The atmosphere of the room is relatively calm this morning. Well, as calm as you'd expect it to be on the morning of the sports festival. The students are all waiting in class 1-A's waiting area. Ready to be called upon in a few minutes to make their debut at their first Sports Festival.

Izuku sits cross-legged on one of the tables in the room, ignoring Iida's long tirade about the impertinence of it all, and watches as the first signs of anxiety start to manifest itself in his classmates' body language. Some of them are subtle, like the stiffness in Kaminari's shoulders as he speaks animatedly with Kirishima, or the vibrating movement of Uraraka's leg as she taps the floor repeatedly, creating a rhythmic echo that spreads throughout the room. The recurring sound seems to add to some of the other's anxiety, although none of them seem to notice, too engrossed in their own growing sense of nervousness. Izuku, for his part, isn't too concerned, it was just a game after all. A real one, this time.

His phone beeps in his pocket, startling him out of his musing. Further investigation proves that it's a message from Yashi. Isn't Mic supposed to be preparing to host this thing? Why was he texting him now?

Apparently, the man wants to meet him in the viewing room in a couple of minutes. The text is vague and strangely suspicious, considering that Mic isn't one to remain tight-lipped on surprises.

He hops down from his perch, about to make his way out the room. However, Todoroki seems to have other plans for him. The boy blocks his way as soon as his feet hit the ground. Straightening out, he narrows his eyes at the teen, trying to gauge out his intentions while calming down the suspicious voice in his head that tells him to be wary of any potential threats.

"Midoriya." Todoroki starts, voice as cold and monotone as ever. "Logically speaking, I am stronger than you." The boy says, not noticing the crowd his words inevitably gathered around them. Izuku has to stifle down the urge to scoff at the boy's statement. "And although you probably have more experience than I do, I assure you that I will beat you." Behind the half and half user, Izuku sees Kirishima stepping up as if to speak out. Knowing the redhead, the boy is probably prepared to jump in and defend his honor or something. However, before the teen has the chance to interfere, Izuku speaks up. Leveling his voice down to a low warning.

"Have fun with that." He says, letting his Kirito side take over his demeanor for a moment, his hands slide until they plant themselves in his pockets, his shoulders relaxing into an unperturbed stance. The perfect picture of an unconcerned opponent. With that, he takes his leave, ignoring the whispers that ripple through the room like waves, or the mismatched glare he feels boring into his retreating back.

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Mei isn't a patient girl. In fact, the one thing she hates more than anything is waiting. She hates the anticipating bubbling in the pit of her stomach as she paces in circles in the arena's viewing room. Yashi follows her movements with clear amusement on his face. He has a frustratingly huge smirk adorning his features that she just wants to wipe right off. Maybe punch it straight off his stupid mustached face. It seems Aizawa notices her growing sense of unrest, since he shoots Mic a warning glance, effectively erasing the smile from the blonde-haired man.

Urging herself to calm down, she takes in a few deep breaths. It's only been a few minutes, after all, since Mic told Kirito to come here.

Kirito.

She can't believe he's here. It feels like ages since she last saw him. She had started to lose hope of ever meeting her SAO friends in real life. That is until Mic walked into her English class.

She remembers the last time she saw her friend. That fateful day before the Clearers all went to fight on the front lines. The final battle. The last time she ever fixed Kirito's gear. The gear that she later found out, didn't withstand the fight with Heathcliff.

Shaking her head, she stops her mind from going down that particular rabbit hole.

The door opens slowly, and she has to stop herself from gasping out loud. Because there he is. Right within arms reach, one of the closest friends she ever had. A boy who's risked his life for her so many times.

He doesn't notice her immediately. His gaze instead focused on the two teachers sitting right across from his position at the door. He's complaining to present Mic about something but she can't bring herself to pay attention. Instead, she takes the time to look at him, take in the changes in his appearance. His hair is longer, tied into a messy bun. Her heart pangs at the loss of vibrancy in his eyes, now dull and vacant of the liveliness she remembers. The dark bags underneath are a great contrast to the paleness of his skin, a testament to his current emotional state, and Mei doesn't find herself surprised in the least. She knows just how much he lost in that final battle. Just how much they all did.

When she looks back at his eyes, she's startled to find that they are looking straight back at her. Wide with both surprise and an unidentifiable emotion. He seems to blink a few times as if trying to see if she would just disappear if he opens and closes his eyes enough time. When she doesn't, he seems to finally bring himself to move.

"L-liz?" He says quietly, voice barely above an awed whisper.

"Really Kirito, are you just going to stand there, or are you going to give me a hug" She teases, ignoring the way her voice wavers.

He's running at her before she even finishes her sentence. Arms wrapping around her waist tightly, pulling her into his chest as if she'd disappear if he let go.

They pull away after a few minutes, his eyes shine just a little bit brighter as he does so.

"You're in the hero course too? How did we not run into each other before?" The excitement in his voice is refreshing to hear, she knows he doesn't let his emotions show easily, mic told her how much the last fight affected him. She's glad to have that effect on her friend. Despite what he might think, he deserves to be happy.

"The support department actually. You know me and my gadgets." She corrects, offering her signature smile.

"Of course. A blacksmith 'til the end yeah?" They laugh and converse with each other, enjoying the familiarity of it all. That is, until Aizawa clears his throat, reminding them of the two other occupants of the room.

With the reminder, Izuku doesn't waste any time, rounding in on the voice hero. "How could you keep this away from me?" He berates him, glaring at the older man with mock anger. "You've known since the entrance exams haven't you!"

Mic smiles guiltily as he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, looking to Aizawa for backup or an escape.

"The tournament is about to start, so you guys can yell at him later." The underground hero drawls, shooting all of them a glare, effectively ignoring the betrayed look sent his way by the voice hero. "Go on then." He says when neither of them makes a move to leave.

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"IT'S UA'S SPORTS FESTIVAL! FIRST UP, YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT!! THE UNBELIEVABLE RISING STARS WHO BRUSHED OFF A VILLAIN ATTACK WITH THEIR DETERMINATION ALONE!! THE HERO COURSE'S OWN CLASS 1-A!!"

Present Mic's voice booms from every speaker in the arena, his quirk amplifying his voice even more.

The crowd roars as they make their way out of the tunnel and into the sunlit arena. Present Mic announces the arrival of the rest of the classes next, the hero course students from 1B, the general education students followed by the business course, and the support course. He spots Hatsume, the name he's still getting used to, amongst the others, and shoots her a tentative smile. Glad for her familiar presence.

The R- Rated Hero Midnight makes her way onto the stage in the center of the arena, right in front of them. The black leotard she wears over her white bodysuit attracts many eyes and Izuku can't help but roll his eyes at the blushes he spots on many of the student's faces.

"Now for the athlete's oath! The student representative of this year is.... From class 1-A MIDORIYA IZUKU!!" She announces, her hand shooting up to point at him. It takes him a minute to realize the implication behind her statement and another to get his body to move. He hates having the attention focused solely on him. Hates the eyes that are trained on his every move. Judging and measuring him.

Whispers erupt from the students as he walks past them and up onto the stage, mentions of his score on the exams, and his performance with the zero pointer circling through the crowd. Most of them, however, talk about the band wrapped around his wrist, the implications visible for everyone to see.

If only someone had taken the time to warn him, he would have at least prepared something to say.

He steps up and takes the microphone from Midnight, thanking her in the process as he headed towards the center of the stage.

Clearing his throat, he feels both satisfied and mortified with the resulting silence that settles over the arena. Everyone staring intently at him, waiting for him to speak.

"Uhm... I know I'm supposed to say something inspirational right about now, but I'll just say this. I know most of you are going to give it your all and try your best. Just, remember to have fun, I guess. Plus Ultra and all that, right?" He knows what he must sound like, his voice is emotionless as ever, but it seems that the crowd got his general message. Slowly they start to clap until the arena is once again filled with a deafening roar that surrounds him from every direction.

"That was so manly Midoriya!" Kirishima whooped and bounced up to him, followed by Uraraka and Iida. Both of them congratulating him. He doesn't really get the excitement though. He barely said anything of importance.

"Now, without any delay, let's get the first event started!" Midnight gestured to the screen behind the stage. "These are the qualifiers, it's in this stage that so many are sent home crying every year! And the fateful first event of this year is... This!!!" She pointed at the previously white screen, now displaying in bold black letters 'OBSTACLE COURSE RACE'

"It's a race between every member of the eleven classes! The course is a 4-kilometer lap around the stadium itself! Our school preaches in all things!" The pro hero chuckled darkly. "So as long as you don't go off the course, everything is fair game! Racers! In position!"

Izuku looks ahead to the narrow gate that leads to the course, it was painfully clear what the first obstacle was. Making his way to the starting line with the rest of the students. His mind immediately forms a plan. Years of strategizing and planning having honed his mind and prepared him for almost anything.

This was going to be fun.

__________________________________

The obstacle course is laughably easy. His advanced skills and abilities make it so that he breezes through the hurdles in his way. Speeding past the examinees even before Todoroki freezes them in place. He jumps over the zero pointers, while simultaneously picking up a fallen piece of metal debris, determined to have some kind of sword-like weapon in his hold.

He knows he should probably slow down. Give the others a chance to catch up, but he can't help but give it his all in this. It's been a long time since he's had this much fun. A chance to go all out without hurting anyone.

He hears present Mic announce the third obstacle just as he races across the ropes of the fall. Body long ago accustomed to this kind of field. His activating time is shorter than he ever remembered them to be. Making it easier to switch and flow through different skills.

He reaches some kind of minefield just as Todoroki and Bakugou come into view behind him. The icy air hits his back as the teen approaches. The coolness jolt his body into action once again. Urging him to pick up the pace once more.

He races across the field, feet avoiding the mines with startling ease. He can feel the heat radiating from his eyes, a telltale sign of the activated detection skill he's using. He knows what he must look like to the observers. A blur whizzing across the arena, eyes glowing and feet moving at an incredible speed with every step. They were probably going crazy trying to figure out his quirk. Too bad none of them realized that he didn't have one.

He crosses the finish line a few moments later. Running out of the tunnel and into the arena. The sun is scorching, sweat drenches his clothes and trickles down his forehead. His limbs ache in a new, unfamiliar way, throbbing after the strain he put them through. His body in SAO never felt this way after a fight, never felt this real. A frightening satisfaction, settles in his heart as his chest heaves with ragged breath. It's all worth it though. Around him, the crowd roars. People are shouting and calling out his name, cheering for the winner of the first event. Cheering for him. He can't help the small smile that forms on his face. Feeling a little overwhelmed by all the attention.

His eyes unconsciously search the crowd, his heart hammering in his chest as he realizes that his search was useless. As he remembers that this missing piece would forever remain just that. An empty hole in his heart. A space that he'd never be able to fill again. He curses his momentary lapse. Curses his rising emotions.

He hears familiar voices calling out his names and turns around. In an instant, he's slammed by two figures. They all tumble to the ground in a mess of sweat and tangled limbs. He regains his bearings and looks up. The smiling faces of Hatsume and Kirishima greet him. They both seem as tired as him, Kirishima's shirt is torn at the shoulder and Liz has a gash on her forearm and elbow but there both beaming and gushing over his performance.

"Kirito! What the hell was that?!" She shouts just as they stand back up. He fist hitting his shoulder as she jumps up and down excitedly. "Was that what I think it was? How come you have your ski-"He stops her before she can finish her sentence, a hand immediately shooting up to cover her mouth before she can shout his secrets to the world.

"I'll explain later Lisbeth. I promise." He waits for her to nod before he takes his hand away. "Did you meet Kirishima by the way? Klein's brother." He watches in sly satisfaction as her eyes widen and she proceeds to hug the redhead just as enthusiastically.

"Are you really? Oh my god! Where is he!?" He leaves them just as Kirishima begins to respond and both of them make plans for them to all meet up soon. Trying his best to once again ignore the glare Todoroki aims his way.

He will never get used to Liz's levels of energy. The girl was an endless reserve of excitement and dynamism.

Midnight calls for them to gather around once more, the R-rated hero, ready to announce the second event just as the final students trickle past the finish line.

"The first round is officially over! The top 42 from the qualifying round will move on to the next round! And now the main selection really begins!" She declares with a flourish of movements.

"Now onto the next event! I already know what is it of course... Dying in suspense? Next is... THE CAVALRY BATTLE!" She reveals smugly, a dark smirk adorning her features, making the hair on his arms stand on end. "Participants will, on their own, form teams of two to four members each and get into a horse-and-rider formation. The rules are essentially the same as an ordinary cavalry battle- Snag your opponent's headbands while guarding your own, but with one exception..." She looks at them and her smirk grows wider." Each one of you gets a point value based on your ranking in the last event! Your point values start at five, so the 42nd contestant has five and the 41st has ten... Get it? But our first-place participant gets ten million points!!" She declares happily, a grin etched on her features as she points, once again, directly at him.

The stadium goes deadly silent, all of them are thinking the same thing. The highest-ranked students are the ones to aim for, this survival game is a chance at a comeback. It's anyone's game. Everyone will be out for blood and having the ten million headband is like having a giant bullseye on the forehead. Everyone will be gunning to take him down.

Izuku sigh tiredly, not really surprised at the turn of events. He's used to being the odd man out. Being a beater in SAO made sure of that.

Midnight continues her explanation, oblivious to animosity between the contestants that her words are creating. "Quirks are allowed so it's going to be a brutal fight! But this is still a cavalry battle so attacking the other contestants with the intent to make them fall will disqualify you! You have 15 minutes to form teams! Go!" She snaps her whip between her hands, grinning mischievously before stepping off the stage.

Izuku isn't surprised when Hatsume appears at his side just as the woman finishes her speech.

Her eagerness reminds him of an overgrown puppy as she declare being on his team. Not really giving him much of a choice. Although, he doesn't think he'd have it any other way anyway.

They need two more members, but he knows that it was going to be hard. He was the target after all. People wouldn't want to be on his team, in fear of becoming one themselves.

He thinks of Bakugou but quickly pushes the idea away. He knew the explosive teen well enough to know that the blonde would prefer to go against him. Prove his worth and all that.

He doesn't have to think for long though. A tap on his shoulder garners his attention. He turns around only to find himself face to face with Uraraka and Tokayami.

The girl shuffles from foot to foot nervously, the picture of uncertainty. "Hey Midoriya, I was wondering if we could be on your team?" He can't help the grin that forms on his face as he looks at them. Not many would risk teaming up with the ten million pointer.

He nods firmly at her, but he's saved from answering by Liz as she suddenly swings her arms around the gravity wielder. "Of course girl! Any friend of Kirito is a friend of mine!" She declares happily, not even noticing the distraught girl underneath her hold.

"K-Kirito?" She asks, any previous discomfort, making way for the confusion.

"Ah, that's my name in the games, you know..." He trails off, meeting Mei's eyes for permission before continuing. "Hatsume was in SAO too."

Realization dawns on the girl, her face twisting into awe and surprise as she switches her gaze to the pink-haired girl next to her.

"Hatsume Mei, better known as Lisbeth at your service." She introduces herself brightly, shaking Uraraka's hand just as enthusiastically.

Just like that, they have a team. The three turn his way as he calls for their attention. Ready to hear whatever plan he has.

Izuku grins as he explains his plan to the others.

This was going to be interesting.

______________________________

A blue glow emits from a computer screen, lighting up the darkness of the bar and the occupants within it.

"It seems your information was accurate Tomura." A disembodied voice erupts from the screen, glitchy and deep. "It looks like Subject X will be of use after all. Start with the preparations immediately." The voice orders darkly, no space for argument in his tone.

"Yes, master."