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Midnight's voice rang out. "On to the next event!"
I stretched. "What now?"
The screen flickered.
Tournament Bracket Selection.
Ah. This was gonna be fun.
The tournament brackets flashed on the screen.(Paragraph comments)
--
Some dude stepped in front of me. Purple hair, eyebags, looked like he hadn't slept in a week. He crossed his arms. "Two weeks ago, I declared war on you all. Today, I deliver."
I picked my ear. "First time meeting you. Who are you again?"
His eye twitched. "I'm the guy taking your place in the Hero Course."
"Yeah? Good luck with that."
He took a step closer. "People like you—people born with everything—never have to fight for what they get."
I sighed. "Here we go."
"You coast through on talent, while the rest of us have to claw for a chance," he said. "But today, that changes."
I blinked. "You done?"
Midnight called our name. The match was starting. We climbed to the stage.
Shinsou smirked. "What's the matter? Can't think of a comeback?"
I yawned.
His smirk widened. "Or maybe you're just an idiot who—"
"Oh my fucking god, shut up," I said. "Do you ever stop monologuing?"
His smirk disappeared. "Gotcha."
My body locked up.
…Shit.
He tilted his head. "Wow. That was easier than I thought."
I couldn't move. Couldn't even twitch a finger. My body wasn't mine anymore.
"Guess all that cockiness doesn't help when your mouth runs ahead of your brain," he said. "That was way too easy."
Shinsou grinned. "Now, let's take a walk."
And my body started moving—without me commanding it.
Fuck.
I couldn't speak. Couldn't even twitch a finger. My legs turned on their own, stepping toward the edge of the ring like I was some kind of goddamn puppet.
[WARNING: STATUS EFFECT – MIND CONTROL DETECTED.]
No shit.
I mentally cursed myself for not checking my opponent earlier. Should've used Analyze before walking in like an idiot. Too late now, but—
[ACTIVATING ANALYZE.]
TARGET: SHINSOU HITOSHI
QUIRK: BRAINWASHING
[CAN CONTROL ANYONE WHO RESPONDS TO HIS VOICE. CONTROL LASTS UNTIL PHYSICAL SHOCK OR QUIRK DEACTIVATION. USER CANNOT FORCE COMPLEX ACTIONS.]
Brainwashing. So that was his game. I answered him, and now I was walking straight to a loss. I was inches from stepping out of bounds, and he hadn't even moved from his spot.
Tch. If I had time, I would be impressed.
[RESISTANCE CHECK FAILED.]
Of course. My Willpower stat was ass. That was on me.
Shinsou stuffed his hands in his pockets, watching with a lazy smirk. "Damn, man. I thought you would at least put up a fight."
My foot lifted again. One step away from elimination.
No.
"Last Laugh" only worked if I was conscious. "Fuck You, I'm Alive" needed near-death triggers. Nothing was activating, and I couldn't shake this off.
Not like this.
Someone in the stands yelled. Didn't matter. The crowd didn't matter.
I needed movement. Impact. Something to break control.
Couldn't punch myself. Couldn't stop my feet.
'System, buddy, you there?' I called.
[NOW I AM BUDDY, HUH?]
'Not the time, fucker.'
[YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH BONED.]
'Real helpful.'
[HEY, WHAT DO YOU WANT? A CONGRATULATIONS MESSAGE?]
I was one step away from walking out of bounds. Shinsou was already turning, probably expecting me to step out like an idiot. He had no idea how much bullshit I had at my disposal.
[WELL, UNLESS YOU GOT A TRICK UP YOUR SLEEVE, BETTER START PRACTICING YOUR LOSER FACE.]
"Deactivate Limit Breaker!" I called.
[ARE YOU FUCKING OUT OF YOUR MIND? I TOLD YOU TO CANCEL IT BEFORE, BUT NO! MR. GREAT FOUND LOOP IN SYSTEM. YOU WILL NEVER DEACTIVATE LIMIT BREAKER RIGHT? THAT WAY YOU WILL NEVER SUFFER THE SIDE EFFECTS, RIGHT?]
"Really not the time for your rants. I am about to lose."
[YOU REALIZE YOU HAD LIMIT BREAKER ACTIVE OVER THREE WEEKS, CORRECT?]
"Yes sir."
[THE SECOND I DEACTIVATE IT, YOU DIE. YOUR BODY WILL BREAKDOWN, YOU WILL DIE!]
"Go ahead."
[UGH! IT IS YOUR OWN FUNERAL!]
The moment it shut off, everything hit at once.
Muscles locked up. Bones crunched under their own weight. Every nerve fired like it had been plugged into a live wire. Something tore. Something snapped. Blood surged, then stalled, then surged again. My stomach lurched. Vision cracked, like a TV signal going bad. Every joint felt like it had been grinding against sandpaper for weeks.
My knees gave out. The ground wasn't close enough. Everything stretched—skin, tendons, whatever kept my body together. Then it compressed, like gravity tripled out of nowhere. Heart slammed against ribs, pumping like it was trying to escape. Lungs? They weren't working right. Every inhale came in choked. Exhale felt worse.
I hit the ground.
Nothing moved. Couldn't even twitch. System notifications blurred. Blood dripped from my nose. From my mouth. Probably from my ears too. Every sense overloaded—sound too sharp, lights too bright, skin too raw. It was like my body realized what I had done to it and was now collecting payment.
[WARNING: CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE DETECTED.]
[WARNING: ORGAN FAILURE IMMINENT.]
[WARNING: SKELETAL FRACTURES COMPROMISING STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY.]
[WARNING: MUSCLE DETERIORATION EXCEEDING SAFE LIMITS.]
[WARNING: BLOOD PRESSURE UNSTABLE. SYSTEM SHOCK OCCURRING.]
Crowd noise faded. Stadium ceiling blurred. The air was thick, heavy, pressing down. If I had enough strength to laugh, I would. Of course this was how it ended. Not in a fight, not in some dramatic last stand—just my own body finally saying "fuck you."
My heartbeat skipped.
Then it stopped.
[ACTIVATING LAST LAUGH.]
The pain didn't go away. It didn't lessen. It didn't fade into numbness. It changed.
Tearing, ripping, breaking—it wasn't happening to me anymore. It was happening for me. Every failure turned into force. Every shred of muscle, every hairline fracture, every dying nerve—fuel.
My heart didn't restart. It kicked.
My ribs weren't cracking anymore. They were bracing.
Every failed breath forced itself back in, dragging life with it.
[LAST LAUGH ACTIVATED: PHYSICAL LIMITS REMOVED. STRENGTH AND SPEED MULTIPLIED. PAIN RESPONSE NULLIFIED.]
I pushed up.
The stadium snapped back into focus. The lights weren't too bright anymore. The air wasn't too thick. The noise? Background shit.
Shinsou was still standing there, staring like I was supposed to be unconscious.
I rolled my neck. Something popped. I stood.
He blinked. "…What."
I stepped forward. He stepped back.
"Hey, uh," he tried again. "You sure you should be—"
I headbutted him out of the stage. Just because I nearly died, does not mean I will miss an opportunity to complete quests.
Shinsou flew backward, skidding off the stage before he could react. The buzzer went off. Match over.
People lost their shit. Some cheered. Others were still processing.
I rolled my shoulders. My body felt like it had been put through a blender, but the System notifications kept piling up.
Recovery Girl rushed in. "What did you do to yourself this time?!"
I opened my mouth. Blood came out.
"That is not talking!"
My legs gave out. She caught me before I hit the ground.
Aizawa groaned next to Present Mic. "This is why I hate my job."
Mic laughed. "But it makes for great TV!"
Mom was in the stands, clutching her bag like she wanted to throw it at my head. Izuku looked like he wanted to jump down himself.
The screen shifted to the next match.
"Alright, let's get you patched up before you die for real," Recovery Girl muttered.
I gave a thumbs-up. Tried to, at least. My arm didn't move right.
Yaoyorozu Momo vs. Hatsume Mei
I barely made it to the medical tent before the match started.
--
"—and this, dear investors, is my revolutionary gyro-stabilizing boots!" Hatsume's voice rang through the stadium.
Yaoyorozu sighed. "Are we fighting or—"
"Shh! This is my sales pitch!"
Midnight sighed. "Begin."
Yaoyorozu made a staff. Hatsume clicked a button. Her boots shot forward, carrying her like a jet engine strapped to a toddler.
Yaoyorozu dodged.
"Look at that maneuverability! And with just three easy payments—"
Hatsume hit the ground. Her boots kept going, dragging her across the ring.
She went over the edge.
"Ah," she said. "That could use a safety lock."
Buzzer went off.
Yaoyorozu sighed. "That was annoying."
Iida Tenya vs. Shoji Mezo
Iida took his stance. "Let us have a fair match!"
Shoji nodded. "Agreed."
Midnight cracked her whip. "Begin!"
Iida activated his engines. Shoji extended his arms.
Iida shot forward. Shoji braced.
Iida went for a straight charge. Shoji dodged, wrapping a limb around Iida's waist.
Iida twisted, kicked off the ground, and reversed their positions.
Shoji widened his stance, holding firm.
Iida revved harder. Shoji's grip tightened.
They locked eyes.
Aizawa sighed. "This is going to take a while."
It did.
Eventually, Iida powered through, forcing Shoji out by sheer momentum.
They nodded at each other. No words needed.
Sero Hanta vs. Kaminari Denki
Kaminari grinned. "Bro, don't make me fry you."
Sero smirked. "If you can hit me."
Midnight started the match.
Sero fired his tape. Kaminari dodged, sending out a light shock.
Sero flipped over it, shooting tape in an arc. Kaminari ducked, charging up.
Sero swung behind him. Kaminari fired.
Sero latched onto the stage and yanked himself away.
Kaminari narrowed his eyes. "Alright, fine."
He let loose.
Sero's tape burned midair. He hit the ground hard.
Buzzer went off.
Kaminari grinned, smoke rising from his fingertips. "Told you."
Tokoyami Fumikage vs. Izuku Midoriya
Tokoyami stood still. "This will not be easy."
Izuku nodded. "I know."
Midnight cracked her whip.
Dark Shadow lunged.
Izuku dodged. Barely. His foot cracked the stage.
Tokoyami kept his stance. Dark Shadow lashed out again.
Izuku pushed forward. He flicked his fingers, sending a shockwave. Dark Shadow reeled back.
Tokoyami didn't flinch.
Izuku moved again, testing distance.
Tokoyami let Dark Shadow stretch further. A trap.
Izuku saw it too late. Dark Shadow wrapped around his legs, dragging him down, a black abyss swallowing him whole.
But then—power surged in his veins.
One for All, 10%.
He twisted midair, flicking his fingers. A shockwave blasted Dark Shadow back. Tokoyami's stance faltered.
Izuku pushed forward. One for All, 15%. He swung.
Slam! Smack! Cheat!
The buzzer went off.
Tokoyami groaned, face-first on the ground. "Ow in abyss."
Uraraka Ochako vs. Bakugo Katsuki
Uraraka clenched her fists. Bakugo cracked his knuckles.
Midnight started the match.
Uraraka rushed forward. Bakugo stayed put.
She dodged a blast, flipping midair. Bakugo tracked her.
She reached for him. He blasted back.
She hit the ground, panting, hands shaking, mind racing.
Bakugo didn't move. "This won't work." His voice wasn't mocking. Just flat. Certain.
She gritted her teeth. No. Not yet.
She pushed up.
He was already moving. A blast roared, heat slamming into her chest before she could react.
Sky. Ground. Spinning.
She hit hard. The world blurred.
The buzzer went off.
She exhaled. "Damn it."
Bakugo walked away.
Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu vs. Kirishima Eijiro
They punched each other.
A lot.
Eventually, they both passed out.
It went to a tiebreaker. Arm wrestling.
Kirishima won. Barely.
Kendo Itsuka vs. Todoroki Shoto
Kendo rolled her shoulders, shaking out her wrists. "Let's go, Todoroki. I won't make this easy."
Todoroki didn't react. Just watched.
Midnight cracked her whip. "Begin!"
Ice shot forward. Fast, but not unexpected. Kendo was already moving. She sidestepped, hands expanding, smashing through a jagged pillar of frost.
Another wave of ice. She crouched, bracing, then pushed off—vaulting over it instead of breaking through.
Todoroki's eyes narrowed.
She landed clean, fists raised. "You're holding back."
More ice. She sprinted sideways, weaving between the spikes. This wasn't just power—it was endurance. She could tell Todoroki was waiting, watching for an opening.
Kendo narrowed her eyes. Fine. Let's test something.
She rushed in. Todoroki's hand twitched—he expected her to dodge again. But she didn't.
Instead, she planted her feet and swung, a full-powered, giant-fist haymaker.
Ice surged up to block, but too late. Her fist smashed through, forcing Todoroki to hop back.
A reaction. A real one.
She grinned. "There it is."
His expression didn't change. But the air did.
Heat.
The crowd tensed. Kendo did too.
Then—flames.
She threw herself back, barely escaping the burst of fire that scorched across the arena floor. The crowd gasped.
Kendo skidded, hands raised defensively. That was close. Too close.
Todoroki clicked his tongue. "Tch."
He wasn't holding back anymore.
Another blast of fire. She tried to dodge—but the heat threw off her balance, her footing slipping on half-melted ice.
She hit the ground. Hard.
The buzzer went off.
She groaned, rubbing her head. "Damn. I almost had something there."
Todoroki looked at her for a second, then turned away.
Kendo sighed, shaking out her hands as she got up. Next time.
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Every time someone doesn't Power Stone this novel, Mineta gets stronger.You don't want that.
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