The morning air at U.A. buzzed with energy.
The Sports Festival stadium towered above the school grounds, banners snapping in the wind, the cheers of thousands already echoing faintly from inside. Cameras were everywhere, reporters hustling to get the best angles.
Inside the prep area, Class 1-A was stretching, checking gear, and psyching themselves up. Kael… sat cross-legged on the bench, eyes closed, as though meditating.
Kaminari: "Man, this is it! We're gonna show everyone why Class 1-A is the best!"
Bakugo:grinning ferally "I'm gonna crush every single one of you extras."
Midoriya:muttering to himself "Stay focused… stay focused…"
Kael's voice cut through their chatter, calm and distant.Kael: "It's already over."
The room went quiet for a second. Todoroki's eyes flicked toward him.Todoroki: "Meaning?"
Kael didn't open his eyes.Kael: "We've already run this race a thousand times. The results won't change… unless I want them to."
Bakugo bristled instantly.Bakugo: "You think you're gonna beat me?!"
Kael: "No." he opened one eye, smirking faintly "I think you're going to trip before you take your third step."
The remark hit like a spark in dry grass — everyone reacted. Even Mina leaned forward.Mina: "Wait, what?"
Kael: "You'll see."
The Entrance – Spotlight and Tension
Present Mic's voice boomed across the stadium as the competitors filed out.
Present Mic: "Here they are, the future Pro Heroes — U.A. High's first years!"
The crowd roared. Cameras flashed. Kael stepped into the sunlight, expression unreadable, moving with the relaxed pace of someone taking a casual stroll rather than entering a nationally televised event.
The roar of the crowd rolled over him like waves. He felt the thrum of his Anchor — not just the moment, but every variation of it. Every route, every stumble, every cheer.
In each possible outcome, he still walked through this tunnel the same way: utterly in control.
Midnight's Announcement
Midnight grinned from her platform, whip in hand.Midnight: "Alright! Let's kick things off with the first event — the Obstacle Race!"
The students lined up at the massive starting gate. Kael stood between Bakugo and Todoroki.
Bakugo cracked his knuckles.Bakugo: "Hope you're ready to eat dust."
Kael just tilted his head slightly.Kael: "I already told you — third step."
The Start
Present Mic: "Aaaaand… GO!"
The gate slammed open, and the students surged forward. Todoroki iced the ground instantly, sweeping past dozens in one move.
Bakugo blasted forward with an explosion, grinning—
—then his foot hit a perfectly timed patch of uneven ice, courtesy of Todoroki's overreach, that Kael had predicted down to the millisecond. Bakugo's momentum sent him tumbling face-first into the ground.
The crowd gasped.
Kaminari: "Oh my god, he called it—"
Kael walked past without looking down, his tone casual.Kael: "Two more seconds and you'll be up again. Don't waste it."
The Robots
The massive zero-pointer robots loomed ahead, blocking the track. Students scattered, some attacking, others looking for ways around.
Kael didn't run. He strolled. One of the robots took a step toward him — and stopped mid-stride.
Its sensors flickered, head tilting as though confused. Then, without warning, it stepped aside, clearing his path.
No one saw the faint ripple of energy Kael sent through it, bending its decision-making sequence to align with the future he had chosen.
Todoroki froze a bot in front of him, Bakugo blew another apart. Midoriya vaulted high into the air. But the cameras caught Kael simply walking through untouched, the crowd murmuring in confusion.
The Canyon
The next obstacle was the deep canyon with hanging ropes. Students swung across in a rush — some falling, some making it with style.
Kael reached the edge, glanced down, then stepped into empty space.
Gasps erupted — until the air shimmered faintly beneath his feet. He walked across invisible footholds, as if strolling on an unseen bridge, reaching the other side without breaking pace.
The Minefield
The final stretch was the minefield. Students hesitated, carefully navigating.
Kael didn't slow down. Each step landed exactly where no mine would trigger — because he had already seen this path a hundred times before.
Bakugo, catching up, snarled and blasted toward him — and promptly triggered a mine, the explosion launching him backward.
Kael crossed the finish line in first place.
The Crowd Reacts
Present Mic: "AND THE WINNER OF THE FIRST EVENT IS… KAEL FROM CLASS 1-A! And he barely broke a sweat!"
The stadium was electric. The cameras zoomed in on his face, searching for excitement or pride — but all they found was mild amusement.
Back in the Waiting Room
The competitors filtered back in, sweaty, bruised, and buzzing with adrenaline. Kael leaned against the wall, arms folded.
Midoriya approached, still catching his breath.Midoriya: "You… you predicted everything. How?"
Kael's gaze lingered on him for a moment.Kael: "I didn't predict it. I remembered it."
Midoriya blinked.Midoriya: "…Remembered?"
Kael didn't elaborate.Kael: "Next event will be more… interesting. Slightly."