Arashi Tanaka was once again sitting in the observation room designated for participants. The air here was cooler than outside, Arashi noted. Probably due to the air conditioners, but the tension still hung like a thick fog.
His head still ached. His hero costume—a black cloak with silver inserts, light armor on his chest, and reinforced gloves—now felt heavy, soaked with sweat and the chill of his own Quirk. He felt a slight shiver, an echo from materializing Morgoth and the Morgul blade, but his mental wall held strong, pushing the insistent whispers of the Nazgûl to the back of his mind.
Present Mic's voice, full of inexhaustible enthusiasm, boomed through the speakers, silencing everyone in the room: "Ladies and gentlemen, young heroes and everyone watching from home! After the epic showdown between Arashi Tanaka and Hanta Sero, where shadows and tapes clashed in a dance of fate, we move on to the third match of the first round! On one side—Ibara Shiozaki from Class 1-B, master of vines and thorns, whose Quirk turns the arena into a living garden of horror! And on the other—Denki Kaminari from Class 1-A, our electric genius, capable of lighting up the entire stadium... or frying his opponent! This is a clash of nature and lightning—who will withstand the strike? Ready? The fight begins... NOW!"
On the screen, the participants entered the ring: Shiozaki, with her long green hair braided into plaits, and a costume resembling ancient armor made of leaves and spikes, stood calmly, her eyes full of serene confidence, as if she were praying before battle. Kaminari, on the other hand, grinned, his yellow hair sticking out in all directions, and his costume with gold accents sparkled, reflecting the light. He bounced in place, warming up his arms, and shouted: "Hey, vine lady! Ready to feel a real shock? I'll charge you up with energy!"
The fight erupted instantly. Kaminari, wasting no time, activated his Quirk. Golden sparks surrounded his body, and he unleashed a powerful discharge—a wave of electricity that surged across the arena, crackling and illuminating everything in blue light. The crowd gasped, expecting Shiozaki to be paralyzed in a second. But the girl from Class 1-B raised her hands, and thick vines erupted from the ground around her, forming a wall of intertwined thorns studded with spikes.
The wall grew to several meters high, completely blocking the electric strike: sparks ran along the vines, but the plants, saturated with moisture and insulating, absorbed the energy without letting it through. Kaminari blinked in surprise.
Shiozaki was already counterattacking. The vines, not just defending, lashed forward like living snakes, wrapping around Kaminari's legs and arms. He tried to break free, releasing another pulse of electricity, but the thorns were too dense, their spikes digging into his costume, and the vines tightened like a boa constrictor. Kaminari growled, his body flaring brighter, but the Quirk overload worked against him: after a few seconds, he started smoking, his eyes rolled back, and he went limp, mumbling incoherently—the classic "idiot mode" after energy overuse. Midnight, the judge in her provocative costume, approached and raised her hand: "Denki Kaminari is unable to continue! The winner—Ibara Shiozaki!"
The crowd exploded in applause, and Present Mic shouted: "Wow, that was lightning-fast! Shiozaki turned the arena into her personal garden and trapped Kaminari! Class 1-B is showing its teeth—they're not calling themselves elite for nothing!"
Arashi leaned back in his chair, analyzing what he'd seen. Her Quirk reminds me of Sero's tapes—the same idea of capture and binding, but on a completely different level. The thorns aren't just sticky; they're alive, adaptive, with spikes for damage and moisture for insulation against electricity. Top-tier functionality—she can attack, defend, and control the field all at once. A dangerous opponent in close combat. He nodded to himself, noting potential weaknesses in his mind: the vines are likely vulnerable to fire or cutting attacks, but combined with her calmness, it made Shiozaki a serious threat. Suddenly, a quiet muttering came from nearby—Izuku Midoriya, sitting to his left, was frantically scribbling in his battered notebook, his green eyes burning with enthusiasm.
"Shiozaki-san... vines grow from the ground, growth speed—about 5 meters per second, thorns 10-15 cm long, effective against electricity, but what about freezing? Or explosions? Kaminari-kun overloaded too early, needs more control..." Izuku whispered, his pen flying across the page.
"Midoriya? You're recording info on everyone from Class 1-A and 1-B?" Uraraka asked him.
Izuku looked up, his curly hair stuck to his forehead with sweat, but his smile was genuine, as if nothing was out of the ordinary: "Huh? Oh, yeah, Uraraka! This is a great chance to study the Quirks of classmates and rivals. In a real battle, knowledge is half the victory. I'm observing everyone: tactics, weaknesses, combos... Nothing weird, right? Just analysis for the future!"
Arashi blinked at the response, but shaking his head, he thought: That's Midoriya for you, the eternal analyst, turning every moment into a lesson. Wonder what he'll write about me? Arashi thought, but didn't dwell on it, turning his gaze back to the screen.
Present Mic was already announcing the next fight: "Fourth match! Yuga Aoyama from Class 1-A, our shining knight with the navel laser, versus Tenya Iida, Class 1-A's president and master of speed! Shine versus engines—who will light the path to victory? On your marks... Go!"
Aoyama, in his sparkling costume with a cape and gilded accents, posed dramatically: "Monsieur Iida, my laser is the light of the stars! You won't resist my charm!" He activated his "Navel Laser" Quirk, firing a bright beam from his stomach—a blinding stream of light slicing through the air with a hiss.
But Iida, in his costume with engines on his legs and a stern expression, gave no chance: he dashed forward at maximum speed, his Recipro Burst humming, leaving marks on the concrete. Aoyama's laser missed, hitting the barrier and lighting up the arena in a flash, while Iida closed the distance in an instant. With a jump, he delivered a powerful dropkick—a strike with both feet to Aoyama's chest, sending him flying out of the ring. Aoyama landed on his back, his eyes swirling: "My shine... faded..."
Midnight announced: "Yuga Aoyama is out of the ring! The winner—Tenya Iida!"
Present Mic exploded: "Incredible! Iida took out Aoyama like a pro wrestler—a clean dropkick! Short but spectacular fight, full of speed and style!"
Arashi smiled at the corner of his mouth—Iida was predictable in his discipline, but effective. The observation room buzzed with discussions, and Present Mic moved on: "And now, friends, a fight that promises to be unbelievable! Mina Ashido from Class 1-A, our acid queen with horns and style, versus Shoto Todoroki, the ice prince of Class 1-A! His ice can freeze vast spaces—though Mina's Quirk might melt it all, but will she get the chance? That's the question! So, what are you waiting for? Go!"
The arena froze in anticipation. Mina bounced, her pink skin glistening, horns twitching: "Todoroki, your ice is a challenge! My acid will turn it to steam!" Todoroki stood motionless.
The whistle blew—and in an instant, Todoroki activated his Quirk. From his right foot erupted a wave of ice that grew into a gigantic block, covering half the ring. The ice surged upward several meters, cracking and sparkling, the air filling with frosty mist. Present Mic fell silent for a second, stunned—even his enthusiasm froze. When the ice particles cleared, Arashi saw Todoroki, whose right side was covered in a thin crust of ice, and Mina... she was frozen to the block, her body almost fully encased in ice, with only her head and arms sticking out. She tried to free herself, releasing acid from her palms—a hissing stream that began to eat away at the ice, but the freezing speed was too great, and she weakened.
Midnight approached, her breath coming out as steam: "Mina Ashido, can you continue?" Mina, shivering, whispered: "No... too cold... I give up."
Present Mic finally snapped out of it: "Looks like Todoroki decided not to hold back and fully froze Ashido! I've even got a runny nose from all that ice—maybe head down and grab a couple chunks for my cola? What do you think, Eraser Head?" His partner, Shota Aizawa, grumbled something indistinct, but the arena came alive, spectators discussing Todoroki's power.
Arashi frowned, analyzing: Todoroki is strong. That ice isn't just a barrier; it suppresses movement instantly. I don't think I can handle it without the Nazgûl—Morgoth would slip on the ice, but if he freezes the whole ring... The thought was discouraging, but real. About twenty minutes passed—workers with flamethrowers and melting Quirks cleared the arena, breaking the block into pieces that melted into puddles.
Finally, Present Mic announced: "Sixth match! Momo Yaoyorozu from Class 1-A, our creator of everything under the sun, versus Fumikage Tokoyami, the lord of darkness from Class 1-A! This fight promises to be interesting—creation versus shadows!"
As soon as the fight started, Tokoyami released his "Dark Shadow"—a black figure writhing like a living creature, with yellow eyes and a beak. The shadow rushed at Momo, its claws slicing the air. Momo, in her red costume with exposed shoulders, quickly created a metal shield—her "Creation" Quirk activated instantly, blocking the strike. But Arashi noticed: She can't create anything complex under constant pressure—Dark Shadow is too fast, doesn't give time to concentrate. Tokoyami commanded: "Dark Shadow, attack without pause!" The figure delivered blow after blow, pushing Momo to the edge of the ring. She tried to create a net or weapon, but the attacks prevented focus. In the end, Momo, retreating, stepped over the line.
Midnight: "Momo Yaoyorozu is out of the ring! The winner—Fumikage Tokoyami!"
Arashi nodded—Tokoyami's tactic was smart, using the shadow's speed for suppression.
Present Mic continued: "Time waits for no one! Seventh match: Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu from Class 1-B, the steel warrior, versus Eijiro Kirishima from Class 1-A, our unbreakable guy! Steel versus hardening—who will break first?"
This fight dragged on for a long time—Arashi couldn't remember anything like it even from last year's festivals. Tetsutetsu, with his "Real Steel" Quirk, turned his body into metal, shiny and impenetrable, and charged into close combat. Kirishima activated "Hardening," his skin becoming like rock, and they clashed in a fistfight: strikes echoed across the arena, sparks flying from collisions. Minutes stretched—ten, twenty, thirty—they exchanged series of blows, trying to breach each other's defenses, but with no visible effect. The crowd roared, but Arashi grew bored: It's like two tanks pounding each other.
He stood up and walked out into the corridor, heading to the vending machine. The cool air of the corridor refreshed him, the echo of the fight muffled. At the machine stood Todoroki, leaning against the wall, his right side still slightly iced over—probably trying to warm up after his fight. Arashi approached, standing beside him, and pressed the button for a bottle of water—the cold liquid would help wet his throat and cool his heated body.
"Tanaka," Todoroki suddenly said, his voice even but with a note of tension.
Arashi turned in surprise: "Yes?"
Todoroki looked at him with his heterochromic eyes: "Nothing personal, but today I have to defeat you."
Arashi frowned: "Why are you telling me this? I think everyone here wants to win."
"You're my main competitor," Todoroki explained. "Because it's a way to prove to everyone that I can defeat strong enemies like you using only ice."
"Only ice?" Arashi repeated, feeling irritated. "Todoroki, you have a second Quirk, right? Why don't you use it? Even in training, I've never seen you activate it."
Todoroki frowned, his face hardening: "That's none of your business, Tanaka. It just has to be this way."
The rudeness stung Arashi: "Don't act too arrogant," he retorted. "Your ice is no threat to me, and to them, you're just nothing." At the end, his voice became harsher and more mocking.
In that same instant, the Nazgûl's whispers exploded in his head: Yes, this upstart must pay... Release us, and we'll cool his ardor... Their sinister laughter echoed, the mental pressure so strong that Arashi paled, feeling nauseous. He lost all interest in the argument, grabbed the bottle of water from the machine, and quickly walked back to the observation room, leaving Todoroki alone. No time for conflicts... Need to focus on control.