Chapter 34
"Looks weak," Kamakiri commented, looking at the "new" grimm, the Apathy, completely unimpressed. "I thought you said it'd be dangerous or some shit."
"It's… more complicated than that, but yeah, this isn't the kind of grimm you'd be interested in," Kazuki acknowledged. Kamakiri was a battle maniac, after all. He wouldn't care for a grimm that was supposed to make fights avoidable. "I have plans for stuff that you'll like though. Maybe I'll even have some ready for the Festival. I'm not gonna show them to you though. Gotta have some surprises."
"Smart," the 1-B student replied with a smirk. "You'll need all you can get so you don't get crushed too much by our class."
"Yeah, that's not going to happen. Don't worry," he shot with a smirk of his own. "Do try to have some representatives in the last stage, yeah? It'd be kind of sad if it was all just 1-A."
"In your dreams," Kamakiri said with a laugh. "Now, make some grimm, will you? Before you talk too much nonsense and we lose the whole day."
"Sure thing. Run away, coward," Kazuki replied, grinning widely. That is, before someone cleared their throat behind him. Turning, he saw Yanagi standing there. "Nevermore?" he asked, getting a silent nod from the girl as he created the grimm she wanted together with a beowolf for Kamakiri. He'd send one or two more towards the boy though, because he just never had enough grimm to cut through.
"Thank you for the opportunity to get better," Yanagi told him, to which he blinked.
"Don't mention it," he commented, a little surprised. Sure, she'd said thanks every time they trained and all, but that sounded a little more serious to him. Maybe he was reading too much into it?
"You are putting a lot of effort into helping people you'll be competing against," she pointed out, tilting her head to look at him. "People that aren't even in your class."
"I get extra training like this too. Everyone wins," Kazuki replied with a shrug.
"And that's the only reason?" she asked, although she didn't seem to be accusing him of anything. At most, she seemed to be curious, from what he could pick up, which wasn't much.
"I also want to make a good reputation for myself, I guess. Helping others when they really need all the training they can get sounds like a good idea to me," he answered, a somewhat bitter smile on his face. "Sorry if that makes me sound less heroic."
"I don't think it matters why you do it. So long as what you do is truly heroic, the reasons behind it shouldn't be important," the girl told him, to which he just hummed. That was one way of looking at things, he supposed. Maybe it was his self-deprecating side shining through, but he didn't quite agree with her though. "If it helps, I also don't think it matters, what you did in the past," she added, making him freeze, almost letting his control over his grimm slip. "It's what you do now that counts, and I think you are doing good."
"... Thanks," he replied, softly and with a low voice, but still loud enough for her to hear. To that, Yanagi just nodded and then walked off to train with the nevermore he'd made for her. Kazuki still followed her as she walked though, going over that short exchange.
As he considered that, he looked at his three grimm before slowly making another. It was getting easier. Having four creatures under his control was about as comfortable as having three had been when he arrived at U.A. Not quite the same, of course, but not that far. He was confident that he could pull it off unless he was out of it for some reason.
The biggest change though, he mused, was that he could make five or even six and still retain a measure of control. Before, him having six grimm had been a sign that things were about to get out of control. That was his limit, the line that he'd drawn on the sand. Now, that line had been pushed further and six was merely a reason of concern and not all but a certainty.
Kazuki hadn't tried to push for seven yet, but he likely could, he reckoned.
All in all, he was happy with his progress. He had a bunch of new grimm for different situations. He had improved his control and generation some. He was moving up in the world, sort of, and that felt amazing.
Perhaps most of all though, he was happy with the fact that he just… felt better. He was better, for sure, but it extended to more than just that. Before, he'd felt awful all the time, even when things were good and he had things under control. Guilt and shame and the emotions of others had weighed on him. He'd been a bundle of negativity befitting his Quirk.
Now though, things were going much better for him.
He had friends that were sticking to him, even when they probably shouldn't. He had the support of heroes, teachers. He was dealing with his issues, getting better by the day just by talking about things and trying to improve. He had a home, if a little bare, but his and slowly filling with things that he could call his too.
Furthermore, he was meeting people that knew who he was and didn't care, even when they weren't what one would call friends. Yanagi had been training with them for some time, sure, but Kazuki didn't think they counted as friends. They'd never had a real conversation outside the training facilities and most of the ones they had there were about training, obviously. They were more like gym buddies than friends, he guessed.
So, having her tell him that… it was meaningful, he supposed.
Or maybe he was just getting emotional over random things again.
Either way, he was feeling rather good, so he'd take it as a win.
[}-o-{]
"Knight, I swear to God. Sometimes I feel like I just wanna… make them hurt," Distressed wrote that day out of nowhere. It honestly made Kazuki be the distressed one to read that so suddenly. The person on the other side must not have been at home, because he wasn't feeling anything from the apartment.
"I mean… Same, but I think you are more serious than I am… most of the time," he replied hesitantly. What was the best approach for this? Because he wasn't ready, at all. Not for the first time, he wished he had a teacher or something looking over his shoulder to tell him what to say. Inui would surely know what to do here. "Just… talk to me, Distressed. Let's just talk and try and forget about that, yeah?"
"I know, I should calm down, but… Ugh, people fucking suck," was the response he got. He'd have tried to send something, but he saw that Distressed was typing so he let him be for a bit. If he took too long, then he'd try sending something, just in case. "You say you understand, and I believe you, but… How do you do it, man?"
"Focusing on the good things. Focusing on friends, on hobbies, on anything that can take my mind away. It's always with me, but I try to never be alone with it, if it makes sense," he explained, trying his best to put into words how he dealt with his own demons. Maybe it wasn't the best way, but it worked, and that was what mattered to him. "If it's just you and the intrusive thoughts, then they are all the stronger. If you have other shit to think about, they become less important."
"I guess that makes sense… I think," was the reply he got, and he honestly was more than relieved to see it. Sure, it wasn't all that positive, but it also wasn't negative, so he'd take it. "I just… it's so difficult."
"I was told that doing bad things is the easy way. That being good is hard, which is why there's more bad people than good people," Kazuki paraphrased, hoping that he wasn't somehow messing up what he'd been told. "The point is focusing on those times when you are good and you feel good," he added hesitantly. "It's all about motivating yourself to be a better person, or so I understood it. To not take the easy way, but the right way, even if it's harder."
"Going all philosophical on me, huh? I guess I asked for that," Distressed commented and Kazuki didn't know if that was a good thing or not. "I'm not gonna do anything crazy, just so you don't worry."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"Everyone still sucks."
"Not everyone, but I can agree that most people suck."
"PoTAHto, PoTAYto."
Kazuki sighed. Well, progress was progress, he supposed.
"Whatever floats your boat, Distressed."
[}-o-{]
Late in the day, once more, Kazuki was in the training facilities, waiting for them to be a little more empty.
As the days passed, it was getting harder and harder to get some more space for himself. Fortunately, the new training he wanted to attempt didn't really require him to be alone. Not as much as he had with the Apathy, at least. He didn't have to test effects that could affect people in the surrounding area, at least, so there was no need wait all that long.
Still, he was testing new things with his Quirk, and that was dangerous enough, in his opinion. So, he wanted to have as few people around as possible. One never knew what could happen when he was experimenting with constructs of negativity and his mental stability was a bad step away from causing a disaster.
'Inui would probably tell me I'm too pessimistic… and dramatic,' Kazuki thought to himself with a slight smile.
"I think that's few enough people?"Yaoyorozu asked, being the only one that had stayed behind long after their usual training time. Usually, he was mostly alone by the time it got late, if he decided to practice for too long. After all, he was the only one of his friends that didn't have much else to do if they weren't hanging out together. On top of that, he could work on his Quirk basically forever so long as he had negativity around to fuel his constructs… Well, at least until he had to eat or sleep, that is.
"Seems like it," he agreed. Apparently, Yaoyorozu had been curious enough about the idea he wanted to test that she'd decided to stick around to see it. Considering that they often spend time just brainstorming what to do with their Quirks, he wasn't too surprised. "Better to get to it, I guess."
So, with that decided and under the intense gaze of his friend, Kazuki reached inside his negativity pools. There, he searched for the right node of emotion and pulled another string. This one was more volatile than the ones he'd pulled for the apathy. It was more uncontrollable, even if those were already a pain to pull. It was more of a risk, but there was a teacher around, as always, and Yaoyorozu was there with her drug thingy ready to knock him out if he so much as showed half a sign of danger.
So, Kazuki started forming a new grimm.
With a strand of emotion he hadn't tried before but a grimm that he definitely had made. A new kind of experiment, that was for sure. 'Destroy it all,' he thought, glaring intently at the space before him as his shadow extended and his entire being was filled with the deepest hatred he could pull from the negativity he'd ever come across. He didn't stop there though, no. He pulled from his own hatred too, from the hate he'd ever felt for his parents, for doing to him what they had. From the hate that he'd ever felt for society, for doing what they had to him. From the hate he'd ever felt for himself, for doing what he had to himself.
Letting his emotions out in a more literal sense, Inui called it, and Kazuki had to admit that it was nice to let it out, to let himself feel it. He wasn't sure if it was healthy, or helpful, but it definitely felt nice. Now, if he could do something productive with that.
There it was, the beowolf in all its glory. It was bigger though, with more spikes, wilder black fur, pointier ears, a more angular face and mask, more red on it, larger fangs and claws. It was altogether more menacing and this was matched by how much wilder it felt to him. It wanted out, it wanted to be free, it wanted to rip and tear. Its body burned with its hatred, almost literally, if the black smoke that seemed to rise from its body was any indication and its eyes shone bright like a fire.
"It looks…" Yaoyorozu commented from the side, and the beowolf turned sharply towards her, eyeing her. Kazuki was very much aware that it wanted to sink its fangs on her, but he didn't let it. He held onto its metaphorical leash as strongly as he could possibly do so. "... effective."
That was one way of putting it, Kazuki supposed.
"Alpha Beowolf," he said simply, his mind barely being able to process thoughts, let alone express them. But he knew the name of this creature, and he had to give it to it. It was a ritual by then, to name his new creations as soon as they were finished.
He looked into the shining eyes of the beast and it looked back.
Kazuki let it vanish into a dark mist a second later. He wasn't sure if it had helped him like Inui said it would. He didn't feel less angry. He didn't feel less hate. He didn't feel better.
But maybe, just maybe, he felt a little freer.
"Well, that's one scary creature," a new voice commented, making both Kazuki and Yaoyorozu turn to regard the new arrival. "I do hope you aren't gonna sic that thing on me, Endo."
"Togeike," he greeted and he felt a twitch in Yaoyorozu's emotions. Frowning, he turned to regard the girl, but she looked fine. There was still something there, but he wasn't sure what it was. Some kind of anger or something. Did she know Togeike? Maybe she reminded her of someone? "Here for more training?"
"If you would?" the girl asked, glancing towards Yaoyorozu. "I don't want to interrupt."
"It's fine, I was done with my training anyway," the other girl said calmly. Maybe Kazuki was reading too much into things again? The emotions weren't even that bad, he supposed. "And we are done here, unless you wanted to experiment more, Endo?"
"No, it's fine…" he said, because he didn't feel like trying more. The Alpha Beowolf had left him… emotionally drained, as it were. "I think I could do with some simpler work for a bit. Beowolves again, Togeike?"
"I was thinking of something more… durable? If you are up to it, that is," the Gen Ed student commented and he just nodded and started creating Boarbatusks. "Thank you."
"This counts as training for myself, so it's fine," Kazuki commented, waving off her words. "Don't worry about it. See you tomorrow, Beauty."
"See you tomorrow, Creepy," the rich girl replied, her bad emotions gone. 'Well, at least she's feeling better? Wonder what that was about,' he thought to himself as Yaoyorozu smiled at him and waved before leaving.
"You sure I wasn't interrupting?" Togeike asked, glancing between the two 1-A students.
"No?"
"If you are sure."
[}-o-{]
"U.A. Sport Festival," Io commented, half in awe and half in disbelief. "I still can't believe you are going to fucking U.A., man. No offense."
"I'm not offended at all," Kazuki replied with a chuckle as he brought his drink to his lips and shook his head. "I still can't believe it myself half the time."
"To think that we were getting our asses beat up in juvie just, what, a year ago?"
"I think you got out before that. Two years?" Kazuki replied and his friend made a sound as if he'd just realized that.
"Time flies, man."
"Don't talk as if we are old, Io," he told the other boy, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, yeah, I'm preparing for the Festival and it's… It's fucking terrifying."
"Yeah, I can imagine," was the response he got. "And I was nervous about the regular sports festival at my school. Fuck that, I guess," Io commented shaking his head. "Better you than me, you know?"
"Gee, thanks."
"You'll be fine though," Io commented, with so much certainty that Kazuki paused. "Don't look at me like that. You were no pushover in juvie and that was without even being able to use your Quirk properly. I think you'd have been left alone back then if you were."
"A nice thought," Kazuki commented, but he wasn't sure how much he meant that. If that had been the case, everyone would have probably been too scared and that would have been completely awful. "I think," he added in the end, wryly.
There was a moment of silence then, and Kazuki found himself tilting his head at Io while the other boy took a sip from his drink. His friend – he still had some doubts calling him that, but he tried to soldier through those – had a thoughtful expression on his face. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be much negativity there but it left Kazuki feeling very curious.
"A lot of people see the Festival. Practically everyone does," Io commented out of nowhere then, making him blink. "Most viewed thing in the whole fucking country."
"Is that leading to something?" Kazuki asked, a grimace of a smile on his face. "Because I think I told you that the thing makes me nervous."
"I hated getting out almost as much as I hated being in, you know?" Io asked, throwing him even more off. What was his friend even talking about? "Everyone looked at me as if I had just done what got me in. Some of them didn't even know what I'd done, but they knew or were told I was in juvie and suddenly I was a villain, no matter what."
"I was lucky in that regard, I guess. Nobody knew about me anymore, or at least they didn't recognize me," Kazuki commented, a sad smile on his face as he took a sip from his soda. "I could pretend to be normal for a while."
"And they know now?" Io asked, looking at him curiously, a bit of envy leaking through. "I guess people at U.A. are just made different if you haven't complained about it or anything."
"I guess they are," he replied with a wry grin. "Until the Festival. Everyone else will know then. I expect riots on the streets and shit."
"You really think that'll happen?"
"I try to think of the worst case scenario. That way I won't feel that bad… or that's the idea, at least," Kazuki answered with a shrug. Inui wasn't a fan, but he also admitted that the public was fickle and that they were likely not to respond well. Kazuki appreciated the honesty of the man, if nothing else.
"Fair enough," Io mumbled, leaning back against his chair thoughtfully before feeling a little ashamed for some reason. "I shouldn't complain, I guess. You'll have it worse than me."
"Our situation sucks regardless."
"That's kind of what I was getting to," his friend commented. "I looked it up, you know, tried to find out the numbers. You are the first person to be in juvie and then get into fucking U.A., you know?"
"I… didn't know that, no," Kazuki answered, blinking. Was he? The school had been awfully accommodating. Surely there had been others, right? Why would he be the first?
"I guess it could be for a number of reasons. People that get out don't feel too inclined to be heroes, society sucks, there might have been less open teachers in other times… Stuff like that," Io told him, looking and sounding pretty serious. He also sounded like he was doing an exposition, which Kazuki thought was a little funny. "I got a little too curious, I guess. I kept looking and found a few heroes that were in juvie or in actual prison. They never got anywhere."
"Nowhere at all?"
"You know what I mean," Io replied, rolling his eyes at his slightly widened eyes. "Bottom of the lists everywhere, even when they were good at their job. Once you are in, the world gives up on you, no matter what you do afterwards. What's the fucking point of it then? We are punished and serve our time, which is supposed to be so that we can be reinserted into society… but society doesn't care anymore. It's like being in but a little nicer."
"I mean, it's not like everyone that gets out is actually better," Kazuki pointed out wryly. "We both know that people don't change all that much when they go in. Most people were still assholes."
"I know, but don't we deserve at least something? I'm not asking them to forgive and forget, but having at least a chance would be nice," Io said, deflating on his seat. Kazuki could feel what he was feeling. Sadness, frustration, anger, helplessness. "Maybe you can change that though."
"What?" he asked, surprised by the sudden words.
"You'll be in the fucking U.A. Sports Festival. Everyone will see you. The heroes I told you about? The world buried them. People probably barely knew they existed. You? They can't bury you if you are right there on national TV, in the most viewed event in Japan. They'll have to see you."
"I'm not liking where you are going, Io," Kazuki commented, gulping as he started getting the idea.
"You can show everyone that we are more than just the rejects. The trash that they think we are," Io told him, a glint in his eyes. "You can show Japan that being in juvie doesn't mean you are destined to be a villain. You can show people like you and me that it's possible to get somewhere in life without having to fall back into old habits. You can be a symbol, Endo."
"Io, I can barely hold myself up with what's coming. I really don't think I can be that," he commented weakly, because that was a very big weight his friend was pushing on him. It had probably been there before already, but he hadn't thought of all that.
"I just…" Io started before pausing for a moment, visibly calming himself down. It seemed the boy had gotten over excited with his own speech. "Think about it, yeah? When you start thinking that everyone hates your guts for what you did… Think about the mini-yous and the mini-mes that will be watching you. Think of the people that were in juvie and got out. Think of the people that were in prison and got out. All of them will be watching… And I think they'll cheer for you, Endo."
"That's… that's better," Kazuki mumbled, drawing into himself. He'd admit though, that picture was a reassuring one. Because he'd been hyperfocusing on the people that would rise against him, but what of those that would rise forhim? "No pressure though, huh?"
"All the pressure, I guess," Io said mercilessly with a chuckle. Kazuki wished he could be as confident as his friend seemed with the grin that he sent his way. "But you are at your best when the situation is at its worst, right?"
Chapter 35
"Everyone! Are your preparations complete?!"
"For fuck's sake, Iida," Kazuki cursed under his breath, bringing a hand to his forehead. He was already feeling like he'd get a headache any moment now with the crowd of people – and thus, emotions – that he could feel. Nevermind the fact that they were a few minutes away from going out there to face said crowd.
A crowd that would likely take no time at all to recognize him. Kazuki could almost feel how it would be once the first person mentioned it, the whispers spreading like wildfire. He wouldn't hear them, but he would sense them.
A hand was placed on his arm, snapping him out of his thoughts and making him turn towards Yaoyorozu.
"It's going to be fine. We are here if you need us," she told him softly, making him grimace. "I know what you said, but this competition isn't more important than you being ok. There'll be another next year, and the one after. I'm fine doing badly if it means I can be there for a friend."
"I mean, it'd suck-" Mineta started, only to get slapped on the nose by Jiro's ear-jack. "Fucking hell," he mumbled, glaring at the girl. "I was gonna add that I'd do it too anyway."
"I appreciate it, but I think it'd feel worse if I crippled your chances for a good impression," he commented, taking a deep breath in and trying to calm himself. "I'll be fine. I knew this was coming."
He said that, but knowing hadn't really helped all that much. Sure, he could prepare to the best of his ability so that he was a little more confident but… Yeah, it wasn't going to be easy by any means. He'd just have to make do with a bad situation, he supposed.
"If you are sure," Hagakure said from the side, and he could tell she was unsure. Although, that might have been overshadowed by the fact that she was feeling very nervous herself. He could guess why though.
They weren't allowed to use their costumes, which meant that she was basically going into this Quirkless, being forced to use the school's gym uniform for the event. Kazuki could understand that the school wanted to even the playing field, but it did feel really bad that his friend was being handicapped like that. 'Maybe I can help her though,'he thought, narrowing his eyes.
Something to keep an eye out for, he supposed.
If the opportunity presented itself… Then again, he supposed that was a bad idea. It could look bad on both of them if he helped her. On her, because she wouldn't be able to show what she could do in a bad situation and on him… Well, he wasn't too sure, but he supposed some might take offense to him going "against the rules" to favor his classmates over others.
Kazuki sighed.
"So, I won't let myself get left behind," he heard, making him turn to see Midoriya – in a rare moment of not being a nervous wreck – and Todoroki talking. "I'm going to go for it, with all my might too," the usually shy boy said firmly, a fire in his eyes that Kazuki didn't remember ever seeing there.
Todoroki tilted his head at him.
A little to the side, Bakugo grunted.
"Well said," Kazuki joined, making a few heads turn his way. "Everyone seems to have their eyes on us, so… Let's give them a good show, yeah?" he commented, looking around. He was trying to ride that determination that Midoriya was showing. This wasn't the time to hesitate or be nervous.
If he failed, he could feel like shit about it later.
Now, it was time to act.
"As if I needed you to tell me that, B-Movie," Bakugo scoffed, but he had an excited expression on his face. The crazy bastard was probably looking forward to blowing up some stuff and showing everyone that he was strong. For once, that was fine though, because that was the point of the Festival.
It was at that moment that they were called over the communications system.
'Show time,' Kazuki thought to himself, going over all the talks he'd had in regards to the event. He reminded himself of what Inui had told him, the encouragement his friends had given him and all the work he'd put into things. 'Let's do this.'
"The freshly formed miracle stars that shrugged off a mass villain attack with wills of steel!" they heard Present Mic announce, with some cheers being heard as they stepped out. 'Thanks for reminding everyone, teach,' Kazuki thought to himself. As if they didn't have a big enough target on their backs for the event already. "The Hero Course!" The cheers got louder then and Kazuki did his best to focus on them and not think about the bad emotions and the future. "The freshman year you are here for, right?!" he asked, receiving a very impressive response from the crowd. "Class 1-A!"
As they reached the outside, Kazuki grimaced at the spike of nervousness. It was expected, but he'd almost thought it wouldn't happen, considering… 'Ah, it doesn't matter,' he thought, taking a deep breath in to push away other emotions and moving to the side. The boy had given him the nudge he needed before, so Kazuki guessed it was fair to try to return the favor.
"Focus on what you have to do, Midoriya," he said, looking forwards instead of at the boy. He was probably already feeling a thousand eyes on him, no need to add another pair.
"Endo?"
"Think of this as heroics, you are here to do your job, be a hero," he said, looking at the stage where Midnight was standing as they approached. "The civilians don't matter unless they are in danger."
"I… Yeah… That makes sense," the boy muttered. A moment later, Present Mic started calling for the other classes to come in.
"There's a lot of people to look at too, so I wouldn't worry about the attention. You've improved a lot now that you don't break everything, your Quirk is good and you aren't an idiot. You'll be fine," Kazuki reassured, feeling a lot more calm now that he had someone else's problems to focus on. Helped him forget about his own for a moment, at least.
"You too, Endo," the boy replied, and for once there was no sign of his usual stuttering and muttering. "I'm sure you'll show everyone that you can be a hero too, because that's a fact."
"Yeah, we've both talked the talk now," Kazuki replied with a half-smile. "Time to walk the walk."
"Now, player representative!" Midnight called after an introduction. 'Is she looking this way?' Kazuki thought for a moment. "Kazuki Endo, from Class 1-A! If you could come and give your fellow students and the audience some words?" she "invited" him then, making him blink.
"... Would have been nice to know about this," he grumbled, already starting to move else he made an idiot of himself on National TV.
'Ok, just don't panic. You are fine, just be polite and generic. Being meh is worse than amazing but better than sucking,' he thought to himself trying not to appear too stiff as he started climbing the stairs to the stage and then positioned himself behind the microphone.
"First of all, I want to thank everyone that came to watch us compete and everyone that will do so from away from here," he said, keeping himself calm and his voice steady as he spoke.
It was a good thing he expected it, because there was a definitive shift in the emotions of the spectators as he became visible from everywhere. He didn't think they had figured him out yet, but his appearance alone had been enough. Good preparation though, he supposed.
"I want to wish every student luck," he added, giving a nod to the students looking up at him from the grounds. "But more importantly, I want everyone to pay attention, because we are all students of this institution for a reason. We'll be showing you just why to the best of our ability, from the Hero Course all the way to General Education," he said, scanning the several classes. He was a representative, after all, not talking for his class or the Hero Course. So he wanted to try and include everyone there. "It's what we do, after all. We do our best and go beyond. Plus Ultra."
"Well said!" Midnight exclaimed immediately after he was done, which he was actually grateful for. It stopped him from just standing there awkwardly after finishing, which he supposed was the point. 'Was that good? Was it bad? God, let it at least be boring instead of bad,' he pleaded in his mind. "And with that, we can move to our first event!" the woman exclaimed, waving her fan to the side and Kazuki felt a push of her hand so that he would get down the stage.
He tried not to rush down, but he might have failed a little bit.
"Not a bad speech," Mineta commented immediately after he reached his friend group. "I think some of the other courses appreciated that you included them, somewhat."
"That was the point, mostly," Kazuki mumbled, running his fingers through his hair. "I've been training with some of them. One in particular. I didn't like how they were focusing on us, honestly."
"That's really nice of you, Endo!" Hagakure told him, and he could almost hear the wide smile on her face. It actually was enough to pull a small one out of him.
"Togeike, I'm guessing?" Yaoyorozu asked from the side, a slight twitch of bad feelings coming from her. Did she not like the other girl or what?
"Yeah, although, some others have participated in one or two training sessions too."
"Onto the preliminaries, as they are called!" Midnight announced, pointing with her closed fan at a screen that appeared behind her to the side. "Lots of hopeful students end up choking on their tears after this every year and this year's first round is… this!"
'Obstacle Race… Why don't I like the sound of that,' Kazuki thought, narrowing his eyes. 'Nevermore time? Or maybe Beowolf? Might even be worth considering the Boarbatusk,'he considered quickly, trying to come up with the best way to approach this first event.
"We always speak about our freedom on campus, so…" Midnight said then, laughing very ominously behind her fan. "Well, this is what it's all about! You are free to do anything, anything at all, so long as you remain on course!"
'Which means someone is gonna try to take out the competition,' Kazuki realized instantly. It was what he'd have done himself, probably. Summon a bunch of grimm and have them interfere with other students. He couldn't do that though, because that'd likely make him look worse than he already was gonna look very soon. 'No, I have to focus on myself, leave everyone else alone,' he thought.
How sad was it, that in order for people not to judge him, he'd have to be completely self-centered?
"So, let's get this show on the road, people!" Midnight said. "On your marks!" Everyone around took their positions on the line and behind if they hadn't gotten there fast enough. Kazuki reached into his negativity pool, making his shadow darken and its black mist float up as his not-yet-formed grimm yearned to reach out. "Start!"
Instantly, he jumped, forming a Nevermore under him. He positioned himself in the space behind the mask, where it spiked up and grabbed onto that as if it were a handle.'Let's go,' he thought as the thing took flight. A second later, he felt some pain, cold, annoyance, anger, hatred…
Looking down, he saw that Todoroki had used his ice power to freeze the ground where he ran, trapping several unfortunate students. It seemed that everyone remembered what he'd done in the Battle Trials though, because the other members of their class had managed to avoid the extra obstacle.
'Good thing I'm up in the… air…' he thought, before trailing off as he turned to look ahead. 'What the fuck?' he asked himself.
"Here come the obstacles!" Present Mic announced. "Suddenly and from the very beginning! The first barrier… the Robot Hell!"
'Robot Hell indeed… What the fuck is this?' Kazuki thought as he looked at the small army of Zero Pointers that they had in front of them. 'Ok… They're an obstacle. No need to face them. Just get past them,' he told himself, narrowing his eyes and commanding his grimm. He might need to use his Grimm Guard and maybe summon a few more Nevermore to-
'... Nevermind,' he corrected as he saw the gigantic robots get frozen solid. 'This is my chance though,' he decided, urging his Nevermore mount to go faster. He heard the students down on the ground exclaiming things and moving, there were Quirks being used somewhere behind, but Kazuki only gave them a passing glance to make sure nobody tried to snipe him or something.
They didn't.
Everyone seemed a little busy dealing with those right next to them, really. That and Todoroki's ice. 'Those robots look a little unstable though,' he noted idly, watching one of the Zero Pointers tilt a little and then hit another one as if it were a falling domino piece. However, it didn't bring down everything… instantly, that is. No, instead it took a few seconds in which everyone underneath could see what was about to happen.
Kazuki didn't see what happened though, because he was already pulling away from the robots.
"And Kazuki Endo pulls ahead already, taking advantage of the chaos that everyone else is causing, even surpassing the rather ruthless Shoto Todoroki!" Present Mic called through the speakers in the stadium. "Kid's already showing why he's the player representative!"
"A strong quirk, a stronger resolve and a good head on his shoulders," Aizawa said, his voice much more flat compared to the other teacher. "His chances are good, but…"
"As if I'd let you two get ahead of me!" a shout was heard then. "B-Movie! Half 'n half!"
Kazuki almost laughed at that. If there was a way to take the seriousness out of something, it was with Bakugo's nonsense. At that point, it might as well be funny rather than annoying. Or, at least, it brought a sense of normalcy if nothing else.
And Kazuki needed that.
He could feel it, the unease, the fear, the confusion, the affront. He knew what that was, the feeling growing in the crowd in the stadium. So many people were there, and just as he predicted, it was spreading. He'd hoped, he'd prayed… But it had all been useless.
'Focus,' he told himself, focusing on the words Inui had for him during those days when he voiced his nerves. He remembered what his friends had told him through his insecure moments. He reminded himself of how supportive Yamada and Aizawa were with their commentary just then. Even Midnight's little nudge when he was up on the stage…
He was not alone.
'I got this,' Kazuki told himself, taking a deep breath in and pushing through. He knew he was going to have to deal with that. He had dealt with harsher shit from people that mattered a lot more than a crowd of strangers. 'I got this… I'm gonna win this… I'm gonna show you all. I'm gonna show you…'
The Nevermore picked up speed as time passed, batting its wings to bring itself up. Under him, he saw Todoroki running, while Bakugo tried to catch up by pushing himself in the air with his explosions. He only had eyes for the goal though, which had him grinning.
"The second barrier! If you fall you lose!" Present Mic announced as Kazuki approached the aforementioned set of obstacles. "The Canyon!"
"No problem at all for Endo, however," Aizawa commented almost as an afterthought, and he was completely right. The second barrier was, after all, a set of rock platforms connected between themselves with thick ropes. All of them leaving a frightening space between them and a high fall underneath.
'Good thing I'm flying, huh?' he thought confidently. That is, until he saw something from the corner of his eye. 'Oh come on!' he exclaimed in his mind as a projectile flew towards him, piercing his mount's chest and causing it to start disintegrating.
"It won't be so easy, however,"Aizawa said. "His classmates won't just let him win, especially the rather competitive Todoroki, it seems."
'Fuck you, Todoroki,' Kazuki thought, narrowing his eyes. He pulled himself off the dead and falling Nevermore. Trying to heal it would take too long, especially with the icicle still inside it. No, it was better to…
Jump.
And so he did, using the falling creature to push himself in the air as he pulled on his negativity pools once more. He had hardly trained creating grimm in the air, which he imagined he'd have to work on, but… He could do it. He had quite the fall ahead of him, so time was something he had in spades.
"He's still falling!" Present Mic exclaimed dramatically. "Will the head of this race lose its first place like this?!"
"They wish!" Kazuki himself shouted. "I'm not done yet, not even close!"
The shadows extended from around him as if he were using Grimm Guard. In a way, he was, but in a very specific way. From his back, he created two Nevermore wings. He couldn't quite fly, unfortunately. He didn't have the instincts that his creatures seemed to come with, but the wings were enough to glide down instead of straight out plummeting to the ground.
Having bought himself some time, he started producing another Nevermore. From the corner of his eye, he saw Todoroki and Bakugo starting to cross the Canyon too. They were getting close, almost there…
They passed him…
And then the Nevermore was finished. 'Well, fuck you and your attacks, Todoroki. I might not be able to attack you, but I can block you just fine,' he decided, as he fell on his second mount. Pulling up once more, he continued creating more grimm. He pulled on the growing negativity around him to make more Nevermore. They'd be the literal meat shields for any attacks that came his way from then on.
"It'll take more than that, buddy!" Kazuki called as he caught up with the two just as they finished the second barrier.
"And now comes the final barrier!" Present Mic announced then and there as they came face to face with… an empty field? "Prepare yourselves, participants, for the hidden surprises of… the Mine Field! Open your eyes wide, kids, because you just might be able to see where the explosives are!"
'Or I can just fly over them,' Kazuki thought to himself as he commanded his creatures to take him across the field. 'No surprises this time though,' he decided, looking carefully at the students behind him. Bakugo was catching up rather quickly, that was for sure and Todoroki wasn't that far behind. The latter did try to send another projectile his way, but seemed to decide that was a lost cause when one of his secondary Nevermore intercepted it with its body.
'Take that, everyone,' Kazuki thought as he pulled ahead once more and did his best to keep things that way. Bakugo wasn't going to make that easy though, but that was fine. It was a competition and he was sure to give it his all if nothing else. 'Are you watching? Are you seeing this, mom?' he wondered.
'I'm gonna be a fucking hero,' he thought resolutely.
"Take-" Bakugo exclaimed then, pulling closer to where Kazuki was flying with his explosions and then going for an attack. Another of his guard flock flew straight at him though, wrapping its wings around the blonde and interrupting the attack altogether. The only thing that blew up then were Bakugo's chances of winning, because that certainly broke his momentum.
"Maybe next time, Bakugo!" he called as he continued his flight. Other students were making it to the Mine Field, but nobody could quite match the speed of something that could outright ignore the explosives. There were no flying Quirks around this time, it seemed. 'Unlucky,' Kazuki thought with a grin.
An explosion told him that no, the blonde wasn't done for yet, but that was fine. Kazuki would almost have felt bad if Bakugo was taken out like that. The other boy might be a pain in the ass and really fucking annoying, but he was also not that bad once you got used to his shitty personality. Besides, he was a classmate, and one that had somehow managed to make up for the terrible first impression (and several others).
'Wonder who else will make it,' Kazuki thought, trying to find some of his acquaintances. He didn't see anyone in his friend group, but he did see some other classmates other than Bakugo and Todoroki. Like Asui, who was starting the trip on the Mine Field. There were some students from other classes too, particularly a Support Course student that caught his attention. No attacks were coming his way though.
Apparently, now both Bakugo and Todoroki had decided he was too much trouble to bother. Good thing too, because he didn't feel like having to deal with much more of that. It was so tempting to just throw some Nevermore feathers at them or sic an entire one on them too, for that matter.
"I'm not gonna lose here too!" he heard Bakugo yell from underneath him, speeding up his explosions somehow. From the side, he saw Todoroki start to skate on his own ice to get faster too. Kazuki wasn't about to lose though. No offense to his classmates, he was sure all of them had things to prove…
But he was there for himself. He needed this. He needed the win, and he needed the positive image if he wanted his future to be bearable. So, they could try to get the win… over his dead body.
'Close enough,' Kazuki decided, checking the distance to the goal. Once he determined that, he commanded the Nevermore to stop flying and do a dive instead. It'd be much faster, that was for sure. Maybe it would make the difference, or maybe it wouldn't, but he had to do everything he could.
Half-assing it wouldn't do, at all.
Kazuki made himself small as he hung onto the Nevermore's mask. He had to make sure to not unintentionally slow his mount… more than he probably already was, that is. Turning as much as he could manage, he saw that Bakugo and Todoroki were dangerously close to him, but he still had the advantage. Their teachers continued commenting, but he paid them no mind. He was too busy focusing on the race, but maybe he could watch a repeat later.
An louder than normal explosion called for his attention behind them, making Kazuki – and the other two too, he noticed – turn to look. His eyes widened as he saw someone flying towards the goal. 'Is that Midoriya… surfing on air with a piece of metal?' he wondered, staring incredulously even as his Nevermore continued its dive.
'No,' he thought. He wasn't getting his win stolen from under his nose like that. He refused to allow that, not after being on the lead for the whole event. Not after getting his hopes up. Especially not when everyone was watching him, when he could be making a name for himself as something other than a walking catastrophe.
No. Fucking. Way.
He started lettinghis Nevermore disintegrate even as it continued diving. 'Less mass, less resistance,' he thought to himself as the creature started turning into black dust under him. 'Come on, faster!' he urged the half vanished monster.
Another explosion resounded behind him.
And then he reached the goal.
It was more of a drop than a landing, to be honest, but the remains of the Nevermore were enough to cushion the fall as Kazuki stood past their destination. The misty wisps of what had once been his mount surrounded him, but he didn't pay them any mind. 'I made it,' he thought, looking up. 'I made it, right?' he added, turning around.
And there they were…
Midoriya, Todoroki and Bakugo… Behind him.
'I made it,' Kazuki thought, grinning widely.
Chapter 36
Kazuki froze where he stood past the finish line.
Not because he'd won, although that was a pretty shocking thing too. It wasn't that he didn't think he could make it, but more like… He'd expected to lose to someone else. He wasn't the strongest student in his class, or at least he didn't think so. Just like that, he might not even be stronger than some other class' strongest either. And yet…
It was him that stood in first place.
What shocked him wasn't that though, but it was related. The thing that had positively astonished him was the crowd. He could feel them, the wariness, the contempt, the anger, the fear and so many other emotions. Even with that…
The crowd cheered.
Were they cheering for the others? That had to be it, right? 'Yeah, that makes more sense,' Kazuki decided with a slight smile as he watched other students come and start pouring through. 'Still… It's nice that I didn't ruin this whole thing,'he mused, because it'd have been quite something if his presence completely ruined the event for everyone involved, especially the other participants.
Speaking of, there was a screen detailing how the placements were in this event. He was first – And wasn't it more than a little uncomfortable to see his face on the giant floating screen? –, then came Midoriya, Todoroki and Bakugo. After them there were two 1-B students. He'd worked with the vines-for-hair girl once, but the other guy was a bit of a surprise. Especially seeing him turn things liquid with a touch.
Iida and Tokoyami were seventh and eighth, which wasn't a great shock, really. Sero wasn't either, as ninth. All of them had pretty solid Quirks that helped them move through difficult zones quite fast. 'Hey there, good job, Tiny!' Kazuki thought to himself, grinning widely as he saw Mineta bounce through the goal with his Quirk, just like he'd practiced. 'Grape Bounce for the win, I guess,' he mused, very happy that his friend's hard work had paid off.
'Class 1-A pulling through though, nice,' Kazuki thought then, watching the placements as they were updated. Soon, the top 20 was filled with mostly 1-A students, with some 1-B ones thrown into the mix. Towards the top 40 things got even more mixed up, with a splatter of more students from their counterpart in the Hero Course. 'He made it, huh?' he noticed then, watching as the boy from the Gen Ed class that had visited them made it into the top 30, and comfortably so. Perhaps just as surprisingly, a Support Course student with gear equipped from head to toe, had managed to narrowly beat the second Gen Ed student to make it, Togeike.
"The forty two at the top have earned the right to advance!" Midnight announced then. 'Forty two pass, twenty from each heroic class and two free spots… Normally, at least. Not sure what that says about this though,' Kazuki mused. Things seemed to be marginally more fair now… With 1-A being short a student. Maybe fair wasn't the word at all, he supposed. "I'm sorry for the kids who failed, but take heart! The next year might be your turn to shine!"
Kazuki wondered about that. Was there an instance in which something like that had happened? This whole event was very heroics-inclined, after all. They were prepared for shit like this. What chance did the other courses have? As it was, the three that weren't from their course were basically on the last 25%. Two of them were in the last two places, even.
Still, never let it be said that Kazuki didn't appreciate people being given a chance. As it was, he was kind of proud to see Togeike make it into the top, even if she was last place. He'd seen her work for it. Not only had she trained with her Quirk, but she'd also trained physically, doing some sparring with him and against Imps. The winning place was what he wanted, but he'd be very happy to see the girl make it far, he had to admit.
"And now, after the preliminaries!" Midnight started, and Kazuki saw the small crowd of students stand a little straighter, a little taller. "The second event! What will it be?! Well, let me tell you!... Behold!" she exclaimed, pointing at the screen behind her.
'Cavalry Battle,' Kazuki saw and his mind started working instantly. 'That's a team event,' he noted the obvious instantly, which had him thinking who he'd prefer. His friend group was the obvious choice, but was that what he wanted? He could try and go for a more competitive team too, with people like Todoroki and Bakugo. They might not be the most approachable people, but they aimed to win and they were good…
'But is that what I want?' Kazuki wondered.
"You can form teams with two to four people freely," Midnight explained to them, examples being displayed on the screen as to some configurations of people that could be used. They were from previous Festivals, from what Kazuki could guess. He wouldn't know, since he didn't watch many of them and he hadn't been all that interested for most of his life. Some of them were… certainly imaginative though. "The same rules as a normal cavalry battle apply: swipe the enemy rider's headband and guard your own. Except for one thing, that is…"
As the woman spoke, Kazuki's mind worked. Did he want to try and keep things simple and work with his friends? Did he want to do his absolute best to win, so that he could further prove himself? What was it that he wanted out of the Sports Festival above all other things?
It wasn't to have a good time, much as he'd like that.
It wasn't even to win, even if it would be for the best.
"Everyone will receive points based on how they placed in the preliminary round," Midnight told them, a table with the points they'd be given slowly starting to show the numbers from the last. "Which means that the point value of a warhorse will change depending on who's in it. You might be seeing the trend here," she added, signaling at the slowly appearing numbers as they approached the top. "Five are added from the last place to the next and so on. With the exception of the first place, that is," she said, turning to look at Kazuki.
'Oh?' he thought curiously. Were they going to make things harder for him for placing first? That… could be interesting… or annoying, depending. He was pretty sure that had happened at least once in another Festival, so it wasn't a shock.
"After all, his head is worth ten million points!" Midnight said, drawing exclamations not only from the crowd but also from the students. 'Well, everyone and their mothers are gonna be gunning for me now,' Kazuki thought, gulping nervously. 'As if being first didn't already paint a target on my back.'
Suddenly, he had a lot more to worry about than what to do for this part of the Festival. Looking around, he saw some stares and more than a few side-glances. Yes, everyone had their sights on him, Kazuki would bet.
'I can do this,' he told himself. So what if everyone was gunning for him? Numbers were his thing anyway. Midnight was still explaining things, but Kazuki was only half-listening. The game was clear enough already. Now he just needed to come up with a plan on what to do… And decide how he even wanted to approach this event.
He had an idea though, one inspired by how he'd approached the starting speech. 'Can I make that work though?' he wondered, eyes scanning his surroundings. He wouldn't have many attempts, but if he could do it… 'No harm in trying…' he decided, already starting to work out the details of his rapidly forming plan.
"Alright! You have fifteen minutes until the start of the game!" Midnight told them and several of the students around shifted in place, some even vocally exclaiming their surprise. Kazuki didn't think fifteen minutes was too little though. They couldn't let the crowd wait forever, after all. "Start your negotiations!"
And start they did, or, at least, several of them did.
Kazuki was in that group, actually, or he would be in a bit. After all, he needed to do something really quick before getting started. So, he turned to look at Mineta and the rest.
"So… Do you guys mind if I go with some other people for my team?" he asked, drawing some wide eyes, some surprise and a little bit of hurt and betrayal. Not enough to be really concerning but enough to hurt back. "I'd love to be on a team with you, and I'd prefer it, honestly, but… I need to make statements today."
"So you have a plan?" Mineta asked, the first one to recover. Kazuki took heart in the fact that the other boy seemed to be fine, if surprised. "Well… I guess we can see about sticking together or trying to branch out too."
"... That's it?"
"Well, I'm not gonna cling to your leg and cry, I can tell you that," Mineta replied with a smirk. One that then turned to a soft smile. "I know this day is important for you, man. Do what you want, so that you won't regret anything."
"Thank you."
"I'll have you know, mister, that I take this personally," Hagakure accused, and judging by the extended arm, Kazuki was sure she was pointing at him accusingly. "So, I want an ice cream or two after this and I'm not paying a single one."
"That's a deal," he replied, giving the girl a grateful smile.
"Good luck, Endo," Yaoyorozu offered with a smile of her own.
"Do try not to be too far behind us, yeah, Mr. Ten Million?" Jiro challenged then to which he snorted.
So, after that, Kazuki found himself moving purposely towards one person in particular. It didn't take long for them to notice him and they were properly surprised when they realized what was going on. The move was not subtle, he'd admit that, but it didn't need to be.
This was his time to show everyone who he was and what he could do, and that wasn't only in regards to how he could play the games. Everything he did would be under scrutiny, so his every move had to be planned and with a purpose or he was better off not doing anything at all. The whole day would be important, no other way around it.
"Neito Monoma, right?" he asked, hoping against hope that he was remembering the name right.
"That's me, yeah," the blond replied, and Kazuki could feel the envy, the anger… but they weren't as strong as they had been the day they had met. On top of that, there was some confusion there, so that had to mean he had somewhat of a chance.
"Want to team up?" Kazuki asked directly, not wanting to beat around the bush. They didn't have the whole day. Besides, he needed to give the boy some time to think it over, since this was a big move on their part. It couldn't be good for his career, if he attached himself to Kazuki and things ended up going badly that day.
"Why me?" Monoma asked, eyes narrowed.
"Because I have a plan, and your Quirk would be really good for it, at least from what I know of it," Kazuki answered simply. "If you don't want to join, that's ok. So, just… think it over. Ok? I have some other people to talk to."
"Why me?" the boy repeated once he'd already turned and taken a few steps, making him pause. "After what I… almost did."
"Because you didn't know, so why would I hold that against you?" Kazuki asked, turning and giving the boy a confused expression. "I mean, I think your reasons were a bit stupid, but we are teenagers, being stupid is kind of our thing. Just… don't try that again, ever."
"Yeah. I guess I- I mean…" the boy stammered, clearly caught off guard by his response. Confusion was a lot more evident, paired with shame and a noticeable amount of anger. "I… What's your plan?" Monoma asked, visibly pulling himself together. "I'm in."
"Just like that?" Kazuki asked, this time being his turn to be surprised and confused. "You know this will impact your career, right?"
"I know, so… the plan?" Monoma insisted, this time much more confident in what he was saying. Kazuki grinned then. Well, that was one less worry for his plan, it seemed. A few words after that, the blonde was grinning just as widely as he did while leaving to do what he needed to.
'One done, two to g-'
"You sure do stand out," he heard someone say loudly from behind, making him turn. His eyes widened then, as he took in the sight of the girl before him. "Very interesting," she added, walking very decisively towards him until she was uncomfortably close. "Let's team up, Mr. First Place!" she told him then, and he blinked.
"I mean… I was going to ask you anyway, so that works?" he replied, leaning back a little. "You should know though, that I'm Kazuki Endo… And I caused the Black Rampage years ago," he told her then, deciding that there was no point in trying to sugarcoat that. Better that she have a good idea of what she was getting into. There was no point in trying to be discreet or anything, since everyone was going to know by the next day.
"Doesn't matter," she said, as if it truly didn't matter to her. It was almost like what he'd said didn't even register in her brain. "All the more eyes on my babies anyway," the girl said, rubbing hand over the support gear she was wearing.
"Right, so… You are Mei Hatsume, right?"
"Sure am, Mr. First Place. Anything you need of me, Fearless Leader?"
"Er, not really. I still need to pick up the last member of our team."
"Good, that way I can check everything and make sure they are perfect for the battle," the pink-haired girl told him enthusiastically, immediately sitting down and starting to do just like she said. Kazuki stood there for a long moment, blinking in befuddlement. Well, she was certainly interesting, if nothing else.
'And one less worry,' Kazuki thought, knowing that it was only one other person that he had to convince. 'Things are going really well,' he thought, looking towards his last prospective team member. With the harder ones out of the way though, Kazuki was feeling very confident… Which sent him all around back to being nervous because things never went too well for long, he knew.
"You look lonely," he pointed out as he approached the last person he needed to convince to join him for the event. She jumped a little from where she'd been, scanning the small crowd of participants but never really seeming to consider going to ask one. "Still free, right?"
"Not like anyone's going to ask the last place… especially from Gen Ed," Togeike said bitterly. Her emotions matched that tone, but there was a hopeful glint in her eyes that Kazuki could pick up even if it was in the blind spot of his Quirk. "Here to check on your training partner?"
"You know why I'm here, don't play dumb. It doesn't suit you, Togeike," he said with a grin. "I'm here to offer you a spot in my team."
"You sure you want the last place in that team, after getting first yourself?" she asked, insecurity bleeding out of her towards him. "There's bound to be more useful Quirks out there. There's no water in the field."
"I've got a plan. Are you coming or not?" he asked with a grin, feeling a little more sure of how things would go. Even if she didn't agree, he had three members for his team. Getting one more or just pulling through with the two would do. "You should know that I'm-"
"I know who you are," Togeike interrupted, making him stare at her for a long moment. Mostly because he couldn't pick up anything new from her after she said that. She was still feeling insecure, and bitter, but none of those had to do with him, he was sure. "Are you… Are you serious?" she asked then, her resting-bitch face bleeding off her face to show how nervous she felt.
"I'm sure. I want to win this and I want to make a statement… And I'll do both, or at least try as hard as I can. I can promise you that," he told her, doing his best to show her that he believed in what he said, 100%. "I have a team almost formed, I just need you in it. I have a strategy in mind for you and another member. The last one I have to check on, but I'm confident we can all shine here."
"And you think you can pull it off?"
"I think we can," he corrected without actually making it obvious. "So, tell me, how does trying to win an event at the U.A. Sports Festival with ten million points sound to you?" he asked, grinning widely as he extended his hand towards her.
"Like a dream," she said, still unsure, but a semblance of a smile on her face as she looked at his offered limb. Then she looked up at him and then at his hand again. After a few seconds of thought, she took it. "I hope I don't regret this."
"Well, we have to work with our team to make sure we do our best then," he told her with a nod. His team was formed then, with a good few minutes to spare too. 'One from each class, and the other heroics student isn't in my class,'Kazuki thought, pleased with himself.
He was hoping that'd prove something about him too. His Quirk's usefulness wasn't something that inspired many doubts. It was his control and his personality that people would have concerns about. The former would, hopefully, be shown throughout the whole event.
Thus, Kazuki wanted to show as good a face for himself as possible. He'd mostly left people alone during the first event, and even then, when he had to go against someone, it was because they went against him first. Now, he wanted to show that he didn't care where someone came from so long as they could do what needed to be done. That he could work with people that he didn't know as closely as those in his class.
'Maybe I'm thinking too much into this?' he mused, running his fingers through his hair. The Sports Festival had to go well though. Not great, but well. Even at that point he could feel the crowd's emotions all over the place. He didn't have an idea of how they were supposed to feel like in a regular Sports Festival, but Kazuki couldn't help but think that every single bad emotion around was because of him. It was unlikely, he knew, but he still felt that way.
"Say, Hatsume," Kazuki started when Togeike and him approached the girl, who was still tinkering. "This is Chikuchi Togeike, one of our teammates," he introduced, making the girl simply hum without looking up from what she was doing. "Togeike, this is Mei Hatsume. With that said though," he started, looking at the pieces of equipment that the girl was working on… maintaining? That was his guess, at least. "Could you tell us what all that is? It might be good for us to know what you can do.
"Sure can! I can talk about my babies all day!" Hatsume exclaimed, and then she launched into a quick introduction of every gadget she'd brought with her… Like she was doing a commercial for them, actually. It was kind of funny, honestly. Kazuki almost thought she might have been better in the Management Course.
Well, if it weren't because she seemed to really love her gadgets.
He guessed it made sense, in a way. Just like Hero Course students had to worry about their personal image and how the public viewed them, Support Course students had to worry about the same thing but for their gadgets. Probably more so, considering people cared a lot less about heroes' equipment than they did the heroes themselves.
'Ok so, Hydraulic Bracers to keep one away from attacks, Capture Gun that does as the name implies, Electromagnetic Soles to improve footwork, Wire Arrow that works grappling hook style, Hover Soles to float just off the floor, Auto Balancers to prevent the user from falling and a fucking Jet Pack of all things… That's all very useful but how can we use them the best?' Kazuki thought, his mind already going through the strategy he had in mind and how to add this bunch of gadgets to it.
"Ok, can the Auto Balancer help the rider stay, well, balanced?" he asked, making the Support Course student blink. "I know it's different from not falling but-"
"I can do that!" Hatsume exclaimed, looking positively ecstatic for some reason. "Give me a minute to adjust a thing here and something there and-"
"That's fine, take your time, we still have some," he reassured, looking at the timer. "I think the rider should have the Jet Pack too. Can be a good way of using it to get away, even if it'll suck for the two at the back."
"Which I'm guessing it's you and me?" Monoma came back at that moment, looking very pleased with himself. "I got the Quirk you wanted. And one extra, by the way," he informed, his smirk growing a little. "I see you got everyone then," he added, looking at the two girls and then at Kazuki. "Now, what's the plan and what's this about something sucking for you and me?"
"Togeike here will be our rider," Kazuki explained, making the Gen Ed girl look at him in surprise. "She'll be wearing a tweaked gadget to help her keep her balance better and a jetpack to get us out of problematic situations. Which means-"
"That if you and I are at the back, we'll be right under the thing," Monoma finished with a grimace. "But the formation makes sense. No reason for us not to be at the back, even more so with that thing."
"I can probably shield us with a half formed creature," Kazuki reassured, his mind trying to come up with things for the other gadgets too while also keeping everyone's Quirks in mind. "I'll probably do the same for the landing, actually. Hatsume – that's Mei Hatsume, by the way – will wear the Hover Boots for the landing too, I guess, and for any other situation they might come in handy."
"Sure will, Mr. First Place!" the girl exclaimed, grinning widely even as she continued tinkering. "And it's Hover Soles!" she added in a chiding manner.
"Right, sorry," he replied immediately. "Monoma can have the Electromagnetic Soles, after you explain to him how they work exactly, I guess… What's your Quirk, actually, I don't think you said," he remembered then, feeling like an idiot.
'Off to a great start with this leading thing, I see,' Kazuki thought, feeling a little overwhelmed. Leading his grimm was a lot easier than leading people. He knew those well, after all, but strangers, with different thoughts and all…
"Zoom, I can zoom in on whatever it's on my view, if I really push it, I can see up to five kilometers away," Hatsume detailed quickly and Kazuki nodded.
"Well, shouldn't need that much distance, but that'll be useful anyway. Keep an eye out for us then, yeah? In case you can see something we can't."
"Sure thing, Boss!"
"Boss?" he mumbled under his breath. "Anyway, what's that about an extra you mentioned, Monoma?"
"You said you wanted water right? I got something else on the way that might work too," the boy answered, grin still in place as he placed his hand on the ground and it started turning soft and into mud. 'Wait, yeah, there was that guy from his class, right?' "Does this work?"
"I don't know, does it?" Kazuki asked Togeike in turn, who looked at the sort of liquified earth. Was that actually mud or something else? How did that Quirk work?
Instead of answering, the girl frowned and extended her hand. The usual needles didn't appear, but they did seem to try and take shape, instead sending out an awkward mass of the liquid-like substance, which splashed against the ground a little further away. The girl seemed disappointed, but Kazuki simply took that in.
"You did get what I wanted you to, right?" he asked Monoma, who nodded.
"Yeah, I did."
"Ok, so we have your usual needles and the mud splash too, might not seem very useful but it could be, if used right, think on it," Kazuki commented, making the girl's expression turn thoughtful. "We have around two minutes," he mused, looking at the screen over Midnight. "I guess we can get to know each other and what we can do a little better in the meantime," he said then, taking a deep breath in.
'Things might just turn out okay,' he thought then, a slight smile forming on his face.