Chapter 21: Part 21
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***
- Greetings, I heard that while I was busy, you ran into some baddies.
There was a confirming buzz around the classroom.
- I see... glad you're all alright though, you had Miruko with you and that Bunnygirl wouldn't let anything happen to you.
Sotrigolova nodded, confirming his words. And a wave of whispers travelled through the classroom.
- I have important news for you today....
We were looked at with an instantly heavier gaze.
- You seem to have relaxed a bit while I was away, don't you? Shall I arrange another class, but now with the weakest ones being eliminated instead of being relegated to other classes?
A sepulchral silence instantly descended on the class.
- That's right...
He nodded his head again.
- And now, I announce the upcoming event....
The class listened to Sotrigolova's words, but what was there to listen to? It was clear that he was about to announce that the Yuei Academy Sports Festival was about to begin in about a month. It's an annual festival and it takes place around the same time, give or take a week.
- In exactly one month, the Sports Festival will begin.
A new wave of whispers travelled through the classroom.
- Quiet...
He didn't seem to raise his voice, but Sterka has a way of making things creepy, so silence descended on the class again. And this time he chose to be quiet for a while, scrutinising the faces of the students.
- So... All of you must have watched this Festival more than once or twice. You've had your favourites. You have rejoiced at their victories and were upset at their defeats....
The disciples nodded their heads, hesitant to speak again.
- ...but I don't think any of you know the meaning of the Sports Festival for the students of the Academy. And it's not about making a name for yourself as a student or raising the Academy's popularity. No, those are all secondary, I would even say side goals....
- What's the main one?
Toru raised her hand to ask a question after a long silence. By the way, her appearance, so to speak 'incarnate', created a furore in the class. But the girl stoically endured the increased attention, which lasted for several days.
- Hakagure, right?
- Yes, teacher!
- Glad you were able to get some help...
Sterka nodded his head.
- ...As for your question, there are two global goals for students. The first is to advance to a higher class. It doesn't concern you, but if the members of the other classes perform well, they can become Class 1-A students. The other side of this issue concerns you. If you perform poorly, you could easily be promoted to another, less prestigious class.
A wave of shocked whispers travelled through the classroom, but quickly subsided under the teacher's heavy gaze.
- The second goal, more global... shortly after the Sports Festival, your first hero internship will be waiting for you. This internship takes place in the agencies of professional heroes, or alongside heroes without agencies. And how you perform will determine the number of internship offers you will receive.
- Master?
Tsuyu raised her hand.
- Yes, Asui?
- What happens if the offers don't come in?
Well, she won't. My Tsuyu will easily win people's hearts and perform extremely well. But she asked the right question.
- It will be fine... In this case, the Academy will provide you practice, but in this case, the practice will not be with current heroes, but with those who have retired. And your practice will consist of training under their guidance.
There was a sigh of relief in the classroom.
- Why are you so relaxed? Practice from the Academy is not that prestigious, and you can get not only training from the current heroes, but also experience in patrolling, encountering petty criminals, and a lot of other less obvious advantages. So you'd better do well at the Festival, and for that you'll have to prepare well....
After the end of the announcement Sterka simply left the classroom telling us to wait for the bell to ring. However, once we got to the door after the bell and opened it, we found a crowd of students just blocking our exit.
Inhale...
Exhale...
- Tz... what are you guys crowding for?
Katsuki didn't yell for a change, but he spoke in an extremely unfriendly tone, and his gaze was sure to mix the people who came in with shit.
- Come to gather information? You won't get anywhere anyway, losers are always losers....
- You! I'm going back to Hero class!
The short kid who was transferred from us after Sterka's first test jumped into the crowd. He seemed to have picked up some temerity....
At that very moment, the kid turned pale under Katsuki's gaze and stopped jumping and hid in the crowd.
Ah, no, I jumped to conclusions.
- You, with your disdainful gaze and your blonde hair standing up straight, you seem quite arrogant... Are all the students in the Hero class like that?
- No...
I grinned at the guy with indigo-coloured mussed hair who had stepped out ahead of the main crowd. He had very large bruises under his eyes from lack of sleep.
- ...Some more, some less....
I shrugged.
- Oh, and you...
- Izuku Midoriya, I don't have a quirk.
- That can't be right!
A blond guy with combed hair and grey eyes came forward and grabbed my arm...
A couple of seconds and he lets go of me and stares dumbfounded at his hand. Clenches it into a fist and unclenches it, then looks confused, first at me and then at the others.
- I don't feel anything... my quirk, Copying, it allows me to copy someone else's quirk....
He dazedly examines his hand and touches me once more before releasing me again.
- Nothing...I always know what quirk I copied...I know how to activate it.....
He looks at me dumbfounded.
- HOW?! How could a person without a quirk get into the heroes' faculty!
I grinned.
- That's none of your business, all you need to know is that I'm one of the strongest students in our class.
- One of? And who are the others?
This question was shouted from the crowd.
- Tsuyu Asui, Katsuki Bakugo, and perhaps Shoto Todoroki, but that's not in order of strength.
- You?! What the hell are you telling them?!
I glanced at Katsuki.
- Katsuki, my friend, the more information they have, the harder it will be for us....
- Exactly! What is it?!
- It's simple...
I grinned.
- ...the harder it is for us, the stronger we will become in order not to lose to them. It's an incentive to evolve, so to speak.
I jumped forward and for a second, with my hand glued to the doorjamb, grouped myself sharply and threw myself up to the ceiling of the corridor, from which I pushed off and found myself on the floor behind the crowd.
- А?!
The crowd looked sharply in my direction.
- How come?! You don't have a quirk, do you?!
A blond man made his way towards me through the crowd.
- What's so interesting? Acquired mutations.
I decided not to breed unnecessary secrets after all, but I didn't say more, instead I pulled out my phone and dialled one of the numbers displayed on the main screen.
- Yes?
- Shall we swing?
- Sure!
Rumi's voice, sounding cheerful and even enthusiastic.
- Six o'clock at your place?
- Yeah, I'll be waiting! And buy some carrots!
I hung up the phone, but Tsuyu, who just like me got out of the classroom with a few jumps, had already called the Cats and agreed with them about the class.
- We'll prepare separately...
- Kwa...
- And at the Festival we're going to oppose each other?
- Kwa...
I grinned and put my arm around Tsuyu's shoulders.
- Kwa, we'll be opponents.
- Are you sure?
- Yes.
- Well, good luck to you, Frog.
- And you Spidey.
She kissed me on the cheek, but we continued walking beside each other and our goal was the workshop, only after visiting which we went to training...
*** A few hours later. ***
I was lying on the grass...
I was choking heavily on my breath...
Rumi sat next to me and smiled. A smile that was so light and uncharacteristic of her. Though just a few minutes ago, during the sparring session, she had a different smile on her face. Wild. Fierce. Eager for battle.
- Are you really okay with this?
- М?
- You know, the way our sparring sessions are going?
- Yeah.
My tone was quite light-hearted, and Rumi didn't like it. She frowned slightly.
- You shouldn't be so flippant....
I sighed.
- Rumi... I'm really fine with it. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have called you, I'd have called Tiger. Yes, he'd have to pay because he's not a battle maniac and he won't fight for nothing. But you know I'm not poor and could easily pay for those lessons. But I called you...
I turn my head slightly to catch her gaze.
- When I called, I knew what I was getting into. I knew exactly how we were going to spar, and I knew you wouldn't have to explain anything.
Rumi's ears bent slightly, showing her confusion.
- So... You just... just decided to... train with me?
- Yes.
- Then get up...
I blinked and struggled to stand up, not bothering to argue with her.
- Now that I've quenched my thirst for battle a bit, I just can't let your act go unanswered... So I can try to give you some OBVIOUS training.
- Are you sure?
I grinned.
- Yeah...
She took a deep breath and exhaled very slowly.
- ...I'm going to hold back. So attack.
I sighed and attacked....
Slowly I open my eyes....I am lying on the grass....my head hurts.....
- Sorry...
Sitting next to me is Rumi, her ears are down even more now and you can see from them as well as her expression and eyes that she is extremely remorseful.
- You couldn't help yourself?
- Mm-hmm...
- Shall we try again?
She blinked and surprise began to show on her face.
- And you.
- You just call Healing Girl if you need anything. And you'll need experience, since the teaching job you signed up for will require you to learn how to balance your power....