Present Mic's voice echoed throughout the stadium.
"As expected, he's very strong… No, even without Allen acting, everyone on his team is strong."
"What do we do, Midoriya?" Tetsutetsu said from the front of the horse. He, along with Mei and Tokoyami, made up Deku's team.
"The most logical thing would be to avoid Allen…" Tokoyami said from the left, looking at Deku.
At this point, Todoroki had backed off, and Bakugo was fighting Monoma. So the only teams still targeting Allen were Itsuka's and Deku's. Furthermore, time was running out. Logically, it would be better to protect their own headband and not end up like Todoroki.
"Let's try!" Deku declared.
Izuku Midoriya had always been a rational boy—someone willing to give up glory to achieve an objective, someone who thought about the most efficient way to accomplish things. However, ever since he met Allen, he had gradually developed the desire to face every obstacle head-on, a hunger for victory. And beyond that, Deku wanted to face Allen. Perhaps, unlike Bakugo, more than defeating him, Deku wanted to be acknowledged by him.
"I like it!" Tetsutetsu exclaimed. "Sorry, Midoriya. I thought you were a crying coward, but now I see you're a man. Let's go!"
Mei smiled. "Indeed, my babies still haven't shown their full potential~"
Tokoyami smiled as well. "Let's go!"
….
Itsuka watched from the sky, standing on a floating rock controlled by Reiko's telekinesis.
"As expected…" Itsuka smiled bitterly.
During the obstacle race, Allen had sent her flying with ease. But it wasn't just then—during their first hero-versus-villain training, Allen had also defeated her effortlessly.
It wasn't that she minded, since everyone had experienced something similar. However, as the days passed and as she got to know Allen more and more, she realized the distance between them was massive—to the point that she had begun to feel insecure and afraid of not being worthy to stand by his side.
"I…" Itsuka clenched her fists.
"Hey, what are you doing? Get back here!" Setsuna's head appeared beside her.
Itsuka looked down and saw Reiko with beads of sweat on her forehead. "Ah, sorry!"
She jumped from rock to rock until she returned to the others.
"What do we do?" Reiko asked Itsuka. "Do you still want to face him?"
Itsuka looked at Allen. He was still on his "throne" with that characteristic smile. Under other circumstances, she would think he looked charming—but right now, she felt frustrated.
"Let's go. One last time."
Setsuna grinned with sharp teeth. "Alright! Being passive isn't my style!"
Reiko sighed. "I hope you have a plan."
"Of course. We haven't used our secret weapon yet, right, Komori?!" Setsuna turned toward the third girl. She had brown hair covering one of her eyes. Her pupils were peculiar—they were shaped like an "X."
The girl, who was quite quiet and seemed shy, trembled when Setsuna called her name. Her name was Kinoko Komori, also a student from Class 1-B.
"Y-Yes… I managed to reach them with my spores… but I don't know how effective it'll be against that person," she replied in a murmuring voice.
"That's great!" Setsuna smiled.
Itsuka, who didn't know the girl's Quirk, tilted her head. "Komori-san? What's your Quirk?"
"Um… I…"
After hearing her explanation, Itsuka smiled. She had found an opportunity—maybe not for victory, but definitely to reach Allen.
"I'm not the kind of girl who likes being passive either!"
….
Allen smiled.
"Looks like we did it!" Toru exclaimed happily.
"Don't lower your guard, Hagakure," Momo said, frowning. She had been Itsuka's friend for a long time and knew she wouldn't give up so easily.
"They're coming!" Mina shouted in the direction of Deku's team.
"Over here too!" Ochako exclaimed upon seeing Itsuka's team.
Present Mic didn't forget to hype up the atmosphere even more.
"With less than three minutes remaining, this will be the final clash between the teams! Will the current king be dethroned and a miracle occur, or will he remain at the top?!"
Present Mic's words ignited the crowd, rekindling the animosity toward Allen.
"You can do it!"
"Defeat that shameless guy!"
"Don't let that bastard keep laughing!"
Unlike the rest of the audience, there were also those supporting Allen.
"You can do it, Allen! Make your sister proud!" Nejire shouted, shocking everyone. Were they siblings?! No one could see any resemblance between them, so most assumed she was calling him that affectionately.
"If you lose, I'll beat you up!" Mirko shouted, terrifying everyone.
Before the crowd could process Allen's connection to Nejire, they heard Mirko's words and were stunned. At this point, they couldn't be so foolish as not to realize she was also close to Allen.
"Go, Allen!~" Himiko cheered. The people around her were cautious—not because of her, but because of the pair of hooded individuals beside her who clearly didn't fit in. Of course, security had already noticed them and was keeping an eye on them.
"Do your best!" Kazuho shouted, making Knuckleduster laugh and Koichi feel uncomfortable.
"I don't think that's the best idea."
"Kid, if Allen actually tried, this competition would end in an instant!"
"Shut up! Besides, you should support him too. How many times has he saved your asses?!"
Knuckleduster and Koichi exchanged glances before standing up and starting to cheer.
Each in their own way.
….
"Oh…" Allen smiled and unleashed his power. The iron sand began to spin, forming a tornado that even blocked visibility.
Itsuka and Deku halted their advance.
"Amazing! Allen Walker has chosen to defend his points until the very end!" Present Mic shouted. "Is it my imagination, or is the density of that wall greater than before?"
Aizawa commented after thinking for a moment. "As Allen said, he's using the iron beneath the ground. It's not something that can be done instantly. Assuming he hasn't stopped gathering it until now, it's natural that the amount has increased. The question is—without Kaminari, how will they break through that iron wall?"
"Now!" Itsuka shouted, causing Kinoko's eyes to become visible.
Inside the whirlwind, Allen opened his eyes when he saw a mushroom growing from his arm.
"Ugh!" Mina also had mushrooms sprouting from her leg.
"What is this?!" Momo had one on her head. "I feel weak…"
Toru and Ochako began coughing.
"This is… a Quirk?" Allen widened his eyes and looked toward Itsuka's team, where the only girl who hadn't used her Quirk yet was standing.
[Kinoko Komori
Quirk: Mushroom
Type: Emitter.]
"…!"
Allen reacted immediately and released an electric current, destroying the mushrooms and spores in their bodies and lungs. In doing so, he had to be extremely careful not to harm the girls, which forced him to divert most of his attention to that task.
"Now!" Deku appeared with his fist covered in red veins, as if he had anticipated that the whirlwind would weaken at this moment. "Detroit Smash!"
Deku's punch dispersed Allen's whirlwind—at the cost of his left arm, which fractured.
"Incredible! No one can believe it! A combination of Itsuka Kendo's team and Izuku Midoriya has broken through the strongest team's defense!"
With Present Mic's shout, the entire battlefield froze, watching Deku's and Itsuka's teams.
"Deku…" Bakugo growled.
"Tsk…" Todoroki clenched his jaw.
"Allen-san!" Deku shouted, launching himself at Allen using a jetpack.
Itsuka also leaped, propelled by Setsuna and Reiko. "Allen!"
Everyone could see that both had bet everything on this final attack.
"You did well… but!" Allen said, releasing a massive electric current around him. A thunderous boom echoed throughout the stadium, leaving everyone in shock. "It's still not enough!"
Both Itsuka and Deku were struck by the shockwave.
In that moment, everyone understood that Allen hadn't used his true power.
"What is this?!" Present Mic shouted.
Among the teachers, some already knew what Allen was capable of. However, others had only heard vaguely about his participation during All For One's attack.
The atmosphere began to electrify, and several drones, cameras, and robots stopped functioning.
Kaminari's ability to generate more than one million volts was enough to place him among the elite of this young generation. Nevertheless, Allen was far beyond that. After all, the Misaka Mikoto template allowed him to generate one billion volts without difficulty.
"Ugh!"
"Argh!"
Deku and Itsuka were unable to defend themselves and were pushed back solely by Allen's release of power. Of course, Allen limited himself to using just enough force to knock them out of the fight.
Itsuka stretched out her hand toward Allen but couldn't reach him.
"Itsuka!" Setsuna caught her.
"I'm sorry…" Itsuka said before coughing.
Setsuna shook her head and laughed. "Don't worry. There was no way we could beat him, but thanks to you, we still made it through!"
Itsuka opened her eyes and noticed she was still wearing her headband, which gave her enough points to advance.
"Midoriya!" Tokoyami caught Deku.
"Tokoyami-kun… I—"
"Don't worry. There was nothing else we could do," Tokoyami said with a smile. "But you've earned even more of my respect."
Nemuri observed both of them and, seeing that they were still conscious, chose not to disqualify them. She also glanced at Allen, who had already reduced the amount of electricity surrounding him.
All that power, and his teammates are fine… as expected of my Allen ❤️~ the woman thought with pride and affection.
What was truly terrifying was that Allen possessed even greater power, and yet not a single one of his teammates had been harmed when he released it. Kaminari knew better than anyone how difficult what Allen had actually done was. When Kaminari released his electricity, it didn't just affect his enemies—his allies and even he himself would be impacted. Yet Allen, without even having a permanent electricity Quirk, had surpassed that with ease.
Most of the audience gasped at what they had just witnessed. A few celebrated that Allen had silenced his critics. And amid all that, the buzzer marking the end of the competition sounded.
….
MJ – For a moment, I thought Allen was going to kill someone, haha.
Erza – I doubt Allen would make such a mistake… still, it was a bit excessive.
Eve – He has his pride. Maybe having a bunch of brats break his defense made him feel obligated to show them who's boss.
Rei – I can totally see that, haha.
Raven – At first, I thought it was strange how much importance they placed on a school sports festival. But after seeing this, I think it makes sense.
Kitty – The world could be peaceful if people just used their powers in competitions. I don't understand why mutants are so rejected in our world.
Tony – I… think we haven't taken that issue seriously enough. I'll talk to Fury. Still, I believe our world can change. After all, the world we're watching now is proof that a society with mutants can function…
Charles – If that were to happen, Erik, would you be willing to lay down your arms?
Magneto – …
….
A few minutes later, Present Mic made the announcement.
"Well done, everyone! Now, the teams are advancing to the next round!"
First Place – Allen Walker's Team.
Second Place – Katsuki Bakugo's Team.
Third Place – Izuku Midoriya's Team.
Fourth Place – Itsuka Kendo's Team.
Fifth Place – Shoto Todoroki's Team.
"That's right, audience! This year there have been quite a few changes compared to previous years, and this is one of them! Five teams will be participating in the next round!"
The crowd cheered. After all, more participants meant more spectacle.
In the stadium, there were many dejected and frustrated faces—among them Monoma, who had lost his points to Bakugo at the last moment.
Tsuyu, despite teaming up with Shoji and Mineta, had also failed to advance.
Ibara had formed a team with some of Class 1-B, but they were defeated when Todoroki took their headbands.
That made Ibara sigh. She glanced in Allen's direction, bid farewell to her teammates, and walked toward him.
….
"I was scared!" Mina clung to Allen's arm.
"Hey, don't take advantage of the situation!" Momo exclaimed.
Ochako hugged herself, her face pale. "I don't ever want to feel that sensation in my lungs again."
"Yeah, it was awful!" Toru pouted, raising her hands.
Allen laughed with his hands in his pockets. "Well, in the end we won. That's something good, right?"
"Congratulations," Ibara said, returning to her usual gentle personality.
"Thanks. It's a shame we were enemies this round," Allen replied with a smile.
Ibara shook her head before giving him a soft look. "Don't worry. I'm also someone who doesn't like losing. That's why I made my decisions."
Allen knew that although Ibara had a kind personality, she was quite competitive. Otherwise, she wouldn't have consistently ranked at the top in tests and exams—and she had been the first student from Class 1-B to transfer.
The two remained looking at each other until a familiar cough interrupted them.
*Cough*
Itsuka crossed her arms, wearing a serious expression. "How long are you going to ignore me?"
"Sorry. You did amazing too, Itsuka."
The girl smiled before walking toward Allen. Under the gaze of dozens of millions of people, she leaned against his chest.
"That was really cruel. I need you to comfort me…"
The girls froze in shock. Even Mina, the boldest among them, felt embarrassed. Didn't this girl have any shame in asking to be pampered in front of everyone?
"Don't blame me. You're the one who wanted to fight me." Allen, whose skin was thicker than tree bark, patted Itsuka's head while lowering his face with an aggrieved look. "Actually, shouldn't I be the one asking for compensation? Put yourself in my place. One of the girls closest to me chose to fight against me instead of by my side. Doesn't that make me pitiful?"
Itsuka blushed as her heart tightened. With no other choice, she began explaining herself.
"That's not it! I never intended to abandon you!"
Allen sighed dramatically. "I don't know… I don't feel sincerity in your words…"
Itsuka, her entire face flushed red, parted her lips with visible embarrassment.
"What can I do for you to forgive me? I'll do anything…"
"Anything?"
Itsuka swallowed, feeling like her heart was about to explode, yet she nodded. At this point, she had completely forgotten where she was.
Allen smiled, replacing his sorrowful expression with a mischievous wolf-like grin that showed he had achieved his goal.
"In that case—"
"STOP!"
Ochako, Toru, Momo, Mina, and Ibara shouted at the same time, halting this madness.
"No!"
Itsuka, who had just come back to her senses, became so embarrassed that she buried her face in Allen's chest.
….
Allen's shameless actions also unleashed chaos in the audience.
"That brat! How dare he flirt with some hussy in front of me?!" Mirko shouted.
"Calm down, Rumi!" Ryuko, along with Nejire, held her back to stop her from jumping into the field in berserker mode.
"That shameless brat! I need to re-educate him!" Kaina had somehow already turned her elbow into a rifle, while the teachers restrained her from doing something reckless.
"Brat, how dare you try to steal my dear Allen? He's forbidden from having a girlfriend without my approval!"
"Calm down, Midnight! Are you crazy?!"
Nemuri was also about to intervene but was stopped by Mt. Lady, who was in the staff area with her.
Kazuho remained silent before tearing apart the banner with Allen's name and stomping on it. "That womanizing bastard!"
"Wow, you're really popular… I'm so jealous of her… I wish I were her so you'd hug me like that too," Himiko said with a disturbing smile, staring at Itsuka with obsessive eyes.
"Ahem, to everyone in the studio, we'll be taking a one-hour break before the final round…" Present Mic did his best to prevent a riot.
As for Allen, he simply laughed at the girls angrily surrounding him while still holding Itsuka in his arms.
"Come on, it was just a joke," Allen said.
"Then how long are you planning to keep hugging Itsuka?!" Momo scolded him.
"I'm not hugging her. I'm just protecting her from embarrassment," Allen excused himself with such a shameless lie that the girls were left speechless.
That reaction only made him laugh even more.
===
A/N: It may not seem like it, but the tsundere from A Certain Magical Index / A Certain Scientific Railgun can generate five times more electrical energy than Enel from One Piece. 🍷🗿