"Hahaha, Shina—go lie down already!"
A red-haired boy burst into wild laughter. He opened his mouth, and a torrent of glowing red magma poured out, flowing like a small river straight toward Shina Etsuha.
"So his Quirk lets him spit magma?" Etsuha glanced sideways, then dashed forward. The molten stream narrowly missed him, crashing to the ground with a hiss and erupting into scorching flames.
"Nice! It worked—run!"
The red-haired boy grinned and sprinted ahead with his allies.
Boom!
Above them, Inasa Yoarashi shot into the sky, rising dozens of meters in an instant. Leaning forward like a diving hawk, he cut through the air as a streak of motion, surging ahead at incredible speed.
"Perfect chance, go!"
"Spread acid in front of Shina—let's break away while we can!"
The group moved swiftly, coordinating their attacks. In mere moments, Etsuha found himself surrounded by a chaotic mix of hazards—glowing magma, corrosive acid, and unstable terrain. What annoyed him most was the ground itself: the area around the magma had turned into thick, sinking mud. Clearly, someone among them had a terrain-altering Quirk.
"Going this far just to stop me?"
Etsuha let out a small laugh, then shook his head.
"Too bad… a little magma isn't enough to block my path. My Quirk doesn't work the same way as Shoto Todoroki's."
"Hey, don't you think this is a bit unfair? So many of us ganging up on one guy?" the red-haired boy muttered, glancing back at him.
"What's unfair about it? This is the best outcome we could hope for," one of his teammates replied smugly. "Besides, no matter how strong he is, in this situation, my Quirk has the advantage. I turned the whole area into quicksand. Even if he tries to make an ice path, it'll get dragged apart instantly—and he'll sink right in—"
"Holy—!"
The red-haired boy suddenly shouted in shock.
What was he seeing?
A massive pillar of ice had erupted where Etsuha stood!
Rumble!
The ground trembled violently as the icicle shot upward—hundreds of meters into the sky. Backlit by the sun, Etsuha stood atop it, looking down at everyone below.
"What the hell is that?!"
The others turned in unison—and froze in place at the sight of the towering structure.
What was he doing?
The next moment, their eyes widened in disbelief.
Etsuha jumped.
"Is he insane?!" Aizawa Shouta's expression tightened. That was a hundred-meter drop—jumping like that could be fatal!
But in the very next instant, an icy slope extended downward from the pillar. It angled perfectly toward the distant finish line, forming a smooth, gleaming ramp.
"Boom!"
With a clean, precise landing, Etsuha made contact with the ice slope—and instantly began sliding forward.
"…You've got to be kidding me!"
Aizawa Shouta stood there, stunned. The way Etsuha was using his Quirk… it was absurdly creative.
Whoosh!
The ice slope extended rapidly, stretching forward at incredible speed. Etsuha rode it like a high-speed rail, cutting through the air as if he were on a frozen bullet train.
Bang!
In just a few seconds, he overtook the red-haired boy and his allies—the ones who had thought they were in the lead. For a fleeting moment, they caught a glimpse of Etsuha's calm, almost indifferent expression before he vanished ahead.
"…Is that even fair?!"
High above, Inasa Yoarashi rode the winds, enveloped in his storm.
With the sky as his domain, his speed was extraordinary. Seeing no one ahead, he felt confident.
"At this pace… I should be in first place. Shina's probably still being held back. There were some pretty troublesome Quirks targeting him… hope he manages to break through—huh?"
Mid-thought, his eyes caught something below.
An ice slide had extended across the ground beneath him.
And then—
A figure shot past.
"Yoran—I'll be waiting for you at the finish line!"
Etsuha's voice echoed from ahead.
"What?!"
Inasa Yoarashi nearly lost control midair.
He passed me?! When did that happen?!
Looking back, he saw the towering ice pillar and the extended ramp—and instantly understood.
Once again, he felt a deep sense of awe.
This guy… he doesn't just have a powerful Quirk—he knows exactly how to use it.
Thud!
Etsuha leapt off the ice ramp and landed smoothly. With a flick of his wrist, he froze the ground ahead, reducing friction and preserving his momentum.
The inertia carried him forward another hundred meters—
And just like that, he crossed the finish line.
"Shina Etsuha… 30 seconds!"