The tournament rolled on like a gauntlet of fire.
Some matches were forgettable. Some were brutal. But three burned into memory.
The first was Midoriya vs. Todoroki.
They faced each other on the cracked stage, the roar of the stadium so loud the ground hummed. Todoroki stood calm, frost already forming at his boots. Midoriya clenched his fists, muttering under his breath, eyes locked on his opponent with that dangerous, self-destructive determination.
Midnight cracked her whip. "Begin!"
The ground froze instantly, jagged glaciers racing toward Midoriya. He sprinted, air crackling faintly with One for All, and dodged barely before spikes shredded his path.
Every step shook him. His arm trembled as he wound up, green lightning biting his skin. He hurled a punch. The shockwave shattered Todoroki's ice field, shards exploding outward like shrapnel.
The crowd gasped.
I gripped the railing, breath caught. The Grid pulsed faintly.
[Assist Node Resonance: Midoriya Izuku — 25%]
Effect: Will Surge Active.]
He was pushing himself too far. I could see it. Bones breaking, skin tearing under his own power. Todoroki's ice just kept coming, more, bigger, harsher.
And through it all, Midoriya screamed words that weren't meant for Todoroki alone.
"This power—! It's not just mine—! It's a gift! And I'll use it until my body breaks, to prove you don't have to be HALF of yourself!"
His punch tore through Todoroki's glacier, stopping inches from his face. The arena shook, ice cracked in two. For a breathless second, both boys stood frozen in time.
And then Todoroki's hand trembled. Fire, bright and violent, licked his palm.
The crowd lost its mind.
The match ended with Midoriya collapsing, bones snapped, body barely hanging together. Todoroki advanced, but not untouched. His flame had returned. His mask had cracked.
I watched Midoriya get carried off by medics, whispering thanks through bloody teeth. The Grid pulsed in my wrist, warm and proud.
[Assist Node Resonance Increased: 28%]
He lost, but he won.
The next match was Bakugo vs. Kirishima.
"Let's go, spiky!" Kirishima roared, charging with a grin, skin hardening into jagged steel.
Bakugo met him head-on, explosions ripping across the stage. Fire and steel clashed, sparks flying in showers. The crowd loved it.
Kirishima tanked blast after blast, charging through with sheer grit. But Bakugo was sharper, meaner. He didn't just explode—he aimed. He found angles, forced Kirishima back with relentless pressure.
Finally, a point-blank explosion cracked the hardened shell, knocking Kirishima out of bounds.
Bakugo didn't even smile. He just turned, scowling, eyes already searching the bracket for me.
[Rivalry Detected: Katsuki Bakugo — Sync Tension Rising]
I could practically hear the Morpher hum in challenge.
And then it was my turn. Quarter-finals.
Renji Sato vs. Eijiro Kirishima.
He'd barely caught his breath from Bakugo's fight, but his grin never dimmed. "Man, Renji! First the dino, now the flips—you're full of surprises! Let's go all out!"
I smiled, stepping onto the stage. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
Midnight cracked the whip. "Begin!"
Kirishima charged instantly, arms hardened, swinging like wrecking balls. I swapped fast.
"Yellow—Volt Striker!"
Electricity snapped across me. I dashed in a blur, dodging his swings by inches, landing tonfa strikes against his ribs. Sparks skittered uselessly off the armor.
He laughed. "Nice try! But I'm rock-hard!"
"Yeah? Let's test that!" I swapped again.
"Blue—Azure Torrent!"
Water jetted from my trident, slamming into his chest. His footing slipped on the slickened floor. For a moment, his hardened skin shimmered under the strain.
But he dug in, roaring, charging through the spray. "Won't stop me!"
He swung wide. I flipped backward, swapping again mid-air.
"Green—Hunter's Fang!"
The bow materialized. I fired rapid shots, arrows splitting mid-flight to strike from multiple angles. Kirishima tanked most, but one clipped his leg, staggering him.
"Good one!" he roared, slamming his fist into the ground. Cracks split across the arena. He pushed forward through the barrage like a tank.
The crowd screamed with every clash. Sparks. Water. Steel. Arrows.
Finally, I swapped Red. Sword blazing, I charged. "Crimson Overdrive!"
He met me head-on, fist hardened like iron. The clash thundered across the arena, energy vs. steel.
Dust exploded.
When it cleared, Kirishima was kneeling, chest heaving, grin wide. "Damn, man. You're tough." His headband fluttered, sliced clean.
Midnight raised her hand. "Winner—Renji Sato!"
The crowd roared again. My chest heaved, sweat pouring, Morpher pulsing hot.
I demorphed slowly, offering him a hand up. He took it, still grinning. "You better win this, Ranger. Otherwise, I'll be pissed."
"Deal."
Back in the waiting hall, I leaned against the wall, letting my breathing even out. The Morpher whispered faintly.
[System Status: Stable. Color Strain Balanced.]
[New Ability Available: "Sentai Burst"— temporary multi-form fusion at high cost.]
I exhaled. Another card up my sleeve. One I'd need soon.
Because the next match would set up the storm I knew was coming.
Bakugo vs. Todoroki. Explosion vs. Fire and Ice.
And after that? Whoever won would face me.
I tightened my grip on the Morpher, heart hammering.
The crowd outside screamed Todoroki's name, then Bakugo's. The ground shook under their voices.
And deep in the stands, I knew Shigaraki was watching. Hungry.
The Grid pulsed in my wrist like a war drum.
"Alright," I whispered. "Let's show them what a Ranger can do."