Chapter 6: The Day Without Cheers
The morning felt wrong.
Not dark.
Not cold.
Just… quiet.
UA was awake, but it wasn't alive the way it usually was. Conversations were shorter. Footsteps more careful. Even the air felt tight, like it was holding its breath.
I walked with the others toward Training Ground Gamma.
No one joked.
No one complained.
Even Bakugo didn't shout.
That scared me more than anything.
The arena came into view — wide, reinforced, surrounded by high barriers and observation towers. Teachers stood posted at intervals, their expressions unreadable, eyes sharp.
This wasn't training.
This was judgment.
We were lined up in groups, names checked, quirks noted again — like UA wanted to remind itself what kind of monsters it had agreed to raise.
Aizawa stood at the center.
Sleeping bag gone.
Eyes fully open.
That alone told me how serious this was.
"You already know why you're here," he said. "So I won't repeat myself."
His gaze passed over us slowly.
"This assessment will proceed until only one remains standing in each group," he continued. "You will fight when your name is called. You will stop when ordered."
Someone swallowed audibly.
"Do not expect fairness," Aizawa added. "Heroes don't get it."
He stepped back.
"Begin."
---
Watching First
I wasn't called immediately.
Part of me was relieved.
The other part hated it.
The first pair entered the ring.
They bowed out of habit — something left over from normal training.
That habit died fast.
The fight was brutal.
Not because of skill.
Because of permission.
One student went all out instantly, flames roaring, heat warping the air. The other panicked and overused their quirk trying to respond. Concrete cracked. Barriers groaned.
When it ended, one stood shaking.
The other didn't move.
Medics rushed in.
Aizawa didn't say a word.
He just wrote something down.
I felt my jaw tighten.
So this was it.
This was what happened when limits were removed.
Not strength.
Not heroism.
Fear.
Fight after fight followed.
Some were short.
Some dragged on painfully.
Every time someone won, their eyes looked a little emptier.
Every time someone lost, the silence got heavier.
I kept my hands still.
I kept my breathing slow.
Inside, my quirk pressed against me, like it knew what was coming.
---
My Turn Approaches
"Kido."
The sound of my name cut through everything.
I stepped forward.
The ground felt harder beneath my feet.
As I walked, I felt eyes on me — not curious, not excited.
Wary.
They didn't know what I could do.
And somehow, that made it worse.
I stopped at the edge of the ring.
Across from me stood my opponent.
Strong build. Confident stance. A quirk that showed itself openly, like he was proud of it.
Good.
That meant he would rely on it.
The barrier rose.
The world narrowed.
"Begin," Aizawa said.
For a second, neither of us moved.
Then he smiled.
"Guess I got lucky," he said. "People say you're dangerous."
I didn't answer.
I stepped forward.
Slowly.
Not threatening.
That made him frown.
He attacked first.
Hard.
Fast.
Exactly what I expected.
---
Choosing Control
I dodged.
Not because I was faster — but because I moved earlier.
His attack missed by inches.
He clicked his tongue and came again.
I didn't counter.
Didn't strike.
Didn't use my quirk.
Each time I avoided him, the crowd grew more confused.
"What is he doing?"
"Is he testing him?"
"Is he scared?"
My head started to ache.
The pressure built.
My quirk responded to stress — always had.
I felt the edges of the world soften.
I pushed it down.
Hard.
Pain lanced behind my eyes.
Good.
Pain meant restraint.
He grew angry.
Started shouting.
Started overextending.
That was when I moved.
One step inside his guard.
One strike — precise, controlled, placed where it would drop him without breaking anything.
He fell.
Hard.
The barrier flickered.
Silence followed.
I stood there, breathing steadily, my hands shaking just slightly.
Aizawa raised his hand.
"Winner," he said.
"Kido advances."
No applause.
No reaction.
Just staring.
As I walked back, I felt it clearly now.
They weren't afraid of what I did.
They were afraid of what I didn't.
---
End of the Day
By the time the matches paused, the sun had started to lower.
Students looked exhausted — not physically.
Mentally.
Aizawa dismissed us for the day.
"Tomorrow continues," he said.
As people left, talking quietly, I stayed behind for a moment, staring at the empty ring.
This place didn't test strength.
It tested choice.
And I had chosen control.
But control always comes at a cost.
As I turned away, a thought settled deep in my chest — heavy and certain.
The longer this competition lasted…
The harder it would be to keep choosing restraint.
And when that choice finally broke—
It wouldn't just change the fight.
It would change how everyone looked at me forever.
------------------ End of Chapter 6 -----------------