Chapter 53: Part 1— The Aura-Leveling Chronicles
[A/N: I have a genuine question: Does anyone actually use those "4-payment" plans for stuff like a $100 item, an iPhone, or even food?
I see these offers everywhere on the internet lately, and to me, it just looks like a trap. Financing a burger or a pair of shoes is one of the worst financial decisions you can make. If you can't afford a $100 bill today, paying it in four installments just means you're living on borrowed time (and borrowed money). Is it just me, or is this the "Final Boss" of stupid spending?]
[Sunny Midoriya POV]
My existence is currently a high-definition, 4K experience of localized agony.
I am not just in a cast; I am a literal human cocoon. My arms are fused to my chest in a permanent "Judgmental" pose, my legs are stiff as marble pillars, and my head is wrapped in so much gauze I look like a mummy who lost a fight with a lawnmower. The only things exposed are my eyes—vibrating with the residual trauma of Momo's titanium mallet—and my mouth, which is currently emitting a muffled, rhythmic whistling sound through the bandages.
"Hmf-mmph-fmm!" I grunted, trying to gesture with my eyebrows.
"Don't worry, Sunny-kun," Nokotan said, her voice echoing with the calm serenity of a forest spirit who just committed a felony. She was behind my wheelchair, wearing her orange Uncle Roger polo shirt and pushing me toward the center of the stadium stage with reckless speed. "Uncle Nokotan have everything under control. You look very manly. Like a statue of a loser. Fuiyoh!"
We rolled out onto the main stage. The stadium erupted, but it wasn't the usual cheer. It was the sound of 100,000 people simultaneously saying, "Oh, god, they actually broke him."
Midnight was already there, looking spectacular in her festival gear, though she kept glancing at me with a mix of pity and "I-told-you-so" smugness. Beside her sat Erina Nakiri, who looked like she was suffering from a permanent case of "Why am I still here?"
"And here is our Chief Judge!" Midnight announced, her whip cracking the air. "Sunny Midoriya! Currently in... uh... 'Passive Recovery Mode'!"
Nokotan stopped my wheelchair with a jerk that nearly sent my cast-bound body flying. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a tall glass of creamy, white liquid.
"Erina-chan," Nokotan said, handing the glass to the God Tongue. "You look stressed. Have some milk. Palate cleanser for the soul. Fuiyoh!"
Erina, desperate for anything to wash away the memory of Toga's "Mystery Meat," took a massive, elegant gulp. Her eyes widened. Her pupils dilated.
[SPROOOT!]
She spat the liquid out in a perfect, three-meter arc, directly onto the camera drone.
"WHAT... WHAT IS THIS?!" Erina shrieked, wiping her mouth with her sleeve, her dignity shattered. "It's thick! It's musky! It tastes like... like a pine forest had a mid-life crisis!"
"Haiyaa," Nokotan sighed, taking the glass back. "It's Deer Milk, Erina-chan. Straight from the source. Very high in calcium. Good for growing horns. Why you so picky?"
"I AM A HUMAN!" Erina roared.
The Summoning: The Mystery of the Missing Monarch
Midnight cleared her throat, stepping toward the Wheel of Chaos. "Anyway! Moving on before the health department shuts us down! Sunny has dictated—through a series of aggressive blinks—that the final tournament needs a theme! Something... modern. Something... edgy."
I hit the "Play" button on my text-to-speech device with my chin.
[ROBOT VOICE: SP-SP-SPIN THE WHEEL, YOU STRAWBERRY-SCENTED OVERLORD. IT IS TIME FOR AURA FARMING.]
Midnight spun the wheel. The colors blurred into a vortex of neon purple and obsidian black. The needle slowed, clicking past "Standard Fighting," "Dance Battle," and "Tax Audit," finally landing on:
[THE AURA TOURNAMENT: SISTER LEVELING EDITION]
"Aura Farming?" Izuku muttered from the contestant waiting area. "Is that a Quirk?"
"No, Izuku-kun," the robot voice buzzed from my chair. "It is a lifestyle."
Suddenly, a massive, jagged portal of blue-black energy tore open in the middle of the arena. The temperature dropped forty degrees. A heavy, oppressive shadow spilled out, smelling of graveyard dirt and expensive cologne.
"Wait," Midnight whispered, checking her notes. "We were supposed to get the Shadow Monarch himself. The man of ten thousand 'Arise' memes... Sung Jinwoo?"
A small, pixelated letter floated out of the portal and smacked me in the face. I blinked, reading it.
Dear Sunny,
I can't make it. Turns out my name was found in the 'Jeffrey Epstein' flight logs. Apparently, the guy really admired my 'Arise' ability and wanted me to help 'raise' some things on his island. I am currently in a high-speed dragon-chase with the FBI, the CIA, and the Avengers. My PR team says I need to stay in the shadows (literally) until this blows over. Sending my sister and the boys instead. Don't tell Mom.
— Jinwoo.
The crowd went silent. I let out a muffled groan. Great. The Shadow Monarch is a flight-risk.
But the portal didn't close. Instead, a girl with short black hair and a school uniform stepped out, looking bored out of her mind. She was clutching a smartphone, her thumbs moving at Mach speed.
SUNG JINAH (Abridged).
Behind her, two towering figures emerged.
One was a massive, white-armored ant with glowing red eyes and a twitching mandible—BERU. The other was a silent, crimson-caped knight in black armor who radiated so much "Cold Protagonist Energy" it made Todoroki look like a campfire—IGRIS.
"Ugh, is this the place?" Jinah asked, not looking up from her phone. "Is this the 'UA' place my brother talks about? It looks... colorful. I hate it. Beru, go do the thing so I can go back to my gacha game."
"MY QUEEN!!!" Beru shrieked, dropping to his knees so hard the concrete shattered. "YOUR SERVANT SHALL ANNOUNCE THE MAJESTY OF THE SHADOW REALM TO THESE FRAGILE SHEEP! WITNESS THE RADIANCE OF THE SISTER OF THE MONARCH!"
Igris said nothing. He simply adjusted his cape. The entire stadium's "Aura Meter"—which I had manifested as a giant HUD in the sky—immediately jumped by 100,000 points just because he stood there.
The Rules of the Game
Jinah stepped onto the judge's podium, leaning against my wheelchair. "Okay, listen up, you losers. My brother sent me here to judge your 'Aura.' Here's how it works."
She pointed to the giant screen above.
THE AURA SYSTEM:
Win the Vibe, Win the Fight: Knocking your opponent out is only 50% of the score.
Cringe Penalty: If you trip, stutter, or use a 'Power of Friendship' speech, you lose 500 Aura. If your Aura hits zero, you are Disqualified.
Aura Stealing: If you do something 'Based' (e.g., dodging an attack without looking, drinking milk mid-fight, or insulting your opponent's mother), you steal their Aura.
No Shouting: If you yell the name of your attack, I'm taking 1,000 points. Shouting is for people who aren't cool enough to be in a Webtoon.
"Got it?" Jinah asked, finally looking up. "Good. Beru, scream at them."
"YOU HEARD THE QUEEN!" Beru roared, his mandibles clicking. "BRING FORTH THE SACRIFICES! LET THE FARMING BEGIN!"
Match 1: Izuku Midoriya vs. Hitoshi Shinso
Izuku walked into the ring, his face set in a grim, "Solo Leveling" scowl. He was trying to move like Jinwoo—shoulders back, hands in pockets, looking like he had a dark secret.
"Shinso," Izuku said, his voice dropping an octave. "You don't understand the shadows. Arise."
Nothing happened.
"Arise," Izuku whispered again, trying to make his eyes glow green.
"Is he... is he talking to his shoes?" Shinso asked, looking at the judges.
[DEDUCTION: -500 AURA FOR MIDORIYA — TRYING TOO HARD]
"Lame," Jinah muttered.
Shinso took the opportunity. "Hey, Midoriya, why are you acting like a weirdo?"
"Because the weight of the—" Izuku started, then froze. The brainwashing took hold.
Shinso smirked. "Walk out of the ring."
Izuku began to turn, but his subconscious kicked in. One For All flickered. He broke his finger to snap out of it.
"ARRISE!" Izuku yelled, the pain causing him to stumble and fall into a heap.
[DEDUCTION: -1000 AURA — PHYSICAL CLUMSINESS AND YELLING]
"HE IS PATHETIC!" Beru wailed, covering his eyes. "MY EYES BLEED FROM THE CRINGE!"
Shinso stood there, hands in pockets, looking completely bored.
[BONUS: +200 AURA FOR SHINSO — 'I DON'T CARE' ENERGY]
Izuku eventually won by shoulder-tossing Shinso out of the ring, but as he stood there, panting and covered in dirt, the score appeared.
WINNER: SHINSO (HIGHER AURA SCORE).
"Wait, I won the fight!" Izuku cried.
"You won the fight, but you lost the vibe," Jinah said, tapping her phone. "Next."
Match 2: Shoto Todoroki vs. Aqua
Shoto walked into the ring. He didn't say a word. He didn't even look at Aqua. He just stood there, looking like a high-fashion model at a funeral.
[BONUS: +500 AURA FOR TODOROKI — NATURAL COLDNESS]
Aqua, on the other hand, entered the ring while clinging to the leg of a stadium security guard.
"I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT THE ICE BOY!" Aqua sobbed, her face a mess of tears and snot. "SUNNY! SAVE ME! I'M A GODDESS! I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FARMED!"
[DEDUCTION: -INFINITE AURA FOR AQUA — ABSOLUTE FRAUDULENCE]
Shoto blinked once. He didn't even use his Quirk. He just took one step forward.
"WAAAAAAAH!" Aqua screamed, tripped over her own dress, and rolled out of the ring, accidentally hitting her head on a camera.
Shoto walked away without looking back.
"Now THAT," Jinah said, finally smiling. "Is Aura. 10/10."
Match 3: Momo Yaoyorozu vs. Denki Kaminari
The air in the stadium suddenly felt like it was made of lead.
Momo walked into the ring. She wasn't the polite Class Rep anymore. She was wearing a tactical bodysuit, and her eyes were glowing with a predatory, murderous intent that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
Behind her, she was dragging a 10-foot-long spiked mace. [SCRAPE... SCRAPE... SCRAPE...]
Kaminari entered from the other side. He was shaking so hard his knees were knocking together. He looked like he was about to have a heart attack.
"M-Momo-chan... it was just a video... I didn't even drink the milk... Sanji-san forced me—"
Momo didn't respond. She just raised the mace.
[BONUS: +2000 AURA FOR MOMO — THE 'HELL HATH NO FURY' BUFF]
Igris, who hadn't moved for thirty minutes, suddenly gave a slow, respectful nod toward Momo.
"THE BLACK KNIGHT ACKNOWLEDGES THE QUEEN OF VENGEANCE!" Beru screamed. "KNEEL, YOU YELLOW PARASITE!"
Kaminari let out a high-pitched squeak and tried to use his Quirk, but he was so scared he short-circuited before the lightning even left his body. He fell over, his face in "Wheee" mode.
Momo didn't even hit him. She just stood over his twitching body, looked at the camera, and snapped a single pencil in half.
"Match over," Jinah said. "Kaminari's Aura has hit negative numbers. He is legally required to delete his social media."
Match 4: Fumikage Tokoyami vs. Mei Hatsume
Tokoyami entered, Dark Shadow swirling around him like a cloak of living ink. "The darkness craves a sacrifice," he brooded, looking at Jinah. "Behold, the Monarch of the Abyss."
[BONUS: +300 AURA — EDGELORD SYNERGY]
Mei Hatsume skidded into the ring, covered in oil and wearing a jetpack that was currently emitting green sparks. "LOOK AT THIS, BIRD-BOY! I CALL IT THE 'SHADOW-GLOW 3000'!"
Before Tokoyami could react, Mei lunged forward with the speed of a caffeinated squirrel. She slapped a series of neon-pink LED strips and a solar panel onto Dark Shadow.
"Wait! What are you doing?!" Tokoyami yelled.
"I'M MONETIZING YOUR DARKNESS!" Mei laughed.
Dark Shadow was suddenly glowing like a Las Vegas billboard. The "Shadow" was now advertising Hatsume Industries in bright, blinking lights.
"I... I can't be edgy like this," Tokoyami whispered, looking at his glowing, neon-pink shadow.
[DEDUCTION: -2000 AURA — DEATH BY CRINGE/COMMERCIALISM]
Jinah sighed. "You turned a shadow summon into a commercial. I'm deducting points from the entire planet for that. Tokoyami, go home. You're embarrassing the brand."
Match 5: Katsuki Bakugo vs. Neito Monoma
Monoma walked in, laughing like a maniac. "Oh, look! It's the King of Explosions! Tell me, Bakugo, how does it feel to know that your 'Aura' is just a side-effect of your anger issues? I'll just take that Quirk and—"
Bakugo didn't wait. He didn't use his Quirk.
He reached under the ring, pulled out a steel folding chair, and hit Monoma across the chest with a sound like a car crash. [CLANG!]
Monoma crumpled into a heap of stolen dreams.
Bakugo stood over him, holding the chair. He didn't yell. He didn't scream. He just spat on the floor and sat down on the chair, staring directly at Sung Jinah.
"Is that edgy enough for you, Schoolgirl?" Bakugo growled.
Jinah stared at him for a long time. Then, she slowly put her phone down.
"Beru," she said.
"YES, MY QUEEN?!"
"Give this man a thousand points. The chair shot was Based."
Match 6: Ochaco Uraraka vs. Tenya Iida
Iida entered with a series of 90-degree bows. "URARAKA-KUN! LET US HAVE A FAIR AND HONORABLE BOUT FOR THE GLORY OF—"
[DEDUCTION: -400 AURA — NERD ALERT]
Ochaco didn't bow. She didn't even say hello. She was staring at Iida's expensive-looking armor with the eyes of a woman who hadn't eaten a full meal in three days.
"Iida-kun," she whispered, her voice trembling with financial desperation. "That armor... it looks like it's made of high-grade titanium. Do you know how much that sells for per kilo?"
"U-Uraraka-kun?"
Ochaco lunged. She didn't use her Quirk to make him float. She used it to make herself weightless so she could move like a predatory spider. She tackled him, her hands clawing at his leg-engines.
"GIVE ME THE SCRAP METAL!" she screamed. "I NEED TO PAY FOR MY PARENTS' RETIREMENT!"
[BONUS: +800 AURA — THE 'BROKE GIRL HUSTLE' IS UNSTOPPABLE]
Iida was terrified. He tried to run, but Ochaco was clinging to his back like a vengeful poverty-demon. He eventually ran himself directly into a wall, knocking himself out.
Ochaco stood over him, already trying to unscrew his helmet.
"I like her," Jinah nodded. "She's got that 'I'll kill for a coupon' energy. Very Solo Leveling."
Match 7: Kirishima Eijiro vs. Himiko Toga
Kirishima hardened his body, striking a manly pose. "Come at me with everything you've got! Let's have a clash of wills!"
[BONUS: +400 AURA — MANLINESS]
Toga (disguised as Camie) skipped into the ring. "Oh, Kirishima-kun! You look so hard! I wonder... if I cut you, would the blood be crunchy?"
She lunged, her knife flashing. Kirishima blocked, but Toga wasn't trying to win. She was whispering deeply unsettling things into his ear every time they clashed.
"I want to see what your heart looks like under all that rock..." she giggled.
Beru suddenly started vibrating. "THIS ONE! THIS ONE HAS THE SCENT OF THE MONARCH! MURDEROUS INTENT! OBSESSIVE DEVOTION! SHE IS A QUEEN OF THE CARNAGE!"
Kirishima was getting flustered. "That's... that's not very manly, Camie-san!"
[DEDUCTION: -300 AURA — FLUSTERED BY GIRLS]
Toga eventually managed to 'nick' his cheek and disappeared into a cloud of smoke, leaving Kirishima standing alone in the ring, blushing and confused.
"Toga wins on Aura," Jinah announced. "Kirishima, you're too wholesome for this tournament. Go watch a Disney movie."
Match 8: Mina Ashido vs. Toru Hagakure
Mina entered, dancing to the beat of the stadium music. "Let's see you hit what you can't see, Toru-chan!"
[BONUS: +200 AURA — STYLE]
The air in the ring suddenly distorted. A massive, invisible pressure slammed into the ground, cracking the concrete.
"SUNNY!" a disembodied, screaming voice echoed through the stadium. "YOU DRANK THE MILK! YOU DRANK IT ALL! I'M GOING TO RENDER YOUR NARRATIVE INVISIBLE!"
[BONUS: +5000 AURA — THE INVISIBLE JADE BEAUTY'S RAGE]
Mina gasped as an invisible fist slammed into her stomach. She flew backward, sliding across the floor.
"Toru! Wait! It was just a joke!"
"A JOKE?! YOU TASTED LIKE 'ZESTY LIME,' MINA! I TASTED LIKE 'CHLORINE AND DISAPPOINTMENT'!"
Toru was moving so fast the friction was creating invisible fire. Mina was forced to perform a breakdance-routine of life and death just to avoid the invisible haymakers.
"This is the best one yet," Jinah said, actually putting her phone away to watch. "I can't see anything, but the 'Vibe' is so murderous I'm getting a second-hand tan."
[Sunny Midoriya POV]
I sat in my wheelchair, watching the chaos. My scorecards were shaking in my fused hands.
The Aura Tournament was a disaster. It was a massacre. It was... perfect.
I hit the text-to-speech button.
[ROBOT VOICE: BRING FORTH THE FINALISTS. IT IS TIME FOR THE SEMI-FINALS: THE 'EDGY DARKNESS' VS. THE 'BROKE GIRL HUSTLE'.]
"Haiyaa," Nokotan said, pushing my chair toward the center of the ring. "Sunny-kun, look! Beru is eating the leftovers of Team 1-B! Fuiyoh! Nature is beautiful!"
[CLACK!]
[AND CUT!]