The crowd was electric, roaring in excitement after the first event of the U.A. Sports Festival.
The biggest story?
Reiji Kurobane's overwhelming victory.
He hadn't just won. He had obliterated the competition.
And now, all eyes were on him.
Back in the waiting area, the competitors gathered, catching their breath after the brutal obstacle race.
Most of them were exhausted.
Reiji?
He barely looked fazed.
Bakugo sat across the room, his entire body trembling—not from exhaustion, but from pure rage.
"That bastard," he muttered, fists clenched. He had never felt this humiliated.
Meanwhile, Todoroki stood off to the side, his usual calm demeanor slightly cracked.
Reiji had beaten him. Easily.
And that didn't sit right with him.
Deku, on the other hand, watched Reiji with a mix of admiration and concern.
[He's too strong… But why does it feel like he doesn't care?]
Reiji stretched his arms, yawning. This was getting boring.
That's when Midnight walked onto the stage, twirling her whip.
"Alright, my little stars! The first event is done, but now… things get interesting!"
The screens above flashed with the next event.
Second Event: The Cavalry Battle
The students immediately perked up.
Unlike the Obstacle Course, which was every person for themselves, the Cavalry Battle was all about teamwork.
Midnight continued, grinning. "Each student will form a four-person team. The goal? Steal and hold onto headbands that represent different point values!"
Reiji's smirk faded slightly.
[Team event, huh? Tch.]
Midnight's grin widened. "Oh, and one more thing! The student who ranked first place in the previous event… gets a special headband."
The screens flashed.
1st Place Headband – 10 Million Points
Silence.
Then—
The entire room erupted into chaos.
"10 million?!"
"That's insane!"
"Whoever gets that headband is guaranteed to make it to the final round!"
Reiji's smirk returned.
[So I'm the target now.]
He could feel their gazes on him.
Some were calculating.
Some were nervous.
Some, like Bakugo and Todoroki, were already looking at him like prey.
Reiji chuckled.
[Come and try.]
Building the Teams
Students immediately rushed to form teams, alliances being made in an instant.
Reiji, however, simply stood still.
He wasn't the type to beg for teammates. If anything… they should be coming to him.
And sure enough, they did.
The first person to approach was Momo Yaoyorozu.
"I'll join you," she said confidently.
Reiji raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"
Momo nodded. "You're the biggest target. Which means you need strategy, not just power."
Reiji smirked. "Fair point."
A few seconds later, another voice cut in.
"I'll join too."
It was Froppy (Tsuyu Asui).
Reiji turned to her. "Oh? Didn't think you'd be interested."
Tsuyu shrugged. "Ribbit. You're strong. And I like winning."
Reiji grinned. "Smart girl."
Now, they had three members.
They needed one more.
That's when a quiet voice spoke up.
"I'll join too."
Reiji turned and blinked.
It was Tokoyami.
The dark, bird-headed student stood calm and composed.
Reiji smirked. "Dark Shadow, huh? Why me?"
Tokoyami's expression didn't change. "Because I want to see how strong you really are."
Reiji grinned.
[This is perfect.]
With Momo's strategy, Tsuyu's agility, and Tokoyami's Dark Shadow for defense…
This was a team built to win.
The Battle Begins
"Alright, students! Get ready!" Midnight's voice echoed through the stadium.
The teams took their positions, headbands secure.
Reiji's 10 Million Point Headband practically glowed like a beacon.
Every other student in the stadium was staring at him.
They all wanted it.
And he knew it.
Midnight raised her whip.
"Ready… GO!"
BOOM!
The moment the battle began, chaos erupted.
Teams immediately rushed toward Reiji's group, their eyes locked on the 10 million point prize.
But Reiji?
He was already moving.
"Tsuyu, jump!"
Without hesitation, Tsuyu used her powerful legs to leap high into the air, carrying their entire team upward.
The other teams missed completely, crashing into each other instead.
Reiji grinned.
[Too slow.]
From the announcer booth, Present Mic shouted excitedly.
"WOAH! REIJI'S TEAM IS ALREADY IN THE AIR! THEY'RE AVOIDING THE ATTACKS BEFORE THEY EVEN START!"
Aizawa, watching from the pro hero seats, sighed. "Tch. Of course he'd come up with a way to avoid direct combat."
All Might, sitting nearby, watched carefully.
"This will be interesting."
Back in the arena, Reiji's golden eyes flicked downward, scanning the battlefield.
His main threats?
Bakugo's team and Todoroki's team.
Bakugo, as expected, was BLASTING his way toward them, screaming like a madman.
"GIVE ME THAT DAMN HEADBAND!!"
Todoroki, on the other hand, was calm and calculating, freezing the ground to control enemy movement.
[Two different types of threats.]
Reiji smirked. This was fun.
"Alright," he said to his team. "Let's play."
Tsuyu kept them highly mobile, leaping from place to place.
Momo created flash grenades, throwing them down to blind the enemies.
Tokoyami's Dark Shadow lashed out, blocking incoming attacks.
And Reiji?
He was waiting.
Baiting.
Then—
Bakugo exploded forward, launching himself directly at Reiji.
This was it.
Reiji vanished in a burst of Hellfire.
The moment Bakugo reached him—
He was already gone.
Bakugo's eyes widened.
"WHAT—?!"
Reiji reappeared behind him.
And tagged his headband instead.
Swipe.
Bakugo froze.
The crowd gasped.
"WAIT A MINUTE! REIJI JUST STOLE BAKUGO'S HEADBAND!!"
Reiji twirled the stolen headband in his fingers, grinning.
Bakugo trembled with fury.
"Y-YOU SON OF A—!!"
But before he could react, the buzzer rang.
"TIME'S UP!"
The Cavalry Battle ended.
Reiji held onto his 10 Million Headband… and had even stolen extra points.
Once again…
He was in first place.
The stadium ERUPTED in cheers.
Todoroki stood still, his fists clenched.
Bakugo?
Bakugo was about to explode.
Reiji smirked, spinning the headband on his finger.
Two events down.
Only one remained.
End of Chapter 13.
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