CHAPTER 294(2nd Year Sports Festival)

CHAPTER 294(2nd Year Sports Festival)

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CHAPTER START---

"Is everyone ready?" Momo asks as she steps into the 2A changing room. "The crowd is excited and they've started bringing out the other classes, we need to go."

"I don't think I'll ever be ready for this much attention," Jiro mutters as they all get up.

Glancing around the room Momo sees Kirishima and Sero chatting about something, Sero is in his full Hero Costume while Kirishima is in his PE Uniform.

She sees Nejire talking to Uraraka and Asui, and a bit farther away Izuku is saying goodbye to Eri and Kota whom Ryuko accompanies as they came to wish him luck.

"LETS DO THIS!" Kirishima screams. "This year I'm gonna be even more manly and bring home a medal!"

"Are you also aiming for the gold medal?" Tokoyami casually asks as they all exit the room and make their way through the stadium hallways.

"Tch," Bakugo scoffs. "If anyone is beating Glass Face and taking that gold medal this year, it's me."

"You aren't the only one that's gotten a lot stronger Kacchan," Deku says. "I've got a lot of tricks that I held back when we were training together."

Shoto breaks his silence, "Nothing compared to the progress I've made training with my father, this yeah I have enough power to win a tournament match against even Horizon."

"That's pretty brave considering how it went last time," Mina says. "But I bet they have a bunch of rules to prevent him from ripping out hearts again."

"Well they don't allow him to use his sword," Toru says. She was wearing a bodysuit made of her DNA below her PE Uniform, allowing her to go completely invisible. "That new sword is intense," she mutters.

"I'm just hoping to get to the 1-on-1 stage this time," Ojiro says.

"Me too," Shoji says as Jiro nods along as well.

As they're walking to the entrance into the main event area, Uraraka notices Midoriya's face is intense and thoughtful, and falls into step beside him.

"Hey, Deku, are you ok? You look like you need to use the bathroom," she says quietly.

"Huh, oh, sorry it's just, Horizon said some things earlier that I can't stop thinking about."

"Oh," she says in a smaller voice, clearly sad.

'Be decisive, be bold, be brave, take the first step...' Horizon's words echo in Deku's mind.

Taking a deep breath and ignoring the intense blush on his face he leans down slightly to whisper in her ear, "I'll explain later, we can have dinner together to celebrate my win, just you and me..."

Uraraka stops dead in her tracks, face completely red.

She sees everyone walking ahead, and Mina who was standing directly beside her just looks back and gives her a thumbs-up, which makes her blush even more.

She takes a moment to compose herself before jogging to catch up, just as everyone else is stepping onto the field she comes out last.

"Hey! What makes you so sure that I won't be the one to wi---!" her words fall away as the spectacle of the stadium stuns her.

The crowd was roaring so loudly she couldn't hear herself think.

Even after competing last year, she couldn't grasp the magnitude of what she was seeing. This year the stadium was at least 4 times as large, with tens of thousands of people here cheering them on.

High above fireworks were going off like thunder, but Ms. Midnight's voice cuts through it all.

"And there you have it folks, the Hero Course students take to the field!" she says proudly, causing the crowd to get even louder.

Most of the other 2nd-year students were on the field wearing the PE Uniforms, with the Hero Equipment students equipped with all kinds of gadgets.

"Hatsume isn't here, that's odd," Deku says as he scans the crowd.

"She's probably up there," Jiro points to the highest level of the stadium. There they could see a floor that didn't have balconies like the other seating areas but was separated by one-way glass.

The private booths are for wealthy sponsors of the tournament or simply important people from around the world.

One of which had the Detnerate logo on the front of it.

"Oh, that's a pretty big company to make a deal with," Momo says. "I hope it goes well for her."

"I'm more concerned about why the hell that's up there," Bakugo says as he nods toward one of the private booths in the middle section of the stadium, with Horizon's logo on the front of it.

"No more questions, life doesn't come with a manual," Horizon says. "You've got 15 minutes to create your strategies and teams, but remember, to win at life you must either be stronger, smarter, adapt better, or simply be first, and most of the time the person who takes the first bold step is rewarded, good luck..."

As soon as he finishes speaking Horizon disappears once more and Cementoss begins moving the stage to the side, clearing the field.

The students also scatter to form their teams, with most people rushing toward Momo, Shoto, Bakugo, Izuku, and Tokoyami.

Much to their surprise Izuku refused to be part of any team, stating 'I want to show the world that I'm capable without always needing people to pick me up, Pro Heroes don't always have backup after all...'

He goes off to the side and gets the same thoughtful look on his face, muttering to himself.

"Horizon's said that twice now, once to everyone here but twice to me. What does he mean by the people who move first are rewarded, it has to be a hint at the game...he said it was life advice but he also said the game reflects life when I spoke to him earlier, but it is Horizon.

This could just be come trick to make me look stupid, but then again he's been...less horrible to me lately so maybe he wants to be friends.

Or at least he doesn't want me to trip and break my neck anymore..."

"Uraraka I think your boyfriend is broken again," Mina says as she points out Izuku muttering to himself across the field.

"I'm sure he's just---" Uraraka stops herself. "He's not my boyfriend yet!"

"Yet?" Asui asks.

"Mmmm," Uraraka hides her blushing face in her hands.

"Anyway we should just focus on ourselves for now," Mina says. "Shoto and Bakugo are playing solo, and pretty much everyone else that is self-sufficient doesn't want to form a team with others."

"Even Momo doesn't want to team up," Asui says. "And Tokoyami just said 'the darkness demands he works alone,' whatever that means."

"It means Horizon told him not to form a team," Setsuna says as she walks over. "Don't suppose you girls want to form a little alliance with my team, how about it?"

"Who's on your team?" Uraraka asks.

"Manga, Shoda, Bondo, and me."

"What does the alliance mean? And why'd Horizon tell Tokoyami not to form a team?" Asui asks.

"Just means our teams don't attack each other unless we're both right in front of the flag and there aren't enough spots left for all of us, and as for Tokoyami," Tokage begins whispering, "he got offered a spot on Team Horizon and this Sports Festival is his little test."

"Wow, how'd you even find out about that?" Mina asks. "That team doesn't spill, like ever."

"Oh, Horizon asked me about considering joining too but his teaching style just wasn't for me, he's kind of...very intense."

"I never thought he'd let girls into team Horizon," Uraraka says.

"Oh no, he was considering forming a second team with just ladies and wanted me to lead it, but I turned him down...don't tell Momo that please, he said she was too nice to be a leader during a crisis."

"That makes sense," Mina says.

---10 Minutes later...

The entire field was cleared off the stage and other props to reveal simple and low lawn grass.

Ms. Midnight was on a raised platform attached to the spectators' area above, looking down closely at all the students gathered along the far side of the arena.

All the students gather and jostle each other to get their feet directly only the starting line, staring out at the tunnel leading out of the arena which acts as the first of many checkpoints.

"Alright, now that everyone is in position, it is time for the game master to explain the rules of this game...Skyward!"

The crowd erupts in cheers as the students look at each other, even more confused.

SHAMBLES!

Horizon appears in the middle of the arena only a few hundred feet ahead of everyone, holding a flag in his hand with the UA symbol on it, and stakes it into the ground.

A few moments later the arena goes silent again for him to speak, "The rules are simple, stick to the route and pass through all the checkpoints, then be one of the first 16 to touch the flag to move onto the next round.

But we won't be announcing when someone makes it to the next round, so if your entire team gets there, well, I'm sure you'll figure out which of you gets to touch the flag first..."

Many of the students look at their teammates, eyeing them warily and already thinking of how a fight between them would go.

"And as for the obstacle, you only really have one to deal with," Horizon puts his hands in his pockets and takes a few steps forward, positioning himself between the flag and the students. "Me..."

END CHAPTER---

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