[MOMENTS LATER]
Yuta and Hatsume stood alone now, the other two teams having moved on.
"So what's the plan?" Hatsume asked, fiddling with a device on her wrist. "We stealing points? Or going straight for the big one?"
Yuta frowned.
"...Not sure."
He'd given up first place specifically to avoid being the main target.
Snatching the ten million back would make that pointless.
But...
'Going after one big target is more efficient than chasing multiple smaller ones.'
'And Hatsume wants exposure. The ten million headband is where all the attention will be.'
'If we go after scattered teams, we'll get less screen time.'
He scratched his head.
"I gave up first place because I felt it would come with possible problems. Guess I was right. My speed gets restricted in a team format so when the second battle came out, I was kinda glad."
"Makes sense."
"But I only realized we could do a two-person team when Midnight announced the rules."
Hatsume tilted her head.
"So you didn't think this through?"
"...Not entirely."
She laughed.
"I like you already! Okay, so here's the thing—if we're gonna make my babies shine, we need to be where the action is. And the action's gonna be around that ten million."
Yuta rolled his eyes. Her entire dialogue was focused solely on showcasing her inventions.
'She's not wrong though.'
'I didn't avoid first place because I hate attention. I need attention to get into the Hero Course.'
'I just didn't want to be the target.'
'If we're mobile enough... But I can do the same thing with other teams and rack up enough points to safely qualify. So which is it? The ten million or not?'
His eyes scanned the other teams.
'Well ... That should also work.'
He turned back to Hatsume.
"We'd have to time it right though," he said slowly. "I don't want to have to evade everyone right from the start, so we'll bide our time and decide what to do when we get to that point. Either way, we'll safely qualify."
Hatsume's eyes gleamed.
"I can work with that."
Yuta exhaled.
"...I can live with that."
"ALRIGHT, TIME'S UP!" Midnight's voice
cracked across the stadium. "TEAMS, LINE UP!"
Present Mic's voice boomed.
"WAKE UP, ERASER!"
Aizawa stirred.
"...Is it starting?"
"YEP! AFTER FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FORMING TEAMS AND TALKING STRATEGIES, TWELVE CAVALRY TEAMS ARE LINED UP ON THE FIELD!"
Aizawa's eyes narrowed as he scanned the arena.
"...There are some interesting teams out there."
"NOW THEN! LET'S LIGHT THE SIGNAL AND GET THIS BLOODY BATTLE STARTED!"
In the field, twelve teams spread across the rectangular arena.
Each assessing.
Each strategizing.
Yuta adjusted the dark goggles Hatsume had given him.
"You won't mind taking a piggyback ride, right?"
Hatsume grinned and hopped onto his back.
"Not at all!"
Strapped to Yuta's sides were various pieces of Hatsume's gear—compact, lightweight, functional.
'Guess I couldn't escape the fate of being the horse.'
He surveyed the field.
'Though I'll take a pretty girl on my back over a guy any day.'
As he examined each team, each team examined him in return.
'Just two people, huh?'
Todoroki's eyes narrowed.
'Probably to maximize mobility. Playing to his strengths.'
Beneath him: Sato.
On his sides: Kaminari and Yaoyorozu.
"Keep an eye out, everyone," Todoroki said coolly. "Some people might give us a hell of a surprise."
Midoriya's team locked eyes on Yuta's duo.
"Alright, everyone," Midoriya said. "Let's do this."
Tokoyami's gaze didn't waver.
"Two people. Bold."
Uraraka clenched her fists.
"We can do this!"
Iida nodded sharply.
"Agreed."
"Tch."
Bakugo clicked his tongue, glaring across the field.
"Watch out for that one. He might become a problem."
"Got it, captain!" Kirishima grinned beneath him.
"Time to get serious," Sero said, excitement building.
Mina, however, couldn't quite share their enthusiasm.
She glanced nervously at the ten million point headband tied around Bakugo's forehead.
Yuta's gaze swept the teams one more time.
'Midoriya's team has Iida now instead of him going to Todoroki.'
'Makes sense. He's not chasing first place this time.'
"What was that?" Hatsume shouted over the noise.
"Um... nothing."
His eyes drifted elsewhere, out of the other teams, there were two familiar faces meeting his gaze. Hitoshi Shinso. On his team, Aoyama, Ojiro and another person who he couldn't recognize.
All carrying dull expressions.
'He should have had no problems forming a team.'
Turning to the second gaze, he quickly turned away as if seeing a plague.
'Ignore. Ignore.'
"Hmph! You think you can escape from me?" Watching Yuta turn away, Hagakure waved her fust in indignation.
"Just wait. I'll get my revenge by stealing your headband."
"Hagakure?"
Jiro called out.
"Nothing."
"ALRIGHT EVERYONE. REMEMBER THE RULES, AND KEEP THE BATTLE WITHIN THE DESIGNATED AREA." Midnight gave one final warning.
The giant billboard displayed the words:
ON YOUR MARK
"ALL RIGHT! YOU'VE MADE YOUR TEAMS! NOW LET'S GO! BEGIN THE COUNTDOWN TO THE BRUTAL BATTLE ROYALE!"
"THREE."
Everyone tensed.
"TWO."
'Here we go.' Yuta let out a breath.
"ONE."
Midnight swung her arm down.
"START!"
Everyone immediately began rushing—
Toward Team Bakugo.
Like moths to a flame.
A swarm of bodies converged on the explosive blonde, each team jockeying for position, calculating angles, preparing quirks.
"NOW'S OUR CHANCE!" someone shouted.
"GET THE TEN MILLION!"
"DON'T LET ANYONE ELSE—"
Team Bakugo immediately went on alert.
"Stick to the plan and don't mess up."
Bakugo yelled as they began running.
"Got it!"
The team rushed. Not away but towards the charging crowd.
"This better work!"
"IT WILL. NOW CHARGE!" Sparks exploded across Bakugo's hands. 'Let's win this thing!'
The field erupted into chaos. The vast majority were going for the big number, and the rest were heading in the same direction because their targets were heading there as well.
Yuta stayed exactly where he was.
At the edge of the arena.
"WOOOOH!" Hatsume cackled on his back, goggles shaking. "Look at them go! Straight for the big flashy number! Hey! Shouldn't we be moving?"
"Not yet."
His Sharingan—hidden behind the dark goggles—tracked every movement on the field. 'Let's pick a target first.'
Plus, this was all new development. He wanted to see just how Bakugo would break through the encirclement. Plus ...
'Unlike Midoriya, Bakugo doesn't have that Hatsume's gear to go aerial. What will he ...'
Just then ...
BOOM!
The clash happened.
With collision imminent, Bakugo's palms shot out, creating a deafening explosions to his left and right.
Those reaching for his headbands were promptly blown aside. Barely stabilized by their teams before they fell. "OUTTA MY WAY EXTRAS!"
With that, Team Bakugo broke through the blockade away from Todoroki's position.
"Yes!"
Mina put it into full throttle. Acid emerged from her soles, propelling them further away from the others.
"DAMMIT! CIRCLE BACK!"
"DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!"
Every team circled.
"Bakugo. Up ahead." Kirishima warned. A team of four were headed straight for them. The lead horse looked to have the lower features of a skeleton.
"It's class 1-b."
"So what? Straight ahead. I'll blast them out of our way."
Hearing this, Tetsutetsu of class 1-b scoffed angrily. "Hmph. Let's see you try. Juzo!"
"Right."
The skeleton mouthed teammate activated his quirk. He took a step, the earth moving forward softening with it. Expanding until it engulfed team Bakugo.
In an instant, the running team were trapped.
"What the hell?"
"What is this?"
"Bakugo. We're sinking!"
"GET THE HEADBAND!"
"DAMMIT!"
Team Bakugo thrashed as the softened ground pulled them lower.
"HOW IS THIS EVEN FAIR?!" Sero yelled, arms flailing as he tried to tape onto something solid—only for the tape to sink with them.
"BAKUGO, WE'RE GOING UNDER!" Mina shrieked, acid hissing uselessly into the sludge.
Kirishima grit his teeth. "I can harden and climb! I can—!"
"NO TIME!" Bakugo snarled. Sparks crackled violently around his palms. "I'M BLOWING US OUT!"
"WAIT—IF YOU EXPLODE US WHILE WE'RE SUNK—"
BOOM!!
The eruption sent mud and dirt spraying upward, the blast partially freeing them—but sending the whole team tilting dangerously.
"THEY'RE OPEN! NOW!" a Class 1-B student roared.
Several teams lunged.
But right before they reached—
CRACK.
A wave of ice swept across the battlefield at blinding speed.
Todoroki.
Every team rushing for Bakugo froze mid-charge, boots locked into place, ice creeping up their legs.
Only Bakugo's team managed to escape, barely clearing the ice wave as Bakugo blasted them over it, landing rough but mobile.
"TODOROKI…!!" Bakugo screamed from across the field, teeth bared.
"Hmph." Todoroki exhaled cold mist. "This is a competition. Expect interference."
Yuta blinked behind his goggles.
'As expected from the top three... both of them are soaking up attention like magnets.'
Hatsume cackled. "Ohhh, spicy! The powerhouses are clashing already! Sooooo, partner—what are we doing? Still waiting?"
Yuta shook his head.
"...No. Time to move."
He crouched slightly.
Hatsume tightened her grip around his shoulders. "Ohoho! Is it—IS IT TIME FOR MY GEAR TO SHINE?!"
Yuta sighed.
"Yes, Hatsume."
"YESSSSS!"
___
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