Hey everyone! Wisteria here!
I just had to pop in and say thank you all SO much for helping us reach 1500 powerstones! hugs Stitch plushie excitedlyYou have no idea how much your support means to me and... glances sideways with a slight blush especially to a certain someone.
Speaking of which... turns camera to show Lycoris at his desk
My boyfriend was just sitting there, running a hand through his perfectly styled black hair while muttering something about Xavier and Arcan. When he noticed me, he just gave that calm, reassuring smile of his and went back to writing.
whispers He tries to act all cool and composed, but you should see how excited he gets when checking the stats for "Solo Leveling: Arcane Monarch." Though he'd never admit it, of course. That's just how he is - all professional on the outside, total dork on the inside.
But seriously though, thank you all for supporting both our stories! Your comments, theories, and reactions make all those late-night writing sessions worth it. Even when I'm falling asleep at my desk (which happens more often than I'd like to admit), knowing you're all waiting for the next chapter keeps me going!
fidgets with sleeve of Stitch onesie
Oh! And special shoutout to everyone who's been leaving those amazing analysis comments! You have no idea how much time Lycoris and I spend reading through them together.
Anyway, as promised, here's your bonus chapter! And remember, for every 750 powerstones, you get another bonus chapter (up to 5 per week)!
yawns and reaches for coffee
Now, let's get to that bonus chapter, shall we?
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The roar of the crowd followed us down the tunnel, echoing off concrete walls as Tokage and I made our way back toward the waiting area. She walked slightly hunched, her steps still unsteady from the match. The fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows across her face, highlighting the exhaustion in her eyes.
"You good?" I asked, slowing my pace to match hers.
She straightened her posture, pride clearly wrestling with fatigue. "Yeah. Just need to reintegrate properly. Takes a toll when I'm scattered for too long." Her sharp teeth flashed in a grimace. "Especially when someone's playing pinball with my parts."
"Sorry about that," I said, though we both knew I wasn't. Not really. "Your quirk's impressive. The level of control you have over individual pieces—most people couldn't manage that kind of divided attention."
"Not impressive enough, apparently." She glanced sideways at me, her reptilian eyes narrowing slightly. "What was that back there? That finger thing?"
"Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist. It's a martial art focused on redirection and flow."
"Bullshit it's just a martial art."
I shrugged. "When you're training every day for ten months. You'd be surprised what the human body can do."
"Ten months?" She stopped walking, forcing me to pause as well. "You learned to do... that in ten months?"
"Had a good teacher."
She stared at me for a long moment, then shook her head. "Green hair, crazy skills... you sure you're not some long-lost cousin?"
That pulled a laugh from me. "You know, I don't meet many other green-hairs. Natural?"
"Born with it." She ran fingers through her short, messy locks. "Comes with the reptile quirk package. You?"
"Same. Dad had white, mom has dark green. I got the genetic lottery, I guess."
We resumed walking, our footsteps falling into an easy rhythm. The tension from the match had dissipated, replaced by the casual camaraderie that sometimes forms between competitors after the heat of battle.
"Class 1-A's booth is this way," I said, gesturing toward the left fork in the corridor ahead.
"1-B's is right." She pointed in the opposite direction, then hesitated. "Got time for a detour? Concession stand's that way, and I need to refuel after... you know, being in pieces."
My stomach grumbled in response. The match hadn't been physically taxing for me, but adrenaline always left me hungry. "Lead the way."
The concession area was relatively empty, most spectators still in their seats for the next match. We grabbed drinks and protein bars, finding a small table in the corner.
"So," I said, unwrapping my bar, "reptile quirk. You into dinosaurs too, or is that too on-the-nose?"
Tokage's eyes lit up, sudden enthusiasm replacing her earlier fatigue. "Into dinosaurs? Dude, I've seen Jurassic Park like, a thousand times."
"The original's classic," I agreed, "but the raptors in the second one? That tall grass scene?"
"Don't go into the grass!" We said in unison, then both burst into laughter.
"Okay, that scene was good," she conceded, leaning forward. "But come on, nothing beats the kitchen scene in the original. That tension? The way they used reflections to show the raptors hunting? Pure cinema."
I shook my head. "Counterpoint: T-Rex vs. raptors in the visitor center. Best dinosaur fight put to film."
"Until The Lost World gave us a T-Rex rampaging through San Diego." She tapped the table for emphasis. "Urban dinosaur destruction tops museum showdown any day."
"No way." I straightened in my chair. "That whole San Diego sequence was ridiculous. A T-Rex on a boat? How did it eat the crew but nobody noticed until they crashed into the dock?"
Tokage waved a dismissive hand. "Movie logic. But the baby T-Rex in the second one? Way cuter than anything in the first film."
"We're debating cinematic quality, not cuteness."
"All factors must be considered in proper dinosaur film analysis," she said with mock seriousness, then grinned. "Besides, the gymnastics raptor-kick scene alone makes Lost World a classic."
I nearly choked on my drink. "That's your evidence? The scene where the kid kills a raptor with gymnastics? That's the worst part of the entire franchise!"
"It's iconic!"
"It's ridiculous! A twelve-year-old taking out a raptor with a parallel bar routine?"
She leaned back, crossing her arms. "And I suppose you think the third one was good too?"
"God no." I made a face. "Talking raptor dream sequence? Spinosaurus beating a T-Rex? Pure character assassination."
"Finally, something we agree on." She raised her bottle in a toast. "Jurassic Park III is hot garbage."
I clinked my bottle against hers. "Common ground at last."
"What about the newer ones?" she asked, crushing her empty wrapper.
"Haven't seen them," I admitted. "Been a bit busy with... everything."
"Seriously? Jurassic World is actually decent. Not original-level good, but solid." She leaned forward conspiratorially. "They've got this genetically modified super dinosaur that's basically me if I went villain."
"Terrifying thought." I glanced at the clock on the wall. "Shit, we should probably head back. Our classes will wonder where we went."
We gathered our trash and headed back toward the corridor fork, continuing our dinosaur debate as we walked.
"All I'm saying," Tokage insisted, "is that practical effects beat CGI every time. The way the original T-Rex looked in the rain? You felt that shit in your soul."
We reached the fork in the corridor, each of us needing to head in opposite directions.
"This is me," she said, gesturing toward the right passage. She hesitated, then extended her hand. "Good match today, Midoriya."
I shook it. "You too, Tokage."
She started to turn away, then stopped. "Hey, about that offer to discuss technique..."
"I meant it."
"Good." Her sharp teeth flashed in a grin. "Because I'm taking you up on it. And you better not ghost me, green bean. I know where your class is now."
"Of course not, lizard queen."
She rolled her eyes at the nickname but laughed. "See you around, 1-A."
"Looking forward to it, 1-B."
I watched her disappear down the corridor before turning toward my own path, a small smile lingering on my face. For all the rivalry between our classes, it was nice to connect with someone from 1-B without the usual tension. Especially someone who appreciated the finer points of dinosaur cinema.
The 1-A viewing box was a hurricane of activity when I arrived. Kaminari spotted me first, jumping to his feet.
"There he is!" he shouted, drawing everyone's attention. "The one-finger wonder himself!"
The room erupted in cheers and questions, everyone talking over each other.
"That was amazing—"
"How did you—"
"Did you see Tokage's face when—"
Kirishima pushed through, crushing me in a hug that would have broken ribs if I hadn't braced for it. "Dude! That was the manliest thing I've ever seen! You avenged me in style!"
"Thanks," I said, extracting myself from his grip. "Just applied what I've been training for."
"Applied?" Kaminari's eyes were wide. "You demolished her! With your fingers! It was like watching someone play with action figures!"
"It wasn't that one-sided," I said, though we all knew it had been. "Tokage has serious skill. Her quirk control is exceptional."
"Speaking of Tokage," Mina said, sliding into the conversation with a sly grin, "you two were gone a while after the match. Something you want to share with the class, Midoriya?"
I rolled my eyes. "We grabbed a snack and talked about dinosaur movies."
"Dinosaur movies," she repeated, clearly disappointed by the mundane answer. "That's it?"
"That's it. Turns out we both have strong opinions about Jurassic Park."
"Boring," Kaminari declared. "I was hoping for some cross-class romance drama."
"Besides," I added, "pretty sure Tokage would bite my head off. Literally. She can detach her jaw."
"Kinky," Kaminari muttered, earning a smack from Jiro.
"You're disgusting," she said.
I scanned the room, noticing Yaoyorozu watching our exchange from her seat. When our eyes met, she offered a small smile and a nod.
"Your technique was flawless," she said. "The way you redirected her fragments—it was like watching a physics demonstration."
"Thanks." I pulled the metal disc she'd given me from my pocket. "Your focus tool helped."
Something flickered in her dark eyes—surprise? "You actually used it?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"
Before she could answer, Bakugo's voice cut through the chatter.
"Don't get cocky, nerd." He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, expression unreadable. "Lizard girl was a warm-up. Real competition starts next round."
"Looking forward to it," I replied evenly. "Assuming you make it past your bracket."
His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he pushed off the wall and headed for the door. "I'm heading down to focus."
The door closed behind him with a decisive click.
"Well, that was almost civil," Kirishima said, looking slightly proud. "He didn't even swear."
"Progress," I agreed.
I scanned the viewing box again, noticing two conspicuous absences. "Where are Camie and Manga?"
Momo glanced up from her notebook, where she'd been jotting down observations from previous matches. "Utsushimi went to the restroom about two minutes ago. Fukidashi already headed down for his match."
"Shit, that's right." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Manga versus Shinso is next. Please tell me someone reminded him not to respond to Shinso's questions."
A chorus of affirmations went up around the room.
"I warned him," Kirishima said, punching his palm for emphasis.
"Wrote him a note," Jiro added, twirling one earphone jack around her finger.
"I even shook his whole body and yelled it at him!" Hagakure's uniform sleeves flapped dramatically in the air. "He kept saying 'I know, I know' but I made him promise."
"Mm!" Kodai added, nodding vigorously.
I sighed, dropping into the empty seat next to Momo. "Let's hope it sticks. Shinso's clever – he'll try to provoke a response any way he can."
"Fukidashi-san seemed well-prepared," Momo said, closing her notebook. Her dark eyes held that analytical gleam I'd come to recognize. "I believe he's developed a strategy."
"Good," I said. "Though I'm still worried. Manga's excitable, and Shinso knows how to push people's buttons."
The seat on my other side creaked as someone dropped into it. I turned to find Camie, looking fresh and relaxed.
"Your boy's totally got this," she said, leaning against my shoulder casually. Her blonde hair carried the faint scent of her shampoo. She pulled a small bag of gummy candies from her pocket, offering me one. "Besides, Manga's quirk is perfect against Shinso. He can literally make his words physical instead of verbal."
I accepted the candy, considering her point. "That's assuming he remembers in the heat of the moment."
"Fam, give your classmate some credit." She popped a candy in her mouth. "He may be a little extra, but he's not stupid."
Present Mic's voice boomed throughout the stadium, cutting our conversation short.
"LAAADIES AND GENTLEMEN! IT'S TIME FOR OUR NEXT MATCH-UP IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE UA SPORTS FESTIVAL TOURNAMENT!"
The crowd roared in response.
"IN THE RED CORNER, FROM THE HERO COURSE CLASS 1-A, IT'S THE BOY WHOSE HEAD IS LITERALLY FULL OF IDEAS – MANGA FUKIDASHI!"
Manga bounced onto the stage, his speech-bubble head displaying a giant exclamation point. Despite his small stature, he moved with dramatic flair, arms spread wide to acknowledge the crowd.
"AND IN THE BLUE CORNER, FROM GENERAL STUDIES, THE DARK HORSE OF THE FESTIVAL WHO'S PROVEN HE'S GOT WHAT IT TAKES – HITOSHI SHINSO!"
Shinso walked out with his hands in his pockets, shoulders slightly hunched. His indigo hair stood out against his pale skin, and even from this distance, the dark circles under his eyes were visible. He carried himself with a quiet intensity that contrasted sharply with Manga's exuberance.
"This should be interesting," I murmured, leaning forward in my seat.
"Two completely different approaches," Momo observed. "Fukidashi-san's enthusiasm versus Shinso-san's calculated demeanor."
The two competitors took their positions on opposite sides of the concrete platform. Cementoss sat in his judge's chair, watching impassively.
"BEGIN!" Midnight shouted.