Having easily bypassed those junk robots, I reached the next obstacle.
Before me lay a series of jagged rock pillars connected by thin ropes. It looked like a high-stakes tightrope act. Over the speakers, the Radio Geezer was shouting about how "anything goes as long as you stay on the course" and calling it a "brutal game of chicken." I was fully prepared to half-kill anyone who tried to overtake me, but surprisingly, no one had caught up yet. Thanks to that, my hands were still sparkling clean.
He also mentioned that "camera robots are stationed everywhere," so I spent some time hunting them down. Every time I found one, I made sure to strike a peace sign.
It's called fan service. Tee-hee!
『Hey, hey! That was just the first barrier! What about the second?!』
『Do you even need me here...?』
『If you fall, you're out! If you don't like that, then start crawling!!』
『Listen to me.』
I didn't crawl. I sprinted across the rope.
『THE FALL—Wait, she's just going for it?! What kind of balance does this girl have?!』
The sheer drops and the flimsy ropes didn't matter to me. As long as you don't fall, it's not a problem! Mwahahaha!
『She actually has incredible physical specs,』 the Mummy-teacher's voice droned. 『Plus, she's using her Quirk to micro-adjust her balance. In that sense, she's actually talented.』
『I wouldn't know it from my classes! Midoriya is basically asleep the whole time! But then I call on her and she answers every question perfectly! WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?!』
Be quiet! You teachers! Stop leaking my personal information to the public!
My mother is watching! Now she's going to know I'm slacking off in class! Please, for the love of god, shut up!!
As I was sprinting with all my might, I heard a sound from behind. I glanced back to see Kacchan literally flying through the air toward me. Right on his heels was Peppermint, giving chase with terrifying speed.
So, the runts finally caught up.
I used my flames to incinerate the rope I had just crossed, and then moved to melt any other ropes within reach. I didn't burn all of them, of course. I only targeted the ones that made for the shortest route. I had to leave a path for Ochaco and the other Class 1-A girls, after all.
Unfortunately, my sabotage didn't bother the top two. Kacchan was using his explosions to stay airborne, and Peppermint was creating a literal highway of ice to run across. Both were ignoring the intended path entirely and closing the gap faster than I was.
...That's cheating!!
If I wanted to fly, I'd have to use my Pull Quirk at full throttle. Given the number of anchor points and the distance, my arms would probably rip off by the time I finished.
Screw that! I'm not doing it!
"You're too slow, you stupid woman!" Kacchan barked from behind.
He was being noisy, so I used my Pull Quirk to snag a nearby camera robot and hurled it straight at him.
Oh. It actually hit.
Kacchan made a forced landing and let out a pained groan. It looked like it actually did some damage. Hmm, I think I'm onto something.
I pulled another camera robot and chucked it at Peppermint. He must have seen what happened to Kacchan, because he dodged it easily. Fine then. I started grabbing every camera robot in the vicinity and machine-gunned them at him.
With Kacchan, I just threw them. For Peppermint, I decided to light them on fire first. The oil in their joints burned beautifully. I could pull light objects all day, so I just kept throwing and throwing.
I won't stop until you stop!
Oh. That one hit.
And... he fell. Sucks to be you!
『The cameras are being destroyed at an alarming rate! Hey, hey! Lady!! We said anything goes, but please go easy on the equipment!! It's school property!!』
『It's no use, Mic,』 Aizawa sighed. 『Look at Midoriya's eyes. She's realized she found a great source of ammo.』
『LADY!! I'm begging you, take it easy!!』
I refuse.
Having knocked those two down, I continued my dash. I was in the lead. A total, undisputed lead.
I've won. I've definitely won!
The moment I felt that certainty, disaster struck.
"—Urgh?!"
『?! What happened, Midoriya?! She's stopped dead in her tracks!』
Just before the final obstacle, I was forced to stop. I couldn't take another step. My legs were shaking. It was over. I couldn't move. I had no choice but to crouch down on the spot.
『W-What's going on?! No, seriously, what happened?! Is she hurt?!』
『Midoriya! What's wrong! Where does it hurt?!』
『Whoa! You're getting fired up, Mummy-man!』
『Don't mock me!! Get out of the way!』
『Ack?!』
A camera robot hovered close to me. I mustered every bit of strength I had left to lean toward the microphone and speak my truth.
"I'm gonna barf."
『Nausea?! Is there anything else—』
"I just ate... I forgot. My stomach is cramping. I think I ran too hard. It's coming up... it's coming..."
『You absolute moron. Just fail the qualifiers and go home.』
"So mean!! Urp—"
A perfect beauty like Nico Midoriya does not "barf." I'm more of an idol than an actual idol; I don't even use the bathroom. Therefore, simply throwing up to feel better was not an option.
Fighting back the waves of nausea, I trudged toward the final obstacle. I was in too much pain to run, so walking was all I could manage. My stomach felt like it was full of liquid—drinking two liters of sports drink was a huge mistake. Also, now I really had to pee.
As I shuffled through the final barrier—the "Scary But Not Lethal Minefield"—I heard a familiar, energetic voice approaching from behind.
I turned to see Kacchan. His brow was furrowed, and the veins were practically popping out of his forehead. But for some reason, he looked like a literal guardian angel right now.
"Waaaaah!! Kacchaaaaaan!!!"
"Huh?! What the—?!"
I cried out his name, and he actually stopped for me. That's my Kacchan. Thank you. This is why I like you.
"My tummy hurts, it's all sloshy, I'm gonna barf, and I have to pee... give me a piggyback ride!"
"Are you freaking kidding me right now?!"
"I'm not kidding! I was being so serious up until now! But... urp... I'm at my limit..."
"Stop it!! Don't grab my shoulder!! Dammit!!"
It was bad. I was actually going to throw up. If I let it out, I'd feel better, but my social life would be over. And if I let it out from one end, the pressure would probably make the other end go too. Absolutely not allowed.
"Urp... nobody... will help me. Even Mummy-teacher told me to just fail..."
"Of course he did!! Just drop out already!!"
"Not you too, Kacchan!! Waaaaah, everyone is bullying me!! I'll sue! I'll sue everyone! I'll sue the takoyaki guy!!"
"Leave the food vendor out of this!!"
『I don't know, Mummy-man. I know it's definitely Midoriya's fault, but I'm starting to feel bad for her. I've got a massive case of viewer guilt over here!』
『Don't let her fool you, idiot.』
If I let Kacchan get away, it's over. I clung to his arm like a parasite. If he wouldn't take me with him, I was taking him down with me. I refuse to die alone.
Suddenly, the area behind us got noisy. I peeked over Kacchan's arm and saw Peppermint. He was almost at the final stretch. I thought I'd dropped him into a pit, but he was still alive...
Kacchan noticed him too. He made the most disgusted face I've ever seen and then hoisted me onto his back.
"JUST HANG ON, YOU SHITTY BRAT!!!"
"Mm. This is acceptable."
"Who the hell do you think you are?! Shut up and be quiet!!"
As I settled onto the "Kacchan Express," I covered my mouth and closed my eyes. The bouncing of the piggyback ride was rough. It was better than moving my own legs, but the nausea was still agonizing.
『BAKUGOOOOO!! He's taken on a massive handicap!! Is he doing it to spite us?! Is this a protest because we didn't help her?!』
『Bakugo... well, I guess it was bound to happen.』
The commentary was way too loud.
『WHOA! Todoroki is closing the gap instantly!! The handicap is taking its toll—Bakugo's pace is dropping!!』
Hearing that, I fought through the nausea and looked back. Peppermint was right there. I didn't even want to look at anything that reminded me of food right now, so he was an eyesore.
I decided to pull a mine out of the ground behind him and toss it at him.
When I activated my Quirk, a massive explosion rocked the area. It triggered a chain reaction that completely leveled the path behind us. I think I might have accidentally pulled too many mines at once because I couldn't focus on the fine-tuning, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't my fault.
It's the adults' fault for putting explosives in a school event. Therefore, I am innocent. Right, Kacchan?
Hey, Kacchan? Kacchan? Why are you pretending you don't know me? We're partners, aren't we? Best friends? Let's share the pain, the suffering, and the legal liability.
"SCREW YOU!! YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN FOR THIS ONE!!"
A sudden betrayal from Kacchan. Normally, I'd give him a kidney shot for that, but I was completely out of juice. I just slumped against him and endured until we hit the finish line.
Seriously, I need a bathroom.
With his biggest rival caught in the blast, Kacchan crossed the finish line in 1st place. Since I was on his back, I took 2nd.
Kacchan dropped me off near the restrooms. There, I shed my idol persona and returned to being a regular high school girl.
If I had to put it into words... it was a huge relief.
***
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