The remaining teams took their turns in the rescue round.
Some students performed impressively. Quirks flared across the artificial city—speed types sprinting across rooftops, strength types lifting debris, mobility types leaping between buildings.
The crowd cheered.
But after witnessing Ren's performance…
No matter how outstanding the others were, something felt missing.
Nothing matched the shock of a student clearing the entire map in a single minute.
By the end of the final round, the stadium atmosphere had settled into a strange mixture of excitement and lingering disbelief.
Sniper stood again atop the steel beam, scratching the side of his hat as he looked down at the results tablet.
"W-Well now…" he muttered into the microphone. "After tallyin' up all them numbers…"
He cleared his throat.
"The first place goes to… Team A..."
It was obvious.
...
Lunchtime.
Students began leaving the stadium in groups, heading toward the various areas their classes had reserved.
Ren walked calmly through one of the corridors leading outside.
He planned to meet up with his class and see how everyone else had performed.
As he walked, his thoughts drifted.
Fortunately…
Those citizens were mannequins.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
If they were real people, moving at that speed would have been dangerous.
Even with minimized air resistance, the shockwave alone could have killed them.
I need a Quirk that solves that problem if I want to keep up with this speed.
Something that would allow him to move at extreme speed without harming the environment or civilians.
"Ren!"
The call snapped him out of his thoughts.
He looked up.
Approaching him quickly was Momo.
Ren's expression softened instantly.
Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her gently closer.
"How did it go?" he asked.
Momo flushed slightly from the sudden closeness.
Even though they were officially a couple now, Ren's casual confidence still caught her off guard sometimes.
"G-Good," she replied, trying to maintain composure. "I passed both games."
Then she looked at him.
"And you? How did it go?"
Ren chuckled lightly.
"Decently."
Momo immediately puffed her cheeks in a small pout.
"What do you mean decently?" she said. "Everyone knows you completely crushed the second game."
Seeing that expression—
Ren's heart skipped a beat.
Without thinking, he leaned forward and kissed her.
Momo froze for a brief second in surprise.
Then she slowly melted into it.
When they separated, Ren smiled faintly.
"Momo… if you make faces that cute, I can't control myself."
Her face turned bright red.
She looked like she wanted to say something—but instead she suddenly grabbed his collar, pulled him down, and kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his neck to reach him.
A moment later, they parted again.
They looked into each other's eyes—
Flash!
Flash!
Flash!
Bright lights exploded around them.
"Ren Takeda! Is that your girlfriend?!"
"Ren! Who is this girl?!"
"Are you two dating?!"
Reporters.
Cameras surrounded them from multiple directions.
Ren's expression instantly hardened.
Then one reporter shouted another question.
"Ren! What about Chizuru Mizuhara—"
Before he could finish—
Ren lifted a hand.
Crack.
The camera pointed at him suddenly crumbled, its lens shattering into dust.
The cameraman stumbled back in shock.
"I won't answer any questions," Ren said calmly.
His eyes were cold.
Very cold.
The reporters immediately went silent.
One look at his expression told them clearly—
Pushing further would be a very bad idea.
Ren simply took Momo's hand and walked away.
No one followed.
...
After a few steps, the noise faded behind them.
Silence returned.
"Ren…" Momo said quietly.
He glanced at her.
"Just now… one of the reporters mentioned someone."
She hesitated.
"Chizuru Mizuhara."
Ren shrugged lightly.
"Ah. Yeah."
He didn't seem bothered at all.
Momo frowned slightly.
She wasn't exactly the type to follow celebrity gossip—being from a wealthy family meant that kind of thing rarely impressed her.
Still…
"What does she have to do with you?" she asked.
Ren answered casually.
"She's my ex."
Momo stopped walking.
Completely froze.
...
The lunch break eventually came to an end.
Spectators slowly returned to their seats as the stadium filled again with noise and anticipation.
Ren walked back alone.
He had left Momo a few minutes earlier… and she had still looked a little… troubled.
The next stage was starting.
At the center of the stadium, the third-year students were already lined up in front of the large platform where Sniper stood.
The massive arena screens flickered to life.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Sniper fired three shots into the sky.
"Alright now, listen up, you wild stallions!" he shouted, voice booming across the stadium. "It's time fer the real rodeo!"
The crowd cheered.
"This here's the tournament phase! One-on-one duels! Last rider standin' takes the glory!"
Bang!
He fired another shot dramatically.
"And don't you go holdin' back! This ain't no friendly barn dance!"
Suddenly—
The platform beneath his feet began to rumble.
Metal groaned.
Panels slid apart.
Sniper tipped his hat and jumped off just before the structure started transforming.
The massive platform unfolded outward like mechanical petals, expanding and reshaping itself.
Walls rose.
Barriers locked into place.
Within seconds, the structure had transformed into a combat arena.
The stadium roared.
Sniper landed smoothly beside the arena and raised his revolver again.
Bang!
Bang!
"Let's see who's got the guts to ride this storm!"
Behind him, a giant holographic screen lit up.
MATCH 1
Names began spinning rapidly like a roulette.
"First match is…" Sniper announced.
The wheel slowed.
"Yuya Haya and—"
The spinning stopped.
"Ren Takeda!"
For half a second—
Silence.
Then the stadium exploded.
Cheers thundered through the stands.
Everyone leaned forward eagerly.
They had all seen Ren's speed.
But one question remained in everyone's mind.
Was he only fast…
Or could he actually fight?
To be continued...
***
***
How was this chapter? Liked it?