Chapter 97 - 34-35

Ch. 34: Cavalry Battle

"Now, then. The point assignments go up by increments of five, starting from the bottom. For example, 51st place is worth five points and 50th is worth ten," Midnight explained before internally grinning at this next tidbit of info which she was rather eager to share. "And the point value assigned to the first-place contestant is… TEN MILLION!"

Izuku suddenly turned ghost white, feeling glares from all around aimed at him. "Ten… million…?" It felt as if everyone around him were glaring at him with red glowing eyes like a predator hunting prey.

"That's right. It's survival of the fittest with a chance for those at the bottom to overthrow the top!" Midnight confirmed.

From the teachers' stands, Toshinori looked down at his successor with a serious look in his eyes. 'Now you know the burden of being the best.' Toshinori mentally said as he clenched his bony fist a little bit.

Back with Izuku, the pounding in his heart grew in anticipation. Yet, despite the overwhelming dread building up inside him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. 'So, what they say is true. It's hard being at the top. Right, All Might?'

"First-years!" Midnight called out to get everyone's attention, pointing toward the giant screen. "These are the rules that you will abide by! The game itself will last 15 minutes. Individual point values will be added together to reach your team total. Everyone will know how much you're worth thanks to your headbands. Swipe as many headbands as you can to raise your team score. Stolen headbands must be worn from the neck up. So the more you steal, the harder it'll be to manage them. And another thing, even if your headband gets stolen or your team falls down, you can keep playing until time's up!"

"It's anyone's game, then," Momo noted.

"And since there's 51 contestants, there will be thirteen or fourteen teams fighting on the field the entire time," Rikido added.

"Sounds hard," Yuga interjected worriedly.

"So if you lose your headband in the beginning, you have more time to make up a plan," Mina theorized.

"I don't know, Mina. Maybe we should wait and see how the teams turn out before we start strategizing," Tsuyu argued.

"This is going to be rough, you may use your Quirks as much as you'd like. But, there are still rules. Make a team fall on purpose and I'll slap you with a red card! You'll be disqualified!" Midnight warned.

Katsuki scoffed in the background. So much for his main strategy.

Then, the screen changed into a timer counting down from fifteen minutes.

"Now, you've got fifteen minutes to build your teams. I recommend you get started."

"You should team with me!" Rikido pointed to himself.

"No, you definitely want me by your side!" Mina argued.

"I don't wanna beg, but please," Yuga pleaded while clenching his stomach.

Katsuki was getting a lot of offers and pleas from his classmates to be on his team.

"Wait, remind me what your Quirks are again, and your names," Katsuki responded.

"You're kidding! We're your classmates!" Mina said in indignation.

"Can you really be that self-centered?" Rikido asked.

"He's a hothead but he came in third and he has 245 points. And considering how versatile his Quirk is, I'm not surprised people are trying to join up with him," Toshinori noted as he watched the exchange.

"Bakugo!" Eijiro called out as he made his way past Toru and Rikido. "I was gonna try Todoroki, but he already picked a group. So, hey! We should team up."

"Hey, Dumb Hair," Katsuki greeted in a bored tone.

"MY NAME IS KIRISHIMA!" Eijiro snapped. "Also, my hair's not that different from yours. C'mon, you wanna be the rider, right? So you're gonna need a strong front horse who won't be hurt by your blasts." Eijiro hardened up his arm to demonstrate. "That'd be me."

"I need someone with guts," Katsuki said.

"My Quirk was made for this! I got you covered, man! Let's go charging into battle together. Ten Million. Bring it."

Katsuki's expression changed into a ferocious grin at the thought of taking down Deku.

Mezo Shoji was looking around for teammates when he heard a voice calling out for him.

"Shoji! Shoji! None of the girls wanna team up with me! PLEASE BE MY PARTNER!"

Mezo looked down and saw Mineta crying and begging before walking away from his diminutive classmate to look for partners elsewhere.

"I'm super tiny so I can't be a horse! But for some reason no one wants me to climb on top of them so I can be a rider!" Mineta pretty much just answered his own question. "With your huge body and those tentacles, you could cover me completely so no one'll take my headband!" This got Mezo to stop and reconsider; it WAS a good strategy. "Right?! Please?!"

Mezo grew out a grinning mouth from one of his extra limbs. "Good idea. Let's go."

Meanwhile, Izuku was looking around for potential teammates… Except pretty much everyone was trying to keep their distance from him or had already found themselves a full team. 'Everyone's totally avoiding me since I'm worth so much!'

Trying not to get disheartened, he nervously approached one of his classmates. "Oh, hey. What's up, Ojiro?"

"Sorry…" Ojiro muttered in apology before walking away, leaving behind a distraught Izuku.

'That makes sense. No one's worried about keeping their own headbands the whole game. It's a better strategy to steal as many points as you can.'

"Izuku…" Rias whispered in worry. The fact he had such a big target on him made finding a team difficult.

"Admittedly, it's a smart move on the school's part. They're doing it like this so the first place won't become complacent. Midoriya will have to work for it if he wants to succeed," Sona analyzed.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Ravel asked.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Yumi reassured.

"Izuku?"

The boy in question turned to see Asia.

"Would you like to team up?" The blonde Devil offered.

"ASIA! ARE YOU SURE!? EVERYONE WILL BE AFTER ME AND MY TEN MILLION STUPID POINTS! TELL ME YOU'RE NOT KIDDING!" Izuku pleaded while spraying Asia with a deluge of tears that would put a leaking fire hydrant to shame.

"It's fine. I want to help you win," Asia smiled. "Besides, it's better to team up with people you like."

Izuku felt his heart thumping at her angelic smile and did his best to stop another tear flood from leaking out. "You're right. For a game that requires so much teamwork, it's smart to find people you communicate smoothly with," Izuku said, to which Asia nodded. "In fact, if we add your Quirk and one other person… You know what, I think I might have a solid plan!" He turned to look around and found the person he was looking for. "Iida!"

After getting Tenya's attention, Izuku explained his idea to the Engine Quirked teen. Now, he awaited Tenya's response.

"A good strategy, but I'm sorry. I'm afraid I must refuse your offer," Tenya apologized. "Since this all started, I've been losing to you. Please don't take this as an insult, you're a great friend. But if I continue to follow you, I'll never get stronger. Bakugo and Todoroki have challenged you already. They aren't the only ones who see you as a rival." He then turned and walked back to Shoto's side, who had Momo and Denki with him. "Midoriya, I'll try my best to defeat you."

As much as Iida's rejection hurt, Izuku still held a determined expression, refusing to give up.

"Hehehe. Oh, perfect. You're still alone. And you're the star."

At the sound of machine whirring and the new voice, Izuku and Asia turned to see a girl with pink hair in dreadlocks, equipped with all sorts of hi-tech gear.

"TEAM UP WITH ME, PERSON IN FIRST PLACE!" Mei Hatsume shouted, getting right in Izuku's face.

"AH! SO CLOSE! WHO ARE YOU?!"

"I'm a student in the Support Course. Name's Mei Hatsume," she introduced herself after backing up, lifting her goggles to reveal her yellow eyes with crosshairs in the iris.

"Oh, I saw you in the Obstacle Course!" Asia said.

"We haven't met, but I'd like to use your current fame to my personal advantage," Mei bluntly revealed.

'That's straightforward!' Izuku thought.

Mei then started getting right up in Izuku's face again. "If I team up with you, then I'll be in the spotlight as part of the team that everyone is keeping their eyes on! That means my super-cute little babies will inevitably be seen by the big company CEOs who are tuning in to see the Sports Festival! And following that line of reasoning, this is the best way for me and my marvelous gadgets to get recruited!"

"C-Could you slow down a minute? D-Did you bring babies here, or-"

Mei paid Asia no mind as she continued to try and convince Izuku to team up with her, leaving Asia annoyed at not only being ignored but also because the new girl was invading Izuku's personal space.

"The Support Course specializes in creating equipment that helps Heroes deal with their Quirks and enhance their skills! I packed a ton of powerful babies to bring with me. So I'm sure you'll find something you like floating around my arsenal!" Mei advertised before noticing him looking at one of her "babies." "Oh, I see one's caught your eye!" She held up one that appeared to be a jetpack. "I based this on a certain Hero's backpack. Of course, I added my own twist."

"I recognize that! Air Jet, the Buster Hero has one of those!" Izuku noted. "I love that guy!"

"Isn't he awesome?!" Mei asked, to which Izuku nodded.

Meanwhile, Asia could only watch their interaction in silence, totally ignored. 'They sure get along well.'

Then suddenly, Izuku's expression became serious again. 'Not being able to team up with Iida was a definite blow. I've got Hatsume and Asia now. But, I still need one more…'

"Hey, guys. Room for one more?" The three turned to see a familiar rabbit girl.

"Chacha? You sure?" Izuku asked.

"Of course. I wanna help you."

"In that case, welcome to the team," Izuku said.

"So, President. Izuku now has… a… team…" Yumi trailed off, seeing the dark look on not just Rias's face, but also Akeno and Ravel's.

"Is this normal for you guys?" Saji asked.

"You could say that," Yumi said.

"Damn… How does he do it?" Saji muttered.

Hitoshi Shinso was checking out the crowd for potential teammates. He then noticed the tailed blond from Class 1-A, and from the way he moved in the Obstacle Race, he seemed pretty athletic, which could be useful as a horse. And lucky for Hitoshi, he had a special way of convincing people.

He was about to go snag the 1-A youth for his team when he felt a chubby hand on his shoulder.

"Hey."

Hitoshi turned around to see Hilda smiling at him. "Oh, hey."

"Got a team yet? If not, how about we team up? I would be a good front horse, don'tcha think?" Hilda said.

"I thought you preferred being the rider?"

"Well, that was back when I was skinny. I mean, unless you wanna carry my big butt?" Hilda joked.

"Point taken," Hitoshi said. He would be squashed on the ground if he tried that. "But you think your sister wouldn't mind us teaming up?"

"Pssh! You know Rosa's not the jealous type," Hilda brushed away his concerns. "Besides, you and Rosa both know I'm solely lesbian, so nothing's gonna happen."

"Yeah, I get it."

"Also, no need to use your 'special' way of persuasion for other teammates, I brought along some friends with me," Hilda motioned to the side, where Rebecca and Ochaco were.

"Hello," Rebecca greeted.

"Hi," Ochaco greeted. "Hilda vouched for you and I figured if she trusts you, then so can we." She initially wanted to team up with Deku, but she saw that he already had a full team, to her slight jealousy, and that was when Hilda offered her to team up.

Although Hitoshi didn't show it, he was internally smiling that people were willing to team up with him rather than him having to make them join him.

"I chose the three of you because I believe we'll make for the most stable formation possible…"

Shoto's team remained silent as he addressed them.

"Kaminari's our left wing. He can use his Quirk to keep enemies at bay." Shoto turned to his next teammate. "Hanakai, you'll take the right wing. Focus on insulation and defense." And finally, he turned to the last member. "Iida, you'll take the front. We'll rely on you for mobility and physical defense."

"And you'll be attacking and creating diversions of ice and fire, is that right?" Tenya asked.

"Not quite," Shoto replied, looking up at a certain back part of the stands with a scowl. "When I'm in battle, I never use my left side."

Soon, the fifteen minutes ran out and an alarm went off to let everyone know it was time for the Cavalry Battle to begin.

"Oh, goody. It's time to get this party started," Midnight remarked as she stretched her arms.

"Hey! Hey! Look alive!" Present Mic tapped the sleeping Eraserhead on his shoulder to wake him up.

["After fifteen minutes to pick teammates and think strategy, fourteen cavalry teams are prepared to go head-to-head!"]

["I see some unexpected student combinations,"] Aizawa noted.

["Come on! Everyone get your hands in the air! It's time for an arena-thumping battle royale! LET ME HEAR YA SCREAM!"] Present Mic announced, getting the crowd pumped.

And then, the teams were displayed one by one starting from lowest score to highest.

Team Rin- Hiryu Rin, Jurota Shishida: 135

Team Kodai- Yui Kodai, Kojiro Bondo, Manga Fukidashi: 180

Team Kamakiri- Togaru Kamakiri, Rikido Sato, Nirengeki Shoda: 240

Team Kendo- Itsuka Kendo, Setsuna Tokage, Asuka Koukawa, Pony Tsunotori: 315

Team Mineta- Minoru Mineta, Mezo Shoji, Tsuyu Asui: 320

Team Monoma- Neito Monoma, Kosei Tsuburaba, Sen Kaibara, Shihai Kuroiro: 325

Team Komori- Kinoko Komori, Kyoka Jiro, Koji Koda, Reiko Yanagi: 380

Team Hagakure- Toru Hagakure, Dani Fenton, Tomoe Meguri, Yuga Aoyama: 515

Team Shinso- Hitoshi Shinso, Hilda Shirakabe, Rebecca Riku, Ochaco Uraraka: 575

Team Tetsutetsu- Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, Juzo Honenuki, Yosetsu Awase, Orihime Yamasaki: 685

Team Ginzan- Ethel Ginzan, Xenovia Quarta, Mashirao Ojiro, Fumikage Tokoyami: 745

Team Bakugo- Katsuki Bakugo, Eijiro Kirishima, Hanta Sero, Mina Ashido: 750

Team Todoroki- Shoto Todoroki, Tenya Iida, Denki Kaminari, Momo Hanakai: 765

Team Argento- Asia Argento, Izuku Midoriya, Chacha Akaninjin, Mei Hatsume: 10,000,445

"WHAT?!" Katsuki exclaimed, surprised by the top team's formation.

Indeed, the rider of the ten-million-point team was Asia, not Izuku, who was actually the front horse, with Chacha and Mei covering the left and the right respectively.

Asia was being supported by Mei and Chacha, who held up the upper part of her tail with their arms, and she had the end of her tail coiled around Izuku's waist for extra security.

"Goddamn it, Deku! Running away?" Katsuki growled with gritted teeth. He was planning on taking down Izuku in the battle, but now, he had to deal with Asia instead.

["Okay, all you first-years! I hope you're happy with your chosen teams!"] The boisterous commentator shouted.

"You ready, Asia?" Izuku asked as he looked up.

"Yeah!" Asia responded.

"Hatsume?"

Mei chuckled in response.

"Chacha?"

"I'm good!" Chacha responded.

"Let's do this!" Izuku declared as he faced ahead.

["Let's get this party started!"] Present Mic declared. ["One final countdown before the game starts!"]

Every single team readied themselves, and nearly each one of them had their eyes trailed on the same target.

["Three!"]

"Get 'em." Katsuki cracked his knuckles from atop his team.

["Two!"]

"He's ours," Shoto stated from atop his team.

["One!"]

"BEGIN!" Midnight announced, starting the Cavalry Battle.

The majority of the teams immediately started rushing toward Team Argento, much to their surprise.

"IT'S BASICALLY ONE BIG BATTLE FOR TEN MILLION POINTS!" Tetsutetsu shouted as his team charged forward. "SORRY, ARGENTO AND AKANINJIN, BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ENEMIES!"

"Yeah. Nothing personal, you guys!" Scales formed on Hiryu's arm as he rode on top of beast mode Jurota.

"Hahahahaha! I'll be taking that headband, Argento!" The topless Toru cackled as her teammates carried her forward.

"They're not giving us a chance," Chacha noted.

Even with enemies inbound, Mei was still smiling. "Here they come."

"Izuku…" Asia said.

"Only one thing to do… WE'RE RUNNING AWAY!" Izuku declared.

"Don't think so!" Tetsutetsu retorted.

"Yeah!" Juzo activated his Quirk, softening the ground around Team Argento to try and stop them.

Orihime sent a wave of ice toward their targets but Izuku acted fast and fired a Dragon Shot to shatter the ice.

"Asia!" Izuku shouted.

"Right!" Asia activated Mei's jetpack to lift themselves into the air, with Izuku using his wings to help them steer while Mei and Chacha wore the former's Hover Soles for extra speed and mobility, allowing the team to escape the horde of opposing teams.

"They flew?! Damn Support Course!" Tetsutetsu shouted in irritation. "AFTER THEM!"

"You won't get away!" Hiryu shouted, Jurota roaring in agreement as they went after Team Argento, unaware that their headband was gone.

"Jiro, now!" Kinoko shouted.

"I know!" Kyoka extended her earphone jacks into the sky toward Team Argento.

Chacha's ears perked up at the sound of Kyoka's jacks heading toward them, and she quickly transformed into her were-form to block them with a swipe of her arm.

"Stupid bunny!" Kyoka cursed at her attack being foiled.

"Nice reaction time, Chacha! You're amazing!" Izuku said.

"Oh, it was no biggie," Chacha said, happy to receive a compliment from her crush. "We're landing!"

Then, the team landed back on the ground and ran to avoid the other teams.

"What do you think of my babies? Aren't they just precious? Cuteness can be manufactured, you know!" Mei asked the others.

"Excellent mobility! Your babies are amazing, Hatsume!" Izuku replied.

"Thanks!" Mei chirped, happy to hear others appreciating her babies.

["Wo-ow! Barely two minutes have passed since we started, and it's already a total free-for-all!"] Present Mic cheered. ["YEAH! Watch those headbands! You can even ignore the ten million points and go after the other chart toppers!"]

Suddenly, Mineta's maddening cackle rang out. "Hahaha! Hahaha! This is too easy! It's not a fight! It's more like a massacre!"

Team Argento turned in the direction, where they saw Mezo seemingly running by himself with his arms up behind him acting as a tent for his back. Mineta was probably inside.

"Hey, we gotta get moving!" Mei pointed out, spotting Team Tetsutetsu headed their way as well.

Team Argento was about to run again when Chacha noticed that she had stepped on something, preventing her from lifting her left foot.

"Is something wrong?" Asia asked.

"Yeah, I'm stuck!" Chacha said, under her foot, there was a familiar purple sphere.

"That's Mineta's ball!" Izuku said as he turned in Mezo's direction.

"Hi, Midoriya," Mineta peeked out from the tent before retreating into it as a long tongue shot out toward Asia.

Asia barely managed to dodge the tongue as it continued to stretch out, almost hitting Tetsutetsu.

The tongue was then reeled back, and its owner peeked out. "Not bad, Argento," Tsuyu complimented.

"Oh, man. You've got Asui in there, too?" Izuku asked.

"I told you to call me Tsu," Tsuyu responded before retreating into the shelter and lashing out with her tongue again alongside a volley of Mineta's sticky balls.

"Punch it, Asia!" Izuku said, preparing his wings for takeoff again.

Asia activated the jetpack, and they soared into the air again, but unfortunately, Chacha's left Hover Sole was destroyed during takeoff due to Mineta's sticky ball.

"My baby's ruined!" Mei cried out in distress as she noticed the damage.

"Sorry, but at least we got away from them!" Izuku said.

Then, as if on cue, Katsuki was about to prove him wrong as he set off his explosions to launch himself into the sky after Team Argento.

"Kacchan!" Izuku said in shock.

"Don't think for a second you're safe!" Katsuki exclaimed as he caught up to his targets, readying an explosion and aiming it at Asia. "I've got you!"

"Asia!" Izuku shouted.

"Right!" Asia sent out a wall of hair vines to act as a barrier, blocking Katsuki's explosion.

The crowd cheered at the action, eager for more fighting, as some wondered about the risky move.

["WHAAAAA?! Bakugo has been separated from his horses!"] Present Mic commented. As he said this, Katsuki was pulled back to his team by Hanta's tape. ["Is that even allowed?"]

"He never touched the ground, so technically, it's okay!" Midnight ruled.

Meanwhile, Team Argento made landing once more, even if it was somewhat shaky.

"It's hard to control where we're going with just one foot," Chacha said.

"I understand," Izuku responded. 'We can't risk taking to the sky again. That means we'll have to do what we can down here to survive.'

"Dammit! After them!" Katsuki commanded as he saw Team Argento land on the ground. But before he knew it, his headband was snatched off his head.

The culprit was Monoma, who held the headband in his hand.

"He got us!" Mina exclaimed.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing?!" Katsuki shouted.

"Taking points. What else?" Monoma said matter-of-factly. "Were you so focused on the ten million team that you forgot there are others in this game? There are other, sometimes smarter, ways to win, you know." Then, Team Monoma started running away with their points.

"I'll show you, wise guy!" Katsuki growled before turning to his team. "Kirishima, we have a slight change of plans. Them first! Then we take down Deku!"

["Now who wants to take a look at each team's points so far? It's been seven minutes so let's get those rankings sorted on the screen!"] Present Mic yelled. ["In first place, Team Argento, who has managed to keep control over their headband even though everyone's gunning for them! In second place, Team Monoma, having managed to sneak up the ranks! Next, there's Team Todoroki in third, followed by Team Ginzan in fourth! But, this is far from being absolute, folks! Who knows what'll happen next?!"]

"We better keep moving," Asia suggested.

Before they could move, someone stopped in front of them: Team Todoroki. Glaring at him with his cold, mixed-matched eyes was Shoto, who was currently being held up by Tenya, Momo, and Denki, the former two with serious, determined eyes, and the latter had a confident grin.

"I thought we had it made. Guess I was wrong," Izuku said as he looked up to face Shoto.

"I'll be taking that now," Shoto declared, eyeing the ten-million-headband around Asia's head.

Meanwhile, inside Mezo's arm tent, Mineta was devastated to realize that his headband had been stolen despite his clever plan.

"Normally, I wouldn't have teamed up with you, but this was a good plan. Though I'm not sure how you lost your headband," Tsuyu said.

"WHERE DID IT GO?!" Mineta cried.

Nearby, Rebecca reeled back her arm, which was in the form of a squid tentacle, holding the stolen Team Mineta headband before passing it to Hitoshi.

"Wow, that was a neat trick," Ochaco said.

"And that brings us to 895 points!" Hilda said from the front. "No need to worry about the ten million, let's just focus on holding onto what we have now."

"Right," Hitoshi nodded. And they had a pretty good chance at that, too. Ochaco used her Quirk on everyone's clothes to remove some weight from them, Hilda in front was a great tank, Rebecca's animal transformations offered versatility, and Hitoshi himself had his way of stopping the other teams from coming after them.

"Guess I should've expected this sooner or later," Izuku noted as he faced Shoto's team.

"He seems to have it out for you, Izuku," Chacha said.

"The game's only halfway over. We can't stop now!" Izuku said as he got ready for anything Shoto might try.

"Now, Iida! Forward!" Shoto commanded.

"Right!" Tenya fired up his engines and sped toward Team Argento.

"Hanakai, be ready to protect us."

"On it!" Momo started creating a rod from her right arm, and a blanket from her bare stomach.

"Kaminari!"

Denki knew what Shoto was going to say. "Oh, I know what I gotta do."

"We're surrounded! Everyone's after us!" Asia shouted as she looked around to see not just Team Todoroki, but several other teams gunning for hers as well.

Denki started giving off sparks as they raced towards the ten million points. "I hope you made something strong, Hanakai!"

Shoto grabbed the blanket from Momo, and the girl stabbed the rod into the ground, while they were still in motion.

Izuku quickly realized what Team Todoroki was about to do, and they had little time to act. "Asia, quick! We need a vine barrier!"

Asia's hair vines quickly pierced the ground before coming back, forming a shield around them. Just in time too.

"Indiscriminate Shock: 1.3 MILLION VOLTS!" Denki discharged his stored electricity; the bright burning energy danced and flooded the surrounding area.

All the other teams that came charging in, from Classes 1-A and 1-B, were treated to a special kind of shock treatment, making them howl in pain as their bodies froze up from the powerful jolts.

"KAMINARI!" Kyoka shouted between all the pain.

The moment that Denki turned off the charge, Shoto quickly ditched the insulated sheet and his right hand began to freeze up. "Less than six minutes left. It's time to make a move!" Using the rod that Momo had created, he directed his ice toward the ground where it spread and encased all the other teams' feet in ice.

"Sorry, but there's no other way."

The teams struggled to pry themselves out of the ice, but it was just too strong.

Present Mic was just as surprised by the move as they were. ["Will you look at that! He's stopped all those teams cold in their tracks!"]

Aizawa had something to add about that. ["But only after Kaminari had immobilized the students using his electricity."] He recalled how Todoroki froze many of the students at the beginning of the last event. ["In the Obstacle Course, he was surprised by how many people avoided his attack. He's adapting his strategy."]

Present Mic gave his friend a thumbs up. "Nice commentary."

Back down on the field, Shoto raised his arm up as he passed by the last frozen team. "I might as well take this." In his hand was Team Kamakiri's headband. As he passed by, large icicles rose from the ground, blocking off the path for the other teams.

Team Argento backpedaled as Team Todoroki charged right for them. Izuku got ready to unfurl his wings. Even with the risks taking to the sky again, right now, they needed to get away fast! "Asia! We need to fly!"

"On it!" Asia tried to fire off the jetpack, but it only gave off a weak puff before it broke down.

"The jetpack's malfunctioning!" Asia said.

Mei was devastated by the news. "Baby! Guess it needs some upgrades…"

"They're too fast!" Chacha said as Team Todoroki drew closer. "We can't get away!"

Asia shot out her hair vines in an attempt to slow down Team Todoroki; however, she unknowingly aimed for his right side.

"No, wait!"

Izuku's warning came late as Shoto reached out with his right hand, sending ice rushing up the vines.

No time to lose, Izuku quickly summoned his Boosted Gear and fired a Dragon Shot to cut through the vines before the ice could spread any further. Also, as a lucky break, the frozen vines ended up weighing down Shoto and forced his team to slow down.

"That was close. Now if-"

Team Argento suddenly came to a stop as they got dangerously close to the edge of the playing field.

["Team Argento has nowhere left to run!"] Present Mic announced.

"What do we do now?" Mei asked.

"Let's stay on Todoroki's left," Izuku said. "That way we can avoid his ice."

Back with the teams frozen by Shoto, some had gotten free while others remained trapped.

Team Hagakure managed to get free thanks to Dani and Yuga's Ghost Ray and Navel Laser breaking the ice. Team Ginzan was able to escape thanks to Ethel summoning a metal staff for Xenovia to absorb, allowing her to smash the ice with her metal fists. Team Kendo got free after Asuka used her energy blades to slice the ice apart.

["Look at that, folks! Looks like Teams Hagakure, Ginzan, and Kendo managed to escape the ice trap and are back in the game!]

"Seems Todoroki is set on taking down Midoriya himself," Ethel noted. "It would be best for us to fight here and not get in his way."

Ethel's teammates all nodded, and it seemed the two other free teams were thinking the same thing as they ran to get back into the game, leaving the other frozen teams behind.

"Hey, what about us?!" Mineta shouted.

"Sorry, but we are technically competing against each other," Dani said.

"Nothing personal, you guys," Setsuna said. "Especially you, Kinoko."

The mushroom girl wondered what she meant until she felt her head and realized her headband was gone. It was being carried away by Setsuna's detached hand.

"HEY!" Kinoko shouted in indignation.

"Get after them, Kirishima!" Katsuki ordered as he grinned maniacally at the retreating Team Monoma.

"Please don't make us regret this," Eijiro pleaded as he, Mina, and Hanta followed Katsuki's order.

"You think you're tough?! DIE!" Katsuki primed an explosion and threw his hand out at Monoma, who simply moved his head out of the way to dodge while brushing his palm against the Explosion Quirk user's arm.

As Katsuki turned around to attack again, he was caught by surprise when a small explosion was set off in his face, courtesy of Monoma.

As Katsuki reeled back from the explosion, Monoma proceeded to brush his fingers against Eijiro's hair.

"Whoa, weird! That guy has your Quirk!" Eijiro shouted.

"DAMMIT!" Katsuki cursed as he aimed another explosion at Monoma, this time hitting his mark.

However, there were no sounds of pain or anything to indicate Monoma was hurt by the attack. When the smoke cleared, it was revealed that Monoma had protected himself using Eijiro's copied Quirk.

As Team Bakugo stared in shock, it allowed Monoma's team to put some distance between them.

"Huh? What? Mine, too?" Eijiro questioned.

"Hey, didn't Midoriya mention that he worked with a guy who had a Copy Quirk back in the USJ?" Mina asked.

"Yeah, that's me," Monoma confirmed. "Nice guy, that Midoriya."

Right as Katsuki was about to attack again, Team Kodai appeared, and Kojiro sprayed out a stream of his glue between Teams Bakugo and Monoma.

"Nice one. Thanks for the backup, Bondo," Monoma said.

"Monoma! If we keep those headbands, we're good. As long as no one gets near us, we'll make our class proud," Sen said, and Team Monoma resumed running from Team Bakugo.

Katsuki scowled as Monoma ran away from their fight. "Stop 'em!"

"It's too sticky! Crap! I can't move!" Looking down, they noticed that Eijiro's leg was trapped in Kojiro's glue.

"No prob! I'll melt through this gunk with my Quirk!" Mina pressed her feet against the glue and sprayed acid from her soles to dissolve the adhesive.

"Well, hurry! We're sitting at zero points now!" Hanta exclaimed as he saw how far Team Monoma had already gotten.

"Second place. We've done pretty well for ourselves. Now we can let the time run out," Monoma said as he took a look at the points chart.

"Losers! Get back here!"

Hearing Katsuki's voice, Monoma turned around only to see Katsuki using his explosions to launch himself off his team towards Team Monoma.

"HEY! DON'T JUST FLY OFF ON YOUR OWN!" Eijiro chided.

"Tsuburaba!" Monoma called out to his front horse. "Stop him!"

Kosei took a deep breath and breathed out a wall of solidified air in front of him, stopping Katsuki in midair.

"Alright!" Kosei grinned. As Katsuki struggled to punch through the air wall, Kosei couldn't help but chuckle. "Hehe. You look pretty stupid fighting with air!"

He should have kept his mouth shut as, at that moment, Katsuki managed to break through and snatch one of their headbands, specifically, his team's headband.

"Crap, he snatched one!"

Before Katsuki could hit the ground, he was reeled upward by a roll of tape.

["Team Bakugo nabs a headband and moves into fourth place! The final moments of the game have been full of shakeups! Oh, to be young again!"]

"Monoma! We've fallen out of the running! What now?!" Shihai asked.

"We can still come back from this!" Monoma reassured. "We just have to defend this one and snatch another one high enough! If we do that, we'll move forward!"

Meanwhile, Hanta managed to reel his team's rider back to them. "I told you to warn us before we jumped!"

"Whatever, this means we're advancing," Eijiro said.

"We're not done!" The mad bomber argued.

"Huh?" Hanta questioned.

"We're gonna be the indisputable champions of the game!"

["Now look at this,"] Aizawa observed. ["Class 1-B's strategy was a reasonable one. But there's one thing they never bothered to consider."]

"I couldn't brace myself when I jumped earlier. Get closer!" Katsuki commanded. "We'll take down this idiot, then go for the big one!"

Hearing this, Katsuki's team couldn't help but grin at their leader's determination.

"Do it!' Hanta encouraged.

"Elbow Guy. Tape 'em!"

"My name's Sero!" Hanta said before shooting a roll of tape in Team Monoma's direction, though it didn't hit them.

"Raccoon Eyes! Lay down some acid in the direction we're going!"

"It's Mina Ashido!" Mina shouted before spraying a puddle of slippery acid in front of them.

'Young Bakugo. You understand something crucial, a truth no one had to teach you…' Toshinori observed. 'That there's a difference between those who aim for the top. And those who will settle.' Katsuki ignited explosions from his hands to blast his team forward with greater speed. 'And that difference matters.'

Aizawa finished his thought at the same time. ["Class 1-B didn't take into account Bakugo's overwhelming tenacity."]

Kosei put up one of the biggest Solid Air shields that he could muster, but it was nothing compared to Katsuki's own willpower and rage.

The mad bomber threw his hand out, unleashing a fiery, destructive force that completely obliterated the pathetic excuse for a shield, snagging the points right off the bastard's neck.

Present Mic and the entire stadium cheered. ["Bakugo is a merciless force! What a point hog! That was a shield break heard 'round that arena! And I can't wait to watch the replay!"]

"Now! We're going after Deku and Todoroki!" Katsuki declared as he turned in the direction of Shoto's ice blockade, where his targets were on the other side.

Meanwhile, Team Argento continued to stay on Shoto's left side, with neither side making a move, waiting to see wha the other team would do.

["Only one minute left! Todoroki has cornered the ten-million-point team and is poised to seize the ultimate prize! At least, that's what I would have predicted five minutes ago!"] Present Mic announced. ["Unbelievably, Team Argento's been able to keep away from the ice master for the last half of the game."]

'Midoriya is keeping his distance and staying on my left side. That's his strategy. From this position, if I try to freeze them, I'll hit Iida. If he keeps moving like this… There's no way I can get a clear shot at his team.' Shoto glared at Izuku. 'Plus, Argento can defend against Kaminari's electricity. There's not much time left. The bastard!'

"Everyone, we have less than 60 seconds," Tenya spoke up. "I'm gonna do something that'll make me worthless to you."

However, Chacha could hear what Tenya was saying as clear as day, and it was enough to make her gut do a flip. 'Oh no…' She whispered to her crush. "Izuku, Iida's about to do something. Should we initiate the backup plan?"

Izuku bit his lip, knowing he'd feel bad about doing this. But at that moment, it was do or die. Whatever Tenya had up his sleeve, he had a feeling it was going to be something major.

He looked up at Asia. "Asia, be ready." Asia nodded in response.

"What are you gonna do?" Shoto questioned as Tenya took a knee, getting into a ready position.

"Make sure you get that headband! Brace yourselves! Hold on tight!" With the sounds of his engines starting, Tenya fired them up hard, to the point where the afterburner color went from orange to bright blue. "Torque Over—" ZOOM! In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, Team Todoroki went flying, zooming over to Izuku's team at the speed of a Formula One racer. "RECIPRO BURST!"

Shoto almost lost his train of thought at the sheer speed they were going, the wind whipping past his eyes, making it hard to see. But kept his focus, reaching out and feeling the headband reach his left hand. He gave a good yank to loosen it and took it right with them, the quartet rushing past Team Argento and pulling to a complete stop within half a second.

The stadium went into an uproar at what had just occurred, including Present Mic. ["WHA-HO-HO! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! That was one big blur! Holy smokes, folks! Why didn't he show that move off in the preliminaries?!"]

Denki looked like he had been thrown for a loop, while Momo's reaction was a bit more subdued, though it was clear she was also stunned, speechless. That speed Iida had moved at just now was comparable to a Knight.

"Iida. What was that?" Shoto asked.

"Hah… hah… Forced my torque and RPM into overdrive, which gave me explosive power!" Tenya explained, trying to catch his breath. His legs, however, were literally smoking hot after the move. "Unfortunately, the recoil stalls my engines for a while. It's a secret move I've been saving. No one in the class knew about it." He craned his head over to the green-haired boy and gave him a knowing smile. "I told you, Midoriya… that I'd do my best to beat you."

Izuku didn't respond right away; instead, he looked up at his rider, who had her head leaned down, and the other headband that Shoto hadn't taken. And that was enough for him to let out a small chuckle. "Hm, yeah, you did! I gotta say, Iida, I'm stunned and impressed. That move was really great, and I wanna talk to you more about it, for sure." His happy tone took Team Todoroki by surprise, almost as if he hadn't just lost something important. "But winning this game is about much more than big moves, it's also about planning ahead with several strategies. That being said… You might wanna take a second look at that headband." Asia lifted her head up… revealing she still had the ten-million-point headband around her head.

To say that Team Todoroki was left shell-shocked was an understatement. …Well, most of them were. Denki was still out of his gourd from his electrical blast and had no clue what was going on. Momo, however, was slack-jawed and speechless. Tenya's jaw had practically hit the ground, the young man trembling as small noises escaped his throat. Shoto himself slowly glanced down at the headband in his left hand.

It was only worth 135 points.

"H-How…" Shoto clenched his hand around the fabric, his frustration growing. He had to remind himself to keep control, otherwise the headband would catch fire. "How did you—"

"There's a reason we took Team Rin's headband!" Chacha piped up. "We figured everyone would be coming after us, so we planned that escape strategy, but we also figured that might not last long, so we decided to try this trick with a fake-out headband from someone else."

"B-But Argento had it around her neck!" Momo pointed out. "Todoroki's hand clearly went for her head!"

"Well, I sort of lifted the decoy headband up to where Todoroki could accidentally grab it," Asia said, revealing some shorter hair vines to demonstrate.

Tenya was appalled to hear that. "YOU LIFTED THE HEADBAND?! That is—"

"Not against the rules!" Midnight announced, having overheard the whole thing. She pointed up to the screen, which displayed a slowed-down replay of the events, which indeed showed Asia using the smaller vines to lift the headband up, but it never left her neck until Shoto ripped it off. "The headband never left Argento's neck while she was lifting it, and it wasn't removed until the other team acquired it, so I'll allow it!"

["INCONCEIVABLE!"] Present Mic hollered as the crowd once again erupted into collective cheers. ["Team Argento has played Team Todoroki like fiddles and fooled them effectively! What a deceiving move!"]

Up in the stands, the ORC cheered on Team Argento for that strategy.

"Yeah! That's my Izuku and Asia!" Rias cheered.

"Don't forget, Chacha's there too," Latia said.

"Y-You guys tricked us?!" Momo exclaimed.

"Not 'tricked,' necessarily," Izuku said, glancing up toward the commentary booth where Aizawa was watching. "Think of it more as… a rational deception. After all, if you wanna BEAT Villains, sometimes, you gotta THINK like Villains." He couldn't see it, but Eraserhead was smirking slightly beneath his bandages.

Todoroki's shock gave way to fury.

'Midoriya… You dare make me look like a fool in front of everyone? In front of my bastard father?! This is not over yet!'

Almost instinctively, Shoto's left hand began to spark with fire. Flames started to get bigger on that side due to his fury. But as he began to swing his left hand, flames roared in the palm as he aimed…

*BOOOOOM!*

Just then, one of the ice walls exploded in a brilliant display, the fiery blast making the ice crystals shimmer. However, the person making the explosion was far LESS brilliant. "DEKU!" Katsuki and his team had finally returned. The ashen blond jumped off of Mina, Eijiro, and Hanta to get to his REAL prize. "GIVE ME THAT TEN-MILLION-HEADBAND!"

Izuku quickly summoned his Boosted Gear and activated a Boost before getting ready to charge up another Dragon Shot.

It seemed like a three-way showdown for the top spot might occur, when suddenly…

["TIME'S UP!"]

Katsuki unceremoniously fell flat on his face with an almost comical PLOP. Izuku dismissed his Boosted Gear and let out a sigh of relief, while Shoto noticed the fire on his left arm blazing, his eyes widening in legit horror as he fearfully shook them off.

["And with that, the second round is officially over!"] Present Mic announced as the audience cheered and roared with excitement.

"Bakugo!" Hanta said as he and his teammates ran up to check on their team leader.

"Are you okay, man?" Eijiro asked.

The only response they got was muffled grunting as Katsuki slammed his fist on the ground repeatedly.

Meanwhile, Shoto got off his team with a melancholic look on his face. "Damn it."

["Now, let's take a look at who our top eight teams are!"] Present Mic announced. ["In first place, Team Argento!"]

"YEAH!" Izuku, Asia, and Chacha high-fived each other and then raised their arms in victory. "YEAH!"

Mei, on the other hand, was more interested in fixing the damaged jetpack.

["In second place, Team Todoroki!"]

"I must admit, it seemed like things were about to get dicey, but second place isn't so bad," Momo sighed.

"I'm sorry. I let everyone down, didn't I?" Tenya apologized.

"That's not true. Don't be too hard on yourself, Iida," Momo comforted him. "That special move of yours was very impressive."

During this, Denki wandered around in the background with his stupefied expression, holding two thumbs up.

["In third place, Team Bakugo!"]

"Ugh. I thought we had a good shot at getting first place," Mina complained.

"Meh, sure. But we're moving on, so it's all good," Hanta reassured.

"I don't think our leader would agree with you. Like, at all," Eijiro noted, glancing at said leader.

"DAMMIT!" Katsuki cursed. He lost! He lost to Deku and Icy-Hot again!

["In fourth place is Team Shinso!"]

"Thanks for all your help," Hitoshi said to Hilda, Rebecca, and Ochaco.

"Hey, figured I'd give a helping hand to my sister's boyfriend," Hilda smiled.

["In fifth place is Team Ginzan!"]

"Everyone, we did it," Ethel said to her teammates.

"I'm thankful I was able to truly prove myself," Mashirao said as he clenched his fist.

["In sixth place, we have Team Tetsutetsu!"]

"We made it!" Tetsutetsu shouted triumphantly with manly tears in his eyes as his teammates also celebrated their accomplishments.

["In seventh place is Team Kendo!"]

"It kinda feels like we didn't do that much, but hey, a win is a win," Itsuka shrugged.

["And lastly, we have Team Hagakure in eighth place!"]

"Whew, we just barely made it," Toru sighed in relief.

["These eight valiant teams will advance on to the final round!"]

Meanwhile, Shoto gazed down at his left arm. 'I said I'd never use this to attack. But as soon as I was overwhelmed, I broke my own promise.' He clenched his left fist, digging his nails into his palm. "At this rate, he'll win, and I'll end up exactly who he wants me to be."

Up in the stadium, the crowd dispersed for snacks, restrooms, and other needs.

["Now, let's take an hour lunch break before we start the afternoon festivities! See ya soon!"] Present Mic turned to his co-host, forgetting to shut off his mic. ["Hey, Eraserhead. Let's grab some food."]

["I'm taking a nap."]

["Phew,"] Present Mic huffed.

Tsuyu fumed as she walked away from the catatonic Mineta. "How disappointing." She then walked up to Mina. "Mina. Congrats."

"Thanks, but Bakugo only asked me to join because I could melt Todoroki's ice," Mina said. "It's not like, you know, I really helped that much."

"Iida, you were holding out on us! I had no idea you could do that! Wish I had gotten to see it in person instead of on playback!" Ochaco said, jogging in place as she and the others went to get something to eat.

"Rest assured, it wasn't my intention to deceive you, I was just being strategic," The Engine Quirk user stated. "I merely wanted to show that I could compete with Midoriya… but in the end, it did not matter."

"You're always trying to one-up each other," Ochaco said. "Oh, speaking of which, where did he go? Has anyone seen Deku?"

"Well, Todoroki just came up to him and asked if they could speak in private a while ago," Asia answered.

"Really? What does Todoroki want with Deku?" Ochaco asked, hoping nothing bad had happened between them.

"I don't know."

At a nearby side entrance marked Staff Only, there were Izuku and Shoto, the latter drilling a hole into the former with his icy glare.

"You brought me here. Now what?" Izuku asked.

Ch. 35: The Boy Born with Everything

At a side entrance labeled for Staff Only, Izuku and Shoto stood across from one another, Izuku looking with curiosity at the dual-Quirk user. Unbeknownst to them, Katsuki was around the corner, eavesdropping.

[Well, this is awkward.] Ddraig quipped.

Izuku ignored it. "So… you brought me here. Now what?" He asked, but Shoto continued with his icy glare without saying anything. "We should probably eat soon. The cafeteria's gonna be busy… Don't you think?" Shoto continued to stare silently at Izuku with his icy, piercing eyes, making Izuku gulp. 'He's all cold intimidation. Way different from Kacchan.'

"I was overwhelmed." Shoto finally spoke up. Izuku was a little confused by what he said. "And it made me break the promise I made to myself a long time ago."

Izuku looked at Shoto's left arm, which was in his pocket. 'It would have given him such an advantage to use his left side. And yet, he didn't,' he thought to himself.

"Iida, Kaminari, Hanakai, Akaninjin, Argento, and Hatsume… None of them felt it. In that moment, I was the only one who could sense your true power. It reminded me of something… Experiencing All Might's Quirk," Shoto continued to speak, staring at his left hand.

"Oh yeah? Okay… Is that all?" Izuku nervously asked.

"I'm saying, the power coming from you felt the same as All Might's," Shoto replied.

Izuku froze at that statement, letting out a small gasp.

"Midoriya, tell me…" Shoto began, causing Izuku to brace for what he had to say. "Are you really All Might and Ryukyu's secret love child or something?"

Okay, that was furthest from what Izuku was expecting. 'Am I… What?!'

Ddraig started laughing his head off at the misunderstanding as Izuku continued to stare dumbfounded.

"Well, are you?" Shoto asked, looking for an answer.

"No, no way. That's not it at all," Izuku denied. "But I guess even if I was, I'd totally say I wasn't, so you probably won't believe me no matter what. Anyway, I promise, you've got the wrong idea. And… Why would you even think that about me?"

"Your Quirk has a lot of similarities to Ryukyu. And the fact you can also increase your strength makes it similar to All Might," Shoto said.

"Right, I guess it makes sense," Izuku admitted.

"Though 'That's not it at all' is interesting wording. It suggests there is something between you two that you're not supposed to talk about."

Izuku winced, realizing that Shoto was more perceptive than he thought. Ddraig continued to laugh.

"My father is the Hero Endeavor…" Shoto resumed speaking. "You must've heard of him. Which means you're aware that he's the Number Two Hero. So if you're connected to the Number One Hero, All Might in some way, that would mean that I have even more reason to beat you."

Izuku's face then adopted a serious expression and Ddraig stopped laughing. They were both now paying close attention to what Shoto was saying.

"My old man is ambitious. He aims for the top. He used his power to make a name for himself as a Hero. But he was never able to best All Might, so the Symbol of Peace is living proof of his failure. He's still at it, though, trying to take down All Might. One way or another."

"I'm not really sure what you're getting at," Izuku said. "What are you trying to tell me, Todoroki?"

"Have you ever heard of Quirk Marriages?" Shoto asked. "They became a problem in the first few generations after superpowers became widespread. There were those who sought out potential mates solely with the intention of creating powerful children. Many people were forced into relationships. They were simply viewed as old-fashioned arranged marriages. But, clearly, it was unethical. My father has not only a rich history of accomplishments, but plenty of money to throw at his problems. He bought my mother's relatives to get his hands on her Quirk. And now he's raising me to usurp All Might."

Izuku gasped from what he heard.

"It's so annoying. I refuse to be a tool for that scumbag. In every memory of my mother, I only see her crying…" He then put his hand over his burn scar. "I remember she called my left side unbearable, before she poured boiling water on my face."

Izuku's eyes widened in horror, shocked that a mother would do that to her own son.

"The reason I picked a fight with you was to show my old man what I was capable of doing. Without having to rely on his damned fire Quirk. You see, I'm going to show him that I reject his power, and I can take first place without using it."

Nearby, Katsuki remained silent and out of sight with a soft expression on his face.

[I've met plenty of people throughout my many long years, many of whom had horrible backstories. Hell, even some of my hosts had similar horrible upbringings. But his story… it's near the top.] Ddraig said.

'Yeah. The life he's led is so different from mine. It sounds terrifying,' Izuku thought. 'How strange that we could be aiming for the same thing despite such different childhoods.'

"You're obviously connected to All Might. Even if you won't tell me about it. But no matter how fiercely you come at me in the future, I will defeat you using only my right side. I can assure you of that," Shoto vowed as he turned to walk away.

'So this is why Todoroki's so focused. He's like a comic book character. A hero with a tragic backstory. Fighting to rise above it.' Izuku mentally noted before running after him. "Hey, wait! I'm only here because others have supported me. In fact, I've had even more help since I've come to U.A.," He said, looking at his left hand which contained his Boosted Gear, while also remembering his friends and family and all they did to help him, especially his idol and predecessor of One For All. "All Might is constantly saving people with a fearless smile. He's the greatest Hero. And I wanna be just like him. In order to do that, I have to be strong enough to become Number One. I know my motivation might seem stupid compared to yours, but still, I can't lose this, either. I owe it to everyone who's supported me to try my best. And to thank them, I need to show everyone I can be a great Hero. You declared war on me earlier. Well, right back at you. I am going to beat you!"

Shoto said nothing, staring at Izuku with his expression unfaltering before walking on ahead, leaving Izuku standing alone.

[You don't just plan on beating him. You're planning to help him too, right?]

'Of course,' Izuku reaffirmed. 'Todoroki's past is horrible, but he can't let it consume him like that.'

[Well, whatever you're planning to do, I'll support you, partner.]

'Thanks,' Izuku smiled.

Meanwhile, Katsuki decided it was time for him to leave as well. His gaze was soft yet wary. He knew he heard a lot that he shouldn't have, yet it did give a bit of perspective on things. Things he would keep in mind as the tournament commenced.

Then, after the one hour lunch break ended, it was time for the Sports Festival to resume, and everyone was eager to see more action.

["It's almost time for the last round!"] Present Mic announced. ["But before that, good news for everyone who didn't make the finals! Since this is a sports festival, we've prepared some super-fun side games everyone can participate in."]

On the sidelines, there was a group of cheerleaders wearing orange U.A.-themed outfits performing a routine.

["We even brought in cheerleaders from America to get your blood pumping!"]

["Ah–"] Aizawa suddenly noticed something interesting.

And Present Mic noticed it too. ["Hold up!"]

["What are they doing?"] Aizawa questioned.

Many of the students were wondering the same thing, but not that many of the male population were complaining though. In fact, most of them blushed as they awed at the view before them.

["Looks like Classes 1-A and 1-B are goin' full-on fanservice!"] Present Mic announced.

The Class 1-A and 1-B girls were all dressed in the same outfits as the American cheerleaders, complete with pom-poms, however, the girls' faces suggested that even they were unsure of what was even happening.

Nearby, Denki, Mineta, and Kosei had satisfied grins on their faces and shared a thumbs-up. Ojiro and Monoma suddenly stepped far away from those three, a wise move on their part as the girls started putting two and two together.

"WHAT? YOU TRICKED US?! YOU'RE GONNA REGRET THIS!" Momo shouted furiously.

"YOU JERKS! JUST WAIT 'TILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!" Itsuka also shouted furiously.

*Flashback*

"Hanakai. Jiro. Kendo."

The girls in question turned to see Denki, the one who spoke, along with Mineta and Kosei.

"Uh-huh. Do you need something?" Itsuka asked.

"Well, I'm sure you already know since you're our Class Rep, Kendo…" Kosei began.

"But they said all the girls had to wear those uniforms for the big cheer battle this afternoon," Mineta continued, pointing toward the American cheerleaders as they cheerfully ran across the cafeteria.

"HUH?!" Kyoka shouted, understandably startled.

"That's odd. This is the first I'm hearing about it. Are you sure?" Momo asked.

"You don't have to believe it if you wanna get in trouble. But this is coming straight from Mr. Aizawa and Vlad King," Mineta said, while having his back turned to her. Meanwhile, Denki and Kosei nodded their heads, trying to help sell the act. "I thought maybe you'd forgotten, so I figured I'd remind you, just in case."

And somehow, the girls bought it!

*End Flashback*

Momo dropped to her knees in shame. "How did I let myself fall for that little pervert's stupid scheme? I even used my Quirk to make these outfits."

"I find myself asking that same question," Itsuka commented.

Ochaco squatted down and patted Momo's shoulders to try and comfort her.

"Cheerleading. What is it with me when cheerleading's involved?" Dani questioned, remembering a certain Queen Bee type cheerleader from her previous school back in the U.S.

"Ugh! I hate those guys!" Kyoka yelled as she threw away her pom-poms, trying to cover her midriff while also glaring at the satisfied perverts.

"They're dead…" Orihime growled as she tore up her pom-poms, despite her normally chill and friendly demeanor, one thing she really did not appreciate was perverts.

"We've been had like a cluster of Fool's Webcap, shroom," Kinoko said.

"So I'm guessing there is no competition then, pity," Xenovia said with a straight face. She sounded more disappointed that there was no competition rather than being tricked into wearing the cheerleader outfits.

"It appears not, and I was actually looking forward to it, such a shame," Ethel added, also more disappointed about the lack of a cheer battle.

"Are you two serious?" Kyoka questioned in disbelief.

Toru didn't seem bothered by this either as she shook her pom-poms. "Well, we do have a little time before the finals start, and I kinda like these uniforms, so… How 'bout we just roll with it!?" She shook her hips and waved her pom-poms up and down in succession.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!?" Kyoka cried out, shocked.

"Wow, Toru. You've got skills," Tsuyu said, impressed with Toru's moves.

"To be round is to be proud! I'mma show off what I've got!" Hilda said, doing a few cheer routines.

"Whoo! You go, girl!" Mina cheered.

"Shake it! Yeah!" Tomoe also cheered, taking notice of how Hilda was able to put a pep in her step despite her roundness.

"And so does Hilda," Tsuyu mentioned.

Then, Chacha noticed Izuku in the distance, trying not to stare too much, and she had an idea to make the best of this awkward situation.

"Hey, Izuku!" Chacha shouted to get his attention as she approached him. "What do you think, does me wearing this outfit catch your eyes?" She then did a few cheerleader poses.

Asia, seeing this, couldn't just stand idly by, and slithered over to Izuku. "Hey Izuku, I would like your opinion about me as well!" She then made puppy-dog eyes while leaning her chest forward and her hips back.

"Well, I–" Izuku tried to answer, when yet another girl came over to ask his opinion on her current outfit.

"Hey, Deku! I couldn't help but notice Akaninjin and Argento were asking you about how they looked, and I suddenly figured, I wanted your opinion as well, because… you're trustworthy, yeah, that's it!" Ochaco said. Internally, she couldn't help but feel envious when the two Devil girls approached Deku, and before she knew it, she also went up to him to try and get his opinion, during which she barely managed to keep herself from losing her cool to ask. As a matter of fact, why did she do that in the first place?! Did she really get jealous of other girls being around Deku?!

Izuku looked around, trying to find a way out before he decided to just say something. "Well, you all do look… real pretty. I can say that much."

The three girls near him blushed before smiling.

"Well, they're making the best of it," Setsuna chuckled as she watched from a distance.

"He's a real ladies' man," Asuka added, also chuckling.

"I should take note of this," Xenovia said, thinking this tidbit of info could come in handy in the future.

"Even Ochaco and those 1-B girls are getting into it," Tsuyu added yet again.

Nearby Denki, Mineta, and Kosei were seething with jealousy of Izuku's luck with girls.

Up in the stands, Yumi made an audible gulp, glancing nervously at Rias and Ravel, hoping she won't see anyone turn to ash soon. While Ravel did look ready to set somebody on fire, Rias was… taking notes?

"Hmm?" Yumi glanced over Rias's shoulder to see what she was writing.

"I should get a cheerleading outfit myself," Rias muttered as she wrote, writing that down below 'pole dancing' and 'belly dancing.' "With how many girls Izuku's attracting now, this will help me a lot. Still, I need to find more appropriate outfits. Maybe Inko will have a suggestion on where to get some."

Yumi blinked at what Rias was doing. It reminded her of Izuku whenever he started writing something in his notebooks. "President, are you… writing notes like Izuku?" She asked.

Snapping out of it with a yelp, Rias blinked before she looked over the notebook she had in hand. A pink Campos brand notebook, just like the one Izuku uses. "Evidently… I am…" she muttered, blushing in embarrassment. This earned a chuckle from everyone around her.

Once the shock of the unexpected cheerleaders came to an end, Present Mic resumed his announcement. ["Have fun competing in these little side games, everyone!"]

Then, up on the giant screen, a tournament bracket of 32 appeared. ["After they're over, the 32 students from the top eight teams will be duking it out one-on-one in a tournament-style fighting competition! I promise you're not gonna wanna miss these epic matchups!"]

"Aw, yeah!" Eijiro grinned, his eyes shaking in excitement. "Finally gettin' the chance to show what we're made of. I watch these finals every year, and now I'm actually in them!"

"So wait. Is it always a tournament?" Mina asked.

"The final's always a one-on-one competition, but they switch it up every time," Hanta nodded. "Last year, it was a sword-fighting match."

"Come close and draw lots to see who you're up against," Midnight instructed as she held up a yellow box. "Then enjoy the pleasure of the recreational games before we start. The 32 finalists have the option of participating in those activities or sitting out to prepare for battle. I'm sure you all want to conserve your stamina. I'll start with the first place team."

Then one by one, starting from the members of Team Argento to Team Hagakure, the 32 competitors drew their lots.

"Take a look at the bracket, my dears," Midnight pointed at the giant screen. "These are your opponents!"

The names flipped onto the screens and the crowd screamed in response; they were really looking forward to some of these fights.

1st Match: Izuku Midoriya vs. Hitoshi Shinso

'I'm the first match of the first bracket, which means I might fight Hagakure or Chacha next,' Izuku noted. 'First things first. I have to worry about this Sinso guy.'

"That is you, right? Izuku Midoriya?" His opponent, Hitoshi Shinso, asked.

"Huh?" Izuku turned toward Hitoshi, who simply smirked before walking away, leaving Izuku with his thoughts.

'What was that about?'

2nd Match: Toru Hagakure vs. Chacha Akaninjin

"Let's have a good match," Toru said.

"Yeah, looking forward to it," Chacha responded.

3rd Match: Tomoe Meguri vs. Juzo Honenuki

"I'm gonna crush you!" Tomoe challenged and Juzo simply grinned in response.

4th Match: Rebecca Riku vs. Hilda Shirakabe

"Be sure to show me a good time," Hilda smirked.

"SÍ," Rebecca said.

5th Match: Shoto Todoroki vs. Hanta Sero

"Oh, man… so unfair," Hanta groaned. He got a strong opponent right off the bat.

However, said opponent seemed more interested in someone else. 'He could be my fourth match… You must advance, Midoriya. So I can beat you with one hand.'

6th Match: Asia Argento vs. Denki Kaminari

"So… no hard feelings if I win?" Denki asked.

Asia made a challenging stare to show she wasn't going down easily.

7th Match: Tenya Iida vs. Mei Hatsume

Mei walked up to Tenya. "Hey, Legs. You're Iida, right?"

"Hm?" Tenya took notice of her. "Correct, I'm Tenya Iida."

"Oh! That's perfect!" Her eyes lit up even behind her steampunk goggles. "I have something nice for you!"

8th Match: Ethel Ginzan vs. Pony Tsunotori

"Let's give them a good match," Ethel told Pony.

"Yeah!"

9th Match: Mina Ashido vs. Yuga Aoyama

"Ma cherie. I'm afraid it's the end of the road for you," Yuga said with a wink.

"I can't wait to melt your butt!" Mina responded, undaunted.

10th Match: Momo Hanakai vs. Setsuna Tokage

"A fight between recommendation students, huh? Let's see who wins when we give it everything," Setsuna challenged.

"Good. That's all I ask of you," Momo replied.

11th Match: Asuka Koukawa vs. Yosetsu Awase

"Fufu, this oughta be fun. Think you'll be able to keep up?" Asuka asked.

"Damn straight, I will!" Awase said.

12th Match: Orihime Yamasaki vs. Xenovia Quarta

"Guess we're fighting each other. Good luck, then," Orihime said.

"Same to you," Xenovia said.

13th Match: Itsuka Kendo vs. Mashirao Ojiro

"Let's have a fair and honest match," Ojiro said.

"Yeah. Just don't hold back," Itsuka replied.

14th Match: Dani Fenton vs. Fumikage Tokoyami

"I'll give it my all," Fumikage declared.

"Good. Wouldn't want anything less," Dani responded.

15th Match: Eijiro Kirishima vs. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

"SERIOUSLY?! HOW DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?!" Both hard-headed teens asked in unison.

16th Match: Ochaco Uraraka vs. Katsuki Bakugo

Katsuki raised an eyebrow at his opponent's name. "Uraraka? Who the hell's that?"

Ochaco, in turn, was startled that she was up against an opponent like him in the first match.

After that, the jumbotron changed display to show the word, "Recreation." ["Okay. Let's press pause for a momentary interlude! Before the battles begin, it's time for some pulse-pounding side games!"]

"Woohoo!" Toru jumped into the air alongside some of the other Class 1-A and 1-B girls, each of them had varied degrees of enthusiasm regarding the cheerleader thing.

["First, how about a scavenger hunt?!"]

Soon, most of the finalists cleared out to allow their classmates to enjoy themselves. Many students ran about the playing field until they found a card on the ground that would tell them what item they would need to find.

Hanta turned to the crowd with his card. "Hey, anyone up there got a bag they can give me?"

Rikido eyed his card. "A cat? Anyone sneak a cat in?!"

Not everyone was as lucky, such as Mineta, who had to find "back fat" for some strange reason. Karma probably had something to do with it. "What the heck?"

As Mineta wondered how he was supposed to find back fat, he was approached from behind by Itsuka, who was still wearing her cheerleading outfit.

"Hey, Shorty, c'mere," Itsuka demanded before turning her card around, which read "Perverse Person."

Before Mineta could protest, Itsuka lifted him up with an enlarged hand, holding him tight, almost like she was squeezing him.

"Uh, Kendo… you don't… have to… squeeze… me… so tight…" The miniature pervert wheezed.

"Oh, but you're the item I need to find, I wouldn't wanna drop ya, now would I?" Itsuka said while continuing to squeeze Mineta in her grip. That was half-true. The other half was that she wanted payback for the cheerleader trick.

Even though they were told to have fun, most of those in the Tournament couldn't relax. Some tried to come up with strategies. Such as Izuku, who secluded himself in the locker room as he scribbled through his notebook with different battle strategies to use against everybody in the Tournament.

Some try to rest their bodies. Like Fumikage, who perched himself in a tree to help him relax. Maybe it was a bird thing…

There were those who prepared for the fight. Like Tenya, who was chugging down cans of juice to refuel his engines.

Or tried to hype themselves up. Like Katsuki and Shoto, who each secluded themselves outside the stadium to stew in their own thoughts and motives.

And others, who just focused on trying to calm their nerves.

And before they knew it, the finals began.

In the center of the stadium, Cementoss's hand glowed a light green as he bent the wet cement to his will, creating a large and well-constructed battlefield. "That's it. I'm pretty much done here."

["Thank you, Cementoss!"] Present Mic thanked. ["Hey, sports fans. Are ya ready?"]

The crowd roaring in excitement was all the answer he needed.

["After all the action you've already witnessed, it's time for the real battles to begin! Can you feel the excitement?! Our competitors are on their own now! Sometimes, Heroes have only themselves to rely on! Heart. Skill. Strength. Wisdom. Courage. They'll have to use all of these things to rise to the top!"]

From within a dark passageway, Izuku tried to calm his nerves as he waited for Present Mic to call out his name.

"Hey," A voice called out, and Izuku turned to see it was his mentor. "Sorry I haven't said hi. You've been great. You've harnessed One For All."

"Yeah, I can use it normally without breaking my bones, but only about 5%, that's all. And I've used it only once in the Sports Festival, during the Obstacle Race."

"Still, that's an improvement compared to your first time," Toshinori assured, transforming into his buff form and giving him a thumbs up. "Now, I wanna hear you say that you'll do your best. You've made it this far, kid. Don't forget, not just me, but you have friends who are counting on you, and cheering you on!"

Izuku smiled confidently and bowed. "Yeah. I promise I won't let you, Rias, or everyone else down! I'll do my best! Just you wait!"

"That's the spirit, kid! Now, go show them what you are made of!"

Meanwhile, Izuku's opponent, Hitoshi, was also waiting for the matches to begin.

He was on his own now, so that meant he would have to rely on his own strengths to succeed. Even if it meant he would have to resort to methods that some might call underhanded.

"Hitoshi."

Hitoshi turned to see his rotund girlfriend, Rosa. "Babe?"

"Just wanted to wish you luck, and also to tell you how proud I am of you," Rosa smiled.

"Yeah, thanks. I think I could use some of that," Hitoshi said, as he turned to the arena to wait for the moment his name would be called.

"Oh, and one more thing…"

Hitoshi turned around, and that was when Rosa suddenly planted her lips right onto his for a smooch.

"For some extra good luck, no go break a leg and show that you have what it takes to join the Hero Course," Rosa encouraged before leaving.

Hitoshi was briefly stunned but then gave a soft smile as he turned to make his way to the arena.

Flames erupted from the corners of the battlefield and the audience realized that this meant the finals were about to officially begin and started cheering loudly.

["All right, audience! Let's cut to the good stuff and not delay these finals any longer. Welcome our first fighters!"]

As Present Mic spoke, the screens displayed pictures of the two fighters: Hitoshi Shinso vs. Izuku Midoriya.

Hitoshi's picture featured him in a bored expression, whereas Izuku's photo looked like they had him at gunpoint when they took the picture.

["Whoa, he looks kinda scared in that picture, doesn't he? It's Izuku Midoriya from the Hero Course… versus Hitoshi Shinso from General Studies, who managed to sneak his way into the finals!"]

Hitoshi remained impassive to the cheers of the crowd, keeping his tired-looking eyes forward.

["The rules are simple. Immobilize your opponent or force them out of the ring! You can also win by getting the other person to cry uncle! Bring on the injuries, 'cause we've got our very own Recovery Girl waiting on standby! So put your morals aside and don't be afraid to play dirty! But of course, no life-threatening crap, folks. It's not allowed! Real Heroes use their power to throw Villains in jail, not kill them."]

"I'll stop anyone who tries to get too rough," Cementoss said as he made a chair for himself.

Izuku took a deep breath once again to calm his nerves and got into his fighting stance.

"Hey. You're in that club with Kiba, right?" Hitoshi suddenly asked, gaining Izuku's attention. "She didn't want to take part in all this, saying she preferred if one of us was in the spotlight. While I appreciate the gesture, I can't help but feel she wasted an opportunity."

["Ready!?"] Present Mic called out.

"I feel like your club president had something to do with it. Gremory, right?"

["Begin!"]

"If she didn't let her join the tournament, then I guess she's just a stereotypical rich girl who doesn't care about anyone or anything but herself."

Izuku's eyes narrowed dangerously as he ran toward Hitoshi. "DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT HER THAT WAY!"

Hitoshi grew a victorious smirk. Hook, line, and sinker.

Izuku suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes white and blank.

"That's it. I win."

Up in the Hero Courses' shared balcony, Classes 1-A and 1-B looked confused and concerned when they saw Izuku freeze in place.

"Hey, what's going on with Midoriya? He just stopped all of a sudden!" Ojiro said.

Among Hitoshi's teammates during the Cavalry Battle, their reactions were mixed. Ochaco felt like she should've said something to Deku beforehand; Rebecca was a bit neutral; Hilda had mixed opinions, as while Izuku was her classmate, Hitoshi was also her friend, whatever happens, hopefully it'll be for the best.

["Huh? Hey, hey, what's the dealio?!"] Present Mic questioned. ["This is the first match! It should start out with a bang! The fight has just begun and Izuku Midoriya is… completely frozen? He's not moving a muscle! And what's with that look on his face?! Could this be a Quirk at work? Hitoshi Shinso seems to have Izuku Midoriya completely stunned!"]

The audience watched in silent shock as Izuku continued to remain motionless with a blank look on his face.

["He didn't stand out too much in the first rounds at all, but it's possible Shinso's crazy powerful! Who could've imagined this turn of events?! That's the Festival for ya!"]

"This is a perfect example of why the Entrance Exam isn't rational," Aizawa said as he looked at two sheets of paper in his bandaged hand.

"Huh? Why's that?" Present Mic asked after turning the mic off.

"Since we're onto the individual matches, I had some information compiled about our final competitors," Aizawa explained. "Shinso failed the practical exam to get into the Hero Course. Since he also applied for General Studies, he probably figured that would happen. His Quirk is incredibly strong, but that Entrance Test consisted of fighting faux Villains. Robots. It gave a huge advantage to those who had physical superpowers they could show off. Despite his abilities, Shinso never stood a chance at passing. Even so, he never gave up." Aizawa peered down at Hitoshi's file again, specifically all the times Hitoshi used the school's gym.

Back in the ring, Hitoshi opened his mouth and addressed Izuku. "So here we are. You're lucky to have been so blessed, Izuku Midoriya. Now turn around and walk out of bounds like a good little Hero."

At that moment, Izuku started moving as if his body was on autopilot, following Hitoshi's order to the letter.

["Uh, what? Ahhh! Midoriya's obeying him!"] Present Mic shouted in surprise.

"Oh no, Deku!" Ochaco yelled in concern.

"He can't walk out of the ring! He'll lose the match if he does!" Tenya shouted while robotically chopping with his arms.

"Izuku, where are you going?!" Asia asked desperately.

In the tunnel, Toshinori gripped his hands on the edge of the entrance, getting very worried as his successor was about to lose this match. 'What is this power?'

In the Devils' booth, the ORC were also worried for Izuku.

"Izuku, what's gotten into you?!" Rias voiced her concerns.

"It must be Shinso's Quirk at work," Yumi said.

"You know him?" Ravel asked.

"He's in my class," Yumi explained. "His Quirk is Brainwashing."

"Brainwashing!?"

[Hitoshi Shinso. His Quirk: Brainwashing. When an opponent answers him, it flips a switch in their minds, forcing them to do whatever he says. Not every question does it, though. He only brainwashes when he wants to.]

Back in the commentary booth, while Present Mic continued to talk on the mic, Aizawa was deep in thought as he looked at the students' files. 'In the Fitness Test on the first day, Midoriya scored pretty high. If they fought without powers, Midoriya would easily win. But he'd have to overcome Shinso's Brainwashing to do that. Either way, this match will be over quickly.' He thought as he saw Izuku getting closer to the ring's edge.

In the tunnel, Toshinori gripped his hands on the edge of the entrance, getting very worried for his successor who was about to lose this match. "What're you doing, kid!? Get back in there and show them what you're made of!"

Unbeknownst to anybody, Izuku was somewhat aware of what's going on. 'What's… going on…? My body's… moving all on its own… I feel like… my brain is… full of fog. I can't concentrate! No! Not like this…!'

[Hey, Izuku! Can you hear me? Izuku!] Ddraig cried out.

'Ddraig… I can barely hear you…'

[Damn it! You need to snap out of this quickly!]

'I… can't think straight.'

Ddraig could only groan in frustration. [If only I could help… Wait, huh?!]

'Ddraig…?'

Something happened. In the tunnel in front of Izuku, a light shone brightly, it almost blinded him.

Then, eight soul-like silhouettes appeared in the tunnel. All had golden eyes that shined.

'What… is… that?'

Suddenly, rainbow-colored energy started to form and combine, enveloping Izuku as he felt unmatched power coursing through his body. The glowing gem of Izuku's Boosted Gear began to appear on his left hand, but something was different. Instead of the normal green glow, it was glowing in several different colors. But he was just three footsteps from crossing the white line.

Izuku's friends continued to desperately shout at him to snap out of it. Even Katsuki and Shoto were hoping for Izuku to turn the situation around, if only so that they could be the one to beat Izuku.

Hitoshi, unaware of what was happening, continued to glare at Izuku. "Even with a Quirk like this, I have my own dreams of becoming a great Hero."

Izuku's foot was now millimeters away from the line.

"So, lose for me."

Suddenly, Izuku's left hand was engulfed in a green light, sparks of power emanating from it as his Boosted Gear appeared, two of the clawed fingers stabbed Izuku's leg. "Gah!" Izuku started gasping for air. His feet were back on the ground and he hadn't crossed the white line. After panting, Izuku turned his head to glare at Hitoshi.

["WHAT'S THIS!? MIDORIYA'S STOPPED JUST IN TIME!"]

The audience went crazy at such an upset. They truly thought it was all over then and there.

"That's the way to do it!" Tenya cheered with his arms raised.

"Whoa. I was about to freak out!" Ochaco caught a breath she didn't even know she was holding.

"Way to go, Green Man!" Eijiro yelled.

"He did it?!" Hilda exclaimed, as long as she'd known Hitoshi, she also knew that brainwashed targets couldn't break free on their own.

"He had me worried there, but Izuku pulled through," Asia said in relief.

"That's Izuku for you," Chacha said.

"That was a close call," Monoma noted.

"Last-second comeback, huh? Now things are really heating up," Setsuna said.

"That idiot. Almost gave me a heart attack," Ravel said, relief in her tone.

Yumi smiled in relief. "I wonder how Izuku was able to escape Shinso's Quirk."

"Maybe his Sacred Gear helped? It did appear." Latia guessed.

"But wait, I thought Sacred Gears couldn't affect their host," Sona said.

Rias looked back down at her Pawn. Was it possible that One for All was somehow behind this?

From the booth, Aizawa gasped upon looking closely at Izuku's armored hand, where his fingers had pierced his leg, small bits of blood dripping down. 'His leg. He deliberately injured himself to stop Shinso,' he realized.

Back in the ring, Izuku winced as he pulled out his fingers from his leg.

"No. Impossible," Hitoshi muttered in disbelief that someone was able to overcome his Quirk. How did he break free?! "You're not supposed to be able to fight back! What did you do!?"

Izuku almost responded before he caught himself and covered his mouth. Truthfully, not even he was sure exactly what just happened. The light, the power, and those people. He didn't know any of them, but it was like they were reaching out to him and granting him more power. Taking control of him and helping him get out of the Brainwashing.

'Ddraig, any ideas?'

[Later. You don't have time to figure things out right now. You have to focus!]

"HOW'D YOU DO THAT?!" Hitoshi demanded, both to get the answer and to brainwash Izuku again. However, he only got silence as a response.

'He won't answer. Did he figure it out?' Hitoshi looked at Izuku nervously. 'I have to get him to talk again.' So, he brought a smirk to his face. "Come on, say something. I didn't know your Quirk was so versatile. I'm kind of jealous of you."

To avoid slipping and getting brainwashed again, Izuku spread his wings to avoid straining his injured leg and sped toward Hitoshi, hurrying to end the fight right then and there.

'I know what that jealousy feels like. I've been there…'

"Thanks to the way my Quirk works, I've always been at a big disadvantage. But someone as blessed as you wouldn't understand that!"

'I get it. Even though he's right. I have been blessed!'

"You're lucky enough to have a heroic Quirk! It'll be so easy for you to reach your goal! YOU DAMN LUCKY LIZARD!"

'I've been blessed by others! That's why I'm here!'

Izuku reached Hitoshi and grabbed onto him to push him out of bounds.

"Say something, damn it!" Hitoshi gritted his teeth and aimed a punch at Izuku's face.

[Boost!]

'I can't lose this! I'll do it for them!' With a Boost to double his strength and defense, Izuku barely flinched from the blow as he grabbed Hitoshi's arm before lifting the brainwasher over his head with one arm. Then, with a mighty yell, Izuku threw Hitoshi over his shoulder and straight out of bounds.

The crowd was silent for a moment before Midnight lifted her arm to call the match. "Shinso is out of bounds! Midoriya advances to the next match!" She declared, causing the entire stadium to erupt into a cheer.

*Flashback*

It was just another day at Nabu Middle School, and a younger Hitoshi Shinso was simply minding his own business alone in his seat.

"Whoa! Your Quirk is Brainwashing? That's so cool!" A classmate said.

Hitoshi just stared silently at the boy before another boy entered the conversation.

"Seriously! I can't think of anyone who's had that power."

Then, another classmate, a girl this time, joined the chat. "I'm so jealous, Shinso."

"Imagine all the cool stuff you could do by controlling people," the first boy smiled.

"Yeah, you can do any bad thing you want!" The second boy said with a blushing face and a devious grin, likely thinking of something pervy.

"And no one would ever know it was you. Just promise you won't make us your slaves, okay?" The girl joked.

"Everyone always says that," Hitoshi tried to smile it off. Even so, it hurt him inside. 'Of course. I'd probably think anyone with my power would use it for evil, too.'

"Sounds criminal, Shinso."

"It's the perfect power for a Villain to have."

'I'm used to people looking at me like I'm the bad guy.' But he never got used to it, or how lonely it can be.

Then, he met her…

It was the beginning of his final year in middle school when a pair of twins transferred in. The older twin was the skinny tomboy Hilda Shirakabe, and the younger twin was the fat girly-girl Rosa Shirakabe.

He honestly didn't think too much of them at first, as he usually kept to himself due to people's first reaction to his Quirk. Still, he couldn't help but be envious of how quickly they were able to get along with everyone due to their outgoing nature.

And then, he happened to catch Rosa's attention.

"Better watch out. His Quirk is Brainwashing," a classmate warned her.

"Imagine what it would be like if he puts you under his spell," another classmate said.

Hitoshi, having overheard this, was prepared for another round of teasing and ridicule… only to be shocked at what he heard next.

"So? What's that got to do with anything?" Rosa asked. "You think just because he's got a Quirk that seems villainous, he's also a bad guy? That's dumb."

"Yeah, I mean, when you look at it, there are plenty of people with Quirks that can seem 'villainous' in a way, but they're Heroes," Hilda added. "I mean, Endeavor's Quirk can be used to cause arson, but he doesn't use it for that, he uses it to fight Villains."

"You shouldn't judge people based on their Quirks," Rosa continued reprimanding the classmates before turning to Hitoshi. "Hi. I'm Rosa Shirakabe. And that's my sis, Hilda. What's your name?"

For once, Hitoshi was able to answer with a genuine smile on his face. "Shinso. Hitoshi Shinso."

Over time, Hitoshi grew to enjoy the sisters' company, especially Rosa's. She shared how her Quirk was Fat Power, which her sister also had. Eventually, his feelings for Rosa started to grow, and after a few months, he confessed his love for her, which she accepted. He also admitted his dream of becoming a Hero, even with a Quirk like his, and she supported him wholeheartedly.

And so, then came the date for the U.A. Entrance Exam, which he took along with Hilda (who had since started putting on weight to become as pudgy as her sister). Even though both sisters believed in him, he still chose to enroll in General Studies as well for backup, which came in handy, unfortunately.

Even though he failed to get into the Hero Course, Rosa encouraged him to keep trying, pointing out that there were still opportunities to prove himself, such as the Sports Festival.

*End Flashback*

And yet, here he was, having lost in the first round of the finals.

'Sorry, Rosa… Guess I failed to make it.'

["And with that expertly performed throw, we have our first victor of the finals! Class 1-A's Izuku Midoriya!"]

With Present Mic's announcement, the crowd erupted into a cheer.

"Whew! Ugh, that was so nerve-wracking!" Ochaco sighed in relief.

"Turning the tables at the last moment, a classic Midoriya maneuver!" Tenya praised.

"It sure was manly, what he did," Eijiro said with comical tears.

"That was super manly, Midoriya!" Tetsutetsu yelled.

"Whoo! He did it!" Mina yelled in excitement.

"He pulled that shoulder throw on you before, huh?" Denki teased Katsuki.

"Shut your damn face, Sparky," Katsuki threatened. 'That jerkwad. He's definitely aiming for the top!'

["OH YEAH! That was actually kind of a boring first match, kids, but both of you fought bravely! Let's show them some love, everyone!"]

Both combatants stood up and faced each other.

"Why do you wanna be a Hero? What's driving you?" Izuku asked, thinking about the things Hitoshi said earlier.

"You can't help the things your heart longs for," he said.

"I felt the same way," Izuku began, getting Hitoshi's attention. "I'm a late bloomer. I was Quirkless for a long time, but that didn't stop me from wanting to be a Hero like All Might. To be a hero that saves those in trouble. However, before my power awakened, I was ridiculed. Just like you. But then I met people who believed in me, who helped. It was with their help that my power finally manifested." Izuku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Guess what I'm trying to say is that, even if you lost, you shouldn't give up. Be proud of making it this far. And if it helps, I'm sure you'll make an amazing Hero."

And it wasn't just Izuku as all of Hitoshi's classmates started shouting and congratulating him, having made their way down to the edge of the seats, leaning over the railings.

"You were awesome out there, Shinso!"

"We're proud of you!"

"You didn't tell us you were that good!"

"Yeah! You're the star of our program!"

"I can't believe you put up such a great fight against the dude who was in first place in both rounds!"

Even Yumi went down to say her piece. "They're right, that was quite impressive, Shinso."

"Hitoshi! Even though you lost, we all think you did amazing! And we're not the only ones," Rosa pointed upward behind them.

The Pro Heroes watching in the crowd were also impressed by Hitoshi.

"With a Quirk like that, it would be very simple to capture dangerous Villains. Wish I had it."

"I can't believe they stuck him in General Studies. Those idiots."

"Well, there are a ton of applicants each year. Guess sometimes people slip through the cracks."

"If only he had more combat experience."

"Yeah, I bet he would've dominated."

"What a waste."

"Hitoshi, you hear that? It's great! They think you're incredible!" Rosa added.

Hitoshi was stunned. Even though he lost, there were people praising him for a good fight. He looked back at Izuku to see the boy smiling at him warmly.

"You should take this to heart, Shinso. Put in the work and you can prove that you can be an amazing Hero."

"I'm sorry about insulting your friend," Hitoshi said, taking Izuku aback a little as the purple-haired boy had his back turned to him. "But depending on the results, they might transfer into the Hero Course. Remember that. Even if it didn't work this time, I'm not giving up. I'll get onto the Hero track, get certified, and then, I'll become a better Pro than any of you!"

Izuku inhaled and nodded. "I'm sure you will." He then fell under Hitoshi's spell. 'He got me again! But why? The match is over!'

Hitoshi chuckled. "You know, usually people tense up whenever they talk to me," he smiled. "If you're not on guard, someone's going to defeat you. So be careful." Hitoshi deactivated his Quirk, freeing Izuku. "You better not lose and make me look bad."

'Shinso…' Izuku smiled. "I won't!" He gasped, falling under Hitoshi's Brainwashing again.

[…Really, kid?] Ddraig sighed.

Hitoshi just stood there, looking back at him with an unreadable expression.

Aizawa continued observing as Shinso exited the arena. The Class 1-A homeroom teacher reached for the sheet he had printed out about the boy and tucked it away for later.