…it's been an hour since the qualifier began…
Ara-senpai and I both have 30 points each.
The display above shows the survivors.
Still 16.
That's good.
Honestly, it's thanks to Ara. Because of her, we've been able to move smoothly—we haven't run into anyone serious so far. Almost too smoothly.
My Danger Sense isn't lingering.
So… it should be fine.
We pass yet another hurdle.
Then—
The gravity shifts again.
Suddenly, ice shards are hurled toward us.
We dodge just in time.
"Oh… look at that,"
"Seems the rumors about your quirk coming back are true, Izuku Midoriya."
I narrow my eyes.
"Who are you…?"
"Me?"
"I'm Alexei Romanov. Sorry, but you can't go any further."
"This is the end for you."
Ara tilts her head.
"Were you some kinda big shot or something?"
"…Kinda," I mutter.
And then—
He starts throwing ice darts at us relentlessly.
I dodge most of the ones aimed at me.
Ara slows the rest effortlessly, weaving through them like it's second nature.
Yeah… I can leave my back to her.
But this guy—
He's good.
He's fighting under gravity restraint, yet his movements are still sharp, efficient. We aren't even on equal footing… and he's still pushing forward.
I decide to end it in one blow.
I charge—
Full Cowl: 10%.
I throw a punch—
And hit the wall instead.
The impact shatters it.
"Here."
His voice echoes.
Multiple quirks…?
What are the odds of that?
He starts appearing in multiple places at once.
My Danger Sense screams.
Time to raise the stakes.
I rush forward again—this time with Ara-senpai amplifying gravity around all of him.
His movements slow.
I strike—
But—
They're all ice statues.
"…What?"
An illusion?
"Looks like you aren't all that, Izuku Midoriya."
Alexei mocks me.
"Puny countries like yours shouldn't even bother entering the tournament."
"You're not even worth it."
"Oii—! You bastard, what did you just say?!"
Ara snaps.
"Ara-senpai… calm down," I say quickly.
Then I look straight ahead.
"Yeah… who exactly is puny here?"
"I see you clearly. Don't try to act tough."
Silence.
Then—
"S-shit… how did you see through me?!"
A short girl suddenly appears.
Eh?
There was someone else…?
"Oii, Yelena—!"
"He didn't see you! You just blew our whole plan!"
Alexei snaps.
"B-But… he looked at me…"
"He didn't! You got scared and ruined everything!"
Ara scoffs.
"Hey, how long are you gonna talk?"
"Shut up."
Alexei snaps back.
Ara gets pissed.
She slams gravity down on both of them—
And—
They're illusions.
Again.
"…Shit. Illusions again," Ara groans.
"And those ice constructs are sturdy too…"
That girl must have an illusion-type quirk.
Alexei's is ice-based—
Not as powerful as Shoto's, but far more precise.
Deadly.
Then a voice echoes from all directions.
"Playtime's over, Izuku Midoriya."
"Now that you've learned our secret—your time's up."
Multiple Alexeis appear around us.
I feel… off.
Ara-senpai is struggling too—managing gravity while fighting this many targets is taking a toll.
"Ara-senpai," I say.
"I've got a plan."
I whisper it to her.
Then I rush forward—
20%.
I shatter illusion after illusion—
"NOW, ARA-SENPAI!"
She instantly releases gravity on me.
My body suddenly feels several times heavier.
What the—?! Is this gravity—?!
I don't hesitate.
25%.
…Yeah.
Still doable.
Ara-senpai then unleashes everything—
Gravity slams down on them.
Their movements stop.
Their real positions become clear.
"Detroit—!"
SMASH!!
My punch sends Alexei flying several meters away.
He doesn't get back up.
The girl—
She's frozen in place, shaking.
"P-Please… don't kill me, Izuku Midoriya…"
I walk toward her.
Slowly.
She trembles harder.
"…I—I WITHDRAW!!"
She screams, bursting into tears.
Did I… scare her too much?
…Damn. I should apologize later.
The counter drops.
14.
Guards appear out of nowhere and drag them away.
---
I turn back to Ara-senpai.
"Ara-senpai… are you alright?"
She's sitting nearby, shoulders rising and falling as she catches her breath.
We fought them for two full cycles.
50 points each now.
"I'm fine," she says, panting lightly.
"Seems you're pretty tough."
"…You too, senpai," I reply honestly.
"Thanks to you, they couldn't move at all."
"Give me a hand."
I gave her a hand
She grips firmly and pulls herself up.
"Let's rest here for a bit."
I nodded.
The counter keeps dropping.
11.
We stay there, catching our breath—me keeping watch while Ara recovers.
After two more cycles pass, we move forward again.
Then—
A familiar voice calls out.
"Ara, are you alright?"
We turn.
It's Baek Jiho.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she replies.
"This is—"
"—You're Izuku Midoriya."
He cuts in before she can finish.
"Green hair. Green eyes. Handsome face. Freckles."
"You're Izuku Midoriya from Japan."
Ara slowly turns to stare at me.
"So you're a big shot, you idiot."
"Why didn't you say so? It's not like this noona is bullying you or anything… right?"
…You absolutely are.
What was I supposed to say?
Hi, I'm a big shot, please treat me like royalty?
Jiho sighs.
"I told you to attend the meeting, Ara."
"We discussed him."
He bows slightly toward me.
"Thanks for looking after her."
"She's the troublemaker of our team."
Ara scowls.
"…Also, Ara," he adds calmly,
"He's a year above us. So stop calling yourself noona."
She freezes.
"…Eh?"
She looks at me again.
"You're older than us?"
"…Hehe. You told me to call you noona," I say awkwardly,
"so I just assumed…"
She clicks her tongue in annoyance.
After a while, Jiho heads off on his own.
"Oii, Jiho—take care," she calls after him.
Once he's gone, I glance at her.
"…So, is he your boyfriend?"
"…No."
"…Shut up."
Her face turns red as she looks away.
Yeah.
She's definitely flustered.
---
Later—
We cross paths with someone from America.
He's alone.
That alone makes him dangerous—but also gives us the advantage.
The fight doesn't last long.
I take him down.
Markus Hill.
Strong. Solid fundamentals. No wasted movement.
When he falls, it's clear—
This place doesn't have any pushovers.
Not even the ones who seem unassuming.
Even that timid Russian girl from earlier…
she was formidable in her own way.
Eventually—
The counter ticks down.
9.
A pause.
Then—
8.
A soft chime echoes through the arena, and unseen mechanisms activate.
The remaining fighters are guided away, walls shifting, paths sealing, until we're led into a wide waiting room.
The atmosphere changes.
Less chaos.
More pressure.
I glance around.
China only has three left.
Looks like they lost two somewhere along the way.
Me.
Yoon Ara.
Baek Jiho.
The Indian guy from earlier is here too—leaning against the wall, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
But—
Yoarashi still isn't here yet—
"…Ah, Yoarashi, you—"
My voice trails off.
The door opens.
The room reacts before anyone says a word.
Conversations die mid-sentence.
Someone straightens unconsciously.
Even the air feels heavier.
A man steps inside.
Over six feet tall.
Black hair.
Red eyes.
He doesn't rush.
Doesn't hesitate.
Each step is measured—unhurried.
An aura rolls off him.
Heavy. Dominant.
Like a king entering a room that already belongs to him.
Ara stiffens beside me.
Jiho's expression tightens, just slightly.
No one speaks.
He doesn't either.
His gaze lifts—
And locks onto mine.
Not curious.
Not aggressive.
Challenging.
Silent.
Ethan Cross.
From America.