"At first place, we have... Team Kogane Reiji!" Present Mic's voice echoed around the stadium.
Cheers. Whistles. A few surprised gasps.
Second — Team Todoroki.Third — Team Bakugo.Fourth — Team Midoriya.
The top sixteen names rolled across the screen.
Present Mic's voice rang out again, loud as ever. "We'll be taking a short break! Grab some lunch, folks—because after that, it's time for one-on-one battles!"
We left the arena together, weaving through the crowd toward the break room.
"That was insane," Eijiro said. "Can't believe we actually pulled that off."
Tenya nodded. "Excellent coordination, everyone. I believe we performed admirably as a unit."
Momo exhaled, brushing some dust off her uniform. "Let's just be glad we didn't lose our footing during that last rush. A single mistake…"
As we were heading toward the break room, my phone buzzed.
I checked the screen. Mom.
I slowed down a little. "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up."
Kirishima gave a thumbs-up. "Don't take too long. They've got melon bread in there."
I stepped aside and answered.
Her voice came through. "Reiji! How's it going? Did you qualify?"
"Yeah. Top sixteen." I kept my voice steady. "We're on break right now."
There was a pause. I could hear faint sirens behind her.
"Sorry we couldn't be there. We're stretched thin most of the pro teams are at the festival. We had to stay on patrol in the city. You understand, right?"
"Of course. It's fine," I said. "It's just a school event. Don't worry about it."
Another voice cut in.
"You crushed it, right?" Dad.
"Yeah," I said.
"Try not to embarrass them too bad," Mom added, half-joking. "They're still kids."
"He's a kid too," Dad said.
"Sure," Mom said, voice softer. "But he doesn't fight like it anymore."
I leaned back against the wall for a second, eyes half-closed.
"I'll call after it's done," I said. "Don't get hit by anything dumb."
"You too," Mom said. "Be smart."
"Always," I muttered, then hung up.
---
"We have our top sixteen contenders," Midnight declared, now standing center stage. "And from this point forward—it's one-on-one!"
The bracket animation popped onto the screen.
"The rules are simple: throw your opponent out of bounds, knock them unconscious, or force them to surrender. Anything outside of that won't end the match!"
Cheers rippled through the stadium.
"So let's see... who's fighting who!"
The screen shuffled dramatically, names flying across the screen. All eyes locked on it—students and spectators alike.
And then... the matchups locked into place.
Tenya Iida vs Mei Hatsume
Mashirao Ojiro vs Denki Kaminari,
Katsuki Bakugo vs Ochaco Uraraka
reiji Kogone vs Fumikage Tokoyami
Mina Ashido vs Yuga Aoyama,
Momo Yaoyorozu vs Eijiro Kirishima
Izuku Midoriya vs Hitoshi Shinso
Shoto Todoroki vs Hanta Sero,
Midnight's voice rang across the stadium.
"We have our top sixteen contenders! First match—Tenya Iida versus Mei Hatsume! The rest of you, head to the viewing area!"
Tenya's match was quick. Mei wasn't even trying to win—she used it like a commercial, throwing herself around and showing off her gear to every pro scout watching. Tenya looked more confused than anything, but once she was done talking, he just rushed in and finished it.
Next up—Mashirao and Denki.
Denki came out shooting electricity across the field, but Mashirao had better control of his tail, better footwork. He slipped past the sparks and hit him with a spinning tail strike that knocked him out instantly.
Then came Katsuki and Ochaco.
Bakugo didn't hold back, he started aggressive right from the jump. But Uraraka had a plan. While dodging his attacks, she used her Quirk to make the debris around them float. By the time Bakugo realized, it was already too late, the debris was coming down fast. He blasted through, even more aggressive.
As he was focused on destroying her last attack, Uraraka rushed in, trying to grab him and make him float. She almost had him—
But she got caught in the blast too.
Then it was my turn.
Fumikage and I walked together toward the arena. He didn't say anything at first. Neither did I.
When we were almost at the entrance, he finally spoke.
"I know you're stronger than me," he said. "But I've trained hard with Dark Shadow. I want to see how far I've come… so I hope you won't hold back."
I glanced over.
"…Alright."
The crowd noise hit louder as we stepped into the light.
Present Mic's voice cut through the stadium speakers.
"Alright, alright—this one's gonna be good! Fumikage Tokoyami with his shadow partner, and Kogane Reiji with his ghost-like Stand! Let's see who's got the better coordination!"
Midnight raised her hand.
"Reiji, ready?"
I nodded.
"Fumikage?"
"Ready."
"Then—begin!"
"Go, Dark Shadow!" he called out.
I breathed out slow.
"Harder. Better. Faster. Stronger."
Daft Punk slipped out the way he always did. Just standing beside me, chrome arms flexed and ready.
Dark Shadow came straight in and fast with his Claws already out.
Before it could land a swipe, Daft stepped forward and drilled a punch straight into the arm. Sent it jerking back.
I kept walking forward, with hands in my pockets.
Fumikage didn't flinch. He sent Dark Shadow again—both claws this time, trying to force pressure from both angles.
Daft moved in rhythm. One arm blocked left, the other knocked the right one out wide, then a quick jab to the middle to push it back.
Fumikage tried more variation faster strikes, tighter moves but nothing landed. Every time, Daft punk beat it back with timing too fast to read.
As Daft Punk and I moved forward, Daft punk pushed Dark Shadow back toward the edge. Fumikage held his ground longer than most would, but I could see it—he was slipping.
Finally, near the boundary, he muttered something.
"…Dark Shadow. We can't beat him."
He took one more breath, then raised a hand.
"I yield."
Daft stopped moving. I let out a slow breath and gave a small nod.
Midnight raised her hand.
"Winner—Kogane Reiji!"
[TL:-Hey everyone, Let me know if anything felt off or didn't land right. Open to any thoughts appreciate the feedback.]