The murmurs and chatter of the class filled the air.
To be honest, they were irritating to my ears.
I rubbed my thumb along the surface of the mask, tracing the weird smile.
My eyes stayed locked on the screen, watching as the remaining matches played out.
I won't lie—my body was sore.
The hits she landed on me weren't just strong.
They were precise.
Calculated.
I could still feel the weight of her strikes, the sting of her staff against my ribs.
I tuned out the noise around me, my grip tightening slightly on the mask.
And just like that, the fight played itself again in my head.
---
'Momo, she's a scary one.'
I muttered inwardly, turning another corner, my feet moving fast.
I had a strategy—if I could even call it that.
It was something I threw together while Mineta was rambling.
One quick look behind me, and she was already closing the distance.
She had created roller skates, gliding effortlessly as she curved around the corner.
"Since when was she a damn skating champion?"
The sound of her skates gliding across the floor became louder as she was closing the gap between us.
At this point, I probably have to use my quirk.
Besides, I have to see how strong I am against class 1a.
Not to brag but I could probably estimate myself somewhere in top ten.
Or I could actually be number eleven—the spot I'm in.
A sharp click snapped me out of my thoughts.
I barely had time to react before something whipped through the air.
A thin cord shot forward, the weighted ends spinning in a blur—
A bolawrap!
I twisted mid-stride—just barely dodging the first cord as it snapped against the floor.
But the second one—
SNAP!
The cord wrapped tight around my thigh, locking instantly.
My momentum faltered. My leg jerked mid-stride, throwing me off balance. I nearly went down.
But I caught myself—barely.
No time to panic.
I lunged forward, driving my foot down hard and twisting my leg at the same time.
The grip of the cord dug into my skin, but my strength—using my quirk, combined with the force of my movement strained the wrap just enough to give way.
The weighted ends dragged behind me for half a second before snapping loose.
I was free.
But I had lost speed.
Momo was closing in fast, her skates cutting across the ground in smooth, practiced arcs.
I needed to slow her down.
Like I said, I had a plan.
If I wanted this plan to work, I had to disappear.
If I wanted to disappear, I needed cover.
And there was only one way to make that happen.
At least in my head.
I glanced around the corners of the ceiling and saw them.
Cameras—watching my every step.
I had to test my strength but I don't really want everyone see what I could do but I'll have to show something for this plan to work.
Darkness suddenly swirled around my arm, coating my fist down to my elbow.
I gritted my teeth, tightening my fist.
I wasn't sure if what I'll do next might hurt but I wasn't fully ready.
With all the momentum I had built, I threw my fist into the wall, twisting my body at the last second to maximize the impact.
A deafening CRASH tore through the air.
The wall buckled under the force, cracks spiderwebbing outward before a massive chunk caved in.
Dust exploded from the impact, billowing into the hallway in thick, suffocating clouds.
But I wasn't done.
I staggered from the blow, then immediately slammed my fist into another section of the wall, forcing another collapse.
More debris.
More dust.
My vision blurred from the sheer amount of smoke filling the air.
I barreled forward, fists tearing through walls, leaving a trail of dust and debris behind me.
By the time Momo reached the first broken section, the entire hallway was a storm of dust and rubble, swallowing everything in a thick, blinding haze.
And somewhere inside it, I vanished.
The air was thick with dust, swirling around the ruined hallway like a storm of rubble and chaos.
My chest rose and fell as I kept moving, my boots crunching against broken debris.
The echoes of my footsteps bounced off the shattered walls, but I wasn't the only one making noise.
She was coming.
I could hear the sharp whirring of her roller skates cutting through the silence, weaving effortlessly around fallen chunks of concrete.
That alone was ridiculous.
How the hell was she maneuvering that well on skates with this much debris?
I clenched my jaw, pushing forward.
The moment I reached the next corner, I veered left sharply, my shoulder grazing the crumbling wall.
A second later—thwip!
Something shot past me at blinding speed, cutting through the air where I had been a moment ago.
My eyes flicked down.
A tightly wound cord with metal hooks slammed into the wall ahead, recoiling with a sharp snap.
A bolawrap.
I exhaled, feeling my breath against my face.
If I had been a second slower, that thing would've tangled me up, locking my arms before I even had the chance to react.
Tch. She wasn't messing around.
I stole a glance over my shoulder, catching sight of her just as she adjusted her stance.
She barely lost momentum, shifting her weight smoothly as she reloaded another cord.
Her gaze was locked onto me—sharp, calculating, completely unfazed by the destruction around us.
I didn't wait for her to fire again.
My hand clenched into a fist, and I slammed it into the already weakened wall beside me.
Cracks spread like lightning before the structure gave way, the force blasting chunks of stone and drywall into the air.
I didn't stop.
My body twisted, my momentum carrying me into another strike—then another.
Smash. Smash. Smash.
Walls collapsed one after the other, dust exploding into the air, turning the hallway into a blinding cloud of smoke and debris.
The sound was deafening—concrete groaning, chunks of rubble crashing to the ground, the entire corridor shaking under the force of my destruction.
I didn't even need to look back.
I could already hear her brakes screeching against the ground, the dust making it harder for her to see.
"What are you trying to do Azaria?"
Her voice echoed off the wall as I didn't reply her.
I hid behind the corner, my breathing steady but my mind running in circles.
The dust was thick, but was it thick enough?
Could she pinpoint my movements through the sound alone?
I don't know.
My plan is to waste her time, while Mineta who is hot-blooded runs to Koda whom I believe has prepared himself already.
Would this plan work? I don't know but it was the best plan I had without showing my strength.
But with the way Momo is attacking me, I might switch plans.
"Are you trying to hide throughout the battle and waste my time?"
"...."
She didn't just figure out my plan, did she?
Well, I'm not really surprised since she's a genius, but still.
A tear rolled down my cheek, I couldn't help but say:
"So, what if I'm trying to do that?"
"Then I'd say you're just wasting your time."
"You're sure?"
"Well, I could just turn around right now and look for Koda. My guess would be probably Mineta is on his way there or would have found him already."
'damn.' I couldn't help but mutter inwardly.
If she turned around now and probably met Mineta on the way and they faced Koda together, it might be a fifty-fifty chance.
If she gets sense into his head and they fight together, Koda could lose.
I'm guessing he would be all flustered as why she's there.
I sighed, rolling my tongue over my teeth.
I'm not saying Koda is weak but Momo is a threat.
Am I overestimating her because she's a genius?
Or am I being aware of what she could do?
"You know, the first time I saw you," her voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "I thought you were quite capable."
Hmm?
What kind of statement was that?
And what did she mean by she thought I was capable?
Because of how I look?
"Let me just put this out there, I'm not the type to judge someone or act all high and mighty but when I first saw you, I thought you would be quite strong and would be a tough opponent against."
Her boots crunching the debris echoed in the air with each step she took.
"But with what I've seen so far and judging by the way you are acting as my opponent, I guess I thought too highly of you. "
It felt like I was shot in the foot, a bitter smile formed across my face.
It was subtle. A simple remark.
But it hit me like a punch to the ribs.
I felt something tighten in my chest, my fingers clenching into fists.
This felt like the role I chose as a spy worked, right?
The image I was displaying was okay, right?
Wasn't this exactly what I wanted?
To be underestimated? To not stand out?
Then why…
Why did I feel so pissed off?
The irritation bubbling inside me wasn't just from her words—it was from myself.
This was the role I chose. This was the image I had to maintain.
And yet, I hated how it sounded coming from her lips.
It gave me the same impression of the time I was in AFO'S place, with the way I being treated.
I clenched my jaw, running my tongue over my teeth.
A sigh left my lips, but it didn't ease the feeling clawing at my chest.
Am I overreacting?
Or is it just that I hate the idea of someone thinking I'm weak?
She kept moving forward, her presence steady, unwavering.
I should let it go.
I should stick to the plan.
I should ignore it.
But I didn't.
If she thought I was weak, then fine.
I'd show her just how wrong she was.
At the very least, I was planning on testing a bit of my strength.
Instead, I tilted my head slightly, my voice lower than before.
"So...I guess I'm not meeting your expectations?"
"I expected a challenge," she finally admitted. "But if you're just going to waste time, maybe I should focus on Koda instead."
A sharp breath left my nose.
Was she trying to provoke me.
If she actually was, it was working.
"You make it sound like I'm running," I said, keeping my voice even. "Is that what you think?"
"Isn't that exactly what you have been doing?"
Another step from her. The dust was slowly clearing.
"Well?" she said. "Are you done hiding?"
Her voice was confident. Steady.
Like she already knew the answer.
Like she was certain I wouldn't fight back.
Like she was sure I'd keep running.
I lowered my gaze, staring at my own hands.
They were still.
Steady.
But my fingers curled, just slightly, into a fist.
I glanced at the cameras, they won't still be able to pick up anything.
A slow breath filled my lungs.
Fuck it.
If she wanted to see something, I'd show her something.
It's not like I would fail the mission anyways.
———
• if you like the story, please leave a review.
• kindly push the story forward with your power stones.