Ren stood calmly at the center of the arena.
The combat stage gleamed under the stadium lights, its metallic surface reflecting the enormous screens hanging above.
Across the arena entrance, his opponent was approaching.
A girl with short hair and a focused expression climbed the stairs toward the stage.
I have to win…
I can't lose to a first-year in front of Nejire...
She stepped onto the arena floor.
Her eyes locked onto Ren.
He's fast… but the stage is small.
She glanced briefly at the arena boundary lines.
If he goes too fast, he'll fly right out of bounds. He'll have to hold back.
And if he holds back…
I win.
Ren observed her quietly.
I think she was working with Nejire during the rescue round…
Now that I think about it... I never got to see her Quirk.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Gunshots cracked through the stadium.
At the edge of the arena stood Sniper, revolver raised toward the sky.
"Well butter my boots and call me a tumbleweed!" he hollered. "Both riders are on the field!"
The crowd roared.
"On one side, our little lightning colt himself—Ren Takeda!"
Cheers exploded across the stadium.
"And facin' him down, a seasoned third-year gunslinger—Yuyu Haya!"
More cheers followed.
Sniper spun his revolver.
"Alright now, cowboys and cowgirls! Let's see which one of these two can stay in the saddle!"
Bang!
"DRAW!"
The match began instantly.
Yuyu moved first.
She sprinted sideways, circling the arena rapidly around Ren.
If I don't let him move, this is my win! she thought.
Her feet moved in a constant arc as she ran.
Then she raised her hands—
As if holding a bow.
Electric sparks gathered between her fingers.
"Electric Arrow!"
ZAP!
A bolt of electricity shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring.
Ren didn't move.
The arrow screamed toward him.
But Yuyu didn't stop.
She kept running, releasing arrow after arrow.
"Electric Arrow!"
Zap!
"Electric Arrow!"
Zap!
Arcs of electricity cut across the arena like streaks of lightning.
"WOOO-HOO!" Sniper shouted excitedly. "Yuyu Haya's ridin' this storm like a wild mustang!"
"Girl ain't givin' Ren Takeda a single breath!"
"Question is—how's our young prodigy gonna wriggle outta this one?!"
The arrows closed in.
Ren still hadn't moved.
Yuyu's eyes narrowed.
Wait…
Is he just going to stand there?
The lightning struck.
BOOM!
A cloud of dust and smoke erupted from the impact.
Gasps spread across the stadium.
"What in tarnation?!" Sniper shouted. "Did the prodigy just get knocked clean outta the rodeo?!"
The dust filled the arena.
No one could see inside.
Yuyu slowed her running slightly.
Wait…
He's fine… right?
Then—
The dust began to fade.
And Ren was still standing there.
Completely unharmed.
White electricity crackled across his body like a living aura.
"WOAH NELLY!" Sniper yelled. "Our little lightning colt's still standin'!"
"And not a single scratch on him!"
The stadium exploded.
Cheers thundered through the stands.
Yuyu's eyes widened.
"How is that—"
"Thunder Step."
Ren's voice was calm.
A sharp crack of thunder echoed across the arena.
BOOM.
He vanished.
"Where did he—"
Before Yuyu could even finish the sentence—
A force slammed into her.
Her vision spun.
The arena floor disappeared beneath her feet.
The next moment—
She landed outside the boundary.
Hard.
Yuyu blinked in confusion, staring at the arena from the ground.
"…What the hell just happened?"
The stadium erupted again.
Cheers roared louder than before.
Inside the arena, Ren stood where he had reappeared, lightning fading slowly around him.
Sniper tipped his hat back in disbelief.
"Well I'll be hog-tied and branded!"
"Ren Takeda just threw Yuyu Haya clean outta the ring faster than a jackrabbit in a thunderstorm!"
He raised his revolver.
Bang!
"Winner of the first match—REN TAKEDA!"
The crowd exploded into chants.
"REN TAKEDA!"
"REN TAKEDA!"
"REN TAKEDA!"
...
Ren walked down the arena steps as the crowd's cheers slowly faded behind him.
His match was over.
The corridor leading toward the athletes' stands stretched ahead.
Just as he reached it—
Someone brushed past him.
A familiar voice followed.
"Good work, firstie!"
Ren turned slightly.
It was Nejire Hado.
She was heading toward the arena for her own match, but still stopped briefly in front of him, smiling brightly.
"Although…" she tilted her head slightly, pouting just a little, "…I'm kinda sad Yuyu lost."
Right on cue, Yuyu appeared further down the corridor, walking back from the arena with a frustrated expression.
Nejire immediately perked up.
"Yuyu!" she called, hurrying over.
"Don't worry! You did great!"
Ren watched them for a moment.
Then he looked at Yuyu one last time.
Thank you for the Quirk.
With that thought, he turned and continued walking.
...
Ren reached the section of the stadium reserved for competing athletes.
Most of the students there were focused entirely on the arena below.
After all—
It was Nejire Hado fighting.
One of the Big Three.
Eyes were glued to the battlefield.
But Ren…
Was doing something else entirely.
He sat down calmly.
During the match, when Yuyu's electricity had struck him, he hadn't simply endured the attack.
He had absorbed it.
His Quirk Livewire had neutralized her ability instantly.
Livewire itself was the result of merging Volt Hair and Kaminari's Electification
And Electrification already allowed Ren to absorb opposing electrical energy.
But Ren had pushed it further.
To eliminate any possible weakness against electricity, he had merged Shock Absorption into Livewire as well.
And now…
Another evolution was beginning.
Ren closed his eyes.
Inside his mind—
Merge activated.
Livewire.
And Yuyu's Quirk.
Electrical Arrow.
Until now, Livewire had lacked something important:
Reliable long-range attacks.
But that problem…
Was about to disappear.
Energy surged through his body as the fusion stabilized.
Seraph immediately began repairing the strain caused by the Merge.
Within seconds, the process was complete.
Ren opened his eyes.
Far below, the arena flashed with bright spirals of energy as Nejire's battle continued.
But Ren barely noticed.
A small smile formed on his lips.
I can't wait to try it.
To be continued...
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