…I went to the common hall.
Today is the first day of the event.
I feel really refreshed today…..
I wore my jersey.
It's plain… white… with the Japan emblem on my chest.
For a moment, I felt like I was representing Japan at the Olympics…
Monoma and Saiko are sitting out—thanks to Aizawa-sensei's plan…
….The first round of the global qualifier will begin in a few minutes…
There will be four different arenas.
I wonder what kind of arena I'll be sent to….
Use of support items is prohibited… so I'm on my own.
I should use… too many quirks—no, carefully. I need to be smart.
I looked at my watch.
Arena 2.
So I followed the directions and went there.
I see… Yoarashi is here with me too.
His quirk is Whirlwind—he can generate large-scale winds.
Cool…
I also see some familiar faces.
There are five people from China… lucky them.
They definitely have an edge in numbers.
Seems there's someone from India too.
Should I talk to them…?
They look like a nice person.
The arena itself is plain and empty… filled with buildings.
Then—
I heard a sound buzzing through the air.
> "Heroes, this arena is the Vector Shift Field."
> Everyone here will experience a change in gravity every 600 seconds."
A video demonstration played immediately.
>"The time limit is until the end of the day… or until only eight of you remain."
> "If more than eight people remain by the end of the day, the top eight will be selected based on the point system."
The point system—
You get 10 points by knocking out a player.
If you're assisted by teammates, the points will be split depending on how many are involved.
You get 5 points for surviving each 10-minute gravity shift.
> "Note: If you form an alliance with people from the same country, you will receive only half the originally promised points."
> "If you betray an alliance and are caught, all your points will be confiscated."
> "This is to ensure equality and reduce conflicts."
> "The global qualifier will begin in five minutes."
As the voice faded—
Everyone started muttering.
This system might be advantageous to people with fewer numbers like us…
But for countries with more participants, like China… it's a huge disadvantage.
Looks like there's an alliance feature in the watch.
You just sync with your desired teammates and form an alliance…
…Huh.
I really should've read the watch manual more thoroughly.
Yoarashi spoke up.
"What should we do, Midoriya-kun… should we team up?"
"We should ask Saiko-san about that… I think it's more advantageous if we stick together," I said.
"But we can't ensure our survival that way…"
"You're right, Midoriya-kun… you know, you're surprisingly easy to talk to," Yoarashi said.
"I had the impression you were a scary person… since you're so strong…"
"Being strong doesn't necessarily mean being scary," I replied.
Then—
"…You shouldn't team up, Midoriya-kun… Yoarashi-kun…"
Saiko's voice came through my watch.
"…You're both among our top fighters. You're individually capable.
Yoarashi-kun is only a tier below you in combat strength, Midoriya-kun.
You shouldn't form an alliance," Saiko said firmly.
"…Or," I said, glancing at Yoarashi,
"how about it, Yoarashi—are you up for it?"
"I'm always ready, Midoriya," he said with a grin.
"Let's survive this together."
We fist-bumped—then went our separate ways.
The moment I entered deeper into the arena—
It was huge.
I'd believe it if someone told me this was a small town.
Then—
The gravity shifted.
My body suddenly felt much heavier.
I couldn't even move properly… the gravity was intense.
I took my steps carefully… slowly…
Then I saw her.
A girl walking effortlessly—humming to herself… like a sparrow.
She looked at me.
…Does she want to fight?
She smirked.
For some reason… it hurt.
I activated Full Cowl 4% and walked toward her.
"See? I can walk just fine," I said.
She burst out laughing.
"Dude, you're so funny… hehehe~"
"Hey, what's so funny?" I asked.
"Nothing," she said, wiping a tear from her eye.
"Just the way you're trying so hard… it's funny to watch."
"I'm Yoon Ara… from Korea," she said.
She was short… slender… with orange hair.
"…I'm Izuku Midoriya from Japan," I replied.
"Izuku… Midoriya… never heard of you," she said casually.
"Hey, don't look at me like that. I'll tell you—
I'm basically a princess of this domain."
Eh…?
Did she just call herself a princess…?
She's never heard of me…
That Kaiser guy said he knew me, so I assumed I was kind of famous overseas…
Guess not.
"My quirk is Gravity Control," she said proudly.
"I can control gravity. This is my field."
Whoa…
That's insane.
She could practically dominate this arena alone.
"Hey… Yoon Ara-san… will you form an alliance with me?"
I asked shamelessly.
"…Are you hitting on me?" she asked.
"No—no! You got it wrong!"
"I already have a girlfriend. My quirk consumes a lot of energy…
If I use it carelessly, I might get myself into trouble…"
"…Ohhh~ that's how it is," she said smugly.
"You're so weak that you need this noona to help you."
"Don't worry. This noona will take care of you~"
I pointed my watch.
She pointed hers too.
Alliance formed.
…I need to conserve my strength—just in case.
We walked together.
We passed two gravity changes—excluding the first one.
That's 15 points each.
"So, Yoon Ara-san… when I'm within your radius, I won't be affected by the gravity changes?"
"Yeah," she said proudly.
"This noona can overwrite the gravity.
I'm converting the altered gravity back to normal."
"I see… so you're changing the modified gravity back to its original state," I said.
"Yep. Pretty cool, right?"
"My range is one kilometer. I can change gravity and shift it instantly."
"Your quirk is amazing, Yoon Ara-san…"
"…How many times do I have to tell you?" she said, annoyed.
"Call me Ara—or Senpai. Yoon is my family name."
"And since this noona is protecting you."
"O-Okay… I'll call you Senpai," I said, smiling.
She floated slightly—and patted my head.
"Senpai… what are you doing?" I asked.
"Nothing. Just patting a puppy's head," she muttered.
"Senpai, I can't hear you."
"Nothing," she said and walked ahead.
Then—
Nana-san spoke up.
"…Izuku, you really should stop collecting," she said flatly.
"What do you mean, Nana-san? I'm not hitting on her.
Besides, I have others with me…"
"You really—"
She suddenly pulled my cheek.
"Ow—!"
…I hope Ara-senpai didn't see that.