"While Present Mic is recovering from his unexpected injuries, I'll be introducing the first event!" Midnight hyped, the audience hollering with anticipation; the large screen behind her began to show animated visuals that would adjust as she explained the directions audibly. "Our first game will be Hero Boppers: the objective is to knock off all opponents from the five floating platforms until at least one student from either participating class remains, and to keep things fair, everyone is to follow the submersion guideline- even if you're hanging on or being held on to, if your body lands in the water, you're out! Simple enough?" She asked with a wink as the crowd grew more rambunctious, hardly containing themselves as the beginning drew closer with each word. "Let's see who will be starting us off in this year's sports festival!" Midnight enunciated, prompting the board once more as the imagery completely changed; on the screen were two flags, one of Japan and the other of The Untied Nations (to represent the international students) with two tickers underneath each flag. The classes sorted through rapidly, all eyes focused on those sets on screen, "Japan's own Class 1-B verses International 3-A!" The audience exploded in excited cheers as the selected classes began making their way to the designated area. "Show us what you're made of and make us proud, kids!"
The school's outdoor pool had opened early for the occasion, however, the lane ropes had been replaced with five platforms of varying size arranged in a hexagon and connected by narrow bridges of the same material and density; the four outer platforms are the same size while the middle platform is much larger. "This is just school-safe version of Keijo!" Blurted Class 1-B in unison, embarrassed by the bastardized version of butt battle.
"Keijo?" Asked Bassam as he looked to his friend's for affirmation.
"I'm guessing it's some sort of Japanese pool game?" Omar articulated out loud.
"I guess so, it looks like fun!" Chelsea exclaimed.
"Mhm!" Hummed Fatima.
"Chelsea," Addressed Omar, "It might be wise to remove your shoes for this event, those platforms don't look very sturdy."
"Oh yeah, that's a good idea!"
Before each participating class had entered the event area, they devised a strategy- given they had no idea of what any of their quirks were and vice versa. For Class 1-B, the physically stronger students had positioned themselves on Bassam while the quirk-heavy ones were already surrounding Omar, the rest had divided themselves equally on Chelsea and Fatima; Class 3-A, on the other hand, was going for a simpler approach with as little quirk differentiation as possible. As the classes finalized their positions on the platforms, Present Mic had finished straightening himself out and returned to his post, "Everyone, get ready, set-!" With a twirl of her wand, the caress of her niqaab, the grip of his anchor, and outward stretch of his fingers, they were prepared to show their underclassman what they were made of- as a team. "Goooo!" And just like that, the groups began rushing towards their opponents to separate and besiege without giving them the opportunity perform together, however, they were suddenly bamboozled- "Ehh?! What's this?! International 3-A have completely disappeared and are nowhere to be seen!" Spectated Present Mic as 1-B frantically searched for any sign of their whereabouts.
With their opponents keeping them on their toes, those visible were cautious to make any drastic movements, unsure of what to do next or what to expect. Beyond a moments notice, Tsuburaba received a high kick from a nylon-covered foot from below, Komori was bunted in the face by a flying knee, Bondo, Tetsutetsu, and Shishida were launched off by the force of a swinging anchor, and Monoma was none the wiser to an elbow from out of nowhere. And just like that, they were already gone. Tsuburaba, Komori, and Monoma only faltered from their attacks, but Bondo, Tetsutetsu, and Shishida, however, we're unable to catch themselves and all three of them fell into the water; on a separate screen also located inside the arena, all currently participating student's school portraits were displayed and divided by teams, and when they were no longer active, their portraits darkened. "Ohhhh, and looks like we're already three out on Japan's 1-B!" Emphasized Present Mic, adding insult to injure on their sudden lose.
The rest of the fight had not gone in Class 1-B's favor: the student's were unable to figure out any signs of whoever's quirk was being used, leaving them forlorn to predict where they may appear next in a short period of time. With the addition of the rest of their quirks, the window to respond was even shorter than before leaving most of them to slip or be completely knocked off the lands or bridges; for those who were capable of putting up more of a challenge, Class 3-A was not above pinning more than one member of their team on one person- allowing them to test different quirk combinations for future use. Slowly, Class 1-B's side of the screen grew darker as students were being picked off with ease, leaving 3-A's side to shine as brightly as they worked together. Kendo, the only student left, was encircled by all four of them as they stood around her.
"Sorry about this, cutie." Chelsea mused.
"No hard feelings, yeah?" Bassam followed up.
"You all did a good job." Fatima spoke sincerely.
"Don't let this loss hinder the progress you've already made." Omar reassured.
Kendo was, in all senses, baffled that they would say such things after the devastating blow to her class, and despite their honesty, she refused to let their words get to her; she could still fight, she could still win. Slamming her large fist onto the land they were standing on, she fell directly into their ploy as her hand disappeared into the platform and ended up next to Omar's head, who ducked to avoid impact then grabbed a hold of her wrist to keep her arm stationary. Fatima begins helping loosen the rope around Bassam's waist which releases the barrel on his back, prompting Bassam to slide out the mechanics from inside leaving the barrel completely empty; he grips the open edge of the barrel and scoops up Kendo from behind with Omar releasing her from his grip. With her body once again stuck, Bassam hands Chelsea the lid and- with what seemed like a trick of the eye, completely encapsulates her inside. Everyone in the arena is enthralled by the performance, nearly on the edge of their seats waiting for the conclusion of the match. Chelsea moves her hands lithely over the barrel before tapping it twice with her wand then lifting the lid off the top- Bassam picks up the barrel nonchalantly and reveals Kendo is no longer inside.
"Ladies and gentleman-!" Chelsea confidently announces as she lifts up her arms and diverts their attention to the opposite side of the pool where Kendo, who had sunk herself deeper to avoid embarrassment, stood almost head deep in the water. The crowd erupts in applause as Present Mic declares- "Winners! International 3-A!" The four of them stood together and cheered alongside the masses before regathering their things and exiting the pool area. As they were returning back to the arena, Fatima unexpectedly stumbles and falls against Omar before he and Chelsea could grab onto her and help her back on her feet.
"Fatima, are you okay?!" Chelsea fretted.
"Y-Yeah, I'm okay- I'm sorry." Fatima whimpered as she held her head in her hands.
"No, it's our fault, we should've planned our attack more thoroughly - you don't need to apologize." Omar heartened.
"We're the ones who're sorry, Fatima. We shouldn't have relied on your quirk so much," Bassam groaned, "But don't worry, you just leave the next match to us while you get your strength back!"
"Huh? Are you sure about that? I don't want you three losing because of me . . ."
"We totally got this!" Exclaimed Chelsea.
"Yeah, we can handle 1-A no problem!" Followed up Bassam.
"The final match is what's most important, until then, leave everything to us; we won't let you down." Proffered Omar.
Fatima, as she wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye, softly smiled, "O-Okay."
"Up next, Japan's 1-A verses International 1-B!" Present Mic publicized as both classes had already taken their place on the platforms, awaiting for the start of the match, "Freezing the water does count as cheating, by the way." Aizawa asserted- not saying Todoroki's name, but implying directly at him. "I already figured that." He mumbled to himself before returning his attention towards his opponents. ". . . And go!" Shouted Present Mic, clearly signaling that their turn had begun yet very little movement was taking place.
Class 1-A had split themselves equally in a similar formation as Japan's 1-B, however, all four members of of International 1-B were located on the middle platform with Ximena circled around her teammates; the rattle at the end of her tail was emitting audible warnings as her tongue flickered, her body lurched back and ready to strike at any moment. "Don't you drongos know better than ta' corner a venomous snake?" Mickey jeered from the safety of their friend's vicinity as Ximena juked towards anyone who began moving towards them. They knew how deadly she was even if her appearance and functionality were due to her quirk, and that the addition of humanoid features increased the severity of her attacks.
"Oy, Ximena, catch!" Called out Kirishima, who was struck at instantly and without hesitation- which was the team's first but final mistake; as the rest of 1-A were keeping 1-B preoccupied with their ludicrous attempts, Kirishima and Sero were preparing their first move. With Sero's tape wrapped around Kirishima's waist, he sprang forward with his body curled into a ball, "Japan's 1-A has successfully stunned their most troublesome opponent!" Present Mic observed out loud as Ximena struggled to remove the rock-hard Kirishima stuck inside her mouth. His sharp, jagged edges made him difficult to swallow whole as her muscles were being pierced and slashed; her fangs were cracking away at him slowly as her quirk's instincts were attempting to push him towards her stomach. As 1-A darted towards the rest of 1-B, Sero failed to pull Kirishima out of Ximena's mouth- not only had she tore his tape, but he was now wedged too deep for him to pull him out. "Uhh, guys?! Help Kirishima, please!" Kirishima begged as he strained to help Ximena in getting him out of her mouth. "Woul'ja get outta of there already?!" Mickey scolded, smacking Ximena's upper back and suddenly dislodging Kirishima.
"Javi', now!" Estelle directed, ducking down and placing her hands on the landing they were standing on; with their opponents diving in, Javier took a few deep breaths before his lips pursed tightly and his cheeks puffed out. "Everyone, look out!" Midoriya loudly authorized with his classmates following suit, moving out of the way of his projectile lava vomit. When the splurges of lava hit the water, "What's this? Where's all this smoke coming from? We can't see anything!" Fussed Present Mic as the camera lenses fixated on the event area began fogging up; as the lava hit the cold water it quickly cooled while simultaneously boiling the water that started the tempered process of dry out the pool. The caustic plumes that exuded from the water was not only hot but known to cause bodily irritation due to the mixture of acid and glass; the few pieces of delta that formed on the water's surface had broken apart and sank, and when the cold water engulfed the hot rocks they exploded, propelling small rubble into the air and causing rouge waves.
Once the steam had dissipated and the cameras were cleared, the results left the audience in shock: the entirety of Class 1-A had taken safety away and outside of the pool, coughing and gasping in between breathes at the edge of the pool as they scratched at their red, splotchy skin, some even received a few small lacerations. Not only had the platforms taken damage as well, a quarter of them were now gone- the material never stood a chance in the intense heat, causing them to melt and deform. What was left unchanged, was the placement of International 1-B: Estelle had coated the landing using her quirk to prevent distortion as well as place a wall between her teammates and Javier's splash back.
"Jeez Javi', ya' really know how to make a mess of things." Mickey groaned as they fanned away any lingering debris.
Javier couldn't muster up a response, he meekly grumbled while rubbing his stomach.
Ximena wasn't much for words, either, as her mouth was in too much pain to speak.
"Ugh, Atacama ain't got nothin' on my skin." Estelle whined, softly picking at her skin after finishing breaking down her barrier.
"Ahh, was that really necessary?!" Hollered Present Mic, "I doubt those things were cheap! Also, this counts as a win, right?"
"The objective is to knock the students off the platforms, the submersion rule was only when they fell in the water. So-" Aizawa earnestly commented.
"In that case, International 1-B wins!"
"Hurray!" Estelle and Mickey rejoiced simultaneously, lackadaisically jostling Javier and Ximena's arms so that they cheered alongside them with the same energy, "Yaaaaaay~" They weakly mewled in broken unison.
"Err- and we'll be right back after we take a short break!" Present Mic announced, letting out a sigh away from his microphone afterwards. When the commotion had subsided and the atmosphere became more relaxed, Class's 1-A and 1-B were being checked over individually by Recovery Girl, making sure Javier's laze didn't cause any permanent damages. In the midst of everyone's check-ups, Javier was also going up to each individual member of Class 1-A and apologizing for using such an extreme attack against them knowing they were ill-prepared to combat against his quirk. "Javi' I think they get it, you don't have to apologize to each of them." Estelle intervened with a lighthearted chuckle.
"No, no, that wouldn't be right at all!" He protested, "Besides, I already promised everyone that I'd make them dinner later!"
"I don't think any of us ever had authentic Chilean food before. We really can't wait!" Uraraka replied, awkwardly locked in an apologetic hand hold.
"Speaking of apologies," Kirishima spoke, "Sorry about your mouth, Ximena."
"Oh, you're alright, I'm sorry I nearly swallowed you."
"Don't sweat it, besides, now I can say I almost got eaten by a snake!"
"IIIII don't know if you'd want to count that as an achievement."
After an hour of recollection and restoration, "Phew! Sorry for the wait, everyone!" Present Mic returned, "Now that everything is back to normal, we begin the final match of the first event: Japan's 3-A verses International 1-A!" With each team choosing their positions on the platforms, 3-A had 1-A already cornered; though 3-A was completely spread out, 1-A isolated themselves in the far left corner. "Let's get this show on the road! Ready, go!" He broadcasted from the press box, the students starting the match off at a steady pace; unlike 1-B they didn't bombard individual opponents or surround them like 1-A. Rather than keeping themselves static, their upperclassmen were weaving between landings and sliding across the bridges to prevent themselves from being taken out in groups. Those of 1-A continued to stand and watch as they bounced around, waiting for them to make their first move, and just as soon as Keali'i started to raise his arms, they attempted to counter his quirk with theirs first then risk putting their bodies in harms way.
What they never expected, however, was to be suddenly launched up in the air along with the pool water while looking down at their opponents who were still inside the pool on the same landing. "Would you guys quit messing with the pool, please?! We just went through this!" Screeched Present Mic as the students of 3-A bustled to collect themselves before making impacting. While leveled with the pool floor, Arjan tapped and knocked against the concrete in sequence then slammed down both of his palms as the pool began rapidly filling with water; many of 3-A had not been taken out by their surprise attack, but those who were were engulfed by the waves as soon as they landed in the water, their school portraits going dark. Back over at 1-A, the water cascaded over them in a dome shape, leaving them completely dry, due to Yemi's quirk and because of Arjan- "It seems that International 1-A has discovered a loophole and is using it to their advantage!" Present Mic acknowledged that the student had used his quirk to raise the platforms slightly above water level from the shell of the pool.
Serpentining around the four of them, they distributed their quirks once more in hopes of gaining control of their situation, but whatever they threw at them was either deflected by Yemi's barrier or rendered by Keali'i's whips of pressurized air- some even ending up getting cut while caught in the crossfire. As the students of 3-A became deterred by their opponents, being picked off one by one, they continued to contest, and just when it seemed as though they had an opportunity to outsmart them, Arjan took advantage of their position- using the smallest opening possible to deliver his attacks. Arjan plunged his hands into the concrete pillar he had created under the landings and brought forth large hands attached to elongated arms made of the same material; he was able to bat away any troublesome students and smack them into the water with ease. Others were able to avoid these heavy attacks, but it wasn't long before Arjan's speed had caught up with them, failing to escape the capture of his grasp.
The fight was not over from there, the stragglers were not going down without a fight- "As expected, U.A. Japan's Big 3 are not to be trifled with!" He spoke in regards to Nejire and Tamaki who, along with a couple others, were struggling to keep Arjan's artificial hand from closing around them. As Tamaki's tentacle fingers wrapped around the cement arms they began to crumble apart, making their way towards the source, but before they could reach close enough, Yemi sprang in and allowed her form to become entangled. What seemed like a thoughtless act to save a team member was actually a cleverly disguised maneuver; generating an electrical current throughout her chaise, his tentacles made a decent conductor to his body. Yemi didn't emit too strong of voltage but just enough to stun him and cause him to collapse his tentacles which then released her from Tamaki's trap.
Under the confusion, they were only a split second away from catching their next attack, but the blow from a cement foot from below had not crossed their minds, not even in that moment; from the assistance of Shelby, Arjan was able to position himself so that he could drive his foot into the pillar along with both his hands. A group crushed by his hand, the other- his foot, allowing them to fall into the water along with the concrete blocks as he pulled his extremities out. When the last body entered the water, "International 1-A wins!"
