𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝙈𝙔 𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙊 𝘼𝘾𝘼𝘿𝙀𝙈𝙄𝘼

12

          "Oh, Hayashi-san, Iida and Todoroki just finished their match. I think you're next. Against Tokoyami."

          "Oh? Who won? Iida or Todoroki?"

          "Todoroki."

          Arisa was getting tired of these matches. Her quirk was too convenient. She needed a challenge. She had plenty of weak spots with her quirk and she wished and hoped someone would notice. She needed the challenge. It was fun at first but after fighting two people, the adrenaline rush wore off—these students were so easy to defeat. Oddly, she missed the days where struggle was a part of her life just as breathing was. Everyday was a struggle to survive. It was repetitive that everyday blurred into one so she didn't really remember many details but she remembered the pain. And the adrenaline.

          "Okay," she sighed, "I'll go get ready."

          "Good luck, Arisa," Ochako smiled, her eyes puffy enough to obscure her eyes as she did.

          Arisa always drew a line and never desired bonds but just this once, she reached out and gave Ochako's shoulder a soft pat. They may have been friends but Arisa had many friends but every single of them were kept at a distance, seeing only what she wanted them to see. Many of Class 1-A were subjected to this. Arisa was trying to be better, to let at least someone in, as she did with Midoriya but she had a lot of scars and it would take time.

          As she walked away, Ochako looked at her curiously.

          Slowly but surely, Arisa was learning.

          The next match began and it was against Tokoyami as Midoriya had said. She now stood on the stage, her body still, quietly observing her opponent, the boy with the head of a bird with what could be a troublesome quirk. A sentient shadow.

          "NOW, HAYASHI ARISA AGAINST TOKOYAMI FUMIKAGE! HOW WILL THIS PLAY OUT?!"

          "You're a formidable opponent, Hayashi-san," the boy began, "So, I'll go all out against you."

          "READY!"

          He tensed and her fingers moved as blue formed underneath her palm.

          "BEGIN!"

          She let him make the first move and he was smart, letting dark shadow move behind her, to pull her out of bounds. He was fast but she can't slack off because each and every one of these students had the potential to take her down if she let her guard down but once more, another opponent that bored her. She merely flicked out a single finger, rendering him unable to move and flicked him out of bounds.

          "Tokoyami is out of bounds!"

          "At this point, having her here as a participant is just cheating!"

          "Her quirk's way too convenient."

          "She shouldn't even be here. This is so boring!"

          Arisa was shocked at the crowd's responses but she didn't let it show. She stood quietly, eyes taking in the sight of the crowd's displeased responses, taking in their glare and gestures of displeasure. It felt like home, oddly. She was reminded of the Sukehiro mansion where she would be pitted against people her parents chose and the people that watched would call her a cheater, simply for having a 'better' quirk as they would love to say.

          Her lip twitched to a displeased frown. She was upset by this. She was just a kid. She wasn't supposed to be used to this.

          She could feel Tokoyami's eyes on her and as quickly as she could, she walked off stage, the people's insults following her as she left but as she did, something was thrown at her. A soda cup and it spilled all over her hair—that did it. Her arm moved, killing intent heavy and the one that threw it seemed to sense it too but before she could do anything reckless, her arm was restrained by Midnight who moved in time.