MHA Universe, Earth, Japan, Musutafu.
{"The time for base building is almost over.!} Hizashi's overly loud voice sounded over the broadcast system. {"Aizawa, have any predictions about who we can expect to put up a good show in this event?"}
{"First of all, you're too loud and too close."} Shota replied with the sound of a person being pushed away accompanying his voice over the broadcast system. {"Second, now that teleportation outside of each base has been banned, this event will be much more interesting."}
{"Care to explain for the listeners?"} Hizashi asked, making it sound like he was a radio host rather than a sports broadcaster.
{"*Sigh* Can I just go take a nap instead?"} Shota asked in return.
{"Of course not!"} Hizashi replied while making a remarkably good impression of Nezu. {"Come on, Aizawa-Kun, you can sleep after today's proceedings are complete."}
{"Please stop with the impersonations."} Shot a said, sounding more tired than usual. {"If you promise me you won't do it again, I'll answer your earlier question."}
{"Deal!"} Hizashi promised energetically. {"Now, let the listeners hear that analytical prowess you're so famous for."]
Tatsuo swore that he could hear Shota's eyes roll through the PA system.
{"I hate you so much, sometimes."} Shota replied in a deadpan tone. {"Anyway, to answer your question. It's because, as things stood before, Team Soramoto would have undoubtedly steam rolled the rest of the competition in the early game. Then, once all the flags were in their possession, it would have turned into everyone attacking them to get not only their own flags back, but to take Soramoto's, as well."}
{"Oh, so, it would have turned into an everyone against everyone else into an everyone against one team, huh?"} Hizashi asked.
{"Something like that."} Shota replied. {"Then again, Soramoto would have probably enjoyed the challenge."}
{"But look at the smile on his face."} Hizashi pointed out as the screens in the stadium changed to show Tatsuo smiling brightly while putting the final touches on his team's base. {"That doesn't look like the face of someone who is disappointed with the rule change."}
And just as Shota said, Tatsuo could not have been happier about the rule change. Because what that meant is that he would have a chance to fight the other students up front. That's not to say he could not have done that before the rule change. However, thanks to his training as an assassin, Tatsuo, despite being able to handle things however he wanted, usually took the most efficient path when completing a task.
"The time for the base building portion of the event is over." Nemuri said, her voice sounding through the stadium's speakers. "Everyone, return to your bases. You may begin moving once I give the signal."
Hearing that, all the students did as Nemuri said, returning to their bases with anticipation for the event shining in their eyes.
And Tatsuo's team was no exception. However, instead of excitement over the event, Tatsuo was looking forward to the action the event would bring with it.
"I know we decided to leave base building to Hatsume-San, but isn't this base a little too simple?" Akatsuki asked while looking around the small base.
"Not at all." Mei said cheerfully while sitting next to a console she somehow put together with the limited supplies each team was given. "Although it may not look like much, it's packed full of my babies. Hehehe! Anyone who gets close will be in for a big surprise."
As she spoke, Mei pressed a few buttons on the console. When she did, several cannon barrels peaked out of the base's walls, mechanical sounds echoing around the area with each button press.
Looking around, Tatsuo smiled at the simple base. He could not help but marvel at just how many weapons Mei had hidden in its walls. And when he looked up, the entire base was covered with a large umbrella like structure that spread a wide shadow over the base, perfect for Sakur to use in defense of the base.
"The game will begin in three… two… one…" Nemuri said, cutting off all the conversations once everyone was in their base. "Begin~~~~~!"
As soon as Nemuri gave the signal, students shot out from all directions, most of them closing in on Team Tatsuo's base, which was located in the center of the field.
"Alright, let's go." Tatsuo said with a manic smile on his face. "This is gonna be fun."
"You're insane." Akatsuki muttered as she activated her p[Quirk], vanishing from the perception of everyone in the stadium that was not strong enough to see through her stealth.
With that, both Tatsuo and Akatsuki scaled the walls of their base before descending into the field to meet the other students.
"You're going down you pretty boy bastard!" Katsuki's shout sounded throughout the area just as Tatsuo landed outside of his base.
Looking up, Tatsuo could see Katsuki using his [Explosions] to propel himself through the air.
"Just like all the other times you've 'taken me down', huh?" Tatsuo asked with a grin while making air quotes.
"Shut the hell up!" Katsuki shouted as he reoriented himself to fly straight at Tatsuo.
"Hatsume, do it." Tatsuo said simply.
"Roger that~." Mei replied while operating her console from inside the base.
In the next instant, a panel on the outside of the base's wall slid open. Then, a short barreled cannon poked out of the hole before moving to aim at Katsuki.
"Fire~~!" Mei shouted as she pressed a button on the console.
*Boom!*
In the next instant, a white ball was shot out of the mouth of the cannon, flying straight towards Katsuki. Then, just as Katsuki snorted and began to change direction, the ball spread into a sheet of capture foam.
"Boring." Katsuki said as he stretched his hands out in front of him when he realized that avoiding the foam was more trouble than it was worth.
*Boom~~~~!*
An explosion more than three times as loud as the one that propelled the capture foam from the cannon sounded as Katsuki's sweat exploded, blowing away all the capture foam before it could even get close to him.
Unfortunately, thanks to the space the foam covered, the size of the explosion Katsuki produced, and the fact that he had to look away from Tatsuo to deal with the incoming threat, Katsuki completely lost track of Tatsuo for a few moments.
"You gotta try harder, dude." Tatsuo, who had used his [Quirk] to solidify foot holds in the air and leapt above Katsuki, said with a grin as he let gravity bring him back down. "You can't get so easily distracted in a fight."
"Screw you!" Katsuki shouted as he raised his head towards the voice.
*Bang!*
Unfortunately, Tatsuo's friendly advice came a little too late for Katsuki, as Tatsuo, falling from above, stepped down hard, right on Katsuki's forehead, as soon as he raised his head.
"Argh!" Katsuki roared in rage as he was sent downward at high speed.
*Boom!*
However, just before Katsuki slammed into the ground, he managed to point his hands downward. Then, he created an explosion that weakened his momentum enough so that he could land safely. However, before he could even find Tatsuo's location again, his instincts warned him of incoming danger.
*Bang!*
So, without hesitation, Katsuki followed his instincts and threw himself to the side. A moment later, Tatsuo, still falling straight down after stomping Katsuki in the face, slammed an axe kick into the spot where Katsuki landed, cracking the ground upon impact.
"Much better." Tatsuo said as he straightened his legs after landing.
"Shut up and die!" Katsuki shouted as he pointed his palms in Tatsuo's direction.
"Lesson two." Tatsuo said just before Katsuki could activate his [Quirk] again. "When on a chaotic battlefield, you can't focus on just one opponent."
*Freeze!*
*Boom~~~~~!*
Before Katsuki could shout at Tatsuo again, he pivoted sharply, his hand snow pointing towards an incoming mass of ice. And to stop the attack, he was forced to use the explosion he was planning to fire at Tatsuo.
"Damn you, you Hot and Cold Bastard!" Katsuki shouted angrily. "Don't get in my way. I'm gonna be the one to take down the pretty boy!"
Instead of replying, Shoto, who was using his [Quirk] to push himself forward at high speed by generating ice under his feet, continued to approach. But when he saw Tatsuo only smiling and waving at him, he could not help but twitch an eyebrow at the perceived mockery coming from the gesture.
Before he could retaliate, however, both he and Katsuki's eyes widened. They then used everything at their disposal to get away from the shadows that were creeping towards them along the ground.
"Tch! Damn shadows." Katsuki muttered as he caused an explosion that pushed him away from the shadow tendril that rose from the ground.
"Useless." Shoto said coldly as he raised an ice wall to block another shadow tendril.
"Is it?" Tatsuo asked while dodging between the shadow tendrils created by Sakura's [Shadow Space].
*Tap!* *Tap!* *Tap!* *Tap!* *Tap!*
Widening his eyes at the sound of Tatsuo's voice, who was directly behind him, Shoto tried to swing his right arm in the direction of Tatsuo's voice. Yet, before he could even move his arm, he felt the right side of his body go limp an instant after it was softly struck several times.
"What is this?" Shoto asked as he leapt away from Tatsuo.
"What's wrong?" Tatsuo asked with a sneer. "Having trouble flinging around your ice? Then, what are you gonna do? Because if you don't do something, you're gonna get beat up pretty bad."
{"Wow! Did you see that, Aizawa?"} Hizashi shouted energetically. {"Somehow, Soramoto-Kun rendered Todoroki's right arm useless with only a few taps!"}
{"Pressure point strikes."} Shota replied succinctly as if that was all that was needed to explain the situation.
And to be honest, it was.
{"Pressure Point Strikes!?"} Hizashi shouted excitedly. {"To think a student is so skilled in martial arts that he has mastered a skill like pressure point strikes!"}
Not only Hizashi, but most of those watching the event were also surprised to hear Shota's explanation.
"Wait..." Rumi said with a twitching eyebrow. "He could do that all along?"
"Yup!" Alfonzo said, popping the "p." "He sure could."
"Then, why didn't he do that when we fought?" Rumi asked, her irritation clearly rising. "Was he holding back when he fought me?"
"It's probably because he knew that if he had done so, you would have thrown a tantrum." Ryuko said casually. "Kinda like you are now."
"Grr!" Rumi growled as she leveled a glare at Ryuko.
"Yeah, he probably figured he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't." Alfonzo added with a shrug. "So, he chose the lesser of two evils and trained his more physically taxing martial arts instead. In fact, I think he was using Vale Tudo for most of that fight."
"And how the hell would you know?" Rumi shot back. "You weren't even there for most of it."
"Oh, look!" Alfonzo called out, deciding that going back and forth with Rumi was an exercise in futility. "Tatsuo actually left the fight. I think he's on his way to the Todoroki kid's base."
And just as Alfonzo said, when Rumi and Ryuk looked in the direction he was pointing, Tatsuo, after immobilizing Shoto's right side, slipped past him and sprinted off in the direction Shoto came from.
Meanwhile, Shoto, after struggling to look in the direction where Tatsuo ran off, clenched his left fist. As he did so, a flicker of flames rose from the clenched fist. Yet, only a moment later, the embers fizzled out just as quickly.
"Ha! You really are just an extra." Katsuki said mockingly while looking down at Shoto with disdain.
To Shoto's surprise, after that one comment, Katsuki stopped paying attention to him. Instead, he went back to trying to break through Team Soramoto's defenses to get to the flag. But what surprised him even more was…
'Was that disappointment I saw in his eyes?' Shoto asked himself while trying his best to move the right side of his body. 'No, that's impossible.'
Meanwhile, Tatsuo was on his way towards Team Todoroki's base. However, before he could get too close, another student dashed in front of him with a solemn expression on his face.
"Oh, I wasn't expecting you to show up." Tatsuo said as he continued to sprint towards the young man who just blocked his path. "I was thinking it would be the blond kid with the hate-boner for 1-A and that other guy who really doesn't seem to like me very much."
In fact, the two who spoke most harshly when the rules restricting Tatsuo's and Sakura's teleportation abilities, Monoma Neito and Tsuburaba Kosei, ended up on the same team, along with two other 1-B students. And the young man in front of Tatsuo was one of them.
"Yeah, Tsuburaba-Kun really wanted to come out here and fight you." Kaibara Sen, a young man of average height with shaggy, dark-brown hair, lazy-looking black eyes with white pupils, and slightly tanned skin, said with a shrug as he dropped into a fighting stance. "Something about wanting to bring your arrogance down a peg. But we all know his [Quirk] is better suited for defense in this game. So, I'm here instead."
*Whirl!*
As Sen finished speaking, his arms, from the elbows down, began to spin at high speed, looking something like drills. He then kicked off the ground and dashed towards Tatsuo to engage in close-quarters combat.
When the two were in range, Tatsuo wasted no time, shooting a front kick at Sen's chest.
*Bang!*
Reacting quickly, Sen crossed his arms to block Tatsuo's kick. And thanks to the way Sen's arms were spinning, a lot of the force from Tatsuo's kick was bled off. Even so, Sen was forced to take two steps back to bleed off the rest.
"What the hell?" Sen exclaimed in surprise after feeling the force behind Tatsuo's kick. "He doesn't have a strengthening [Quirk], right? How does he hit so hard?"
"That's just good ol' fashioned training." Tatsuo replied as he pushed forward, throwing a punch aimed at the side of Sen's head.
Ducking quickly, Sen decided that blocking Tatsuo's attacks was a quick loss. So, he used everything he had to either dodge or parry. Even so, he was being pushed back.
'Come on, Monoma!' Sen thought as the force behind Tatsuo's blows was causing him to lose feeling in his arms and legs. 'If you don't hurry, I'm gonna be taken out.'
"Oh, are you waiting for the hate-boner kid?" Tatsuo asked with a grin. "If I remember correctly, he can copy [Quirks]. But what good would that do? He's not allowed to use teleportation, right? Besides, I don't think his brain is wired to handle a [Quirk] like mine, you know?"
"Stop looking down on me!" Neito Shouted, completely abandoning his stealthy approach. "Kaibara! Hold him down. I'll show him that he's nothing special!"
Though, to be fair, calling Neito's approach "stealthy" was quite generous. Especially with Tatsuo's spatial awareness.
Even so, Tatsuo made no attempt to avoid Neito, continuing to press forward in his melee with Sen.
Meanwhile, Neito charged forward like a man possessed. As he drew nearer to Tatsuo, he stretched out his right hand with a victorious smile on his face. Finally, he wrapped his fingers around Tatsuo's long ponytail, which was swaying through the air with his movements.
And just at that moment, a smirk spread across Tatsuo's face.
"Monoma-Kun, wait!" Sen, having seen Tatsuo's smirk, shouted in panic.
Unfortunately, it was too late, as Neito activated his [Quirk], [Copy], as soon as he had Tatsuo's hair in his grasp.
Unfortunately, that was a terrible mistake. Because as soon as Neito [Copied] Tatsuo's [Quirk], a large amount of sensory information flooded his brain.
Every mote of dust that wafted through the area his new spatial awareness covered.
Every movement every person in the Sports Festival stadium made. Including every shift in expression.
Every time the wind blew or changed direction to avoid an obstacle.
Neito felt all of it. And because his brain was not ready for such an information assault, his eyes glazed over immediately. Then, his nose started to bleed before the fingers wrapped around Tatsuo's ponytail began to loosen.
At the same time, Tatsuo, his right index finger glowing with midnight purple light, swept his right hand in front of one of Sen's rotating punches. And with that motion, a small tear opened in space.
In the next instant, Sen's fist passed through the tear…
*Bang!*
… before slamming into the side of the dazed Neito's head, knocking him out cold.
As a result, Neito's [Quirk], [Copy], deactivated, and he lost access to the [Quirks] he had [Copied] up to that point. Then, like a puppet with it strings cut, the young man with a hate-boner for Class 1-A slumped to the ground, completely unconscious.
Meanwhile, Sen could only watch dumbfoundedly as the punch that was aimed at Tatsuo's chin struck Neito in the temple and knocked his team mate out of the event.
"What just…?" Sen asked in an utterly confused tone.
"Yeah, like I said, his brain wasn't wired for all the sensory stimulation I have to deal with every second of every day." Tatsuo said with a shrug before slipping past Sen, turning around, and putting the [Gyrating] student in a full nelson. "Anyway, I'm wasting seconds. So, you're gonna have to go night-night, too."
With that said, Tatsuo exerted force, lifting Sen off the ground. Then, he flung himself backwards, arching his back, before slamming the back of Sen's head into the ground.
*Bang!*
And just like that, two members of the same team were rendered unconscious. Tatsuo then stood up and looked towards Shoto's base, his original target, and shook his head.
"Well, that's out of the way." Tatsuo said as he surveyed the grounds. "I only came this way because I knew those two were targeting me. Now, who should I play with next?"