A massive roar erupted from the crowd.
Listening to the hymn of praise for the winner, Midoriya panted heavily.
He had won, but the victory felt strangely hollow.
Perhaps it was because he had defeated a man who might have become his own future self had he not met All Might.
"I wish I’d fought someone else..."
"Mm."
While Midoriya muttered with a sour expression, Shinso finally regained consciousness.
He groaned as he opened his eyes.
"What is this, you...?"
Shinso’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Midoriya.
Once Midoriya saw that Shinso was awake, he relaxed the grip that had held him down.
For a brief moment, Shinso appeared disoriented, but he quickly understood the situation.
"Jin, is it..."
Flickers of memories—of discrimination endured, hidden contempt, and the ensuing disillusionment—washed over him like scenes from a half-remembered dream.
Everyone who discovered Shinso’s [Quirk] treated him with wariness, declaring it the kind suited for a Villain.
It was nothing new.
In a world like this, he had no choice but to get used to it.
A mere student like Shinso wasn’t destined to change the world.
"Final event! The first to advance to the second round is Class A’s Midoriya Izuku!"
Present Mic’s booming voice forced the harsh reality into Shinso's mind.
Shinso clenched his teeth and balled his fist.
He was incensed—more than he could easily bear.
"Yaho! For a first match, that was a rather plain fight, huh? Still, let’s applaud both sides for their effort—clap your hands!"
A heavy silence fell between the two as they exchanged glances of discontent.
At that moment, both were unmistakable outsiders—never quite blending into the festival’s grand pageant.
In the uneasy quiet, Midoriya cautiously asked, "Shinso, why did you want to become a Hero?"
He nearly wanted to shout, "Then why do you want to be a Hero? Isn't that obvious?"
But Shinso only quietly turned and chose to leave.
After all, a defeated opponent was better off fading away in solitude.
He left only one parting remark as he headed into the passage.
"What can I do? I can’t help but admire them."
Midoriya felt his chest tighten at those words.
He was no different from the person he had been before inheriting One For All.
Midoriya had simply been lucky, while Shinso had been unlucky.
But he couldn’t find the words to respond.
Kirishima’s earlier advice echoed in his mind:
"Midoriya, in life there will be victories and defeats—as long as you don’t die. When you lose, do as you please. There’s no need for the winner to heap empty consolation or unsolicited advice upon the loser; all the loser needs is for the victor to simply revel in their win."
He hadn’t fully understood it at first, but now its meaning was beginning to sink in.
At the very least, he knew he wasn’t in a position to comfort Shinso right now.
So, Midoriya could only watch as Shinso disappeared into the tunnel.
Then, from above the passage, shouts erupted in Shinso’s direction:
"That was seriously awesome, Shinso!"
"Good work!"
"Honestly, that was so thrilling!"
"You’re the star of General Studies!"
"What kind of match is it when you go up against the guy who came second in the obstacle race?"
"And besides!"
Shinso stared blankly at his cheering friends before turning his gaze to follow the direction in which they pointed.
"That [Quirk] would be incredibly useful against Villains. I want it."
"U.A. can be pretty foolish too, huh? They call that General Studies?"
"There are so many applicants, you can’t expect perfection."
"The difference in combat experience is inevitable. What a shame."
The friend who had pointed shouted, "Did you hear that, Shinso? You’re amazing!"
Shinso lowered his eyes, determined not to let his surging emotions show.
Instead, he called out to Midoriya, "Depending on the results, you might even be considered for a transfer into the Hero Course. Remember that. Even if it doesn’t work out this time... I’m never giving up! I’ll get into the Hero Course and become a better Hero than any of you!"
"Yeah!"
Midoriya responded cheerfully, though for a moment his thoughts began to blur.
'Did I get hit? The match is over—what on earth did he do?!'
"People usually approach me with caution, so if you slack off, you’ll be caught off guard. At the very least, don’t lose in such a disgraceful way."
Midoriya, his conditioned responses faltering ever so slightly, tried not to reply.
But, as always, he ended up speaking, unwittingly deepening the awkwardness—a very Midoriya thing to do.
From the stands, Kirishima sat cross-legged, watching the two with a lazy gaze.
'I can’t tell if he came out ahead or took a real beating. He sure got hit hard... but he’ll manage on his own.'
Given that his [Quirk] weakened considerably once its limitations were exposed, Kirishima had wondered if it was even worth competing in a tournament broadcast live. Now that he was here, though, it was a problem for another time.
Still, he had certainly showcased his skill—there’d be more opportunities in the future.
Soon enough, the second round began.
Though he felt no need to watch Todoroki and Sero’s match, Kirishima remained seated, having nothing better to do.
And, as expected, the match ended in one swift blow.
In an instant, the crowd showered Sero—now trapped inside a giant block of ice—with reassurances of, "It’s okay!"
Once the outcome was clear, Todoroki began melting the frozen Sero with his left palm.
The act was tinged with a deep, almost sorrowful sadness.
"Ah... everyone's so sentimental," muttered Kirishima as the atmosphere grew heavy.
The spectators comforting the defeated, combined with Todoroki’s subdued reaction to victory, overflowed with sentimentality.
"Well, at least it’s a good thing."
Once the massive ice pillar melted and both fighters exited the arena, the next match began immediately.
The contest started with Shiozaki objecting to Present Mic’s introduction—and, true to form, it ended in an instant.
Kaminari unleashed his full-strength attack without a second thought; when it was blocked, he ended up looking like a fool.
"One-shot! I’ll say it again—one-shot!"
"If he got into U.A., he can’t be that clueless. So why is he so reckless?"
"Exactly! Isn’t it astonishing?"
At Present Mic’s brief yet forceful commentary, Kirishima muttered in disbelief.
Jiro joined in with vehement agreement.
Being in U.A. meant that—even if the cutoff varied slightly year to year—you were in the top 0.5 percent.
So why would someone like that muscle out his full power thoughtlessly, as if he hadn’t a care in the world?
Maybe he hadn’t even considered the possibility of defeat, but that was just as absurd.
He was old enough and smart enough to know the world doesn’t always go his way, wasn’t he?
Clicking his tongue at the absurdity of it all, Kirishima half-listened to Jiro’s tirade against Kaminari while Shiozaki offered intermittent remarks in hushed tones.
Putting Kaminari’s foolishness aside, watching Shiozaki in action made Kirishima feel that saving her during the entrance exam had been worth every moment.
Sporadically, Monoma suddenly leaned over from the Class A stands and began causing a ruckus.
"Oh? Ohhh? Didn’t you say it would end in an instant? That’s odd—it was over so quickly! Class A is supposed to be better than Class B, so how can this be?"
Kendo smacked Monoma unconscious with the side of her hand before apologizing to Class A.
"Sorry."
"What was that...?"
At Kirishima’s quiet murmur, everyone in the stands silently agreed.
Seeing Kaminari being carried away by an injured-student robot—having been rendered immobile by his own foolishness—Kirishima sighed deeply.
At this rate, Monoma’s words weren’t entirely off the mark.
Of course, he’d never actually claimed that Class A was superior to Class B.
Meanwhile, Midoriya was feverishly jotting down analyses of Shiozaki in his notebook.
Noticing his unintentional outpouring of thoughts, Uraraka gently interjected, "Even though that match just ended, you’re already planning ahead?"
"Ah, no! It’s more like a little hobby of mine for now. Besides, it’s a chance to see incredible [Quirks] outside our class! Right? That’s right—I’ve even been noting down details about our classmates, including Uraraka’s [Zero Gravity]!"
'Oh, man...'
It was as if an overzealous stalker were proudly presenting the fruits of his undying attention to his very own target. What a world.
Yet Uraraka only paused for a heartbeat before smiling again. She truly was remarkable.
Inwardly, Kirishima mused whether Uraraka’s compassion was as rare as a Buddha’s subtle blessing.
"Deku! You were incredible when we first met, but seeing you at the Sports Festival makes me realize just how amazing you truly are..."
Even as Midoriya stared blankly at Uraraka’s encouraging words—delivered so kindly to suit his nature—Present Mic’s voice announced the start of the fourth match.
The contest pitted the soft, pink-haired Hatsume Mei against the perpetually square Iida.
When Iida entered the ring equipped with support items, Midnight, serving as referee, halted him. Bowing deeply, he declared, "Hero Course students are generally prohibited from using these. If you can’t function without them, you should have applied in advance."
"I—I forgot! Aoyama was wearing a belt too, so I thought it was fine!"
"He did file an application beforehand."
"My apologies! But even so, I was moved by her sportsmanship!"
Kirishima nearly spat out the water he was drinking.
"Sportsmanship? Hatsume?"
There was no way that woman—straddling the fine line between mad scientist and esteemed inventor—could truly be known for that.
Honestly, Kirishima thought she leaned far more toward the mad scientist side.
But Iida seemed to disagree.
"She said that even though she’s in the Support Course, making it this far means she wants to fight on equal terms! She handed the item over to me—I couldn’t betray that spirit!"
'Oh, man...'
Kirishima let out the same silent sigh he had reserved for Midoriya only moments before.
Birds of a feather flock together—in being friends with a hopeless idealist, Iida remained just as earnest.
Midnight seemed to appreciate that about Iida.
"Permission granted!"
"Can she really do that...?"
"Well, if both sides agree, then maybe it’s within acceptable limits..."
With no one able to offer a definitive judgment, the match proceeded as planned.
The moment the match began, Iida charged forward, while Hatsume—via microphone—launched into a detailed explanation of the support gear Iida was sporting.
Suddenly, the bout transformed into an impromptu product showcase.
Kirishima pressed a hand to his forehead in disbelief.
"I knew it. There’s no way she’d just hand over equipment for free."
In the end, Iida spent the rest of the match chasing Hatsume, who carried on introducing what she called her "babies."
When her explanation finally ended, she crossed the boundary line without a trace of hesitation.
"I’ve shown you everything—no secrets left. I have no regrets."
"H-Hatsume! Out of bounds— Iida advances to the second round!"
At Midnight’s drained proclamation, Iida cried out in anguish, "You tricked meeee!"
"I’m sorry. I did use you a little."
"I hate youuuu!"
Everyone was stunned by the brutal turn of events, yet the matches marched on.
Aoyama and Ashido’s encounter ended without much fanfare.
Ashido, who had trained alongside Kirishima, simply outclassed Aoyama’s long-range firepower with her superior physical prowess.
After a merciless uppercut felled Aoyama, a jubilant Ashido bounced around with delight.
The next bout featured Yaoyorozu versus Tokoyami.
By the match rules, activation-type [Quirks] were forbidden before the fight began—to prevent anyone from setting up a favorable battlefield ahead of time and then crushing their opponent.
Such a tournament format was disadvantageous for Yaoyorozu, whose strengths lay in numbers, balance, and manipulating the arena.
Conversely, Dark Shadow could be unleashed immediately without restrictions.
And that’s exactly how the match unfolded.
Yaoyorozu retracted backward while blocking the charging Dark Shadow with a self-fashioned shield, then grabbed a flashbang from her hip.
She wasn’t entirely sure it would work—and with the cramped arena, she risked some collateral damage—but standing still would have meant certain defeat.
Her delicate fingers pulled the pin, sending the flashbang soaring into the air.
Moments later, a blinding flash and thunderous explosion engulfed the arena.
Everyone on the small battlefield writhed in discomfort.
Dark Shadow was stunned by the flash; Tokoyami, shielded by Dark Shadow’s covering, eluded the light but still couldn’t escape the blast—while Yaoyorozu, standing further back, took the full brunt without protection.
Even with her vision muddled, Yaoyorozu drew a shotgun from her side.
Then, aiming at a pre-marked direction, she fired.
The full-auto shotgun unleashed a terrifying barrage, its reports echoing in every corner of the arena.
Only after a massive 32-round magazine emptied every bullet did the noise subside, leaving an unsettling silence.
Straining to clear her blurred vision, she wondered, "Is it over?"
At that moment, something large and black crashed down upon her.
She braced herself, but the impact sent her skidding backward.
Slowly, her sight returned—and she saw Dark Shadow reappearing by Tokoyami’s side.
"Yaoyorozu! Out of bounds! Tokoyami advances to the second round!"
"Ah..."
Only when Present Mic’s voice rang out did Yaoyorozu realize her defeat.
After Tokoyami bowed his head and turned away, Present Mic made a commotion behind him.
With quiet resignation, Yaoyorozu lowered her head and left.
Mercilessly, Present Mic’s voice announced the next match.
"Alright, let’s move on! Next up—match seven looks nearly even, but one side is overwhelmingly strong! A single-minded sense of justice! Incredible guts! Steel! Hero Course, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!"
"Yorrrraaa!!!"
Tetsutetsu roared defiantly, undaunted even after witnessing Kirishima’s performance.
With a quiet smile, Kirishima declared, "VS! A man whose defense I know little about but whose destructive power is already proven to everyone—Hardening! Kirishima Eijiro!"
"I like that guy, so maybe I’ll mess around with him a bit."
Present Mic immediately started the match.
"A hot showdown! Match seven—begin!"
"Uoooooh!"
The instant the match began, Tetsutetsu transformed his entire body into steel and charged.
Kirishima assumed his most familiar, well-practiced upright stance.
Watching a silver fist streak toward his face, Kirishima’s lips curled upward in a slight smile.
"Too slow. But that’s not the issue."
"What?"
Before Tetsutetsu could register his own missed blow, his fist sliced through empty air while Kirishima calmly spoke from his flank.
"Our physical abilities may differ greatly, but even if you had mine, you’d never beat me. If I didn’t like you, I’d have crushed you with brute force the moment the match began. But I admire your spirit—so now, let me show you why that isn’t enough."
Kirishima delivered his words with a gentle smile.
Yet to Tetsutetsu, that smile felt unsettlingly like the grin of a devil.
And in that moment, a welcoming gateway to hell itself seemed to open within the arena.
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