Chapter Text
Dazai and Chuuya's fake parents, Takena and Yumi, congratulated them the morning of the Sports Festival. Takena gave Chuuya and Dazai a firm pat on their shoulders, "You're gonna do great!" He guffawed, lips straining in a wide grin. "Those heroes won't know what's coming!"
Chuuya rolled his eyes and put on his shoes. "Of course, they won't. It's me we're talking about." He wasn't gloating; it was the truth. Those kids didn't stand a chance against him.
Dazai stuck out his tongue. "Someone's prideful."
"I'm only saying it how it is," Chuuya tied his laces into perfect little bows. Kouyo had taught him the art of proper shoe-lace tying. The old him thought it was a worthless skill, but now he was pretty proud of the perfectly symmetrical string. It was a stark contrast to Dazai's... mess. The bandaged brat's laces looked more like a lopsided knot than a bow. And instead of fixing the extremely asymmetrical lengths, he haphazardly stuck the long ends into his shoes. Chuuya glared up at the lazy idiot and was met with nothing more than a careless grin.
"I wish we could be there in person to cheer you on," Yumi lamented. Chuuya did think it was strange that their families weren't invited to watch the festival in person — in his humble opinion, they should have been given front-row seats. But no, TV screens it was. Chuuya assumed there must've been a good reason for that. Maybe some kids' parents got real mad during an event and caused a ruckus, and now nobody was allowed to go... or something.
Q latched onto Dazai's uniform coat and tugged. "I wanna go with you," he whined, reaching out his other arm as if Dazai would pick him up. He wouldn't. "Dazai always goes and leaves me alone! I'm tired of being left alone! Take me with you!"
Chuuya frowned. Q getting emotional wasn't a good thing. Their parents smiled nervously, knowing the burden of Q's emotions would be on them. They were always extra careful to never hurt him and had precautions in case something did happen. It only took the push of a button hidden in the couple's clothes to call Dazai and signal that something had happened with the child.
Q's eyes streamed giant globs of tears. Dazai sighed, recognizing the danger, and knelt down. He rubbed Q's head comfortingly and smiled. "I'll take you with me someday," he promised emptily. "For today, you can cheer for Chuuya and me on TV, okay?"
"No!" Q screamed. "I wanna go with you!"
Dazai's eyes hardened. Q didn't pay attention at all to Dazai's serious expression. He just kept on crying. "No," Dazai said. "You can't come." Q screamed louder.
"Shut up," Dazai commanded in vain. Chuuya was sure from Dazai's twisted brows that if he was in any other situation, he would have slapped Q into silence by now. Chuuya himself was getting irritated by his wailing. But leaving Q alone with the two mafia grunts after such a feat would have caused more damage than good.
Dazai sighed again, pulling Q into a hug. He kissed the top of Q's head in a false show of affection. Q calmed down a little bit, clutching the fabric of Dazai's uniform. "I'll be back tonight. Be good, okay." Dazai rubbed the boy's back. "Make sure to cheer us on."
Dazai released himself from the grip of the still, quietly weeping child. "Bye-bye," he waved and left through the door.
"Bye-bye," Q waved back sadly.
—
UA was thick with energy. The school was decked out for the occasion. Stands of food and merch lined the sidewalk, posters of famous UA graduates hung from street lamps, and fireworks burst above them in a wide array of colors. Topping it off, several well-known heroes were already hanging around, either on guard duty or to watch the show — or both. As much as Chuuya didn't care about these heroes, it was still exciting to know that such well-known people had come to see him perform (and the rest of the school, but that was beside the point) . Reporters had already crowded around the doors long before the event started.
Chuuya was almost overwhelmed by the grandeur of the event. He had never experienced anything like this. The closest thing he'd felt to this kind of energy was when he watched his favorite band play on tour in Yokohama. That feeling was insane. He bet the other students and spectators were experiencing a high just as, if not more intense than, the one he felt at that concert. To the world of the light, this was one of the single most hyped-up events of the year; you could sense that in the air. But nothing compared to standing face to face with the colossal stadium. It was massive. Chuuya's adrenaline raced just at the sight of it. He grinned, the urge to fight suddenly making him want to giddy with the desire to just punch something already.
"Wow," Dazai remarked beside Chuuya. "It's big."
" Yeah ," he breathed.
Dazai and Chuuya found their way inside the stadium and to the class 1-A waiting room. Chuuya was somewhat disappointed that he was required to wear his sports uniform instead of his awesome hero suit. He would have looked so good in it. Instead, he was stuck wearing this lackluster jersey. He'd heard a rumor that they might be allowed to in the later games — he hoped that was true.
Mina voiced his thoughts for him. "Man, I wanted to wear my hero costume."
Ojiro spoke as he stretched. "To keep everything fair, we can't." Chuuya thought that was ridiculous. Students were allowed to use support items if approved, but they couldn't use a costume. And it was UA's system that deemed students from non-hero courses unfit for a costume and the glory of a hero. They should have changed their system if they were so concerned about fairness.
"I wonder what the first round is gonna be?" Sato twiddled his thumbs anxiously.
"It'll probably be really exhausting," Dazai sighed aloud, resting his head on his hand without a care in the world. Compared to everyone else and their nervous energy, Dazai looked almost bored.
"No matter what comes," Tokoyami closed his eyes in focus, trying to channel all his calm energy. "We'll have no choice but to deal with it."
"Right," Shoji agreed.
Iida burst through the door suddenly. "Everyone!" His deep voice boomed. "Are you ready? We will be entering soon!" The anxiety in the room multiplied 100-fold instantly. Chuuya's nervousness skyrocketed as he recalled that he was supposed to give the opening pledge. Dazai said not to worry about it and to just say whatever came to his head. Chuuya was worrying about it. He was going to speak live in front of the entire country, for god's sake!
"Tell them what they want to hear," was the best advice Mackerel had given him. "People love getting their ego stroked."
"Midoriya," Todoroki's calm voice cut through the air, catching everyone's attention. Chuuya eyed the pair, thankful to have a distraction. Todoroki was Endeavor's kid. He had hardly heard the boy speak a single word since school started, but he's proven himself a potential threat time and time again. He wasn't about to forget Todoroki's pivotal role in the fight against Nomu. Chuuya knew he could defeat the boy without a problem, but he kept his eye on him, mainly because of who his father was.
"Todoroki," Midoiriya was surprised. "What is it?"
"Looking at things objectively," Todoroki continued calmly. "I think I'm stronger than you." Chuuya almost snorted. What was this kid getting at?
"Huh?" Midoriya startled. "Y- Yeah..." He agreed.
Todoroki narrowed his eyes. "But All Might has his eye on you, doesn't he?" Midoriya flinched.
Chuuya blinked. Sure, he had seen All Might act a little strangely a couple times when it came to Midoriya, but he hadn't thought much of it. Chuuya turned to his partner to see what he thought. Dazai's curious and all-knowing eyes were trained on Todoroki. His expression was blank and unreadable, but Chuuya knew Dazai well enough to know that he was interested in what was happening. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered looking at them at all. Chuuya tightened his lips. Was there something he missed?
"I'm not trying to pry about that," Todoroki continued. "But I'm going to beat you." Midoriya was dumbfounded.
"Woah," Kaminari sweat-dropped as Kirishima stood up from his chair to stop them. "Is the best in the class making a declaration of war?"
"Hey, hey, hey," Kirishima put his hand on Todoroki's shoulder. "Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden? Not now. We're about to start," he advised quietly, but the whole class still heard it.
Todoriki brushed off Kirishima's hand. "We're not here to play as being friends." Todoroki walked off, leaving a concerned Kirishima. "So what does it matter?"
Todoroki was almost at the door when Midoriya finally swallowed and spoke up. "Todoroki, I don't know what you're thinking when you say you'll beat me, but of course you're better than me. I think you're more capable than most people." And that much was true. Todoroki had proven himself several times and was regarded as the strongest student in the class. Even though Chuuya had the highest score on the exam, his quirk (nerfed as it was) was nowhere near as flashy as Todoroki's ice (though he was sure he could still beat his ice easily). And Todoroki hadn't even taken the entrance exam, so there was no comparison.
"Looking at it objectively," Midoirya added, mirroring Todoroki's words.
That much was true. Midoriya had performed some pretty incredible bouts of strength, but always at the cost of his own body. He was hardly the most talented student in the class. It was interesting that Todoroki chose to target Midoriya of all people. Logically, it made more sense for him to go after Chuuya or Bakugo. But no, he chose Midoriya. " All Might has his eye on you." This had to do with a lot more than just strength.
"Midoriya," Kirishima tried to comfort him, smiling awkwardly. "You shouldn't talk so negatively..."
"But," Midoriya cut him off. "Everyone —the students from the other courses are aiming for the top with everything they've got. I can't afford to fall behind." He hid his face with his hair, a hard clench in his jaw. Looking up, Midoriya's green eyes brimmed with grit. "I'll be going for it with everything I have too."
"Yeah," Todorki acknowledged.
Chuuya quirked his lips. This could be fun.
—
"Hey! Pay attention, audience!!" The crowd burst into deafening cheers at the sound of Present Mic's booming voice on the loudspeakers. "Swarm, mass media! This year's high school rodeo of adolescence that you all love, the UA Sports Festival, is about to begin, everybody! Are you ready?!" The stadium screamed in affirmation. "It's time for the students to enter the first-year stage!"
Chuuya stepped into the arena. Fireworks, music, applause, and Present Mic's voice pounded in his veins. "The UA Sports Festival!" the hero continued as the students filed into the grassy field. "The huge battle where fledgling heroes sharpen their swords once a year! Anyway, these are the guys! The miraculous new stars who overcame an enemy attack with their hearts of steel! The Hero Class 1-A!!"
So much for fair playing grounds, Chuuya mused. But that was fine by him. He couldn't say he didn't like having the spotlight on him. He couldn't say the same for his peers, though. Most of them were trembling already.
"T-T-There are so many people," Midoriya stuttered in front of Chuuya.
Chuuya listened as Iida wondered aloud. "Will we be able to give our best performance being watched by so many people? This is also part of the training to become a hero." Now that was the question. For Chuuya, the answer was that he'd probably do better knowing other people were watching. Seeing his nervous classmates made him feel all the more confident. He would wreck them all. He cooled his expressions, putting on his favorite mask of danger and confidence. He wore no smile but held his head high and straightened his shoulders.
"Man, he's going overboard with that praise," Kirishima commented as he scanned the crowd. "I'm getting nervous! Aren't you Bakugo?"
“No,” Bakugo responded. "I'm just getting more into it," he grinned maniacally. And, it seemed like Chuuya wasn't the only one. He didn't like sharing his personality so much with the explosive brat. It made Chuuya wonder if he was a jerk, and he just didn't know it (Dazai would say he was, but his opinion didn't count. Even Bakugo paled in comparison to Dazai's jerkiness).
Present Mic shouted as class 1-B walked in. "They haven't been getting as much airtime, but this class is also full of talent! Hero Class 1-B." Chuuya watched the class as they stepped in. Class 1-B would be their main competitors. He would have to watch out for them. He didn't know their quirks, so he would have to be careful. "Next up! General Studies classes C, D, and E!" Chuuya caught the eye of the purple-haired kid, who was staring out at the bleachers instead of his competition. "Support Course, classes F, G, and H are here too! And Business Course, classes I, J, and K! All of UA's first years are here now!"
At the center of the stadium, Ms. Nemuri cracked a flogger whip. Chuuya cringed at the sight of the obviously sexual device. How had she been allowed to bring that? Not to mention her excessively revealing outfit. That was definitely not appropriate for a high school setting. "Time for the player pledge!" She declared, the handcuffs on her wrist jingled from the movement. "Representing the students is Takahara Chuuya from Class 1-A. "Chuuya repressed a frown. That goddamn fake name Mori had given him would never leave, would it?
Taking a deep breath, Chuuya made his way to the front of the stage. He didn't enjoy public speaking, and as much as Koyou had trained him this past year, he didn't think he was well suited to presenting in formal gatherings such as this. Someone like Dazai was much better suited for the role. But Chuuya still had his fair share of experience as the King of the Sheep and leading his team in the Port Mafia.
Chuuya stood at the mic, scanning the crowd and the students. There was silence as they waited. He looked a few people in the eyes. "First of all," he began, grateful to god that his voice didn't shake. "On behalf of UA high school and the first-year student body, I would like to thank all of you for coming." There were some whistles from the crowd. Chuuya grinned. Even though he was addressing a far larger audience, the truth was that this event was much more informal than most times he'd spoken. He could do with that.
"To the mothers, fathers, and relatives watching today, we are grateful for your constant support. We have come this far because of you," he rehearsed. "And to all pro-heroes, both with us today and not, we are indebted to you for your bravery and willingness to sacrifice your lives on the front lines to protect Japan," the words tasted bitter in his mouth. He hoped no one from the Sheep would watch or hear about this. Ever.
"And, of course, to all you civilians pausing your daily lives to watch us today," he bowed slightly. "We are honored." Standing back up, he continued with a fiery gleam in his eye.
"Although this is a major country-wide event, we pray you do not forget the true importance behind these games. This is not meant to be just entertainment," and that much was true. They needed a reminder of that. "This is practice for the real world," Chuuya gestured to the crowd of first-year students. "All of us here are studying here at UA to protect you, in one way or another. Whichever course we are in, we are in it for the same purpose: to defend you and the rising generation. I hope you don't forget that."
"And with that," Chuuya smirked. "Plus Ultra!" He stepped away from the mic, and the audience roared, repeating the cheer after him.
Dazai smiled at him and bumped his shoulder when Chuuya found his place back with the other students. "See, you did just fine."
Chuuya huffed and shrugged. "I just did like you said."
"But still..." Dazai scanned the screaming audience and smirked devilishly. "I doubt they'll be forgetting you any time soon." Chuuya didn't like that prophecy very much. But whatever.
"Now!" Midnight gathered everyone's attention. "Let's get started right away! The first game is what you would call a 'qualifier!' Many students drink their tears here every year!" She raised her whip, and a slot-machine-style hologram appeared behind her. "And, as for the fateful first game, this year it will be..."
The slot landed on " Obstacle Course ." "This!"
"All 11 classes will participate in this race," Midnight explained. "The course will be the outer circumference of this stadium, about 4 kilometers." She lifted her flogging whip again. "Our school's selling point is freedom ! As long as you stay on the course," she licked her lips, an evil look in her eyes. "It doesn't matter what you do." Interesting. So playing dirty was okay. Chuuya was good at that. But, he turned to look at his expressionless partner; Dazai was even better.
"Now, take your places, everyone!"
—
Dazai and Chuuya stood in front of the door, gearing up as each of the three green lights disappeared. Dazai put his right leg forward and leaned in. Ah, he was really not excited. Dazai could fight just fine, but his strength and stamina were a problem. His frail body was not suited for a race like this.
"Start!"
The entryway was far too narrow. The students at the front had a significant advantage, while the ones at the back crowded each other. Dazai frowned as people pressed their shoulders into him and stepped on his feet. He hated strangers touching him. But, as much as Dazai didn't love physical activity, he was reasonably agile. Dazai jumped onto the back of the brawny kid in front of him. The boy complained profusely as Dazai used him as a springboard. He didn't get that much farther ahead, but it was a difference.
Dazai had climbed onto his next victim when a layer of ice shot across the floor. The poor guy he was on froze to the ground. Dazai got the blame for it, even though he knew the kid would have gotten stuck whether or not Dazai had pinned him down. Either way, this worked to his advantage.
He chuckled childishly at his victim. "Sorry," he beamed innocently, then twisted his features into a mocking smirk. "But we do have ' freedom' in this race." The poor boy looked horrified. Dazai laughed and ran off, careful not to touch the ice and free the other students.
He wasn't all that interested in winning, but he wasn't interested in falling out of the hero course either (as was a possibility, considering his lackluster quirk and low energy). But Dazai was most interested in catching Aizawa's attention. He was sure Aizawa's eyes were already on him like they'd been from the beginning. But after their "bonding moment" in class, Aizawa supported him more openly.
Dazai was nearing the exit when he heard the lame sound of Chuuya's battle cry. He sighed in second-hand embarrassment. Seeing the boy kick his way out of the hall was even more pathetic. Dazai felt ashamed being associated with him. Bakugo's scream, accompanied by explosions, was not much better. Class 1-A was already making quite the show of themselves.
But this was an excellent opportunity to learn people's quirks. He scanned each of the students he passed by. A girl from class B had vines for hair. She used that to get herself out of the ice. The silver-haired brat from the same class could turn his body into steel — a hardening quirk similar to Kirishima's. He also noticed that the purple-haired kid who'd challenged class 1-A was being carried emperor-style by a group of mindless-looking boys. A mind control quirk, huh. It'll be interesting to see how that comes into play.
Up ahead, someone had encountered the first barrier. Judging by Present-Mic's booming voice on the mic, it was robots. Dazai made it past the ice runway just in time to see Todoroki freeze twelve 0-point robots from top to bottom as if they were nothing and run through them.
That kid was using a lot of power right from the get-go. Freezing more than the entire entrance way and now a dozen giant robots — he was overdoing it. Why? Dazai smirked as the robots toppled over students foolish enough to run after Todoroki. Dazai ran closer to the frozen machinery barricade.
Todoroki had seen All Might in Midoriya. Dazai sincerely doubted he had caught onto what Dazai had learned about the pair. It wasn't often someone passed down their quirk to someone else, though it was possible. No. What Todoroki saw was a mirror of his father's battle. Endeavor's fight was against All Might — Todoroki's was against the student who most resembled and was favored by All Might. His gripe against Midoriya had nothing to do with strength or status. It was about proving himself.
Dazai knew Todoroki didn't like his father. Endeavor was a cruel and violent man, even to civilians at times. Stories of his crimes against villains were well told in the underworld. No one wanted to encounter All Might on the battlefield because it meant an inevitable defeat. But a face-off against Endeavor was certain agony, perhaps even death (if you were particularly unlucky). To say the least, Endeavor wasn't very popular.
Abuse was blatant on Todoroki's face — literally. Although he doubted Endeavor had burned the boy's eye. If he had, it would have looked a lot more melted , and Todoroki's eye definitely wouldn't be able to open for starters. His burn looked like water, not fire —but that was beside the point. The signs were obvious, and yet Todoroki was striving to take up his father's battle in the form of Midoriya Izuku. This was likely not out of affection or duty but revenge. Todoroki would prove himself greater than Endeavor and defeat All Might, not by Endeavor's strength (as shown by blatantly ignoring the fire quirk he definitely had) but by his own strength.
All this wasn't really important to Dazai. He didn't care what happened in the Todoroki family or about his classmates' trauma. But what it did mean was that Todoroki was easy to manipulate. Revenge was a powerful motivator — one of the most powerful, if he might add. Todoroki was teetering on the edge of villainy. A dark empty look set into Dazai's eyes. A nudge in the right direction and Todoroki could plunge himself into the abyss.
Dazai would make sure that this pawn ended up on his side of the playing field.
Bakugo flew over the top of the 0-point robot, his hands bursting like a jet-pack. “Class 1-A’s Bakugo!” Present Mic's voice boomed. "Since the bottom's blocked, he goes overhead!" Sero and Tokoyami followed Bakugo's route. Dazai sighed again. Well, that was nice for them, but not everybody's quirk could do that.
The robots had been released from their ice and were moving again. Either way, Dazai was agile enough to get through these slow robots without a problem. He ran through them, dogging their movements and slipping past awkward spaces without much trouble. These guys weren't designed to hurt. They were intended to intimidate and slow contestants down. The robots weren't a problem if you weren't intimidated.
The contestants were met with a small army of pointed robots from the entrance exam. These guys were faster and posed slightly more of a problem in a battle than the 0-point robots, but the race wasn't about racking points, thank goodness; it was about finishing first.
Dazai ignored the robots, leaving the fight to his more capable peers, who were all too eager to take them down for him. There was some satisfaction in knowing that an old threat was now nothing more than a pebble in the way. Some students were so pleased by the challenge they slowed themselves down, even if only momentarily, to take them out.
Dazai panted, biting his lip instead of wiping the sweat off his brow. He hated running for long periods. Blegh. He watched the other students as they went. Most of them weren't doing anything special, but Dazai's eye lingered on Midoriya, who had acquired a piece of metal from a robot and used it as a shield and a weapon. It was heavy and slowed him down considerably. Dazai was sure Midoriya knew that, but he held on to it anyway. That seemed like a pretty illogical move, but whatever floats his boat.
Yaoyorozu was amusing too. She made a cannon from her belly and shot down robots efficiently. But to do so, she had to stop entirely in her tracks. She was helping her opponents more than herself. How funny.
He made it to the second barrier. Dazai hated his life. He stood at the edge of a deep canyon with scattered stone pillars. The only way to cross the canyon was to balance on a rope tied from one pillar to the next. Dazai heaved and panted, grasping at his knees. "You thought the first round was a piece of cake?!" Present Mic announced. "Well, what about the second? If you fall, you're out! If you don't want to fall, then crawl! It's 'The Fall'!"
Dazai scowled. He would much prefer falling to his death than climbing those stupid ropes. A fall from that height would undoubtedly kill him if it weren't for the safety nets at the bottom. Too bad the heroes weren't interested in any students dying in the games. Dazai really wanted to just give up and die right now. The bitter part of him thought about giving up anyway and pretending to fall on accident and finish this game. He decided against it. If he failed here, certain people who knew his skill in balance (aka. Chuuya and Aizawa) would realize he'd fallen on purpose. Dazai didn't care if Chuuya figured him out, but Aizawa would never let him hear the end of it.
Tsuyu climbed onto the rope without hesitation, quickly reaching the first platform with her frog quirk. A girl from the Support course launched a grappling hook into the rock and burst out over the ledge, landing on a platform far ahead. She screamed something about her cute babies and addressed the hero companies. Marketing. She was marketing. Way not to waste a single second.
Dazai stepped on a vacant rope and trod carefully along. Some students were already far ahead. Dazai caught sight of Bakugo's explosions flashing in the distance, past the second barrier. There was no sight of Chuuya — this challenge was like child-play to Slug. Even so, according to Present Mic's announcements, Todoroki was in first place, which no doubt infuriated Dazai's hot-tempered partner. Well, he doubted Chuuya was far behind.
—
Chuuya charged behind Todoroki. That fucker was still in first place. He really shouldn't be. If Chuuya had his quirk, he would have stomped over that two-toned bastard. Unfortunately, Chuuya was stuck charging beside Bakugo, who was fucking flying through the air. Both Todoroki and Bakugo used their quirks to get ahead, but since Chuuya's quirk was only to make things heavy, the best he could do was to attempt to touch the other two and stop them in their tracks. The two avoided him like the plague (using their quirks), and he hadn't been able to tap them yet.
Finally, the trio reached the final barrier: a football-field length of dirt. Beyond it stood the gate and the finish line. Little mounds were scattered all throughout the field. "It's a minefield!" Present Mic cried. "They're set up so you can tell where the mines are if you look carefully! So you have to exploit your arms and legs." Chuuya grinned maliciously.
"By the way, these landmines are for games, so they're not that powerful, but they're loud and flashy enough to make you wet your pants." Sure. It was true that a little bit of fear, even if it was misplaced, was enough to cripple most people. Dazai taught him that the number one secret of torture was fear. You could get someone to spill their guts without even touching them if you got them panicked enough. The landmines followed the same principle. Anxiety caused people to slow down, sweat, and lose judgment. Most people weren't used to bombs blowing up beneath their feet, harmful or not.
But if there was one thing Chuuya was not, it was afraid of a bunch of kids' toys. The landmines were designed to disadvantage those in the lead, but Chuuya ran forward without hesitation. He effortlessly weaved through the minefield without slowing down or blowing up anything.
"Oh wow! What's this?!" Present Mic yelled. "Takahara is charging forward without any fear at all! Is he crazy?!" No. Not crazy, practiced. "And he isn't setting off a single landmine!? Is he even human!" Low blow, Yamada-sensei. Chuuya grimaced. Low blow.
Chuuya almost reached Todoroki. Todoroki looked back, and took that as his time to sprint. He misjudged and sent off a bomb. The boy managed to avoid most of the blast, but it was enough to put Chuuya in the lead. "Aw, fuck yeah!" Chuuya cheered.
"Takahara is in the lead! Rejoice, mass media! This is the kind of development you guys love! Bakugo is moments behind! Who will get to the finish line first!?"
Bakugo shot through the air, using his quirk to propel him forward. This minefield meant about as little to him as it did to Chuuya. The only one at a disadvantage was Todoroki. Reaching where Chuuya was, the blonde twisted in the air and aimed to blow off Chuuya’s face. Chuuya expected that and ducked, jumping farther ahead. The boy immediately sent another Chuuya's way.
Todoroki used Bakugo's feud against Chuuya as his chance to dart for the lead, more cautious this time. Bakugo couldn't very easily hold back the two of them at once, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try. He sent a firey burst towards the taller teen. Exploiting Bakugo’s vulnerability, Chuuya leapt and slapped Bakugo. Crushed by the weight of gravity, he boy fell helplessly onto a heap of landmines.
The explosion was close enough to blow Chuuya forward somewhat. He used his superior balance to avoid stepping on another landmine. He smirked; the finish line was right ahead.
Suddenly a deafening "boom" sounded behind them. Flying through the air was Midoriya. His speed quickly shot him to where Chuuya was and past him. Instantly, Chuuya darted forward, using every last bit of power he had in his legs without his quirk. Just as the boy was close enough for Chuuya to reach, he tapped the boy by the hair. Midoriya plummeted to the ground.
Midoriya's fall set off another explosion, and he blasted forwards even farther. Damn. But Chuuya's quirk would still pin him to the ground long enough for Chuuya to sprint past him. Todoroki and Bakugo were similarly right behind.
Chuuya flew through the final hallway.
"Right now," Present Mic narrated to the roaring crowd. "The first person back in the stadium is..." " Takahara Chuuya !!!"