Ibara was waiting.

  She had been for a while now, seated quietly in the narrow hallway close to the participant’s exit. The previous match had caused damage to the stadium’s structure and that meant the staff had paused everything to make emergency repairs. The sounds of tools and work had echoed through the corridor for a while before fading into silence.

  Ibara sat with her hands folded neatly in her lap, her vines gently shifting with her breath. She wished for a swift and uneventful mending process. No one needed further violence.

  “So what will be your plan against Robinn Reibach?”

  The voice came from behind and startled her, soft, but abrupt enough that Ibara flinched. She turned, only to find Reiko standing in her usual spooky silhouette, arms crossed and tilted at an unnatural angle. Yui was next to her, calm and small-eyed as always, her presence less startling but no less sudden.

  They must’ve come to support her.

  “I have no plan,” Ibara said, folding her fingers together in front of her chest. Her voice remained steady and serene. “I don’t engage in sinful schemes.”

  She lifted her gaze, eyelids lowering as if in silent reflection. “Instead, I choose to trust in my faith. The path will reveal itself in time.”

  When she opened her eyes again, Yui was frowning slightly. Her cheeks puffed out in mild frustration, barely noticeable unless you knew her well. “Ibara, Robinn isn’t going to be an easy fight. At least from what I’ve seen of her, she’s very strong. We want you to win... but we don’t really even know her quirk.”

  Ibara tilted her head and didn’t answer. Her expression didn’t change, but she shifted her gaze downward.

  Reiko stepped in, arms uncrossing as she leaned closer, as if her words were a secret. “I saw her talking to Yui once. She’s scary. But if you want to win for Class 1-B, Ibara, you should plan something.”

  “As you said, I don’t even have the knowledge of her quirk.” Ibara’s voice softened as she ran a hand through her hair, thick with winding vines, curling in controlled grace. The motion had a quiet dramatism to it. “So there is no need for schemes. I cannot prepare for shadows.”

  Yui opened her mouth, probably to retort again, but the loud horn of the arena’s signal interrupted. The match was starting.

  Ibara stood and turned to them both. “Thank you for worrying. May you be blessed.” She bowed gently and reverently, before turning to walk through the challengers’ entrance, her steps slow and composed, like she was walking toward ceremony instead of battle.

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  Reiko stared after her for a moment, then turned back toward the stairs. “I have a bad feeling about this,” she muttered. “It might end grimly.”

  Yui followed at her side, voice thoughtful. “You say that about everything. But... I’m not sure what Robinn is capable of. She always avoided mentioning her quirk. Even when she asked me about our class and our quirks.”

  Reiko gave her a flat look. “And you told her? Sounds like she was gathering information. Creepy.” She gave a theatrical shudder.

  “She’s not creepy,” Yui said after a beat. “Just a bit... intense, I guess. I still haven’t gotten a good read on her. It’s hard to, when the only time you talk is in gardening club.”

  Reiko glanced down at her, one brow raised. “Maybe you should invite her to one of our girls’ nights at Kendo’s.”

  “Maybe.”

  Present Mic’s boisterous voice boomed through the stadium as Ibara stepped calmly into the sunlight. Her walk was slow and deliberate, the soft rustle of her vines brushing against her uniform with every motion.

  “Welcome back to the finals, everyone!” Present Mic called, voice crackling with static excitement. “Sorry about that wait... the insane amount of ice from the second match has been cleared, so it’s time to welcome our next competitors!.. Showing that even beautiful flowers have thorns... it’s the assassin from Class 1-B! Ibara Shiozaki from the hero course! Versus... Class 1-A’s girl with a personality as light as air... Robinn Reibach! Also from the hero course”

  Ibara halted, eyes narrowing slightly at the word. Assassin?

  Her footsteps slowed even further before she turned, raising one hand in the air while resting the other over her heart. Her tone was level, but clearly projected.

  “Excuse me... Please pardon the interruption. I’m not sure why you called me an assassin. I’ve come to this festival in pursuit of victory, not to take my opponent’s life. That wouldn’t align with the values of a hero at all, sir.”

  Up in the announcer’s booth, Present Mic hesitated. His voice, when it returned, was a little less charged. “Riiight... yeah, okay. I’m sorry about that.”

  Ibara kept going, lifting both arms outward in a quiet invocation. “Gentlemen, I didn’t enter U.A. for wicked or selfish reasons, but to deliver salvation to others.”

  Her voice echoed gently through the arena, her posture like a statue carved in reverence.

  Present Mic cleared his throat, clearly struggling to recalibrate. “Look... I said I was sorry, okay? That was my bad. Let’s move on.”

  “I thank you for your kind understanding,” Ibara said, bowing at the waist. Then, without any further hesitation, she turned and walked to the center ring.

  The sun cast dappled light through the transparent edge of the dome above, and the arena’s heat clung to her skin. She eventually stopped, face to face with her opponent.

  Robinn was already standing at her mark, arms at her sides and her body still.

  There was a distinct twitch at the corner of her lips. Ibara watched her shoulders shift ever so slightly, like she was trying very hard not to laugh.

  Then Present Mic announced, “Sooo... anyway! Begin!”

  Robinn’s entire expression dropped.

  Whatever amusement she had evaporated in an instant. Her eyes locked onto Ibara’s like she was seeing straight through her. Her feet shifted. Her stance adjusted. And then...

  She started moving.