[MHCISQD] Chapter 263: Begin

All Might, dressed in sportswear, leisurely approached Ectoplasm.

"All Might, what are you doing here? Aren't you going to explore the festival?"

"Ahh, I had a little something to attend to, so I came to take a look while passing by." All Might arrived in front of Ectoplasm and swayed a bit in front of a few trees. Under Ectoplasm's ethereal gaze, he inexplicably nodded and said, "Well, today is a lively day, so let's not stay here. Let's patrol elsewhere. And when the shift changes, you can also relax a bit. It's a rare cultural festival."

"But..."

Before Ectoplasm could finish speaking, All Might placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled, saying, "Come on, trust me this once. Everything's fine."

"Do you... Do you know something?"

"Well, well, as long as you know nothing's going to happen."

Without waiting for Ectoplasm's agreement or disagreement, All Might simply pulled him in another direction.

"Let's go, I happen to have some time. I'll accompany you on patrol."

What All Might said earlier about having something to do was indeed true. He had planned to buy some things nearby and then go to the cultural festival to see the performances prepared by Class 1-A.

However, on the way, he discovered a hidden battle taking place here and decided to investigate. He quickly realized that the one fighting against Gentle was none other than Misaka Mikoto, Renault's girlfriend.

So, All Might stood by, ready to intervene at any moment.

But before two minutes had passed, another person rushed over. It was Raiden Mei, the young lady from ME Corp who had stayed at U.A. temporarily. Together, the two of them defeated Gentle and La Brava.

Afterward, Renault arrived.

All Might couldn't be sure if Renault had noticed his presence, so he simply stayed hidden, waiting for the patrolling teacher to come and take the other party away once they discovered the situation.

Although All Might believed it was wrong for Mikoto who was not one of U.A. to get involved, he also knew that today was the cultural festival, and any trouble could potentially lead to its cancellation.

The teachers wouldn't mind, but the students would undoubtedly be disappointed. Considering the events U.A. had experienced in the past half year, the cultural festival really couldn't be canceled again.

So All Might decided to talk to Renault later.

Renault naturally knew that All Might was there, but he didn't mention it. He knew that All Might would help him resolve any potential trouble that might arise. His current task was to send Gentle and La Brava away and quickly return to the main auditorium.

Rushing back to the waiting room of the main auditorium, not much time had passed, not even the 15 minutes Renault had mentioned.

"Phew~ I didn't take too long, did I?"

After returning, Renault quickly changed back into his performance costume and stood by the stage.

"There's still about half an hour left. Why are there so many people already?"

In the main auditorium, although the lighting was dim, Renault could tell that quite a few people had already arrived.

"They're probably saving seats." Kaminari danced his way over, reviewing his moves as he spoke.

Iida walked over and stood next to Renault, glancing outside before shaking his head. "Not necessarily. I saw some second and third-year students among them."

"Oh?" Renault raised an eyebrow and smiled. "It seems they've come to find fault."

"Find fault?" Kaminari paused for a moment, then revealed a confident smile. "Looks like they'll be thoroughly disappointed later. Not only that, but we'll completely immerse them in the atmosphere of our performance."

After a month of training, Kaminari was no longer the novice who couldn't keep up with the beat or the movements. With everyone's effort, the entire performance had been prepared to the best of their abilities.

Patting Kaminari and Iida on the shoulders, Renault smiled and said, "Then rest up and get ready to surprise them."

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the large auditorium, the only remaining lights were finally switched off, plunging the room into complete darkness.

Mikoto, who had already taken off her hat and mask, stood beside Mei. They both gazed at the stage in front of them, now covered by a curtain, eagerly anticipating the upcoming Class 1-A performance. Mikoto spoke with excitement, "Mei, let me tell you, Class A's performance is going to be amazing. Senpai and his schoolmates have been preparing for a long time."

Mei, unsure of how to respond, stood beside her.

By now, she had already figured out Mikoto's true identity. They had met because of their involvement in battles, then explored the festival together. Mikoto frequently mentioned a person in their conversations...

Senpai.

Curiosity got the better of Mei, and she asked about the name of this 'Senpai'. The conclusion she reached left her utterly dumbfounded...

Renault.

The Senpai turned out to be Renault? So, this girl was Yaoyorozu's love rival?

Though there didn't appear to be any outward changes, Mei found herself in a difficult dilemma.

Although they had known each other for less than an hour, Mikoto's cheerful and straightforward personality had won over Mei's admiration. Moreover, knowing that Mikoto would also be in the hero department next year, they would likely become classmates.

However, after learning about Mikoto's connection to Renault, Mei felt that she shouldn't get too close to this girl, considering her closer relationship with Yaoyorozu.

What should she do?

As she wrestled with these thoughts, the curtains on the stage slowly began to rise.

"Ah! Mei! Mei! It's starting, it's starting!"

Mikoto remained oblivious to Mei's internal struggle. She excitedly shook her arm and kept her eyes fixed on the stage.

Observing this, Mei had no choice but to push aside the jumble of thoughts in her mind and focus on the performance. Moreover, deep down, she didn't want to dwell on these complicated matters. They didn't quite suit her.

Onstage, as the curtains drew back, Renault and the others appeared with their instruments, dressed in performance attire, standing at the back of the stage. In front of them stood the members of the dance group, striking their initial poses and waiting. Jiro, the leading vocalist, positioned herself in the middle with a guitar, and a microphone was placed in front of her.

Within the dark, densely packed crowd below the stage and countless eyes fixed upon them, Bakugo, the drummer, slowly raised his drumstick, taking a deep breath.

Then, with a forceful strike, he hit the drum!

*BOOOM!*

In sync with Bakugo's opening beat, the entire ensemble poured their energy into the performance, instantly captivating the hearts of everyone present.

Even the second and third-grade students who had initially come prepared to criticize found themselves momentarily stunned.

These first graders seemed pretty amazing.

Next up, the dance performance began.