Chapter 103: The Second Phase Begins
Aoi looked around and saw that the rest of his class had managed to pass. The stadium was buzzing with energy, the air thick with the roar of the crowd and the scent of sweat and excitement. Flags fluttered in the breeze, and the massive screens overhead replayed highlights of the first event. Aoi looked at them and said:
—That's good. I see that the training wasn't in vain. You managed to pass the first phase.
Kaminari, who was tired and breathing heavily, slumped against a wall and said:
—I almost didn't make it. My quirk wasn't made for running.
Lida said, adjusting his glasses with his usual seriousness:
—Don't be like that, Kaminari. Everyone is giving their best.
Tsuyu said, tilting her head slightly:
—But Aoi, you were really fast. We couldn't even see you at the start.
Aoi smiled and said:
—Of course, I'm incredible. Hahaha.
Momo gave him a slap on the head and said:
—Stop being arrogant. You need to have a little humility.
Shoto smiled faintly and said:
—Momo, you should forget that. My brother and humility... Those two words don't go together.
Aoi said dissatisfied:
—Huh? What do you mean by that, Shoto? I'm very humble. Don't you see how humble I am?
Mina, hearing this, smiled and said:
—Aoi, you're lying. In a place full of people who have known you since you were little, it's impossible. Just accept defeat.
Aoi, pretending to be sad, said:
—What a cruel fate. My childhood friends and my brother teaming up against me. What a cruel world.
Bakugou said angrily:
—Stop the drama, you blue-haired pervert. The next challenge should start at any moment.
Izuku said thoughtfully:
—Guys, what do you think the next challenge will be?
Uraraka said:
—Well, it's impossible to know. After all, it hasn't been drawn yet. But I hope the next challenge is a little easier.
Kirishima said:
—I hope it's a battle.
Aoi said:
—A battle must be impossible, because if there's a battle it usually stays in the final phase.
Lida said:
—Everyone, be quiet. It looks like Professor Midnight is going to announce the second challenge.
Then everyone turned to look at the stage. They waited a bit and Midnight began to announce the next event.
Midnight then looked at them and said:
—The 42 best from this phase are qualified and have passed to the second phase. But for those who stayed in lower positions, don't worry. There are other ways to show your talent.
She then smiled and shouted excitedly:
—And now the truth begins! The press is watching, so give it your all!
Aoi looked at his excited classmates and sighed while thinking:
—Honestly, I will never understand what's so good about being famous. Well, I guess it's a chance to make money, but other than that I really don't see any benefits in being famous. After all, you'll never be able to have privacy again. Well, but I think whoever decides to be a hero doesn't care about that.
At that moment, on the stage, Midnight said:
—Now let's go to the second event of the sports festival. And of course I already know what it is. Are you all curious?
The next event and the big screen behind her spun and showed everyone the next event.
Midnight pointed to the screen and said:
—The next event is the cavalry battle!
Everyone was surprised and said:
—Cavalry battle?
Midnight smiled and said:
—Yes. The participants will individually form teams of two to four members and assume a horse and rider position. The rules are the same as a regular cavalry battle: steal the opponent's headband while protecting your own, with one exception.
Midnight then looked at them and smiled and said:
—Each of you has been assigned a point value based on your ranking in the last event.
Sero said:
—So we're going to earn points like in the entrance exam?
Everyone exclaimed and said:
—So each team's score depends on its members?
Midnight hit the floor with her whip, calming everyone down. She then looked at them and said:
—I'll explain this now. So everyone stay quiet. Yes, the individual score starts at five and goes down. So the student who finished in 42nd place gets five points. 41st is worth ten. Understood?
She then paused and said, looking at Aoi with a mischievous smile:
—And first place is worth one million points.
At that moment, everyone looked at Aoi.
Aoi smiled at them and said:
—Well, it looks like I became the final boss. Hahaha.
Momo shouted angrily at him:
—That's not a good thing!
Bakugou said smiling:
—So if I take the blue-haired pervert's headband, I win. I like it.
Midnight smiled and said:
—The students with the worst rankings, this is your chance for a comeback. The game is open for anyone to win. Who will be the lucky one?
Looking at Nemuri having fun on stage, encouraging people to attack him for the headband, Aoi smiled tiredly and thought:
—She's very excited.
At that moment, everyone was eyeing Aoi's headband.