[MHCISQD] Chapter 276: Press Conference

On Sunday, none of the Class A students chose to train or go out for work studies. They all stayed in the dormitory.

In the living room, a 65-inch LCD TV was broadcasting the live coverage of the upcoming announcement of Hero Billboard Charts.

Taking a sip of juice, Tsuyu turned to the silent Todoroki, who was sitting quietly on the side. "Todoroki-kun, aren't you planning to go to the venue today?"

Todoroki shook his head and replied, "It's not like I want to be Number One. Why would I go? Besides, I don't want to be surrounded by onlookers. I'm fine here."

"Huh?" Bakugo, upon hearing Todoroki's words, immediately became unhappy. He widened his eyes and said, "You? Number One? Are you kidding me?"

"..." Todoroki looked at Bakugo with a puzzled expression, then finally said, "You can't beat me."

Everyone was taken aback. They didn't expect Todoroki, who usually didn't talk much, to say something so provocative.

"What did you say, you bastard?!" Bakugo immediately stood up, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "Who do you think you are to say that I can't beat you?"

Kirishima, sitting next to him, quickly realized something was wrong and held Bakugo back. "Bakugo, that's enough. Todoroki was just joking. Don't take it seriously."

However, Todoroki continued, "I wasn't joking. I've made progress in using both of my powers recently. It's hard to say if you can defeat me."

Ignoring Bakugo, Todoroki turned directly to Renault, who was watching the show, and said, "How about sparring with me sometime?"

"Um? I don't mind. It's not a big deal," Renault replied without hesitation, shrugging his shoulders. But he felt that just sparring wouldn't be exciting enough, so he added, "By the way, you mentioned Number One earlier. Did you forget something?"

Todoroki and Bakugo both looked at Renault, confused.

Bakugo, unyielding, said, "I'll join the sparring too. Let's see how I can knock you down!"

"I haven't finished yet," Renault said with a helpless glance at Bakugo, a smile appearing on his face. He looked at Midoriya.

Midoriya suddenly felt uneasy and was about to say something when Renault interrupted, "We're all still students for now, but in the future, we're destined to become Pro Heroes. And among us, there's another person vying for the Number One spot."

"Huh?" Bakugo followed Renault's gaze and looked at the motionless Midoriya. A smirk appeared on his face. "Right, there's one here too. Let's add you to the sparring."

"Gulp..." Midoriya swallowed nervously and looked to Renault for help.

In response, Renault's expression seemed to convey, "Are you afraid?"

Renault raised his glass to Midoriya, indicating, "You can do it."

Midoriya was overwhelmed with gratitude and nodded, gritting his teeth.

After the commotion settled down, the live broadcast of the announcement finally began. This was the first announcement since the battle of Kamino when All Might's condition became known to the public, and he faced retirement.

As they watched the host take the stage, along with the numerous reporters below, Renault whispered, "It seems like the committee wants to restore public confidence with this."

Yaoyorozu nodded beside him and said, "When we returned earlier, my father told me that All Might's official retirement caused a bigger shock than we anticipated. Apart from the public reaction, the police and the committee deployed a significant number of personnel to suppress those who were causing trouble behind the scenes. That's why it appears more favorable on the surface."

"Can't be helped. Once a power like All Might, a pure anomaly, disappears, there will inevitably be a backlash. The stronger the suppression in the past, the stronger the rebound will be."

As they watched the ten Pro Heroes take the stage, with Endeavor standing in the middle with a serious expression, a hint of worry flashed in Renault's eyes. 'The mess left behind by All Might may not be something these people can handle.'

During the conversation, the host also invited the president of the committee to come up and give a speech.

After a long string of tedious words, the latest top ten rankings were finally announced.

No.10 - "Dragoon Hero" Ryukyu

No.9 - "Equipped Hero" Yoroi Musha

No.8 - "Laundry Hero" Wash

No.7 - "Kamui Woods" Nishiya Shinji

No.6 - "Shield Hero" Crust

No.5 - "Rabbit Hero" Mirko

No.4 - "Ninja Hero" Edgeshot

No.3 - "Best Jeanist" Hakamada Tsunagu

No.2 - "Wing Hero" Hawks

No.1 - "Flame Hero" Endeavor

In addition to the aforementioned top ten rankings, a list of the top 500 was also released, and one can check the details on the committee's official website.

Looking at this ranking, Renault expressed some surprise, saying, "Apart from a few individuals who have moved up one spot, there are many new faces, and Gang Orca, who was originally ranked tenth, has unexpectedly dropped to twelfth."

Iida nodded in agreement, saying, "Indeed, and Kamui Woods, who debuted not long ago, managed to secure the seventh spot this time. It's quite unexpected."

"I guess it's because he has been making a name for himself in various places over the past year. He's strong, has a good personality, and is young with room for improvement, so it's not too surprising to see his ranking rise suddenly," Ashido said, holding her face and smiling. "Although he looks a bit different from the average person, based on the reports, he seems gentle!"

"But I heard he's in a hot romance with Mt. Lady."

"Renault-kun shut up! Can't you let me fantasize a bit?"

Ashido glared at Renault discontentedly.

Yaoyorozu felt a bit helpless. This person beside her, although handsome when he's serious, mostly has a mischievous side and enjoys teasing others.

"Oh, Ryukyu is about to speak!"

Everyone looked over, and indeed, it was the turn of the top ten Pro Hero to give a speech.

Tall-bodied Ryukyu stood behind the microphone and began speaking.

"Ryukyu is just too stable," Renault shrugged while watching Ryukyu speak. "Even though her Quirk is a dragon and her strength is no weaker than the previous few, she has been steadily developing without enough exposure in the public eye."

Uraraka, also an intern under Ryukyu, agreed, saying, "Yeah, and many of Ryukyu's office missions are conducted quietly and cannot be made public. That should also be a factor restricting her ranking."

Kirishima clenched his fist and said displeased, "That's why I don't understand why public satisfaction is factored into these rankings. Wouldn't it be better to let strength speak for itself? Right now, what we need is a group of the strongest heroes to provide the most effective restraint against those villains!"

Renault was surprised. He didn't expect Kirishima, who usually has a straightforward mindset, to come up with such insightful words.