My Hero Academia: The Dragon's Quirk

The morning of the U.A. School Festival felt like a completely different world. The air, usually filled with the tension of training and the seriousness of lessons, now crackled with an infectious energy of excitement. The school grounds had transformed into a sea of bustling stalls, the aroma of takoyaki and cotton candy mixing with the sound of laughter and faint music. Students from all courses—general, support, and business—roamed freely, their faces beaming, enjoying a rare day where they could just be normal teenagers.

For us in Class 1-A, however, this was the calm before the storm. The main stage we had painstakingly built over the past two weeks loomed majestically in the center of the gymnasium, looking like a temple of rock and roll. Backstage, the atmosphere was organized chaos.

"WHERE ARE MY DAMN SPARE DRUMSTICKS?!" Bakugo roared, rummaging through a toolbox.

"Probably in the same place you left your manners, kero," Tsuyu replied calmly as she passed by, making a few of us chuckle.

Mina Ashido was giving the dance team a final pep talk. "Remember, everyone! Express yourselves! Feel the rhythm! And Aoyama-kun, please try not to shoot your laser into the audience's eyes this time!"

"The light of my beauty cannot be contained, mademoiselle!" Aoyama replied with a dramatic pose.

I myself was at our command center: a raised control booth behind the audience area. The place was filled with monitors, lighting control panels, and soundboards. At my side, Momo Yaoyorozu was calmly conducting a final systems check, her fingers dancing across the touch screens with the precision of a surgeon.

"Holographic projector system, ready," she reported. "Output limiter on Bakugo-san's pyrotechnics system, active and stable. Sound system, calibrated. We are ready to operate, Commander Tatsumi."

I smiled faintly at her joking formality. "Thank you, Lieutenant Yaoyorozu. Make sure everything goes according to plan."

Our job was the most important yet the least visible. We were the wizards behind the curtain, the ones who would turn this concert from a mere school band performance into an unforgettable visual experience.

In the midst of all the hustle, I saw Mirio arrive, carefully guiding Eri through the crowd. The little girl gripped Mirio's hand tightly, her large red eyes looking around with a mixture of fear and new curiosity. She wore a simple red dress the teachers had bought for her, and in her hand was a candy apple almost as big as her head. Midoriya, who was supposed to be doing a final warm-up, immediately ran over to them.

"Eri-chan! You came!" he exclaimed, his sincere smile so wide it was contagious. "I promise, our show will be the best you've ever seen!"

Eri only hid slightly behind Mirio's leg, but I could see the corner of her lips lift just a little. Midoriya's promise, and Mirio's calming presence, were her anchors in this sea of noise and crowds. I watched the scene from my control booth. This was our goal. All our hard work, all the sweat and stress, it all came down to one thing: the chance to see that little girl smile.

"Five minutes to showtime!" Iida yelled from below the stage.

My heart began to beat a little faster. I gave Momo a signal. She nodded. We were ready.

The lights in the entire gymnasium dimmed. The previously bustling crowd slowly fell silent, replaced by a murmur of anticipation. The stage curtain was still closed. In the darkness, there was only one sound to be heard: my own heartbeat.

Then, I pressed the first button.

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

A powerful, steady drum rhythm, played by Bakugo, echoed through the room, each beat synchronized with a flashing red spotlight. It was a powerful start, a bold statement. The stage curtain shot open rapidly, revealing the entire band in their positions.

Then, Kaminari's guitar came in with a sharp, energetic riff, followed by the deep, vibrating bass melody from Jiro. The music exploded.

As the first verse began, Jiro stepped up to the microphone. I could see she was trembling slightly, her eyes shut tight. Her voice, at first, was a little hesitant. A melodious voice, but held back by nervousness.

"In a world filled with blinding light... sometimes I feel like a shadow..."

In the audience stands, the teachers watched intently. "She's nervous," Present Mic said quietly to Aizawa.

Aizawa just grunted. "Let her be. She needs this."

As the song entered the pre-chorus, the Dance Team led by Mina leaped onto the stage with an explosive energy. Their synchronized and passionate movements seemed to inject courage directly into Jiro.

When the chorus arrived, something changed. Jiro opened her eyes. She saw the sea of faces before her. She saw her friends on stage. She saw Eri staring at her with wide eyes. And then, she sang. Truly sang. Her previously hesitant voice now exploded with a surprising power and emotion, the voice of a true rockstar hidden within her.

"BUT I'LL KEEP ON RUNNING, THROUGH THE NIGHT! WITH EVERY NOTE, I'LL PUT UP A FIGHT! THIS IS MY SONG, THIS IS MY LIGHT! BECOMING THE HERO OF MY OWN LIFE!"

It was then that I gave Momo the signal. "Now!"

Momo pressed a series of buttons. Our holographic projectors came to life. From the stage, hundreds of colorful butterflies of light exploded and flew over the audience's heads, creating a magical sight. At the same time, the pyrotechnic system connected to Bakugo's drumming activated. Every time he hit a cymbal, a small, safe, colorful firework burst behind the stage, creating a perfect visual rhythm with his music.

The audience went wild. They cheered, they jumped, they sang along. The energy in the gymnasium was so positive and overwhelming it felt like a physical force.

In the heroes' lounge at the Ryukyu Agency, Nejire was watching the festival's live stream on a large screen, bouncing with excitement. Ryukyu sat beside her, a rare smile on her face. She saw her interns, not as assets or soldiers, but as kids who had managed to create a moment of pure joy. She felt proud.

Far away, on a quiet rooftop, Akame looked toward U.A. in the distance. She could hear the faint echo of the music carried on the wind. She took the Yozakura token out of her pocket, holding it tight. She remembered the rare parties Night Raid had once held at their base, brief moments of warmth in the midst of an endless war. She didn't understand this world of heroes, but she was beginning to understand why Tatsumi fought so hard to protect it.

Back at the festival, the performance reached its peak. The final song was a powerful, emotional ballad. As the music slowed, I gave my final cue to Momo. She activated our main holographic program. Slowly, the illusion of a spinning galaxy began to form over the entire gymnasium, stars and nebulas glittering gently above us all. The dance team moved gracefully under the artificial sky, while Jiro's soulful voice filled every corner of the room.

I shifted my gaze from the stage to the audience. My eyes immediately focused on one spot. Eri. She was standing on Mirio's shoulders, looking up with wide eyes, her mouth slightly open in awe. She saw the holographic stars, she heard the beautiful music, she saw the happy faces around her.

And then, it happened.

Very slowly, the corners of her lips began to lift. A small wrinkle appeared on her cheek. And then, a smile. Not a small or hesitant smile. A wide, sincere smile, filled with the pure magic of a child. She laughed. A small, melodious laugh, barely audible over the music, but to me, it was the loudest sound in the entire world.

Mirio, feeling his shoulder get wet, realized he was crying. Tears of joy streamed down his cheeks as he saw the smile he had fought so hard for.

From the control booth, I watched it all. And in that moment, all the fatigue, all the pain, all the fear and doubt that had built up in me for months, it all vanished. It was all worth it. My victory at the sports festival, my fight against the villains, all my secrets—they all meant nothing compared to this moment. This was our true victory.

The performance ended with the most thunderous applause I had ever heard. Class 1-A gathered on stage, hugging each other, laughing, crying. We had done it.

I leaned back in my chair in the dark control booth, even after the main lights came back on. Momo stood beside me, also smiling. "We did it, Tatsumi-san," she said quietly.

I just nodded, my eyes still fixed on the monitor showing a close-up of Eri's laughing face. In my chest, my dragon's heartbeat felt calm, peaceful, and satisfied. I finally understood. I wasn't fighting to defeat villains or to be the strongest.

'This,' I thought to myself, a simple yet profound realization. 'This is why I fight.'