[Nejire Hado]
Nejire's legs swung lazily over the edge of the sparring platform, still buzzing from the end of her match with Tamaki.
Well, technically it was a "win," but it barely felt like one. Tamaki didn't go all out—again. His tentacles barely got any screen time, and when she let him grab her for a sneak counter, he just sort of... froze up. Like jeez, she was hoping they'd do something a little more fun when she let that happen.
She puffed out her cheeks and flopped onto her back. "Booooring," she muttered to herself.
It wasn't like Tamaki was weak. He was so strong, actually—quirk-wise, anyway. But his whole brain just short-circuited when he realized they had spectators from the second and third years.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar, sunny laugh.
"Nejire! Tamaki! C'mere for a sec!"
He was off to the side, still smiling energetically while chatting with a red-haired underclassman.
"Oooh~ new first years~" she hummed under her breath, as she started making her way over to them.
"This is Kirishima," Mirio said with a grin. "he's one of the new first years I told you about. I met him yesterday when he came by the gym solo! I think he was the only first year here on the first day, and he was already hitting the weights. Talk about enthusiastic, right?"
Kirishima grinned and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, I figured it wouldn't hurt to get a head start."
"Ohhh, hi there!" She chimed, stepping in beside Mirio and giving Kirishima a curious once-over. "Red hair, cool jawline, sharp eyes—you've got a strong face! It suits your Quirk, doesn't it? What is your Quirk anyway? Does it match the hair or the eyes more?"
Kirishima laughed awkwardly. "Uh, it's Hardening. My whole body gets tougher, like a rock."
"Ooh, that does fit!"
Trailing behind him were three others.
One was tall and solid-looking, with the kind of build that screamed power-lifter. His expression was kinda soft though, like the kind of guy who would apologize if he bumped into an object. Maybe he was one of those gentle giants? She kinda wanted to poke his arm to see how squishy it was.
Then there was the pink-haired girl in the UA gym uniform—oh, she was cute! Super bouncy energy, and the way she moved had this little confident sway, like she knew exactly how much attention she pulled. Nejire liked that. Actually, she kinda wanted to ask what conditioner she used, because wow, that hair was bold.
And then the last one.
Oooooh. Hello.
That one had sharp eyes, a calm posture, and shoulders that looked like they could carry the weight of the world. She couldn't tell if he looked like a fighter, a pro bodybuilder, or a statue someone carved out of marble. He kind of had a similar vibe to Mirio, but less energetic? She tilted her head slightly, curiosity fully piqued.
"Guys, these are my friends," Kirishima said, gesturing to the group. "That's Rikido Sato, Mina Ashido, and Kyūta Henshin."
Sato blinked as recognition clicked into place. "Wait… aren't you guys the Big Three?"
Mirio gave a cheerful thumbs-up. "That's us! Though it's kind of a new title, so we're still getting used to it. We didn't get any fancy ceremony or anything."
She propped herself up on her elbows, wiggling her fingers. "Hi! I'm Nejire Hado! My Quirk's called Wave Motion, it's super spinny and lets me fly around!" She twirled one hand for emphasis.
Ashido tilted her head slightly. "So if you guys are the Big Three, then I wonder who would be the Big Three of our class?"
"Oooh, that's a fun question!" Nejire gasped, eyes sparkling. "Tell me, tell me!"
"Kyūta," Ashido said immediately, pointing at the quiet, well-built man standing a little behind Kirishima. "Easiest pick. He's probably the strongest in the class."
Sato nodded. "Maybe, he's not the only one up there, though. Think about it, someone like Todoroki might be able to take him. He's got a half-fire, half-ice Quirk. You saw how he handled his match earlier."
She perked up. "Todoroki? Like Enji Todoroki? As in the #2 Hero Endeavor? That Todoroki? You said he has a fire and ice Quirk, can he use both at the same time? Like steam? Is he a steamy boy!?"
Kirishima chuckled. "Yeah. That's his kid. There's Bakugo too, though. He might not win, but he'd definitely give Henshin and Todoroki a run for their money. It took me and Tokoyami double-teaming him in our match earlier today just to bring him down."
"Sounds like you've got a strong class!" Mirio said, clearly impressed. "Makes me wish I had sparred today. How about it Nejire, if you're good to go?"
"Actually," Kirishima said, perking up, "Togata, why don't you spar with Henshin? He got first place in both the entrance exam and Aizawa-sensei's Quirk test. Right now he's the #1 of our class."
Nejire blinked. Top scorer?
That caught her off-guard. None of the three of them had placed anywhere near the top when they first arrived at U.A. She barely scraped into the top ten in their entrance exams, but her performance fell off for the rest of her first year. Tamaki flopped somewhere in the middle, and Mirio was even lower, if she remembered right. They didn't get attention until the very end of their second year, when everything just clicked.
It was weird to see someone peaking so early. Or maybe he hasn't peaked at all, and is just getting started?
Kyūta raised his hand calmly. "Relax, it's only been two days. I'm sure a lot of classmates haven't had the best opportunities to show their true power. It's too early to make generalizations like that."
Huh.
Humble and handsome?
That was kind of cute.
She tilted her head at Mirio. "Hey, hey, if you fight him, can I be the referee? Or maybe I'll just float above you both and shout things! Ooooh, or maybe I should fight him instead? Tamaki wasn't feeling it earlier, so I'm still all fired up!"
Mirio laughed. "You really want to fight everyone, huh?"
"I want to see how people fight!" she corrected, putting a finger to her chin. "Watching is fun too! Especially when someone has a body like that." She glanced at Kyūta again and gave him a teasing wink. "I bet your Quirk's something impressive, right? Come on, tell me! What is it?"
He gave a quick answer. "My Quirk's called Absorption. I can absorb materials and reshape my body with them."
Her eyes lit up. "What! That's so cool! Wait, so like, if I gave you jelly, could you make jelly arms? No, no, what about something weird, like wax? Or could you eat a diamond and turn into a disco ball? Wait, what happens if you combine, like, metal and rubber? Do you become a bouncy tank?"
"Jelly would be too soft. While I could do it, I prefer high-density materials for combat effectiveness. My quirk doesn't work through eating, why would you ask that? I'm not sure, I haven't really tested something like that out yet." Kyūta answered smoothly, not really taken aback by her rapid-fire questions.
She liked that. She closed herself off in middle and high school when people thought she was looking down on them when she asked a lot of questions. She gradually grew into a cold and distant person who kept her emotions bottled in. It was only because of Mirio and Tamaki that she became herself again.
She gasped dramatically. "Aw, but I wanted to see Jelly Henshin!" She pouted for exactly one second, then brightened again. "Okay, okay, serious question though—have you ever tried absorbing gold? Do you get shinier? Because I think you'd look super cool shiny."
Before he could answer, Kirishima stepped in. "Alright, I know we're all hyped up, but Henshin, what do you say? A spar with Togata. I really want to see how you would match up against someone from the Big 3!"
Kyūta shot a faint smile toward Kirishima. "Easy there, you're giving me too much credit."
"No such thing," She chirped. "So, are you gonna spar with Mirio or not? C'mon, c'mooonnn~ It'll be fun!"
Kyūta looked at Mirio, who was already loosening his shoulders and bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. "I'm game if you are. No pressure though, I won't go full power unless you ask for it."
Kyūta finally accepted. "Fine, let's keep it simple though. No finishing moves, no overly destructive stuff. First one who lands three solid hits wins?"
She twirled in the air once and landed beside them with a little bounce in her step. "I'm watching from above, so if either of you tries anything against the rules, I'm totally calling it out."
"Are you sure you won't just get distracted mid-match?" Tamaki muttered nearby, speaking up for the first time.
"Don't worry, I want to see how this match will go!" She sang cheerfully.
The two of them made their way to the center of a nearby fighting arena. A few other students had begun to notice, forming a loose ring around them.
She floated upward with a swirl of energy, her legs dangling as she hovered above the ring. She cupped her hands around her mouth as she called down, "Alright boys. Remember: first to three hits wins! Get ready… and GO!"
She giggled softly to herself. Honestly, this was going to be fun.
Kyūta might be the top of his class, but that didn't mean he was ready for Mirio. She liked the guy so far, but this would be a good lesson. The raw power of your Quirk won't cut it in UA; experience makes the difference here. And Mirio had loads of that.
Mirio charged forward, his expression as relaxed as ever, one arm drawn back in a classic wind-up.
Kyūta reacted quickly, reshaping his arm into a longer, heavier version for extra reach. His swing came fast, but it passed straight through Mirio.
She wondered how he would react to that.
Mirio landed a straight jab right into Kyūta's face, sending him stumbling.
And, of course, his clothes were gone. Again. But she didn't mind the view there either.
His pants hit the ground in one heap, followed by his shirt flying off somewhere. He quickly scooped up his pants and tugged them back on without missing a beat. He left the shirt off, though. He got better with that; she remembered a time where he'd fight naked for even longer.
Down below, Kyūta straightened slowly, wiping at his chin. He didn't even look fazed. It was good that he could maintain composure even in an unexpected situation.
"Woah," he said calmly. "That's a pretty powerful Quirk. Some kind of phase shift?"
"Something like that," Mirio replied with a grin. "I'll tell you after we're done."
She floated a little lower, addressing the three first-years. "That's Permeation! It allows Mirio to make himself intangible, letting him pass through anything tangible."
But Kyūta was wrong about one thing. Mirio's Quirk itself isn't powerful; Mirio's dedication to improving himself is what makes him such a strong opponent.
Mirio didn't give Kyūta long to think. With a light bounce on his heels, he dropped straight through the floor.
She leaned forward slightly in the air, one finger tapping her chin. That's a classic move of his; he'll let his Quirk launch him forward from underground to go for a surprise attack. She wondered if Kyūta would be able to handle it.
Kyūta didn't move. At least not at first. Mirio shot up behind him with a fist drawn back, aiming for the ribs. Kyūta pivoted on his heel, spun around, and actually blocked the attack.
Ooh, that was a surprise.
Mirio's fist was frozen in Kyūta's palm for only a moment before he phased backward into the ground again, his cheerful laugh echoing as he reappeared a short distance away.
Still, Kyūta was grinning now.
A slow, self-assured smirk curled across his lips.
Black sparks crackled across his body.
"Woah…" Mina breathed from beside the ring. "That's new."
Kyūta shot forward with explosive speed. The black sparks flashed around his frame as he ran.
Mirio's pants phased through his body, preparing to dodge once more.
But this time, he wasn't the only streaker.
Kyūta's gym uniform phased right through him, followed by a fist that Mirio wasn't able to dodge.
The impact was thunderous. Mirio's body went flying across the arena before he finally skidded to a stop. He sat up a few seconds later, rubbing his jaw with laughter. "Nice one, I wasn't expecting that!"
The room was silent for a second.
Then Nejire blinked, and her gaze dropped.
Her flight stalled for a second. Kyūta stood center-stage, completely bare, with his chest rising and falling.
He was utterly ripped.
But it wasn't just the muscles that caught her eye.
Her gaze drifted lower.
Oh.
Her eyebrows lifted, and her mouth curled into a small, curious smile.
That explains the confidence.
He wasn't just big, he was blessed. She'd seen Mirio naked a few dozen times by now thanks to his Quirk—and sure, he had nothing to be embarrassed about—but Kyūta?
Yeah. He was on another tier.
Mina let out a whistle. "Daaaamn, Kyūta. Looking good and packing power."
Kyūta blinked, finally realizing his state of dress—or lack thereof. He crouched, grabbing his pants in a single motion and yanking them back on. He didn't seem very ashamed though, not that there was anything to feel self-conscious about.
The image had already burned itself into her brain.
And Nejire? She wasn't complaining.
Mirio bounced back to his feet, adjusting his waistband with a grin, clearly ready for round three.
But Kyūta raised a hand. "Hold up. Can we end it here?" he asked, voice steady. "One to one, we'll call it a draw?"
Mirio blinked, then broke into a sunny laugh. "Aww, I was just getting serious! But that's fine, you're really tough, Henshin! The first years must be something else if they're as impressive as you. Let's save the rest of the match for another time."
Nejire, still floating nearby, pouted dramatically in her head. Nooo! But I wanted to see more of that view… She sighed, letting herself drift into a lazy upside-down spin.
Oh well.
She'd definitely have to get to know Kyūta Henshin better some other time. A lot better.