MHA: GAMER PATH

A/N: Hey guys, here's an extra chapter for the New Year! After this, I'll post an important update in a few hours, but first, enjoy the chapter, everyone! Have a happy New years!

/////

Chapter 109: Playtime Is Over! (3)

~Third POV~

[Nighttime, UA Highschool, Heights Alliance, Japan]

The stunned silence was broken by Tetsutetsu holding his friend in a concerned tone, "Neito, you okay, man? Speak to me! Stay with us!"

Being held by Tetsutetsu, Neito managed to mutter in a pained tone, "Don't plan my funeral just yet…"

Neito managed to summon enough strength to turn toward Kaminari as he asked in a scolding tone, "A sneaky zap attack? Well played, you… I didn't think class A could get any bolder, yet here we are!"

Denki, seeing his being accused of shocking Neito, was desperate to clear himself of suspicion as he said in a panicked tone, "Hang on, I didn't do anything! You were all watching, right? Vouch for me!"

Ren was momentarily shocked by the turn of events but soon confirmed helping his friend of being suspicious of shocking Neito in a calm tone, "No, he's right. The zap came from the barrel itself."

From the sidelines, Toga asked, tilting her head in a confused tone, "So Neito picked the losing slot, I guess?"

However, next to Toga's side, Kendo asked in an unsure tone at the toy barrel, "That's how this game works, really?"

But Melissa soon chimed in, watching from the sidelines, curious what took Ren too long seeing the commotion in a confused tone asked, "But the pirate didn't pop out… I don't get it."

The emergence of the pirate normally indicated the loser of the game, but Neito's stab hadn't triggered it. In the confusion, Midoriya turned to Todoroki, asking in a confused tone, "Why don't we check the instruction booklet if you've got it…?"

However, Shoto characteristically bluntly replied, "I don't."

Despite saying that, though, the look on his face showed that he was shaken, too. With a scowl, he explained himself, getting some attention from his stern tone, "I got this thing from that Hatsume girl in the Support Course. She made it herself. Wanted us to play and give her feedback, or something…"

Everyone but Ren, Izuku, Melissa, and Ida exclaimed, "Whaaat?"

Ren, Izuku, Melissa, and Ida dryly said, "Come again?"

As former victims of Hatsume's support items, both Midoriya and Ida yelped at the sound of her name. Ida was a victim when he tested gauntlet thrusters hitting the ceiling, and Izuku, being timid at the time, became a test dummy for her 'babies' at the time starting the Support Course.

For Ren and Melissa, it was a different reaction. Ren remained baffled seeing Mei offer her babies to Shoto and Melissa with a strained smile, competing to see which of their inventions was better for Ren.

Mei Hatsume was more passionate about her inventions than anything, and giving this particular baby to Todoroki was her way of rewarding him for his help and conducting a test run of a tool meant to fluster villains.

Todoroki hadn't been expecting a torture device as a reward mumbling, "Sorry…"

That was when Izuku suggested in a nervous tone continuing for the student's safety, "Maybe we should call it quits? This is Hatsume we're talking about, so who knows what other sorts of tricks she's stuffed in there…"

Ida and Melissa nodded their heads, agreeing. Not everyone in the group had met Hatsume, but she was already infamous enough by reputation, as Setsuna said in a reasonable tone, "True enough. Being the voice of reason here, we have no reason to purposely put ourselves in harm's way… How about we put our competition on hold?"

However, Neito wasn't having any of that in a defiant tone as he dramatically said, "Ridiculous! One shocking development isn't enough to make me turn tail…"

But Pony pointed out, seeing his completion in an unsure tone, "You're, uh, not looking so hot, though."

As Neito attempted to smooth down his newly frizzy do, he spotted Kaminari looking distressed, worried, even. He soon said with a provocative sidelong glance, "Unless you're ready to throw in the towel? Is a child's game too much for poor class A to handle? Sorry for not realizing sooner! It didn't occur to me that underneath all that bravado, you were quaking in your boots! But no, go ahead—slink up to your rooms and cry about it in bed like the pathetic losers you are!"

Being called a coward out, Denki regained his fighting spirit as he defiantly said, "As if! We're gonna keep playing!"

He'd bought the fight Neito was hawking, and despite the others' concern, there was no return policy on this one. Even as the only actual victim so far, Neito couldn't back down either; his pride was worth a little pain.

Death before dishonor, and all. Ren grinned as he spoke in a determined tone, "If he's willing, it's only fair we keep playing, right? No pain, no game right, Kaminari?"

Denki smirked, agreeing with a nod. Neito's electrocution had put a damper on some people's competitive spirit, but they couldn't bring themself to disappoint their Class Rep. It was when Ren asked curiously at the girls, "But you girls don't have to if you don't want to. I can take the hits."

Being polite, giving the girls an out of the torture game, Toru shook her head as she said in a determined tone, being visible, "What're you talking about, Ren? We gotta see this through to the end!"

Mina shook in excitement as she proclaimed in a determined agreement to stay in the torture game of Pirates, "And I actually kinda love torture games like this!"

Denki was practically moved to tears by his teammates' enthusiasm as he thanked them for participating, "You're a great couple of gals!"

Seeing this, Pony clenched her fists and smiled at her own teammates in a determined said to her team, "I will play too! I saw this game in an anime! I always wanted to play it!"

Setsuna seeing her team's enthusiasm, smirked, seeing them this motivated, shrugged her shoulders in a chill tone, "Aw fuck it, why not? Count me in too, then. Wouldn't want to leave our team one player short."

It was Tetsutetsu's turn to be moved as he said in a manly tone, gripping Neito's shoulder and jostling him about amicably, "Lookit that! We got ourselves two full teams of willing contenders for a true-blue bout!"

Neito felt a bit awkward in the face of Tetsutetsu's pure intentions, so he grimaced, shook himself loose, and pointed a toy sword straight at Team A as he confidently said, "Time for your team to feel the pain! Who's the next victim?"

That was when Denki spoke up as he swiped the sword from Neito's hand, "Me!"

Neito voiced his complaint at Denki, looking at him resentfully, "You eat voltage for breakfast, though! How is that fair?"

However, Denki didn't care as he smugly said in a nonchalant tone, "Hey, man, nothing I can do about the Quirk I was born with!"

Deep down, Kaminari knew it was unfair, but he didn't care. In fact, he would welcome a quick charge of his batteries. He picked a slot and inserted his sword, but the zap he expected never came.

For half a second, the players and onlookers alike were convinced that the toy must've malfunctioned during Neito's turn, but that was a fleeting hope. In an instant, part of the barrel transformed into bindings that locked Kaminari's arms in place before a pair of robotic fingers extended and smacked him across his wrists.

*Klik*

*CLANG*

He screamed the rest of the group gaped, and the barrel returned to its original compact form with a whir as Kendo said, surprised, "That was like… shippe, right? That smack on the wrists for monks who get distracted when meditating…"

This made Izuku go into one of his muttering monologues, analyzing the toy barrel in a curious tone, "Electrocution, shippe… Both are common punishments in these sorts of torture games. I guess Hatsume designed this so that each sword triggers some sort of painful response… Maybe a different one for each slot? Since I doubt Hatsume would be satisfied with a lack of variety…"

Hearing Izuku's analysis moved Denki to the very of tears in a defeated tone, "We're seriously gonna get brutalized differently every turn?"

Blinking at this, Ren muttered out loud, understanding the contraption shrugging his shoulders in an indifferent tone, "And that's why she had to make the barrel so much bigger than usual."

Even the threat of a cornucopia of punishments couldn't stop the group's momentum at this point, though as it was Tetsutetsu's turn, he said in a determined tone, "Bring it on, torture barrel! I'm ready for ya!"

*Klik*

*Bam*

His sword sunk into a slot as he finished his battle cry, and a long stick with a rubber band on the end emerged, stopping just in front of his face. The device drew back the rubber band and released, making it snap against Tetsutetsu's forehead with a loud plink.

*PLINK*

However, Tetsutetsu merely grunted unhurt, since he had activated his skin-hardening Quirk, [Steel], just before impact in a confident tone, "Hmph! See, it wasn't that scary, you guys!"

Denki's mouth was agape as he yelped at the scene, "Hey, talk about unfair!"

Neito cast him a cynical grin as he smugly replied to Denki's dissatisfaction about Tetsutets not being hurt, "I seem to remember somebody explaining how there's nothing unfair about the Quirks we're born with."

Denki gave a frustrated grumble, and beside him, Ren picked up a sword as he said confidentially, "Heh. My turn now, let's see what fate has in store for me. What's the worst that can happen?"

*Klik*

When he finished saying that, selecting a slot, he placed the sword inside. Another rod popped out of this one with a slim strip of something or other on the end.

Izuku blinked as he wondered out loud in a confused tone, "Duct tape? How would that inflict pain?"

The rod extended toward Ren and stuck the piece of tape to the special leg, which was curled around in front of him. Realizing the danger Ren's eyes widened as he muttered, "Oh no… Hang on! Don't!"

Despite Ren's protest, the unfeeling machine ripped the tape away, taking a chunk of hair leg with it. As Ren clutched his leg and writhed in pain, a trembling Midoriya muttered, "It must go for leg hair, usually… but damn."

The mundane but intense torture would presumably be effective no matter which exposed body part was chosen. Soon, Setsuna stepped up, looking determined and ready for anything in a determined tone "I'm next…"

*Klik*

Setsuna stabbed her sword, but her sword's stab didn't seem to have any effect. As she leaned closer to the barrel, it shot a puff of something in her face, recoiling in disgust, "Yeesh, that reeks!"

Her face puckered at a stench she might have described as hot, rotting garbage wrapped in a milk-soaked rag and left to stew in a locker for a humid week in summer. On instinct, she activated her Quirk, [Lizard Tail Splitter] removing her head away from the stench.

Naturally, the stench spread within the room as it spread its stench about the space, eliciting disgusted cries from the whole group as Setsunsa apologized, "Ack, sorry, guys!"

Though still reeling, Toru steeled herself and said in a determined tone, "My turn!"

*Klik*

She stuck a sword into the barrel. Two arms popped out and began tickling her aggressively. As she giggled uncontrollably, her T-shirt and shorts writhed around violently in midair.

Now it was Pony's turn, and with trepidation said, "Now it is my turn…"

*Klik*

Her sword summoned another arm one that stuck a small green blob directly into her mouth. A few seconds later, her eyes started watering, and she clamped her hands over her nose muttering out loud, "Nose! Burning!"

Momo quickly put two and two together what entered Pony's mouth and said, "That must have been wasabi!"

Once Pony heard that she said clearly excited to be experiencing more Japanese culture despite the extreme discomfort, "Oh, so this is the famous wasabi!"

Mina was up next, and she gulped as she inserted her sword. A new mechanical arm stuck a transparent lump down the back of her shirt as she shrieked, "Eeek, that's cold!"

While Toru struggled to get the piece of ice out from under her friend's shirt, Izuku began muttering again in a stunned tone, "Incredible! This torture game isn't just about physical pain but also incorporates smell, taste, and other sensations, with every punishment different than the last, so we never know what's coming! I wonder what awaits the actual loser of the game…?"

Everyone gasped at Midoriya's implication; if even the "safe" slots had such brutal surprises in store, what had Hatsume prepared for the one losing position? The very question filled them with dread, with Melissa scolding Izuku, causing him to flinch, "Not very nice of you frightening them, Midoriya-kun. Sometimes, you can keep your muttering to yourself."

Izuku had the decency to look sheepishly ashamed, apologizing. Soon, Denki asked, trying to see if Class 1-B would back off, "Feel free to cry, uncle now, Monoma…"

But Neito wasn't budging an inch as he defiantly said, "Hah. Funny. Projecting much?"

Neither would budge. There was no turning back for the young and stupid, even in the face of danger. All eight players had gone once, so Neito's turn was again.

Round two featured a forehead flick, a frying pan to the head, a cream pie to the face, an exploding balloon, and more. Every slot they filled inflicted some sort of damage, making them wonder with increasing trepidation how it could get worse.

Eventually, at long last, only two slots remained, so one had to be the loser. Mina cried, pumping herself up, "Here I go – AHHH!!!"

*Klik*

Her sword went in, and an arm popped out that grabbed her and swung her about. When the arm had released Mina and she'd stopped shrieking, a worried Momo asked, "Are you all right?"

Contrary to what she was expecting, Mina replied matter of fact, "Yeah. Fun. Kinda felt like break-dancing."

The pirate was still lodged in his barrel, which told the players that the final slot must be the losing one. Based on turn order, the inevitable loser would be Neito as Denki triumphantly said, "Class A's gonna win this thing! Unless you're too scared?"

This prompted a grunt and a scowl from his rival. Neito soon began to make some excuses trying to not put the last slot in a defiant tone, "So petty, so cruel! Is that any way for a future hero to act? Our loss is set in stone, so isn't that enough for you? I mean, what a bully! Are you sure your career path won't lead you to villainy instead? How horrible! We've got a wolf in sheep's clothing, here! A villain in the making!"

However, Ren called out on his bluff in a blunt tone with a deadpan expression, "Yeah, yeah. You're just scared of taking your lumps."

Denki nodded his head as he also called his bluff in a blunt tone agreeing with Ren, "You've been anything but sportsmanlike up to now, so this change of attitude isn't fooling anyone…"

They understood Neito's fear of whatever the final torture might be, but neither was willing to play by his rules anymore as Neito continued to make excuses, "You're honestly going to make me do this? How about an apology instead? I'm sooo sorry. How's that? Enough for you? I knew this game would reveal class A's true nature! Try having a heart!"

*Smack*

That was when Setsuna struck Neito's neck above the side of her hand, exclaiming, "Stop embarrassing yourself."

Before he could collapse in a heap, an enraged Tetsutetsu grabbed him by the collar in an angry tone, "Not manly at all, Monoma!"

That was when Neito shouted, his defiant speech actually coming off as manly, in a strange way, "Why should I pretend I'm eager and willing? Think what you will of me, but I refuse to finish this game!"

However, Tetsutetsu said in an annoyed tone as he couldn't take any more of Monoma's shameful display, "If you're so scared, I'll take your turn for you!"

Neito was surprised by Tetsutetsu's words as he picked up the final sword. Kirishima, with tears in his eyes, said, "Now there's a man's man!"

Tetsutetsu resolutely said, "Here I go!"

*Klik*

The sword went in, and with bated breath, everyone stiffened up on instinct, ready for the worst. They'd never felt so focused even during class. There would have been less tension in the air if they'd been facing down an unknown villain in a dark alley. The click of the final mechanism echoed through the room….

*Pop*

Then, a dry pop, as the toy pirate finally shot out of the barrel, accompanied by a burst of colorful confetti and a recording of Hatsume's cheery voice, "Congratulations!"

Everyone was dumbfounded, and Midoriya gasped as he explained, "Hatsume designed it so whoever makes the pirate pop out is the winner! Actually, I remember hearing that that's how the original game was meant to be before they put it on the market…"

The group flew into a rage upon hearing Midoriya's analysis as Toru asked, "Hang on, so who's the winner?"

Hearing this, Neito smirked as he declared proudly without shame, "Why, class B, of course! It was Tetsutetsu who produced the pirate!"

That was when the students began to argue, getting fired up again. But that was when Setsuna said tiredly, "And we just had to take all those horrible punishments in the meantime…"

This brought the boys to their senses since just thinking back on the series of tortures left them exhausted. Neito conceded in a tired tone, "No. Yeah. We're going home."

Though they'd stormed in earlier like a surprise squall, the four members of class B now stumbled to the entryway, where class A saw them off and breathed sighs of relief once the door was shut as Denki said with gravitas, "Block parties can be hell."

That was when Ren pointed out in a tired tone that everyone agreed, "Only Monoma. The rest of them aren't so bad."

The weary members of class A grinned at each other, knowing full well that this wouldn't be the last run-in with their new neighbors at UA High School.