This will be easy.'
Ten minutes were given to the contestants to prepare. The arena quickly scattered into pockets of tension—students pacing, muttering mantras to themselves, stretching furiously, or whispering encouragements to their classmates. The nerves were so thick they hung in the air.
But not Izuku. He was the picture of ease. While others were psyching themselves up, he sat casually at the cafeteria table, sipping apple juice.
Across from him sat Mt. Lady, arms folded beneath her chest as she watched him closely. "You don't seem all that worried," she said, her tone half-curious, half-amused.
Izuku raised a brow. "Really? What makes you think that?"
"You're just… sitting here," she said, gesturing at him. "Everyone else is probably saying their prayers or biting their nails down to the bone, trying to keep their nerves in check. But you—" she tilted her head—"you're drinking juice like this is recess."
Izuku gave a light shrug, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Well, we're all different."
Mt. Lady leaned back with a small laugh. "Well, you're right about that."
Her gaze softened for a moment as her thoughts drifted. ' He reminds me of Hoodie Hero, I wonder when he'll come see me again. It's been a while since we've spoken… I don't want to seem desperate, really, but…'
Izuku kept sipping calmly, completely unreadable.
Soon enough, the minutes flew by, and Cementoss finished reshaping the massive fighting arena, flattening the stage with solid concrete walls surrounding it. The entire stadium vibrated with anticipation as Present Mic's voice thundered out.
"It's now time to begin the last round!! Here, there's no teammates, no excuses—only you and your own strength to rely on! Now, let's welcome our very first match!"
He swung his mic dramatically toward the right side of the stage.
"On this side! The kid who's been treating this whole festival like a playground! A kid who seems to have more abilities than we can legally count—Izuku Midoriya, from the Hero Course!!!"
The crowd went wild, stomping their feet and waving flags. Izuku walked out with a casual, almost lazy stride, hands in his pockets and a small smile on his face. His eyes scanned the packed stands, thousands upon thousands of people cheering, clapping, and chanting his name.
'I wish we did this more often,' he thought, soaking in the energy.
Then, a familiar chime rang in his head.
'…Damn. It's been a while.'
---
[MISSION ALERT]
Objective: Win the Sports Festival
Rewards:
● +7% Power Increase
● $100,000
Failure Penalty:
● Kryptonite Weakness
---
Izuku's eyebrow twitched. 'Whoa, that's not good. Guess it's a good thing I'm not fighting Darkseid here.'
Present Mic's voice brought him back.
"And on the left side!! Well… uh, honestly, I didn't even know this kid was in the festival, but he clawed his way to the main stage! From the General Studies Department—Hitoshi Shinso!!"
Polite applause followed, but the cheers for Izuku had dwarfed it completely. Shinso walked in with a cold, calculating glare, his posture tense, eyes locked on Izuku like a predator sizing up its prey.
Midnight stepped up and cracked her whip. "Here are the rules! Knock your opponent out of bounds or make them unable to fight, and you win. Any attempt to kill will result in disqualification. Got it?"
Both boys nodded.
She raised her arm high. "Ready… FIGHT!!"
Shinso wasted no time, his voice steady and sharp. "Before we begin, I'd like to know—why do you even want to be a hero? With your power, don't you think—"
But the words never landed. Izuku vanished.
One blink, and he was gone.
Before anyone could process it, his fist slammed across Shinso's cheek.
BAM!
The impact sent Shinso flying across the stage, his body hitting the arena wall with a bone-rattling crash. Dust burst into the air, chunks of concrete tumbling.
Gasps ripped through the stands. Silence followed. Nobody could even process what they had just seen.
Izuku stood there casually, lowering his fist. His expression never even changed.
"Midoriya wins!! He moves on to the second round!!" Midnight's voice broke the silence like a whip crack.
The crowd exploded.
"WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!"
"He didn't even give Shinso a chance!"
"That speed—what was that?!"
The stadium shook from the sheer roar of approval, but up in the pro hero stands, the mood was different.
"He's… fast," Endeavor muttered, his eyes narrowing like a hawk. "What quirk does he have again?"
Nezu folded his paws neatly, answering without hesitation. "They say his quirk is called Superman. It allows him to do everything a normal human can… only vastly enhanced. Speed, strength, endurance—every physical limit is shattered."
Endeavor's flames flickered hotter as a smirk spread across his face. "That's quite the quirk. But I wonder…" His eyes narrowed as he looked down at the arena where Izuku stood calm and unfazed. "…how he'll fare against Shoto."
He stood up, heat radiating around him as though his excitement couldn't be contained.
'I should go talk to him.'
TO BE CONTINUED