90: Sports Festival (4)

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Chapter 90: Sports Festival (4)

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…I was supposed to stop flirting and playing around, but this is undoubtedly fun.

Okay, I promise to stop soon, someday.

“But, I-I was already about to join these guys,” Mina stuttered, scratching her neck as she pointed at the 3 students behind her.

Three girls. Kyoko Jiro, who was blushing hard from my words, Setsuna who smirked, and Tsuyu Asui who avoided eye contact.

I smiled at them. “Do you mind me borrowing your friend a bit, girls?”

Jiro shook her head rapidly, while Setsuna nodded and said. “Of course, not. Just make sure to deliver her in one piece, okay~?”

I stared at Setsuna for a second. Her serpentine-like pupils that were barely distinguishable from her green irises made me recall Ryuko. I smiled again and nodded. 

“Of course.”

Then I led the reluctant Mina, who shot pleading glances to her friends, to me and Momo’s meeting spot. She wasn’t back yet, so I have some time.

It's not Mina's personality that I am interested in. Not counting Nejire, I don't really like overly cheerful girls. But her features, her skin colour and inhumane eyes, those small horns – these make her hot.

I have always had a knack for inhumane girls. That’s one of the many reasons I didn’t kill Mursha… Let’s see how far I can go with Mina, without getting into a real relationship. I already have my plate filled.

Shaking my head, I chatted with Mina about random things to help calm her down. I was also checking on my quest another time, to be sure that my next plan is correct…

I got this quest the moment I was called on for the Student Representative Speech half an hour ago.

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Quest: “Assert Dominance”

Description: The UA Sports Festival is the greatest opportunity for the UA students – but not for you. To even make it a decent enough opportunity, you have to play your cards right.

Objective: Win the entire Event – Coming first in all games.

Bonus Objective 1: Show off as much as possible and attract at least 100 Heroes’ attention.

Bonus Objective 2: All of your victories must be overwhelming!

Reward: 3 billion exp, an item - [Power Gauntlet]

Objective Reward 1: 2 billion exp, Health potion 3x, Stamina Potion 10x

Objective Reward 2: 5 billion eco, ????’s attention, Health Potion 5x, Stamina Potion 20x, Magic Mango Tree Sapling.

Penalty: None

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An average quest, but it’s better than nothing. 

The Mango tree sapling seems good though. I wonder what it does exactly. Faster tree growth? One ripe Mango every 24 hours? I will have to find out.

Still, the “????’s Attention” is more interesting than that. I can only wonder who that is… Though I have a concrete guess, I might be wrong.

Let’s wait and see.

“Oi, Neji!” 

Just then, Momo called from the side. I turned my head and found her running towards me with Kendo.

“Look who I found! She will be the best Horse with her quirk!”

Ah, Kendo can make her hands larger, as large as a human body. Momo's right. 

I greeted Kendo. “Hello. Thanks for joining despite the risks, Kendo.” 

Glancing at the flushing Mina, she smiled back. “The pleasure is mine. I couldn't possibly leave Momo alone when she is in such a desperate situation."

Good. She will truly be a good horse with her quirk, but… it's not as if I would even need Horses to begin with.

I am, after all, going for an Overwhelming victory.

—★—

Katsuki Bakugo smirked as he observed the expressions of the kids in his team.

Eijiro Kirishima, the red-head. Bakugo didn't know much about the kid in this timeline, but he knew his quirk was a useful one from the previous event.

Hanta Sero, the tape man. He was more suited to be at the top because of his versatile quirk, Bakugo knew, but he wasn't going to turn him down as a Horse either.

And finally, that one gadget girl. Mei Hatsume, her name was. He didn't give her much thought, she was just there to fill the gaps.

With his team ready and standing beside him, he glanced at Neji who was chatting with his team of girls.

'That bastard…'

Bakugo gritted his teeth. He was flirting around even in this situation, in this event where his future will be decided. It's as if he didn't care about the other team's at all, as if they were too insignificant in his eyes. 

That would be his demise, Bakugo decided. He will show him what happens when you look down on the future No.1 Hero, Katsuki Bakugo.

Bakugo's palm widened and small explosions blasted on its centre.

In the USJ incident, because of that albino's big attack, pieces of broken glasses were flung towards everyone. Bakugo was probably the most unfortunate amongst the surviving people. A shard of glass was so close to his heart that he would have died if Recovery Girl reached him 10 seconds later – as the old woman had quoted herself.

Bakugo wanted revenge for that. What type of Hero would need a grand attack that puts others in danger, just to defeat two Mobs? Obviously not Bakugo.

That's why he would prove who is stronger in this Event.

Last time in the Battle Training, Neji was just lucky.

—★—

Todoroki and Inasa were in a similar state.

Inasa wanted to redeem his previous loss, and Todoroki just wanted to prove to his father, the No.2 Hero, that he could beat someone like me with just his left side.

That was my guess, as far as I could tell from their personalities. 

Looking around, I could see every student had formed their Horse and Rider formation, just like us.

In my team, Kendo was in the back. Her hands were enlarged, using which, she made a throne for me to sit on. The other two girls guarded the front.

The others also made similar formations similarly, in the way they saw to be the most fitting. All of them were shooting glances at my team, muttering to themselves. They all had a plan of their own.

Ahh, kids. 

I want to see their reaction when I crush them all at once.

Midnight laughed on the mic.

"Formed your plans? Made your teams?! Too bad if you haven't!" She raised her hand, holding a flag. "Your match starts now!"

Immediately, along with mine, 12 teams jumped inside the arena. 

I shot a glance in the Riders' headbands, some tightened around their skull, and some hanging from their necks. Those are my targets.

As we stepped into the arena, all the eyes fully turned to me, at my headband resting on my neck.

However, before they could rush at me, I stood up and started to float in the air, golden shockwaves spiralling from under my feet.

I rose in the air, going higher up while the kids stopped moving, shooting questioning gazes towards Midnight who just hummed.

"That's not a foul." She said, "As long as the Rider's feet don't touch the ground, it's fine."

Hearing this, Bakugo and Inasa exchanged glances and then tried to leap over at me.

They were thinking I would camp here, but they were wrong. I never camp.

To stop them from coming over, I pushed my Telekinesis down on them.

Their bodies stiffened, and they stopped in their spots above their Horses.

They didn't have the strength to move if I gave my all.

I showed a smile and spread my palm in front of me.

My telekinesis spread around the whole area, clutching on the red headbands.

With a grasping motion, I clasped my palm and all the headbands from the students below leapt over at the sky, coming to fall on my hand.

"W-what's happening?!"

Everyone gasped out loud.

This cost me my telekinesis' attention, so Bakugo and Inasa were freed for a single second. They could feel it, and without wasting a second, they leapt at the sky.

I could force them down again, but intentionally making someone fall is a foul. So I instead welcomed them.

Bakugo's hands created constant explosions and immediately reached me.

"You albino bastard!"

Bakugo yelled out loud and I frowned.

Only Nejire can call me that.

I put all the headbands around my neck, causing the students below me to start causing a scene, just as Bakugo and Inasa reached out their attacks towards me.

Inasa, flying with his Wind quirk, punched with a force of wind surrounding his fist, and Bakugo threw his palms.

I ducked down and easily avoided both attacks. I didn't need Eyes of the Lord against  kids.

Then grabbing Bakugo's collar with my left hand, I struck out in his stomach with my right fist.

Upon contact, my hand burst out a wave of shock and his eyes went painfully wide. He would have flown to the other side of the stadium if I wasn't grabbing his collar.

"Keuk!"

Bakugo's eyes went blank, and Midnight tried to say something.

"Boy, that's a foul-"

I interrupted her. "I didn't attack to make him fall."

I said, dodging Inasa as I held the unconscious Bakugo in my hands. Then I simply used telekinesis to drive his body above his Team's Horses.

Midnight muttered something to her earpiece and nodded.

"All clear."

Then I focused on Inasa, who seemed angry because of my constant dodging.

I grabbed Inasa's incoming punch, coating my other arm in Tremor, a pretty soft one, and then struck it at his abdomen.

Inasa's eyes went blank too, this one hurting as much as Bakugo's, even if there was no grand sound of visual effect.

Inasa easily went unconscious and I threw him back to his Horse as well.

"H-he beat both of them so easily…?!"

Hearing their frightened voices, I cleared my hand off the dust, smiling down.

"Anyone else? If not, I will camp here for the next 10 minutes." I said. "Anyone is welcome to try, by the way."

"..."

...Wait, I'm supposed to camp!

The crowd finally caught on to the fight that ended in less than 10 seconds and cheered out loud.

"Neji! Neji! Neji!"

"Let's go!"

"Show them who's the champ!"

I smiled, basking in glory and observed Midnight who had a frown on her face as she talked to her earpiece.

After a few more seconds of cheer, Midnight cleared her throat, this time her voice flowed through the whole stadium via loud mics.

"Ahem…" She looked at me. "Because of some... unforeseen circumstances, Neji Hado and his team will pass to the next round."

A few desperate cries came down from the students below me. 

Midnight continued. "However, we cannot start the next match with only 4 people. That won't be fun, the higher-ups said such. So every other team besides Neji Hado's will go through the same game of Calvary Battle another time."

This time, the students below cheered aloud, and some simply sighed. Todoroki looked displeased.

He could have attacked me with his fire, truth be told. But he was stubborn. Then again… it wouldn't have mattered at all.

Midnight looked into my eyes with her own two strangely seductive eyes. "On a side note, I am impressed. Not everyone dares to pull such a stunt, even if they could."

She knew I understood her words. The school was now my enemy. Which, frankly, didn't affect me at all. I didn't give a fuck.

I shrugged and floated down, smiling under the blazing glares.

"Thanks for the praise." I waved at her.

My plan wasn't to keep a good relationship with the students.

My plan was to attract the attention of a certain hero, a certain heroine to be precise.

Did this stunt of mine accomplish it? I don't know, but if this didn't, the next one would.

I didn't play fair, true. But I used the cards available to me to their best. If I am not wrong about her personality, she would like a person who gives his all rather than a person who plays fair.

I have done what I should have, and I have gotten what I wanted.

An overwhelming victory.

"Neji Hado, Momo Yaoyorozu, Itsuka Kendo, and Mina Ashido, will now move on to the 3rd round."

Midnight said.

"The next round will start an hour after this one is done. It's the lunch break. You four can go early and rest."

"Alright." 

I smiled and walked away, waving my hand off as some kids gave me angry shouts.

Would any of them believe me if I said all of this is going according to plan? 

Probably not.

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