The day of the Sports Festival arrived faster than expected.
In the past week, Ren had trained both Momo and Midoriya relentlessly—especially Midoriya.
He was still too fragile.
U.A. was overflowing with people. Cameras. Reporters. Pro heroes.
Noise echoed everywhere.
Ren stood in Class 1-A's changing room, pulling on the U.A. tracksuit.
Later, he would move to the third-years' arena.
For now, he remained with his class.
Everyone was chatting excitedly.
Ren wasn't.
He stood still for a moment, staring at his reflection.
He wasn't worried about the festival.
He would win.
That much was certain.
What gnawed at him—
Was time.
The more days passed, the higher the probability something would happen to his mother.
And in an entire week—
He had found nothing.
Not a trace.
Not a whisper.
"Midoriya."
The voice cut through the noise.
Ren's eyes shifted as the room quieted.
Todoroki had stepped forward.
He stood directly in front of Midoriya.
"Todoroki, what?" Midoriya asked.
"Objectively speaking," Todoroki said calmly, "I'm better than you."
Midoriya blinked. "Y-Yeah…"
"However," Todoroki continued, "All Might has his eyes on you."
Midoriya froze.
Ren, leaning against the lockers, grinned faintly.
Interesting.
"It's not that I want to interfere in his decisions," Todoroki said evenly. "But—"
He stepped closer.
"I'll defeat you."
The room erupted.
"Todoroki is challenging Midoriya?!" Kaminari exclaimed.
Kirishima stepped in quickly. "Oi, oi! Why are you picking a fight now?"
He placed a hand on Todoroki's shoulder.
Todoroki shrugged it off effortlessly.
"Nobody is here to play friends."
The room fell silent.
"He's right."
Ren pushed himself off the locker and stepped forward.
As soon as he spoke, attention shifted.
The USJ incident had left a permanent mark on how they saw him.
"This is a competition," Ren said calmly. "An opportunity to grab the attention of heroes."
He walked over to Midoriya.
"Winning is what matters."
He reached out and began ruffling Midoriya's hair casually.
"Having a competitive spirit is one of the best traits you can have."
Midoriya looked up at him, conflicted.
"You should accept his challenge."
Ren's fingers tightened slightly in Midoriya's hair.
And he pulled.
"Y-Yeah—yeah!" Midoriya stammered quickly.
"Good."
Ren removed his hand and looked at Todoroki.
His gaze sharpened.
"Todoroki."
A pause.
"Try your best to crush him."
The room went still.
Both Todoroki and Midoriya stared at him.
"W-What?" Midoriya said.
...
The stadium trembled with noise.
Thousands of spectators filled the stands. Pro heroes lined the upper platforms. Cameras hovered in the air like mechanical vultures.
The third-year Sports Festival.
The real battlefield of U.A.
"And now—!" the announcer's voice boomed through the arena, amplified through massive speakers. "Welcome to the U.A. Festival!"
The crowd exploded.
"The annual clash where young heroes on the brink of graduation stake their pride and futures!"
The ground-level gates rumbled.
"Entering first—Third Year, Section A!"
The gates burst open.
Students poured into the stadium, confident, composed, powerful.
Ren watched from the entrance tunnel, arms crossed.
He scanned them once—
Twice—
And immediately isolated two presences.
Tamaki Amajiki.
Quiet. Withdrawn. But coiled power beneath the surface.
And beside him—
Nejire Hado.
Smiling. Energetic. Radiating raw output.
Ren's lips curved faintly.
Two.
Soon, the "Big Three" would be outdated.
"And now—Section B!"
The cheers rose again.
Another wave of third years entered.
Ren's gaze sharpened.
There.
At the center.
Relaxed posture.
Easy smile.
Unshakable presence.
Mirio Togata.
The strongest of the Big Three.
The closest to the No.1 Hero path.
Ren felt it instantly.
That's the real obstacle.
"Following that—Sections C, D, and E! I, J, and K!"
More students flooded in.
The field filled.
And then—
Silence.
The announcer's tone shifted.
"Oh—and this year, we have something… special."
Murmurs rippled across the stadium.
"A prodigy."
The entrance tunnel behind the field darkened.
"Entering now—"
Ren stepped forward.
Alone.
The sunlight hit him as he walked into the open arena.
For half a second—
Silence.
Then—
The stadium erupted.
Cheering doubled.
No—
Tripled.
"YOU ALREADY KNOW HIM!" the announcer roared. "REN TAKEDA!"
The sound was deafening.
Ren blinked once.
I've never been in a stadium before.
The vibration of thousands of voices pressing down at once—
It was… interesting.
Not overwhelming.
Just loud.
He walked calmly to his position.
The third years stared.
Some annoyed.
Some confused.
Some openly irritated.
And slowly—
The cheering began to falter.
Whispers replaced applause.
A single question spread like wildfire through the stands.
Why is a first-year here?
Is this a publicity stunt?
Did he use connections?
Is he just chasing more fame?
The energy shifted.
The admiration thinned.
Skepticism took its place.
Mirio watched him with a curious smile.
Nejire tilted her head.
Tamaki avoided eye contact entirely.
Ren stood in the center of the field.
Unbothered.
An answer to their questions would soon come.
The announcer raised a hand dramatically.
"And now—let the Third Year Sports Festival… BEGIN!".
To be continued...
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How was this chapter guys? Liked it?
Also, I am doing just fine. Fortunately, I have a beautiful and kind girlfriend that's helping me get used to walking with prostethic. I thought she would leave me when I had to amputate a leg, I mean, who would want to date a disabled guy? She seemed the type to do that, she always yelled at me for the smallest of things, but she surprised me.
She never leaves my side for even one second. I think I am gonna marry her someday.