Chapter 146: The Second Round
"The winner is Young Sero!"
After the most promising contestant, Midoriya, had fallen, Sero took a commanding lead and was the first to reach All Might.
"...I won?" Bakugo was still in disbelief. He had already been mentally preparing himself to eat a meal with that damn Deku, but in the end, it had concluded in such a dramatic fashion.
Kira had been paying close attention to Midoriya ever since school had started. Through their several encounters, he had vaguely formed a theory about his Quirk. It was a bold one, but not impossible. He just didn't have any direct evidence yet; he needed more proof to verify it...
Kira suddenly gave a self-deprecating smile. This theory of mine isn't necessarily correct. After all... how many Zepellis can there be in this world?
The second race was held between Bakugo, Todoroki, Kira, Tokoyami, and Asui. Although their speeds weren't in the top tier, they all had their own ways of moving quickly.
Todoroki created a continuous stream of ice under his feet, moving as if he were skating. When he encountered a change in elevation, he used an ice platform to raise himself up. Asui pressed her arms against the pipes, using all four limbs to move steadily. Tokoyami used Dark Shadow like an extra tail, swinging himself to the next foothold. Bakugo used the recoil from continuous explosions behind him to keep rocketing forward. As for Kira...
The five of them had started at the points of a pentagram on the edge of the square industrial zone. At first, Bakugo hadn't noticed, but as their distances closed toward the center point, he looked at Kira and shouted in frustration, "You bastard, Kira! Did you and Deku plan this!? Are you copying my movement style too!?"
A layer of golden Hamon enveloped Kira's body. Just like Midoriya, he was constantly using footholds to change his direction in mid-air, rapidly closing in on All Might.
"I just think this method is more efficient," Kira called back as he leaped. "It's a lot faster than running on the ground with two feet! And besides, with Midoriya clearing the path for me, I know which spots to watch out for!"
"You really are an annoying bastard, Kira!" Bakugo shouted, no longer bothering to berate him. He set off a rapid series of explosions, accelerating his forward momentum.
All Might raised Bakugo's right hand and announced to the cameras, "Young Bakugo is the winner!"
Yoshikage Kira arrived at the finish line right after him. He looked at Bakugo's triumphant smile and shook his head with a sigh. In the final section, Kira hadn't bothered with jumping, instead just running along the top of the pipes.
Todoroki arrived at that moment. While his method of traveling on ice meant he didn't have to worry about falling, in terms of pure speed, he couldn't compare to the other two.
Tokoyami was a little faster than Asui. His Dark Shadow had a beak that could firmly grip the pipes as he swung around. But Asui had to constantly worry about whether her smooth tongue could stick to the round pipes, or if it would get cut on the square ones. This hesitation had cost her, and she had come in last.
All Might laughed boisterously. "You all did very well! You all made excellent use of your Quirks! Keep this up for the upcoming final exams!"
From the USJ incident at the beginning of the term, to the Sports Festival, to the work-study internships, a semester had already flown by. It was now June, and the time for final exams was fast approaching.
"So fast... the final exams are almost here," Eijiro Kirishima said, changing his clothes in the boys' locker room after all the races were over. "I feel like we just started school, and I haven't learned anything yet."
"Kirishima-kun, in every subject, we've already covered more than half the textbook. What have you been listening to in class?" Iida said seriously, adjusting his tie.
Kirishima's palms instantly hardened, becoming like iron plates. He laughed without the slightest bit of embarrassment. "Hahaha! We're the Hero Course! Isn't it just training and fighting every day!?"
"If Cementoss-sensei heard you say that, he'd probably lock you in a dark room to study," Kira teased. "There's still more than half a month left. You'd better start reviewing."
"I guess the Class Rep is right..." Kirishima said, clenching his fists with determination. "It's just studying! What's so hard about that compared to fighting!?"
"Well then, I wish you a passing grade on this exam," Kira said, closing his locker. He walked out of the changing room and went to the faculty office door.
"Mr. Aizawa? You wanted to see me?" Just a moment ago, Aizawa had sent Kira a message, asking him to come to his office.
"You're here." Aizawa glanced at Kira, moved his mouse to the shutdown button, and stood up from his seat, walking to the door. "Are you busy this afternoon?"
"Not at the moment," Kira replied honestly after a moment's thought.
Kira had been working part-time at a movie theater, but after the whole concert incident, he had quit that job. He was now completely free.
"Then come with me to the hospital. Shosei Meisei wants to see you," Aizawa said after a long pause.
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