Class 1-C: Enigma

Raring to Go!

"Is uhh... yielding allowed?"

Edgeshot shook his head. "Not during this fight."

"Because he attacked when Kenichi let his guard down?" Kazumi scoffed. "That's his own fault."

"I agree," Edgeshot countered, "But if you plan to take advantage of an opponent's kindness, be prepared for the consequences. Danji saw an opening and took it, but he failed to properly end the fight, so he'll face the music."

Sen giggled. "I didn't know Edgeshot was capable of making puns!"

Edgeshot smiled with his eyes. "The stoic ninja is merely a front. I'm actually quite the fan of Nighteye and his protege's sense of humor."

"Nighteye? The guy in the business suit?" Okami asked. "Who's his protege?"

"Mirio Togata. One of UA's Big Three. If you want something to aspire to, aim for those three. Those third-years could compete with the best of the best if they wanted to. They'll be on the Hero Charts for sure."

"Waitwaitwaitwaitwait!" Danji panicked as the armor-clad Kenichi finally cornered his opponent, driving his fist into his sternum.

"There..." Kenichi let out a heavy breath as the bone plating fell away from his arms and chest. Unfortunately for him, his Quirk didn't just let him reabsorb the calcium he spent. "We're even now."

Danji, to his credit, gave a weak thumbs up as he groaned on the ground.

"And that's a win for Kenichi!" Okami announced, marking it down on a piece of paper. "Next up is Reiji Endo and..." He looked around, "Where's Endo?"

"Shizuku's gone too," Will said, "Same with that scary lady."

Okami sighed, "Some tournament this turned out to be. Well, next up is... Arakawa Eimi and Kalen Campbell."

*******

Endo groaned, heaving himself onto a sterile white table as doctor's rushed around the laboratory.

"You know that they're going to ask us where we went, right?" Shizuku asked, standing alongside Hina, who gave a gentle smile, a genuine one far departed from the practiced stance she had constructed.

"I'm sure he's already devised a million ways to handle such an eventuality."

"Keep them guessing," Endo said. "One of humanity's most driven emotions is curiosity. We shall allow them the... 'spice of life?'"

Shizuku chuckled. "We gotta tell 'em something."

Endo breathed calmly as multiple needles pierced his skin. "Hina offered us a tour, simple as that. My behavior is abnormal enough that they'd accept my departure from the tournament, and your relation to me is close enough that they would not question your accompaniment."

Hina gave Shizuku a sideways glance, as if to say, "See?"

Shizuku nodded, "Well, probably best to not let Karkinos out anyways and I don't want you using Gaia too much. I worry about you, you know."

Endo smiled, probably the widest that most would ever witness. "I know... now let's get this glorified doctor's visit over with."

*******

"What the hell is that thing made of?!" Mai-Mai asked, her many different baseball bats bisected near the middle and laying around her feet.

Kaito sheathed his sword as Okami announced his victory. "And that is a win for Kaito Otachi!"

Kaito rolled his eyes, "Ya know, you don't have to announce our full names every time, dude."

"It's standard tournament procedure!" He countered.