"The final match of the preliminary round!"
Present Mic's excited voice echoed across the stadium.
"Uraraka Ochaco—known since middle school for her persistence—versus the explosive prodigy Bakugo Katsuki!"
As she stepped onto the arena floor, Chacha glanced at Bakugo standing across from her. His fierce expression made her swallow nervously.
"You're the one who makes things float," Bakugo said coldly.
"If you want to quit, do it now. If I hit you, it won't just hurt."
Instead of retreating, Chacha clenched her teeth and rushed forward—choosing close combat.
Since his opponent charged in head-on, Bakugo had no reason to hold back. He raised his arms slightly, his posture clearly prepared for an all-out clash.
BOOM!!!
A violent explosion erupted from Bakugo's palm, flames and smoke swallowing Chacha instantly.
"Direct hit!!"
"To use such a brutal attack on a cute girl—classic Bakugo!"
Present Mic's commentary rang out as the audience erupted into discussion. Most of the voices were filled with sympathy for Chacha, who had drawn one of the cruelest possible opponents.
Bakugo ignored it all, his glare sharp as ever.
Suddenly—
A figure burst out from the smoke.
It was Chacha.
At the moment of impact, she had reacted instinctively, twisting her body and narrowly avoiding the core of the explosion. Thanks to her recent training, her agility and physical endurance had improved significantly.
Chacha knew her Quirk didn't boost her raw combat power.
Her only chance was simple—
—touch Bakugo.
If she could nullify his weight mid-air, she could force him out of bounds.
Using the smoke as cover, she slipped behind him and reached for his back.
"Don't underestimate me!"
Bakugo sensed the danger instantly. Slamming his palm into the ground, he triggered another explosion. The shockwave blasted gravel and force upward, hurling Chacha into the air.
"It hurts!"
This time, she'd been hit squarely. She rolled across the ground several times before stopping, her arms scraped and burning.
Bakugo stood calmly across from her, barely breathing hard.
Still, Chacha pushed herself up and charged again.
"Too slow!"
Before she could get close, Bakugo detonated another blast, sending her flying once more.
From the stands, Masata watched silently.
Even knowing that Recovery Girl could heal her afterward, watching Chacha get blown away again and again still made him uncomfortable.
"Thanks, Bakugo," Chacha suddenly said as she stopped advancing.
"I won't let my guard down anymore."
She raised her finger and pointed upward.
"Try this!"
Suddenly, countless chunks of rubble began falling from the sky, crashing down toward Bakugo.
"That's it!"
Her earlier reckless charges had been deliberate—to force Bakugo to shatter the arena and create ammunition, then use the smoke to hide her true intent!
"Meteor Shower!"
"A move similar to Igarashi Masata's technique during the qualifiers! Can Bakugo handle this?!" Present Mic shouted.
Bakugo calmly looked up at the descending stones.
He raised one hand—gripping his wrist with the other.
BOOM!!!
A massive explosion erupted, far stronger than before. The rubble was obliterated midair, and a cloud of dust engulfed the sky.
Then—
Bakugo felt something change.
…Weight?
Chacha had used the moment he focused upward to slip behind him.
She touched him.
Grabbing his belt, she spun her body and hurled him with a full rotation!
"It's my mistake!"
Bakugo realized it instantly. Explosions burst from both hands as he stabilized himself midair, stopping his trajectory.
Then, like a missile, he rocketed straight back toward Chacha.
Even exhausted, Chacha could see it—Bakugo was still coming.
"…So even this isn't enough…"
Her strength was gone. She had tried everything.
"I surrender!"
She wasn't foolish enough to take another direct explosion. It hurt—badly.
"Uraraka Ochaco concedes!"
"Winner—Bakugo Katsuki!"
Bakugo cut off the attack he'd already begun charging, landing stiffly and walking off the field with an expression darker than ever.
"The first round is complete!"
"We'll begin the second round shortly after a break!"
Chacha, battered but conscious, was taken to the infirmary. Thankfully, all her injuries were external—easily treated in this era of advanced medicine.
"Man, that looked exhausting, angry-face,"
Sero Hanta teased from the stands, already eliminated but clearly relaxed.
"You really didn't hold back at all on a fragile girl."
Kaminari Denki nodded along.
"Yeah… that was brutal."
"Shut up!!!"
Bakugo snapped, stalking off and sitting alone in an empty row.
"It seems winning isn't easy, little Bakugo."
A calm voice sounded behind him.
Bakugo turned sharply.
"…You. Magma bastard."
Masata stood there casually, hands in his pockets.
"What are you doing here?"
Bakugo shoved his slightly trembling right hand deeper into his pocket, trying to hide it.
Masata noticed—and smiled.
"Nothing," he said lightly.
"I just came to check on the condition of my next opponent."
He looked Bakugo up and down.
"You look fine."
"So go ahead—try to beat me, Bakugo."