Matches rolled by one after another, the tempo of the tournament only rising.
And soon enough—
It was Ren's turn again. The semifinals.
...
Bang!
Bang!
Sniper's shots rang out as he stepped forward, boots echoing against the metal.
"Well now, tighten yer saddles and hold onto yer hats!" he boomed. "That little lightning colt's ridin' back into the ring once more!"
The crowd roared instantly.
"Ren Takeda versus…" he spun a finger dramatically toward the screen, "…Yamaoka Kohaku!"
The name flashed.
"Let's see if Amberlock can lasso himself a miracle! Or is he just another tumbleweed in Ren's storm?!"
Cheers erupted.
...
The two stepped onto the arena.
Ren's eyes settled on his opponent.
A boy with amber-like hair, golden and rigid, almost crystalline.
'I didn't notice him during the first round…' Ren thought.
The air between them tensed.
Then—
Bang!
"DRAW!"
But before Ren could even move—
"Hey!"
Kohaku pointed straight at him, eyes burning.
"Don't you dare look down on me, first year!"
Ren blinked.
'…When did I—'
"Got you!"
Kohaku lunged forward mid-sentence, striking while Ren was still processing.
Fast.
But—
Not fast enough.
Ren's body shifted instantly.
A blur.
He avoided the strike effortlessly.
'Shit! He dodged that?!' Kohaku's thoughts snapped.
He didn't stop.
Another attack followed immediately.
Ren sidestepped again, smooth and controlled, and reached for his wrist.
"Those kinds of tricks…" Ren muttered calmly. "Don't work on me—"
He grabbed—
—or at least, he tried to.
His hand slipped.
Cleanly.
Ren's eyes widened.
'What?'
Grip was active.
There was no way he should've lost hold.
Kohaku smirked.
"Fossil Cage!"
A surge of golden resin burst from his hands.
Thick.
Viscous.
And in an instant—
It hardened.
Encasing Ren completely.
Like a fossil trapped in time.
"WELL I'LL BE!" Sniper shouted. "Yamaoka Kohaku just locked our prodigy up tighter than a snake in a whiskey bottle!"
The crowd exploded.
Cheers roared through the stadium.
"That there's Amber Resin!" Sniper continued. "He spits out that sticky gold and turns it harder than stone in the blink of an eye!"
Inside the amber prison—
Ren was silent.
Observing.
'…Impressive.'
His fingers pressed lightly against the inner surface.
Solid.
Unyielding.
'And amber… is an insulator.'
His eyes narrowed slightly.
'Livewire won't be effective here.'
Outside—
Kohaku's chest rose rapidly.
'Did I… win?'
His eyes widened with excitement.
'I beat him… I actually beat him!'
His thoughts spiraled.
'I beat someone Nejire couldn't—does that mean—'
Crack.
The sound cut through everything.
Kohaku froze.
Crack.
Crack.
Tiny fractures spread across the amber.
His pupils shrank.
'W-What…?'
Sniper leaned forward.
"Well hold yer horses… that cage ain't holdin'!"
Crack—CRACK—
The fractures exploded outward.
Shatter!
The amber prison burst apart like glass.
Fragments scattered across the arena—
And a flash of white light erupted from within.
Kohaku didn't even see it happen.
One moment—
He was standing.
The next—
He was out of bounds.
His body hit the ground outside the arena.
Hard.
"…What?"
His voice trembled.
"…My Big Three spot…"
On the arena—
Ren stood in the center.
Breathing slightly heavier than before.
'I had to go all out…' he thought. 'Surge at maximum… Herculean Strength fully engaged…'
A faint smirk appeared.
'And I barely broke it.'
The crowd erupted once again.
Louder than before.
"REN TAKEDA!"
"REN TAKEDA!"
"REN TAKEDA!"
Sniper raised his revolver high.
"Winner of the match—REN TAKEDA!"
Bang!
Ren exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders as he calmed his breathing.
Then, almost to himself—
"…This festival's less boring than I thought."
...
Ren made his way back to the athletes' stands, the noise of the stadium still echoing behind him.
The next match was already being prepared.
The semifinal that would decide his final opponent.
Mirio Togata vs Tamaki Amajiki.
The last two of the Big Three.
The crowd buzzed with anticipation.
But Ren…
Wasn't watching.
Not really.
His eyes were on the arena—
But his mind was elsewhere. Like always.
Amber Resin.
A new Quirk.
His fingers tapped lightly against his armrest as thoughts began to stack, layer over layer.
'I could do a lot with this…'
His gaze sharpened slightly.
'If I merge it with Creation… I wouldn't need lipids anymore.'
Instead of converting fat—
'I'd be generating constructs directly from the resin I produce.'
His mind raced.
Weapons.
Shields.
Traps.
Distractions.
Structures on the fly.
'It's faster… more versatile… and far more combat-oriented.'
A faint smirk formed.
'I need to study it more.'
Below—
The match had already begun.
Tamaki took to the air, wings bursting from his back.
From one arm, thick octopus tentacles extended outward, writhing and lashing across the arena.
He didn't hold back.
The tentacles struck everywhere at once, sweeping wide arcs, covering angles, denying space.
He wasn't trying to hit—
He was controlling the field.
Preventing Mirio from emerging.
From anywhere.
Mirio, meanwhile—
Was gone.
In and out.
Phasing through the ground.
Appearing.
Disappearing.
Untouchable.
Tamaki's attacks intensified, tentacles whipping faster, denser.
A cage of motion.
No blind spots.
Then—
Mirio appeared.
Right in front of him.
Tamaki reacted instantly.
Tentacles snapped toward him—
But this time—
Mirio didn't phase.
He grabbed one.
Firm.
"What—?!"
Tamaki froze for a split second.
Why wasn't he using his Quirk?
Instinct kicked in.
More tentacles surged toward Mirio from every direction.
But—
Mirio moved.
Not back.
Forward.
Still holding the tentacle.
'What is he doing—?'
Tamaki's eyes widened.
At the last possible moment—
Mirio jumped.
He vaulted over the incoming tentacles—
And dragged the one in his grip across them.
Twisting.
Looping.
Entangling.
In an instant—
The entire mass of tentacles knotted together.
Locked.
"What the hell?!" Tamaki's balance broke immediately.
The structure collapsed on itself.
Mirio didn't waste a second.
He landed on the tangled mass—
And ran across it.
Fast.
Precise.
Tamaki panicked, trying to retract his octopus traits.
The tentacles began dissolving—
But it was too late.
Mirio had already closed the distance.
He leapt.
A grin on his face.
"You should cut down on the takoyaki, Tamaki!"
His fist shot forward—
Clean.
Direct.
Impact.
Tamaki was launched backward—
Out of the arena.
Silence—
Then explosion.
"The winner is—MIRIO TOGATA!" Sniper roared.
The stadium erupted into cheers.
Back in the stands—
Ren leaned slightly forward.
A smirk spread across his face.
'That…'
His eyes locked onto Mirio.
'…is going to be fun.'
To be continued...
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How was this chapter? Liked it?
Sorry if I didn't post in a while, I am quite busy with physical therapy.
Also, I am currently rewatching AOT, and the idea for a fanfic came to my mind. Now, there aren't many AOT fanfics around WebNovel, so I wanted to write one. What do you think?