My Swarm Academia: Call Of The Void

The next day. Thursday. Lunch time.

All told, the day was normal. Class 1-A was now diligent in their normal classes, knowing that they only had that time to relax before the Drillmasters took over. Though Ayako was certainly kinder about guiding everyone's combat principles, she was by no means lenient. As Kai had said, she indeed pushed everyone to their limits.

However, the normalcy ended with a glance out the door as they tried to leave for lunch.

"What the heck!?" Uraraka shouted.

In front of the door was a huge crowd of people she didn't recognize. Students from all of the other first-year classes were gathered around the door, trying to peer inside and see all of their future opponents. With the extra few days to think about the upcoming Sports Festival, they had finally gathered up the courage to check out the competition.

A fact that Bakugo made very rudely clear to Mineta, who was a little slow on the uptake.

"They want to see the gang that came through the villain ambush. They're checking us out before the big battle, asshole." Then he turned from Mineta to the crowd outside the door.

"It's pointless to try, so get the hell outta the way, you damn mob!" he shouted.

"Don't just call them a mob like that!" Iida reprimanded.

Kai just shook his head. Truly, Bakugo's pride was the most indestructible thing on this planet. Sure, Kai had beaten it down somewhat, but Bakugo's attitude for anyone else was just the same as always.

He kept silent, wanting to see how this would all unfold.

"Well, just as yesterday, you are quite the arrogant one, aren't you," came a familiar voice. Shinso stepped up out of the crowd, intent on becoming the negotiator. With his power, if Bakugo did more than boast, nobody had to get hurt. "At least I know that not all of you in the Heroics Department are that way. Hi Kai," he said with a nod to Kai in the back.

Kai responded with a nod and a wave.

"I hope the rest of the class will show that you are all more than just arrogance, it's a bit disillusioning, to be honest. Lots of us were put into the general department because we failed the test for the heroics one. You ever think about that?

"And now, based on the results of the Sports Festival, we have a chance to come under review to transfer into heroics. Of course, the opposite is quite possible.

"Consider this a declaration of war. You may be training your hearts out, but so are we. I'd really like to pull the rug out from under your feet!" A wicked light shone in Shinso's eyes.

"No need to be dramatic! Sure, they forgot about you guys trying to beat them out of their spots here, but come on!" Kai spoke up. "You are free to join us in training, you know. You don't have to use your Quirk at all, just come on! What do you say?"

"Why do you want to help the competition? You think we're all trash that couldn't possibly beat you without help?" Shinso had been asking the question for a while. Ayako was helping 1-A, and Kai was offering to help him. It made little sense. Bakugo's arrogance was more normal, as unfortunate as it was to say.

"No, because you need it as much as they do. Actually, scratch that, they need more training than you do. A lot of people here couldn't fight out of a paper bag without a Quirk, three knives, and a friendship speech. You may rely on your Quirk, but at least you are willing to work hard even with it. What do you say, want some pointers?"

The crowd's eyes instantly were drawn to Kai. Bakugo was arrogant, but so was Kai, in his own way. He was just factual and indifferent about it. The attitude of a level 100 player telling a level 10 player that they were stronger. Or a teacher to a student.

"You feel that secure about this competition?"

"Not everything is about that or trying to beat you. I just don't care about it. I'll be in the stands."

Oddly, that was the thing that really blew everyone's minds. Especially everyone in Class 1-A, but they took it well because strange was Kai's middle name.

Maybe even literally, since Kai had claimed so once, but he had also said the same about "insane," "mad," and "death."

Of course, it was hard to tell with the ever-increasing number of legitimate looking identification cards he used to prove each.

Some looked at him with suspicion, others, to each other with hope. Since he wanted to sit this out, that was one less competitor. And, it would be that much easier to get into the hero course.

But still, who wouldn't care about the competition? It wasn't just about beating everyone else, it was about showing your skills to the Pros; about making a big impression that would start making your place as a Hero. To just throw that all away to sit in the stands was just…

"You really are weird, aren't you?" Shinso asked without much hesitation. He had talked with and about Kai a bit. Whether it was personal observation, Ayako, or from Kai's own mouth, that was all that could be said about him.

"Yep!" Kai said cheerfully. "Now that that, and your little declaration of war are out of the way, I think that there is a far greater question to deal with. One of the greatest, actually:

"What shall we eat for lunch?"