Immediately after the last episode. 

"'I am here.'" Izuku mumbles. "But how...?"

'Becoming the next 'Shining Light of Hope'. I hope I can live up to those standards.' Naoko thinks to himself.

Io sits back down as All Might walks back over to the couch.

"You know the sports festival system, right?" All Might asks.

"Yes, of course!" Naoko and Izuku say together. 

Izuku continues as All Might sits down. "The support, business, general studies, and hero courses come together and fight through preliminary games of different types by class year. The students who make it through face off in the finals. It's a round-robin tournament divided by grade."

All Might points to Izuku and Naoko. "That's right! In other words, you can sell yourselves with everything you've got!"

"Right..." Izuku says, causing All Might to spit out blood and the couch falls backwards. 

"Ohhhh..." Io calmly says as he falls back with the couch.

Naoko sweat drops and Izuku panics slightly. "I mean, what you say is absolutely correct!" Izuku quickly says, then he starts to mutter. "But honestly, it's kind of hard to get completely into it right after what just happened... Besides, All Might is already teaching me, and Io's teaching Naoko, so I'm not as motivated to stand out at the sports festival... In the first place, I don't think I can stand out in my current state, and I did terribly in the fitness tests..."

All Might spits out more blood. "No one's better at spouting nonsense than you!"

Io rubs his temples. "So much talking..."

"Nonsense?" Izuku asks.

"I have to stand out." Naoko says. "I got a lot of people watching me, so I'm only gonna settle for first place."

Io holds his hand up and gives Naoko a thumbs up.

"Those who are always aiming for the top, and those who aren't." All Might starts. "That slight difference in attitudes will have a big impact once you go out into society. I understand how you feel, and this is more for me than for you. I won't force you. However, I hope you won't forget how you felt back at the beach park."

A few minutes later, Izuku and Naoko leave.

Io and All Might get up and they set the couch back up.

Suddenly Io grabs his arm in pain and he grunts.

"Sir, are you okay?" All Might asks.

Io grunts and takes a deep breath. "Just left over pain from the fight with the Knight." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a bottle of pills and opens it.

"What are those?"

"Just some pain meds." Io shakes a pill out of the bottle and swallows it and puts the pill bottle back in his pocket. "I need to grade some tests, so see you later All Might." Io walks out of the room.

All Might stares at the doorway in worry.

Later in Class 1-A

Everyone is standing near the door in shock. In the entry way is a bunch of students.

"Wh-What's going on?" Uraraka shouts.

Hagakure stands next to Naoko as he stares at the students in shock. "There's a lot of people." Hagakure states.

Iida holds a hand up. "What business do you have with Class A?"

Mineta takes a couple steps forward. "We can't get out!" He holds a fist up. "What'd you come here for, anyway?"

Bakugo walks over to the group. "Scouting out the enemy, small fry." He walks to the group of students as Naoko deadpans at him. "We're the ones who made it out of the villains' attack. They probably wanna check us out before the sports festival." He stops and looks at all the students. 

"There's no point in doing stuff like that." Bakugo states. "Out of my way, extras!"

Iida, Uraraka, Izuku and Naoko pop up a little ways behind Bakugo.

Iida chops the air. "Stop calling people 'extras' just because you don't know them!"

"You're gonna make people hate us more than they already do!" Naoko says.

A voice speaks up from the crowd of students. "I came to see what the famous Class A was like, but you seem pretty arrogant." The person makes his way through the crowd. "Are all the students in the hero course like this?"

Everyone behind Bakugo shake their heads, while Bakugo just groans.

"Seeing something like this makes me disillusioned." The purple haired students says. "There are quite a few people who enrolled in general studies or other courses because they didn't make it into the hero course. Did you know that? I even heard that there's an extra student here that got in because a Pro favors them." He looks at Naoko, casing him to sweat. Then he looks back to Bakugo. "The school has left those of us a chance. Depending on the results of the sports festival, they'll consider our transfer into the hero course. And it seems they may also transfer people out."

Everyone tenses up and Hagakure hugs Naoko's arm.

"Scouting out the enemy?" Shinso questions as he looks to everyone else in the room. "I, at least, came to say that even if you're in the hero course, if you get too carried away, I'll sweep your feet out from under you. I came with a declaration of war."

'This person's bold, too!' A few of Class 1-A think.

Everyone stares at each other for a few seconds, before someone from Class B comes over and yells. "Hey Hey Hey Hey. I'm from Class B next door! I heard you fought against villains, so I came to hear 'bout it! Don't get so full of yourself!"

"He's so loud." Hagakure says as she hugs Naoko's arm tighter.

Tetsutetsu continues to yell. "If you bark to much, it'll be embarrassing for you durin' the real fight!"

'I'm a fox, so it's natural for me to bark.' Naoko thinks to himself.

Bakugo just walks out of the room and past everyone. "You ignorin' me, bastard?!" Tetsutesu yells.

Kirishima runs over to the front of the group. "Wait a minute, Bakugo!" Bakugo stops. "What're you gonna do about this? It's your fault that everyone's hating on us!"

Bakugo glances back to Kirishima. "It doesn't matter."

"Huh?!"

Bakugo looks to the students next to him. "It doesn't matter as long as you rise to the top." He walks through the crowd of students.

"Damnit, you bastard!" Tetsutetsu yells at Bakugo.

Kirishima tightens a fist and a tear forms in the corner of his eye. "That's so simple and manly!"

"Everyone is gonna hate us now." Naoko sweat drops. 

"The top, huh?" Tokoyami questions. "There is truth in that."

"Hang on, don't be tricked!" Kaminari tries to reason. "He just made more pointless enemies!"

"That's right!" Mineta yells. "We'll just be at a disadvantage at the sports festival!"

"Bakugo's gonna get us killed." Naoko says.

"Then we'll just have to try our hardest!" Hagakure says.

Later

At a city park we see Naoko in a sweat suit, running.

'We have two weeks to prepare ourselves for the sports festival.' Naoko thinks. 'I need to win this, I have many people counting on me.'

"On your left." Io runs past Naoko.

Then we see Naoko in a gym punching a punching bag.

'I may not have a strong quirk as a few others, but I'm a sly fox.' Naoko smirks to himself.

Then we see Naoko in a forest with his eyes closed. His ears swivel around as he tilts his head to his side. "You're five meters to my left." 

"Good job!" Hagakure's voice is heard.

Then we see Naoko jumping around, avoiding kicks from Rumi.

"Fast!" Rumi yells and she charges at Naoko.

'Io and Rumi have been pushing me to my limits.' Naoko thinks to himself.

The morning of the Sports Festival.

'Then it was the day of the Sports Festival.'

Naoko is in the bathroom and he's brushing his tail. He moves a few hairs to the side and sees a scar and he gains a face of despair. "My perfect tail, ruined!"

"NAOKO!" Rumi yells from downstairs. "STOP WORRYING ABOUT YOUR TAIL! YOU'RE GONNA BE LATE!"

Naoko barks and he throws his comb to the side and runs down stairs, past Rumi and he grabs his bag next to the door. "See you later!" Naoko opens the door.

"I'll be watching closely." Rumi yells as Naoko slams the door shut.

Later in the Class 1-A waiting room.

Naoko is messaging his fox paws as he sits at a table.

"Man... I wanted to wear my costume." Ashido complains.

Ojiro turns to Ashido. "To keep everything fair, we can't."

"I wonder what the first round's gonna be..." Sato wonders. 

Tokoyami closes his eyes. "No matter what comes, we have no choice but to deal with it."

"I'm gonna kick this tournament's ass!" Naoko yells.

"Yeah!" Hagakure cheers.

The door to the room opens and Iida stands there. "Everyone, are you ready? We will be entering soon."

Naoko jumps up and stretches his arms. "I'm more than ready." Izuku takes a step back from him.

"Midoriya, Usagiyama." Todoroki says as he walks over to the two.

"Todoroki?" Izuku questions.

"Need something?" Naoko asks and everyone looks over to the three.

"Looking at things objectively, I think I'm stronger than you both." Todoroki claims.

"Y-Yeah..." Izuku says.

"For now." Naoko says with a smirk. 

"But... All Might and Io have their eyes on you two, don't they." Todoroki asks. Izuku gasps and Naoko narrows his eyes. "I'm not trying to pry about that. But I'm going to beat you both."

Naoko holds up a fist and clenches it. "Bring it on."

"Oh? Is the best in class making a declaration of war?" Kaminari questions. 

Kirishima walks over and puts a hand on Todoroki's shoulder. "Hey, hey, hey! Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden? Not now, we're about to start!"

Todoroki knocks Kirishima's hand off his shoulder. "We're not here to play at being friends." He turns around and walks away. "So what does it matter?"

"Todoroki, I don't know what you're thinking when you say you'll beat us, but of course you're better than me." Izuku states. "I think you're more capable than most people... Looking at it objectively..."

Kirishima holds his hands up to calm Izuku down. "Midoriya, you probably shouldn't talk so negatively..."

"But, everyone-- The students from the other courses are aiming for the top with everything they've got! I can't afford to fall behind. I'll be going for it with everything I have, too."

Naoko then smirks. "And I ain't stopping till I get number one. Not matter how strong you are, you won't stop me. So I'll give everything I got!"

"Yeah." Todoroki says.

Later in the stadium.

A screen turns on and we see Present Mic. "Hey!" The audience cheers. "Pay attention, audience! Swarm, mass media!"

Up in the announcer booth is Aizawa, Present Mic and Io. Io's cuffs are hidden by his costume.  

Present Mic continues. "This year's high school rodeo of adolescence that you all love, the U.A. sports festival, is about to begin! Everybody, are you ready?! It's time for the students to enter the first-year stage!"

Class 1-A walks out of the tunnel and Naoko looks around. People cheer as the students walk towards the center of the field. Naoko keeps looking in the crowd and he spots Rumi, in her hero costume, sitting with other pro heroes. 

Rumi nods to Naoko and he nods back with determination. 

"The U.A. sports festival!" Present Mic shouts into the microphone. "The huge battle where fledgling heroes sharpen their swords once a year! Anyway, these are the guys, right? The miraculous new stars who overcame enemy attacks with their hearts of steel! Hero course, Class 1-A, right?!"

The crowd cheers down at the students. 

Naoko rubs his ears. "So loud."

Hagakure jumps next to Naoko. "I'm sure you'll get used to it."

Izuku nervously looks around. "Th-Th-There are so many people..."

"Will we be able to give our best performance being watched by so many people?" Iida questions. "This is also part of the training required to become a hero."

"Man, he's going overboard with that praise!" Kirishima comments. "I'm getting nervous! Aren't you, Bakugo?"

Bakugo smirks. "No, I'm just getting more into it."

"That 'cause you're crazy." Naoko mumbles.

"You got something to say, Mutt!" Bakugo yells at Naoko.

"Maybe I do!"

The two but heads together and growl at each other.

"They haven't been getting as much airtime, but this class is also full of talent!" Present Mic says as Class 1-B walks onto the field. "Hero course, Class 1-B!" More classes walk onto the field. "Next up, general studies Classes C, D, and E! Support course, Classes F, G, and H are here, too! And business courses, Classes I, J, and K!" The audience cheers. "All of U.A's first years are here now!"

"Woah, there's a lot of people to go against!" Hagakure states.

"And I'm gonna kick all their butts!" Naoko holds up a fist and clenches it. 

Everyone gathers in front of a stage with Midnight on it with a tassel in her hand.

"Time for the player pledge!" Midnight yells as people blush.

Naoko looks away from Midnight with a small blush on his face.

"What is Ms. Midnight wearing?" Kirishima asks with a blush on his face.

"Is that even school appropriate?" Hagakure asks.

"That's an R-Rated Hero for you." Kaminari says with a blush on his face.

"Is it okay for her to be at a high school even though she's R-Rated?" Tokoyami asks.

Mineta gives a thumbs up. "Yes!" Naoko kicks him to the ground.

"Quiet, everyone!" Midnight yells and she snaps her tassel to the side. "Representing the students is Katsuki Bakugo from Class 1-A!"

Everyone looks to Bakugo as he walks to the stage.

"What? It's Kacchan?" Izuku asks.

"That guy did finish first in the entrance exam." Sero states.

A female student sighs. "In the hero course."

"People sure do hate us." Naoko sighs.

"And it's all Bakugo's fault." Kaminari says.

Bakugo walks up the stairs and onto the stage. He goes over to the microphone. 

"I pledge--" Bakugo starts. "That I'll be number one."

"I knew he'd do that!" Class 1-A yells.

The other classes start to boo Bakugo.

Iida takes a few steps forward and chops the air. "Why are you doing something so disgraceful?!"

Bakugo turns around. "At least become a nice bouncy step for me to jump off of." He gives a thumbs down.

"How overconfident can you get?" Tetsutetsu yells. "I'll crush you!"

Bakugo walks back towards his class as Iida chops at the air, complaining to Bakugo.

'Like he's gonna be number one!' Naoko yells in his head. 'I'm gonna take it out from under you.'

"Now, let's get started right away." Midnight says into her microphone. "The first game is what you'd call a qualifier! Every year, many drink their tears here! Now, here is the fateful first game!" A board appears behind her and a spinner is going. "This year, it's..." The spinner stops on an Obstacle Race. "...this!"

Naoko smiles. "Easy peasy."

"Oh, I hope I do well." Hagakure mumbles to herself and Naoko pats her head.

"All 11 classes will participate in this race." Midnight says. "The course will be the outer circumference of this stadium--about four kilometers!" She holds up her tassel. "Our school's selling point is freedom!" She licks her lips and smirks at the students. "As long as you stay on the course, it doesn't matter what you do!" The audience cheers. "Now, take your places everyone!"

Everyone goes over to a giant gateway and three green lights above the door.

'I'm gonna win this, Io.' Naoko thinks as he stretches his legs and one light goes out.

Hagakure does a few stretches as another light goes out.

'You better be watching, Rumi!' Naoko yells in his head.

The third light goes out.

"Start!" Midnight yells.

Everyone begins to run through the entry way.

"Okay, here's the play-by-play!" Present Mic yells into his microphone and he looks to the two other pro heroes. "Are you ready to do the commentary, Mummy Man? Io?"

"You're the one who forced me to come." Aizawa states.

"I was promised food." Io says.

"Let's get started right away, Mummy Man. Io." Present Mic says. "What should we pay attention to in the early stages?"

"This part right now." Aizawa claims.

"It's getting pretty crowded." Io says.

As everyone tries to make their way through the doorway, people start getting stuck.

Naoko's ears twitch and he jumps up, just barley avoiding the ice forming on the ground.

Todoroki runs past everyone. "Sorry, but..."

Naoko is running on top of the ice as his claws dig into the ice for traction. Bakugo, Kirishima, Aoyama and Momo also get through.

"Take that!" Bakugo yells.

"I ain't going down that easy!" Noako yells.

"Naive, Todoroki!" Momo yells. 

"I won't let you get away so easily!" Bakugo yells as he flies through the air with his quirk. "You half-and-half bastard!"

Ojiro and Tokoyami avoid the ice too.

Ashido uses her acid to melt some ice as she runs.

The students in the back struggle to walk on the ice.

Naoko looks back. "I hope Toru got through." He runs past Kirishima and Aoyama.

"More people outside of Class A were able to dodge that than I expected..." Todoroki mumbles to himself.

Noako ducks as a two pointer tries to attack him. "These things?!" Naoko axe kicks the robot in the head, destroying it.

"Obstacles have shown up suddenly!" Present Mic says. "Starting with... the first barrier! Robo Inferno!"

"Ooohhhh!" Io's is in awe.

Naoko looks up to the three Zero pointers above him. "Not these things."

"Aren't those the zero-point villains from the entrance exam?" Kaminari yells.

Students yell their surprises. 

"So this what they used in the general entrance exam?" Todoroki asks.

"I wonder where they got the money for it?" Momo asks.

"So this is what they used the money I donated for." Io says in his microphone. 

The Zero pointers move to attack.

"If they went through all this trouble, I wish they would've prepared something better. Since my stupid old man is watching." Todoroki complains as he freezes one of the zero pointers, then he runs off.

Naoko blinks a few times. "He's much more powerful than I thought." He runs after Todoroki. "You ain't getting away from me!"

The Zero pointers begin to fall over and Naoko yelps in surprise as he moves side to side and avoids the scrap metal. 

"Todoroki from Class 1-A!" Present Mic yells. "He attacked and defended in one hit! How elegant! Amazing! He's the first one through with Usagiyama not far behind! It's, you know, practically unfair!"

"His actions are logical and strategic." Aizawa says.

"It helped him while distracting others." Io says.

"As expected of someone who got in through recommendations!" Present Mic yells."He'd never fought them before, but those Robo Infernos couldn't get past his elite moves!"

Naoko looks back to see the rest of the robots moving in on the rest of the students. 'I'm sorry, but it's every man and Woman for themselves.'

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11-08-2022

3231 words