(Kenjiro's POV – First Person)
The day had finally arrived.
I rolled my shoulders, adjusting the collar of my U.A. uniform as I stepped out of the Tanaka Orphanage. The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint hum of excitement that seemed to buzz through the entire city. Today wasn't just another school day—it was the U.A. Sports Festival.
The day I prove myself.
"Kenjiro!" Mrs. Tanaka called out from the doorway, her usual warm smile in place. "Do your best out there, alright? We'll all be cheering for you!"
Aiko peeked out from behind her, grinning. "Yeah! And don't let those other first-years show you up!"
I smirked. "Don't worry. I'm not planning on losing."
The walk to U.A. was different today. More purposeful. The streets were lined with banners, news vans parked along the roads, reporters chattering excitedly into their microphones. The entire country would be watching.
No pressure.
The moment I stepped onto U.A. grounds, the difference was obvious. The school had transformed. Barriers lined the pathways, security bots patrolled the perimeter, and—most noticeably—Pro Heroes stood guard at every major checkpoint.
Mt. Lady, Kamui Woods, Death Arms…
I recognized them instantly. The school wasn't taking any chances. Not after the USJ attack.
"Wow, they really went all out," I muttered, watching as Mt. Lady leaned over a group of reporters, flashing a dazzling smile before excusing herself for lunch.
Kamui Woods sighed, rubbing his temples. "She's going to get us in trouble…"
Death Arms just crossed his arms. "At least she's keeping the media distracted."
I kept walking, my mind already shifting to the festival ahead. The air was electric, anticipation coiling tight in my chest.
This is it.
The moment I entered, the room was alive with chatter. Everyone was changing into their P.E. uniforms—standard issue, no costumes. A fair playing field.
Kirishima grinned as he pulled on his shirt. "Man, this is gonna be wild! I can't wait to see what they throw at us!"
Bakugo scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Just stay out of my way, extras."
I ignored him, focusing instead on the task ahead. As class rep, I had a role to play.
"Listen up," I said, raising my voice just enough to cut through the noise. "We're about to head out. Stay sharp. This isn't just a competition—it's a statement."
The room quieted, eyes turning toward me.
Then, the temperature dropped.
I didn't need to turn to know who had just walked up behind me.
Todoroki.
"Midoriya."
The room went still.
Izuku stiffened as Todoroki's icy voice cut through the air. The dual-haired boy stood there, gaze locked onto him like a predator sizing up prey.
"You have All Might in your corner," Todoroki stated, voice flat. "But I'm stronger than you. And I will defeat you."
A beat of silence.
Then, those heterochromatic eyes flicked to me.
"You too, Sasaki."
I smirked.
"Half your quirk won't be enough to take me down, Todoroki."
His expression didn't change, but the air grew colder. Kirishima stepped forward, hands raised. "Hey, c'mon, we're all classmates here—"
Todoroki turned away.
But Izuku wasn't done.
"Todoroki!" he called out, voice firm. "You do have more potential than anyone here. But that doesn't mean I'll hold back. I'm aiming for the top too!"
A flicker of something passed over Todoroki's face before he walked out.
I exhaled, rolling my shoulders again.
This is going to be interesting.
The roar of the crowd was deafening.
Class 1-A stepped onto the Freshmen Stage, the sea of students from other courses already glaring our way. The other classes—1-B, General Studies, Support, Business—all stood with varying degrees of determination and resentment.
They're all gunning for us.
Midnight stood at the center, whip in hand, grinning. "Now then! For the student pledge… Sasaki Kenjiro, step forward!"
I didn't hesitate.
The moment I reached the mic, I leaned in.
"I'll win this festival and crush all of you."
Silence.
Then—
BOOOOOO!!!
The entire stadium erupted in outrage.
I grinned, stepping back as jeers and shouts filled the air. Let them be mad. I wasn't here to make friends.
Midnight chuckled, shaking her head. "Well! That's one way to start things off!" She raised her hand dramatically. "Now then! The first event—an Obstacle Race! Four kilometers around the stadium! No rules—just survive and advance!"
The gates groaned open.
And chaos erupted.
A mad dash. A bottleneck of bodies.
The narrow exit corridor was a death trap. Elbows, shoving, curses—everyone fought to get through first.
I didn't move.
Instead, I watched.
Todoroki realized it first.
A surge of ice exploded from his foot, freezing the entire pathway solid. Students yelped, skidding, slipping—but he was already ahead, sprinting forward without looking back.
Bakugo blasted past with explosions, Kirishima hardened his skin to bulldoze through, Izuku scrambled over frozen bodies—
And I?
I smirked.
Let them run ahead.
The real fight hadn't even started yet.
******
(Kenjiro's POV – First Person)
Ice.
A jagged, glittering wave of it, surging forward like the maw of some frozen beast. Todoroki's opening move had been as brutal as it was efficient—a single stomp, and half the competition was already immobilized, their legs trapped in frostbitten prisons.
Not bad.
I stood at the back, arms crossed, watching as the chaos unfolded.
Bakugo blasted through the air, his explosions carving a path over the ice. Kirishima hardened his skin and bulldozed forward, cracking the frozen surface beneath him. Momo created a makeshift insulating mat beneath her feet, while Aoyama… well, he just sparkled and slid awkwardly, somehow staying upright.
Todoroki didn't even glance back. He just kept running, his breath steady, his expression unreadable.
He thought that would be enough?
A chuckle escaped me.
"Not even close."
The students who avoided the ice weren't just from 1-A.
A purple-haired guy from General Studies—Shinso, if I remembered right—had somehow avoided the freeze, his eyes locked onto the frontrunners with a calculating glare. Then there was that annoying grape, Mineta, who had latched onto Momo's back like a parasite.
And then—
"OUTTA MY WAY, ICY-HOT!"
Bakugo's roar split the air as he rocketed past Todoroki, explosions flaring. Todoroki didn't flinch, but his eyes narrowed slightly.
He wasn't expecting so many to keep up.
Good.
Means he's not as untouchable as he thinks.
Just as the lead group pushed forward, the ground trembled.
A shadow loomed over the path.
Then another.
And another.
Villain Bots.
The same monstrous, hulking Zero-Pointers from the entrance exam. Their massive frames blocked the entire tunnel exit, red eyes glowing with mechanical menace.
Panic erupted in front of me.
"THOSE THINGS AGAIN?!"
"WE'RE DEAD!"
"I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS!"
Todoroki, though?
He didn't even slow down.
"Disappointing."
His voice was ice. Just like his quirk.
"I expected more."
He raised his right hand, frost already spiraling up his arm—
Now.
I crouched low.
"Mochi Boost."
A pulse of compressed mochi exploded beneath my feet, launching me forward like a bullet. The wind howled in my ears as I shot past the stragglers, past the stunned faces of my classmates, straight toward the towering machines.
One of the Zero-Pointers turned, its massive fist already swinging down—
"Mochi Cutter."
My arm snapped out.
A blade of hardened, razor-edged mochi sliced through the air—
CRACK!
The robot's arm sheared clean off.
Another slash—its leg buckled.
A third—its torso split in half.
The machine collapsed in a shower of sparks, and I landed smoothly, barely breaking stride.
Behind me, the crowd erupted.
"WHAT THE—?!"
"HE JUST TOOK ONE DOWN IN SECONDS!"
"WHO IS THAT GUY?!"
I smirked.
Let them watch.
A flash of movement in my periphery.
Todoroki had seen it.
His eyes—cold, calculating—flicked to me for just a second.
Then he turned back to the remaining Zero-Pointer.
"Pathetic."
His palm pressed against the bot's leg.
"Freeze."
The ice erupted.
Not just a coating—not just a surface-level frost.
This was total encasement.
The entire robot turned into a glacier in seconds, frozen mid-motion, its systems locking up under the sheer cold.
Todoroki didn't wait.
He stepped back—
And with a single, well-placed kick—
CRASH!
The frozen titan toppled backward, crashing onto the path behind him, blocking the way for everyone else.
A perfect roadblock.
Clever.
But not enough.
Todoroki sprinted past the wreckage, his breath barely even labored.
I matched his pace easily, falling into step beside him.
"Not bad," I mused. "But you're still holding back."
His jaw tightened.
"I don't need my left side to beat you."
I laughed.
"Keep telling yourself that."
Ahead, the next obstacle loomed—a treacherous canyon of unstable terrain, swinging pendulums, and god knows what else.
But for now?
It was just him and me.
And the race had only just begun.