Chapter 29 – Obstacles Race I
The chorus of voices rang out. Even those who had been unable to enter the arena and had to content themselves with watching the event through the giant screens felt enraged by the speech; they seemed to be standing at attention, waving as if they were in the army.
That speech reverberated throughout Japan. Like a fire, it spread through houses, streets and fields. Everyone heard that story, which was intended to pay homage to pure courage and human sacrifice.
««««CADIA STAND!»»»»
The motto was uttered by every person burned by that story, infected by the memory and meaning that those words carried. Listeners felt the need- no, that they must honour those brave souls, putting everything they had on the line. Men and women, children and elderly, Heroes and Villains, traditionalists and reformists, none of them doubted the veracity of that story and even if it hadn't been true they didn't care, because the message was conveyed crystal clear: it doesn't matter if your house was destroyed, it doesn't matter if no one comes to save you, it doesn't matter if you are broken in body or spirit, spit in the face of tragedy and get up; the actions performed by what is believed to be right and the acceptance of the consequences they generate, means living. That is the duty of every human being, and only in death does duty end.
*****
Izuku observed every face, recording with his eyes every emotion of those present. His speech, his encouragement, the story of the Fall of Cadia was, and still is, a gamble.
A gamble: not for himself, as Quirkless, but to move what is human in a stagnant society dependent on heroes, who, for the most part, have lost the true purpose of their role. And, as he expected, he could notice that those most convinced of the power of the Quirks were horrified by his speech.
I already imagine Nezu will want to have a couple of chats after the Festival. He thought, amused.
He let a few minutes pass and then struck again with his spear, making that now familiar dry sound resonate, which was enough to silence everyone. He took his gaze to Midnight and nodded. The Heroine seemed to emerge from her trance, blushing slightly from embarrassment. He cleared his throat and began to speak.
«Well, I thank Midoriya-san for the opening speech that inflamed the spirits of everyone present!» she thanked, then turned to a giant screen behind her, where a roulette wheel began to spin «Now, for the first event, also known as 'preliminaries', which has always brought many home in tears, the students will try this!»
Roulette stopped and highlighted only one sentence: Obstacles Race.
«A 4km race between all 11 classes. Exactly the radius of the stadium!» began explaining Midnight as the students made their way to the starting line.
In that crowd of students, Izuku noticed Melissa looking at him. Her eyes were full of motivation and communicated only one thing to him: I will not disappoint you. Izuku responded with an amused smile. Amused because he didn't ask her to achieve anything at this festival.
The reason he gave her that handicap is to make her use and make the most of Conservai. She must observe and make immediate decisions, adapting to what she faces to achieve the strategic objective. And in this case, the goal is to reach the finish line regardless of her position. Obviously, if she arrives first, all the better. But even being first can come with unwanted burdens and expectations.
«We always boast about the freedom of our campus. Fufufufu…» Midnight chuckled sensually, sending a shiver running through Izuku «This is the theme of the race! You can do whatever you want, just stay on the path.»
I don't know why, but… suddenly I pity the students.
«Now enough talking! Are you ready?!» the traffic light above the starting line flashed «GOOOO!» Midnight exclaimed when it turned green.
All the students snapped, clogging the doors at the starting line, making Izuku sigh because they hadn't understood. Well, at least almost everyone.
Students in Class 1A used their quirks or other means to overcome the mass; in particular, they were struck by how his classmate, Shoto, used ice to slow others down or directly block them, and by how many students suddenly began carrying the indigo boy, who had come to declare war on them. Interesting.
And Melissa? She immediately realised that, given the initial heat and blindness, the students would block the entrance, so she used an unorthodox method: she used the heads, shoulders, and backs of others as supports to jump forward, using what little parkour she had learned and the slipperiness of Shoto's ice. When Melissa used them as trampolines, she apologised; many cursed, but realising they had been "used" by a pretty girl, they suddenly smiled, as if they had no remorse about dying tomorrow.
Apparently, there is no shortage of perverts and masochists in the UA he thought, sighing again.
The sound of something being hit heavily by the metal drew Izuku's attention back to the race, noting how a certain self-propelled bunch of grapes had been thrown away by a huge armoured fist. Mineta… learn to look around before diving headfirst into action.
«And suddenly the first obstacle of the race appears!!» Present Mic shouted «It's going to be a Robo Inferno!!!»
«You're too loud» Aizawa said, annoyed.
Apparently, Present Mic and Professor Aizawa had the task, forced for the last one, of commenting on the race. But at the moment, it doesn't matter.
Shoto was currently leading the race, and his gaze was dangerously determined. His heterochromatic eyes expressed a desire to arrive first… only out of contempt and resentment. If those eyes hadn't been contaminated by such dark feelings, it would have been better.
«Since my shitty old man is watching.» Izuku understood, lip-reading
Oh, so it's a family matter… now I'm really disappointed.
With a wave of his hand, Shoto froze the robots in front of him, blocking them and using the opportunity to pass. Other students, seeing him, did not hesitate to take advantage of the opportunity… Too bad Todoroki-san froze them in a position where they will collapse from their weight.
And, as he predicted, the robots fell, creating an obstacle for all the students, who had to stop to move the rubble. But if that was the plan, it hadn't been conceived correctly. After all, it could be bypassed even if you encountered other giant robots or easily climbed over by students like Bakugou with his Quirk Explosion, Sero with his Quirk Tape, or Tokoyami by leveraging collaboration with his sentient Quirk, Dark Shadow.
Izuku did not miss a single movement of any student, studying and memorising every single piece of information at an absurd speed. He noticed how his classmates approached the various robots with the calm of those who had already fought, while many other students were petrified or panicked, unsure how to overcome the obstacle.
Melissa, on the other hand, used her head and the Conservai to the full. Robots have simple programming and, as a result, are predictable. She used the same robots to destroy each other as she advanced, never stopping. She even took the metal plate with the still-attached circuits of a destroyed robot, to use as a club or as a shield to deflect mechanical fists, without ever stopping. Her eyes were not fixed: they moved continuously, spotting breaches and shortcuts in the robots' line. Melissa never stopped fighting unless it was absolutely necessary.
Not bad, my student. thought amused. Even though she is making the most of what little I have taught her about the personal use of the Conservai, her vision remains too narrow. It focuses too much on the individual objective, ignoring how it can be exploited, she can be exploited, or hindered by allies, enemies, and the terrain itself.