Outside the UA stadium, the participating students exited their respective buses, gathering together once again as they entered the arena. Among them were Hiro, Mei, Mina, and the others walking together.
"It's finally over. Ugh, I hope our points are enough to qualify. If it weren't for those guys wasting our time, we would have definitely gotten more.
Kaminari whined. Shoji, Jiro and Tsuyu, who were his teammates, nodded in commiseration. Their team didn't lose a scarf, nor gain any, so they each still have the 240 from when they formed the team.
"What's the matter? What happened?"
"One of the opponents we met- they had some kind of telekinetic Quirk and kept harassing us from a long distance. And the item they threw would suddenly get larger or explode mid-air, making it hard to approach them. Ugh, that fight was so frustrating!"
"Telekinesis, huh? Yeah, that's a really troublesome power. So, they just harassed you guys the whole time?"
Hiro asked. Hearing the word telekinesis, a certain green-haired woman came to mind. He wondered what she was doing now?
"Not…exactly. One time, their telekinesis Quirk user almost got one of our scarves. If it weren't for Tsuyu catching it in time, they would have stolen it. We got more vigilant after that. And after some time, they might have decided it was futile and ran away."
"You forgot to mention that the scarf that was almost stolen was yours."
"Hey! I-I was too focused on getting in range for my Quirk and just momentarily forgot!"
Hiro and the others chuckled as Kaminari's face turned beet red at Jiro's jab.
"Anyways! After that, we tried to look for other teams. There was a team with lower points nearby, but those guys were closer and got to them before we could."
Kaminari's shoulders slumped. Running around for 30 minutes and not getting anything to show for it was so frustrating. And now, they could only hope that many teams were eliminated and their remaining points were enough to advance to the third round.
"Our team had been more fortunate. We met Sero who teamed up with two others from Class B. They were very strong. Luckily, we were able to take their scarves just before time ran out."
Momo replied, a beaming smile on her face at the accomplishment. Mina and Kirishima, who were her teammates, also had a joyful expression.
"Yeah! And it was totes close too! If it weren't for Yaomomo creating those super bright lights and capture nets, we wouldn't have won!"
"It was thanks to you and Kirishima holding them down that I had time to create those items. All of us share the credit for winning that fight."
Momo said disapprovingly. In their team, Kirishima was in charge of close confrontations, Mina the mid-range attacker and controller, and she as the reconnaissance and support. Her creating those items was just expected for her role.
"T-that's nice. How about your team, Ryuga, Hatsume? Was anyone stupid enough to attack you?"
Kaminari asked, shifting the topic away. As someone who failed, he didn't want to listen to the success stories of others. Instead, he preferred hearing more about how others failed as well.
"Yeah, though it was much fewer than I expected. Only one team attempted an attack. And after I took away their scarves, they didn't pursue us again."
"Haha, of course they wouldn't! After seeing you in action, I doubt they could muster the courage to fight you again."
A gloating look appeared on Kaminari's face. There was a reason why they thought they would just hold Hiro back- and it wasn't because they underestimated themselves.
During the weekend practice, all of class 1A who attended once fought together against Hiro.
The result of that spar…well, to even say it was a spar was overestimating themselves. It was more of a beatdown- Hiro knocking them all down without so much as getting scratched.
That was when he and the others truly realized just how much Hiro was out of their league.
As their group continued to discuss what they did during the event, Hiro glanced at the other teams. He observed their current mood and appearance, deducing the likelihood of them advancing based on it.
Bakugo gritting his teeth and glaring at Kendo and her team- does that mean they stole his scarf? But those girls were also staring back at Bakugo with frustrated faces, so he was unsure about the result of their altercation.
Todoroki, who was standing alone at the edge, was staring blankly at his left, clenched fist. He looked a bit roughed up, with even his uniform having scratches and tears. He must have encountered a relatively powerful team- or a Quirk that could counter him. Either way, Hiro finally knew why the icefire boy didn't come for him.
Next, he noticed Midoriya, Ochaco, and Koda whispering to each other, a mix of nervousness and excitement on their faces. From this, it was easy to guess that their team had been quite successful. And then there was…
Hiro raised an eyebrow. At one corner, Tokoyami and Ojiro were nodding as they discussed something with Shinso.
That's right, Shinso. Shinso Hitoshi.
From what he remembered, Shinso at this point should've still been prejudiced against them Hero Course students. In fact, he even used his Quirk to control Ojiro and the others to win until the 3rd event.
But now, although the lanky teenager was looking a bit awkward, he was definitely having a civil conversation with Ojiro and Tokoyami- and not controlling them.
"The Hero Battlegrounds event is over! Now then, let us see who are the 16 that will qualify for the next round!"
Midnight announced as all the participating students had gathered on the field. Anxious and nervous-filled gazes fell on the screen behind her as it flickered, before displaying the top 16.
1. Hiro Ryugamine - 5,000,930
2. Mei Hatsume - 5,000,010
3. Shoto Todoroki - 700
4. Shiozaki Ibara - 670
5. Izuku Midoriya - 510
6. Ochaco Uraraka - 510
7. Koji Koda - 510
8. Momo Yaoyorozu - 490
9. Mina Ashido - 490
10. Eijiro Kirishima - 490
11. Hitoshi Shinso - 400
12. Fumikage Tokoyami - 400
13. Mashirao Ojiro - 400
14. Reiko Yanagi - 340
15. Yui Kodai - 340
16. Nirengeki Shoda - 340
"340…"
Kaminari sighed. If they had obtained the points from the last team, they would have qualified as well.
"Hey, it's alright. After seeing what you can do, I bet many Heroes already have you on their list. That goes for all of you as well."
"Thank you, Ryuga-chan. Although this sucks, for now, I'll cheer for you guys at the third event."
Tsuyu turned and said to the five of them who qualified. Kaminari, Jiro, and Shoji echoed the same sentiment.
"It's surprising, though. Bakugo also didn't make it. With him having 410 points, he could have qualified even if he didn't do anything. I wonder who got his points?"
Mina suddenly interjected, her voice full of curiosity. Her words instantly prompted everyone to check the screen.
"Whoa! It's true! Haha, since even he failed, now I feel more balanced about not qualifying as well."
"Being happy because of something so petty, as expected of you, Kaminari."
Jiro sarcastically said, making Kaminari stutter.
Meanwhile, Hiro also gained a general understanding on what happened after he left Bakugo.
Shiozaki Ibara was the girl with vines for hair. Since she's the only one who qualified in their team, she must have snatched the scarf from Bakugo.
However, judging from her team's frustrated gaze towards the explosive teen, he must have continued pestering them after that- leading to them not being able to get more points.
"Everyone, we'll proceed to the afternoon portion after a one-hour lunch break. See you then!"
A/N: You can access advanced chapters on patreon.com/Ked2002