The week of freedom that UA gave students before the sports festival was a breath of fresh air for Sonic. It was the most welcome gift he could have imagined.
After long days spent within the walls of the apartment and the limitations of his powers, he was eager to let his energy flow. He watched his classmates, in groups and singly, head out to the various training grounds, and his heart burned with anticipation.
But Sonic didn't just want to go for a run or a little jumping around, he was eager to use his abilities to their fullest potential. That was why he had asked Nemuri to take him to a separate training ground where no one could see him or interfere with him. He wanted to truly prove himself.
Nemuri, seeing Sonic's genuine eagerness and understanding his need for freedom, did not hesitate to ask Director Neza for special permission
. Nezu, as always, was curious about the unusual student and his request and gave his consent. He provided Sonic with a separate training ground where he could train at his own pleasure without fear of being seen by others.
And so, his long-awaited training began. Sonic ran around the training ground every day, not knowing how tired he was. He ran and ran, not stopping for a second, as if his feet were glued to the ground, and speed was his second nature.
He'd been imprisoned for so long, so long unable to use his powers, that now he couldn't get enough of running. He accelerated, time after time.
He seemed to bathe in that freedom, in the feel of the wind on his face and the unhindered movement. Only when it started to get dark would Nemuri come to pick him up and tell him that it was time to call it a day and go home.
Sonic could hardly stop, feeling a sweet fatigue and satisfaction splashing in his chest.
Naturally, Sonic wasn't running at full speed like he could have.
He realized that his true speed and strength could be devastating, and he didn't want to accidentally turn the training ground into ruins.
He feared that if he let his abilities loose, he might destroy everything around him, and cause a few minor cataclysms at the same time. So, he limited himself, carefully controlling his speed and strength.
He ran at the limit of his limited abilities, always making sure that he did not exceed the limit he had set for himself. He could feel his energy rushing out, but he gritted his teeth and held it back, realizing that the full display of his strength would have to happen at a more opportune moment.
He had to save his strength and save it for the sports festival, where he would be able to show it off in all its glory.
Time flew by in a series of intense training sessions, and now the long-awaited morning of the sports festival had arrived.
He quickly got ready, put on his sports uniform and headed for the exit, already imagining a triumphant performance. But then he was stopped by Nemuri, her voice, as always, sounding soft but insistent, like a caring mother:
"Now, now, now, where are you going in such a hurry? Think carefully, haven't you forgotten anything?"
"No, everything is ready!" he answered, and his voice sounded with a slight confidence mingled with impatience.
With these words, they left the house and headed towards the festival venue.
Upon reaching the UA gate, Sonic was amazed. He didn't expect to see such pandemonium here.
There was a huge line of people waiting to see the sports festival, and it seemed like there was no end in sight. People were making noise, pushing, and excitement was in the air.
Sonic watched in amazement when suddenly several reporters with microphones literally pounced on him. They hustled around him, trying to ask questions and snatch any interview they could. Sonic was blinded by the camera flashes, and he felt a little uneasy.
Fortunately, Nemuri, showing marvels of agility and speed, quickly pulled him away from the prying reporters. She showed her pass, and they were allowed inside the gate without further ado.
Nemuri, deftly dragging Sonic through the crowd, escorted him all the way to the sports festival arena. The path to it was surrounded by many stalls, each offering something different.
Some stalls exuded appetizing aromas, selling all sorts of food and drinks, from traditional Japanese dishes to fast food.
Others offered masks depicting the All Might, the number one hero, and Blazing Man, the second ranked hero. There were also stalls selling all sorts of toys, from small hero figures to large plush animals.
The air was filled with the noise, the hum of the crowd, and a variety of smells, creating an atmosphere of celebration and anticipation. Sonic looked around with interest, looking at all this variety, but Nemuri, pushing him along, continued to lead him towards the arena.
The multitude of brightly colored signs and enticing aromas wafting from the many stalls seemed to hypnotize him. He couldn't resist the urge to look around and perhaps purchase something interesting.
"I'd like to walk around these stalls for a while," he said, his voice full of genuine childlike delight that Nemuri couldn't help but notice.
Nemuri snickered for a moment. She wanted Sonic to get to the venue as quickly as possible and prepare for the performance.
However, she realized that denying him such a small pleasure would be cruel.
She sighed, but then smiled nonetheless, her stern exterior softening. She pulled a small but rather weighty wad of money out of her purse and held it out to him.
"Here you go, some pocket money. But don't forget you have to make it to the student field, time's running out!" - she said, her voice sounding softer than usual, but there was still a slight note of sternness in it, reminding him of the need for discipline.
She explained to him the route to the special entrance for participants, detailing the way among the maze of stalls so that he wouldn't get lost in this noisy and crowded place.
She gave him landmarks and even drew a schematic map on a piece of paper so that Sonic would definitely not get lost in the crowd. It was important to her that he felt comfortable and confident since this was his first UA sports festival.
Sonic, with a light heart and a pocket full of money, began his exciting journey through the booths.
His eyes were dazzled by the variety of goods and appetizing dishes. He curiously looked at every counter, stopping now and then to smell or touch something interesting.
It seemed to him that he had entered a gourmet paradise. He bought some never-before-seen treats like juicy caramel apples, crispy nachos, and steaming ramen that he was absolutely delighted with. He wandered from stall to stall, enjoying the party atmosphere and the anticipation of the upcoming competition.
However, the longer he wandered through the crowd, the more a strange feeling began to bother him.
He began to notice that there were too many Heroes in the crowd, as if they had flown here from all over Japan. Some of them were in their civilian outfits, while others were flaunting full suits. Sonic realized that a sports festival was indeed a loud and important event, but he was still confused by such a cluster of professional heroes.
Vague doubts began to plague him. Couldn't the villains take advantage of such an opportune moment when most of the heroes were gathered in one place? Couldn't they launch a daring attack? That thought began to ring alarm bells in his mind, and his cheerful mood gradually began to fade away.
Continuing his wandering through the rows of stalls, Sonic suddenly stopped, his gaze locked on one of the counters. Standing beside it were... the very heroes he had met on his first day after escaping from the police station!
He recognized them immediately.
There was the Tree Man, with his characteristic bark instead of skin and his always calm expression. There's the giant blonde woman. And here was the man with the huge hands.
Sonic couldn't believe his eyes. What an incredible coincidence!
Should he go up to them and say hello, or pretend he didn't recognize them and continue on his way, trying to remain unnoticed?
Sonic smirked, suddenly making a decision. He cast aside all doubts and walked up to the heroes with easy nonchalance, exclaiming:
"Yo!" The three heroes immediately turned to him, and their eyes widened in surprise as if they had seen a ghost.
The blonde girl, as if under an electric shock, pointed her finger at him and shouted with her eyes wide open:
"You?!" Sonic, without changing his smirk and with a slight irony in his voice, pointed his thumb at himself and confirmed:
"Я!" He savored the moment, watching their confusion and trying to guess their next moves.
The tree-man, frowning his wooden eyebrows, looked at Sonic with slight bewilderment and asked, his voice sounding calm but with some wariness:
"What are you doing here?" Sonic shrugged and replied with a chuckle, as if it was a matter of course:
"It would be strange if I wasn't here. I mean, I'm a student here. And actually, I'm performing tonight." He didn't go into details, but it was clear from his tone that he wasn't going to explain anything.
The tree-man merely nodded his head, as if everything suddenly fell into place.
His calm, unperturbed look showed that he, at least, was no longer surprised. But the blonde didn't seem to share his serenity. She squinted and looked at him and then shifted her gaze back to Sonic.
"Why are you so calm?" - She asked with doubt in her voice and then, as if it had dawned on her, blurted out: She then shifted her gaze to Sonic again and, poking him with her finger, stated:
"You were a bully!" Her tone was clearly accusatory.
Sonic, hearing the blonde's accusation, only shrugged, a slight chuckle touching his lips. He wasn't going to defend himself or argue, but decided to lighten the mood with a joke.
"A bully? Come on, it was just a bad day at the police station," he mouthed, pretending not to be embarrassed in the slightest.
The blonde frowned at Sonic's joke and opened her mouth to object, but Woods intervened.
He looked at Sonic with a strange expression that read respect as well.
"Glad you and your amazing quirk are on the right track," he said calmly and sincerely, his voice sounding without any irony. Woods' words confused the blonde slightly, and she blinked perplexedly and fell silent, shifting her gaze from Woods to Sonic and back again.
The blonde, snorted, expressing her displeasure. She then turned around abruptly, throwing Sonic over her shoulder
"And don't you dare lose! Otherwise you'll make me look bad!" Her tone was harsh and assertive, but there was a sliver of jocularity in her voice that suggested she wasn't so angry with him after all.
Sonic, with a satisfied smile on his face, saluted the blonde as if giving her a military honor. His manner was slightly mocking, but there wasn't an ounce of resentment in it.
He realized it was time to end this short but interesting dialogue, time was running out and the sports festival was waiting for him. He nodded goodbye to Woods and the man with the large hands as if to say:
"See you later!" and without wasting a moment, he turned around and walked towards the room for class 1-A. His step was light and his mood elevated.
Sonic was about to reach for the doorknob, intending to enter the Class 1-A room, when suddenly a solemn and loud voice came from the loudspeakers announcing the start of the sports festival.
Sonic instinctively froze, his heart skipped a beat for a moment and a chill of panic ran down his back.
" am I too late?!" - a thought flashed through his mind, and he mentally began to reprimand himself for getting carried away with strolling through the stalls. But, as if by magic, the doors swung open in front of him, and he saw his classmates huddled in the room. All their gazes were immediately fixed on him.
"Finally, we thought you weren't coming at all!" - shouted someone from the crowd, and it was clear from his voice that he wasn't joking.
"Almost late!" - confirmed another, shaking his head with a slight reproach. "
Sonic took a closer look and noticed that the faces of his classmates read a mixture of confidence, determination, and even some seriousness. They were as focused as they were on the battlefield, and one could sense that the excitement for the upcoming event, despite their battle-ready attitude, had not gone away. They were clearly nervous, and it was noticeable, even though they tried to hide it.
All the students of Class 1-A gathered together, their faces full of anticipation and nervous excitement. They lined up and headed towards the exit leading to the huge stadium, waiting for the announcer to announce their exit.
Sonic's heart beat in unison with the excitement of everyone around him, but at the same time, anticipation ripened within him. Finally, their moment arrived and, to loud fanfare and the enthusiastic shouts of thousands of spectators, Class 1-A stepped into the stadium lights.
The blinding lights and the huge crowd of people gathered to watch the sports festival struck Sonic's imagination. He saw his classmates, finding themselves in the center of everyone's attention, start to become visibly nervous.
Some of them clenched their fists frantically, some tried to hide the trembling in their knees, some lowered their gaze to the ground, unable to bear the stares.
But suddenly Bakugo, as if to counterbalance their excitement, stuck out his chest, raised his head proudly, and, with a smug grin on his face, declared, as if challenging those around him:
"I'm getting into it!" His words echoed through the crowd, and Sonic nodded involuntarily, agreeing with him. He could feel his own excitement receding, giving way to the excitement and anticipation of the competition.
Then the announcer, with no less enthusiasm, introduced Class 1-B. To the enthusiastic applause and shouts of the crowd, they entered the stadium, showing their readiness for the competition.
Sonic eyed them with interest, trying to gauge their potential.
Then, the announcer announced the exit of the general education courses - grades C, D, and E.
"And now, let's welcome those who may not be fighting on the front lines, but play an incredibly important role in supporting our heroes! These are classes F, G, and H"-our talented future developers and engineers! These guys are the ones who create the equipment and gadgets that help the heroes in their daily fight against crime!"
To loud applause and shouts of encouragement, the F, G and H classes entered the stadium.
Their exit was greeted with a special warmth, and the audience realized that it was because of their hard work that many heroes are able to do their jobs safely and efficiently.
"Now, let's welcome those who not only see heroes on the battlefield, but also understand the complexity of the heroic business! All hail! The faculty of management! These are the future leaders and strategists who will guide and support the heroes in their hard work! Classes J, I and K!" - proclaimed the presenter excitedly.
To the loud applause of the crowd, the representatives of Classes J, I, and K entered the stadium. Unlike the athletes and inventors, they looked more reserved and businesslike.
They have studied the ins and outs of heroic endeavors, from marketing and financing to legal aspects and public relations.
They are the brains of the heroic world, the ones who ensure its smooth operation and success.
Having finished with the introduction of all the faculties, the sports festival participants lined up in even rows in the stadium, each class taking its place.
The silence in the air was filled with anticipation. And then, at the sound of solemn music, Nemuri came on stage... Nemuri!
Sonic, seeing her, rounded his eyes in surprise. Nemuri, aka "Midnight Girl", a professional heroine, would be one of the judges?!
There was no way he expected to see her here, especially in this role. While he was digesting the information, he involuntarily caught Nemuri's gaze.
A slight smile touched her lips, and she winked at Sonic as if to say, "Good luck, kid."
At that moment, as Nemuri settled into her seat as a judge, the announcer, as if anticipating a sensation, raised his voice and solemnly announced:
"Now, hold on tight! For the first time in the history of sports festivals, our freshmen will be personally watched by... the Principal of Yuei Academy himself, the legendary and universally respected... Principal Nezu!"
A roar of amazement swept through the stadium.
The heroes seated in the stands instantly began to whisper, exchanging bewildered glances. This was an extraordinary event.
Principal Nezu was usually known to only watch the performances of third-year students, those who were on the cusp of their professional careers. So why did he decide to personally attend the freshman festival? What's behind it? All sorts of speculations began to spread through the stands.
Some whispered that there were special talents among this year's freshmen, while others believed that this was some kind of special experiment.
Suddenly, Midnight abruptly whipped the air with her whip, creating a deafening snap that instantly silenced the entire crowd in the stadium.
"Silence!" - Her commanding voice rang out, piercing the hanging silence.
"Okay, the time has come! Freshman representative, please step forward!" She paused, looking around at all the participants, and then solemnly announced: "The first-year representative for this sports festival is... Katsuki Bakugo!"
Sonic couldn't hide his surprise.
"Bakugo?!" - It flashed through his mind, and he stared at the flashy blond involuntarily. It seems the explosive Blastmaster wasn't as simple as he might have seemed at first glance.
Sonic heard surprised whispers among his classmates, who also seemed not to have expected such a choice. But then it came to them, and one of them said:
"Wait, so he scored the highest in the entrance exam!" Indeed, everything fell into place now. Bakugo wasn't just a loud and cocky guy.
Bakugo, with his characteristic cocky gait, walked onto the stage. He didn't waste a second and, as if challenging the world, he loudly declared:
"I am beating everyone at this festival! Don't doubt that I will be the best!"
His words sounded like thunder and immediately caused a strong reaction.
The students from the other classes who were still trying to keep their cool up to this point instantly erupted in indignation.
"What insolence!" - Someone from Class 1-B shouted, clenching his fists.
"What an arrogant upstart! Class 1-A has lost all sense of reality!" - another indignantly supported him. Angry shouts and insults began to erupt from all sides against Bakugo and the entire Class 1-A.
Sonic, watching the heated argument, grinned involuntarily. "Bakugo," he thought, realizing that he was, as usual, not missing an opportunity to add fuel to the fire and provoke the others.
After the angry rumble caused by Bakugo's bold statement subsided, Midnight, with an enigmatic smile on her lips, once again intercepted the audience's attention.
"So, enough talking!" - her seductive voice sounded, and a wave of silence swept through the stadium once again.
"It's time to show what you can do! The first test of our sports festival... The obstacle course! You will have to overcome the course that encircles the entire stadium!"
Hearing those words, Sonic involuntarily smirked.
An obstacle course? Around the stadium? This was just made for him! He felt adrenaline boiling in his veins and excitement in his chest.
He could already see himself overcoming all the obstacles with ease, leaving his rivals far behind.
"This is going to be fun," he thought, looking with anticipation at his classmates, who, like him, were already preparing for the start.