Chapter 9: Cavalry Battle

And we're back with the final chapter for today, the cavalry battle!

Wow, that's three today, isn't it? Huh.

Anyways, enjoy!

Feel free to review, but don't just rip into me. I'm doing this for fun, not excessive criticism.

"Allow me to explain," Midnight pursued, as a picture appeared on the screens to provide a visual, "The participants can form teams of two to four people, as they wish. It's basically the same as a regular cavalry battle, but the one thing that's different is… based on the results of the last game, each person has been assigned a point value. The points assigned go up by five starting from the bottom! So, forty-second place gets five points, Forty-first gets ten points, and so on and so on… until the first place, which has been assigned a special point value of… ten-million!"

"Ahh… sh#t." Moxie groaned, realizing the target now on his back.

"Aa! It's survival of the fittest, with a chance for those at the bottom to overthrow the top! Those at the top will always suffer more! This is what 'Plus Ultra' means!" Midnight grinned, pointing to Moxie, "As you all now understand, Moxie Usagi, who attained first place in the qualifier, is worth ten-million-points! Now, then, I shall explain the rest of the rules! The time limit is fifteen minutes! Each team is worth the total of its members points, and the riders will wear a headband with that number on their foreheads. Teams will try to grab each other's headbands until time runs out and try to keep as many points as they can. Stolen headbands must be worn from the neck up. So, the more you steal, the harder it will be to manage them! And the most important thing is that if your headband gets stolen, or if your team falls, you're not out!"

"They're all looking at me like I'm prey." Moxie realized, looking around, "I welcome the challenge!"

"During the game, it will be a cruel fight where you can use your Quirks. However! It is still a cavalry battle. You'll get a red card for attacks that are aimed to make people fall on purpose, you'll be removed immediately! And now… you have fifteen minutes to make your teams! Start!" Midnight finished.

Immediately, everyone put some distance between themselves and Moxie. That was a huge target on his back, no one wanted to share it.

"F#ck. I can't win this if I don't have a team." Moxie groaned to himself.

"If it's a team you need, you can team with me!"

Kendo popped up out of the crowd, some of her classmates, Setsuna Tokage and Yui Kodai, in tow.

"Seriously? I mean, I've got a huge target on me, and my Quirk can't really be used so I'm kinda dead weight." Moxie told her.

"Then we'll just have to cover for you!" Kendo grinned.

"Hey, Kendo, you can't be serious, right?" Tokage spoke up.

"All we have to do is ditch the headband early, and make up enough points to get through." Kendo explained in a hushed voice.

"Sounds good to me, right Yui?" Tokage whispered.

Yui nodded in return, turning to Moxie.

"Sounds perfect." Moxie grinned, "I'll try not to slow you down too much, who's the rider?"

"Kendo should be the rider, that was she can use her Big Fist to keep the headbands safe." Tokage suggested, "And you can be the lead horse, so maybe you can use your legs."

"Right." Moxie nodded, doing some simple stretches, "Bounce, bounce…" He whispered to himself, hopping in place.

Meanwhile, Hiryu was having a hell of a time trying to find a team. She wanted to ask Kirishima to help, but he was trying to join Bakugo's team and she didn't have the heart to speak up. Nervously, she looked around, trying to find a team before time was up.

"Hey, Hiryu!" Someone called.

Turning, Hiryu saw Shoji and Tsuyu approaching her.

"Let's team up." Tsuyu suggested.

"R-Really?" Hiryu was surprised by the offer.

"Yeah. Shoji can carry you, and with your wings you can fly away if someone comes for our headband." Tsuyu explained, "As long as you don't touch the ground, it'll be fine."

"A-Alright!" Hiryu nodded, her eyes sparkling, "We'll win, I know we will."

"That's the spirit." Shoji nodded.

"Alright, the twelve cavalry teams are assembled!" Present Mic shouted over the speakers, as the teams got into position, "So give a shout for some arena busting action!" The crowd cheered in response as Present Mic began the countdown.

"Three…"

Moxie smashed up the ground to his left, giving Yui something to use with her Quirk.

"Two…"

Hiryu flexed her wings, trying to find a comfortable position on Shoji's back with Tsuyu.

"One… begin!"

Immediately, all of the teams began running towards Kendo and the one-million pointer. They weren't sufficiently equipped to dodge, but that wasn't their plan.

The team leading the pack was Todoroki's, rolling on rollerblades and dragged by Iida, their speed was impressive, but their turning probably wasn't the best.

"Yui!" Moxie shouted.

Yui threw a piece of rubble at the ground in front of Team Todoroki, growing it to the size of a boulder to block their path. They couldn't turn wide enough, and Iida was forced to skid to a halt.

From their side, Team Bakugo appeared, their leader shouting his head off as they charged.

"Sorry about this Moxie!" Kirishima shouted as they slammed into Team Kendo.

"No… I'm sorry!" Moxie shouted. Bounce activated in his right foot and sent his foot rocketing into Kirishima's face as Bakugo grabbed the million-point headband.

"What's this? In a startling upset, Team Kendo has already lost the million-point headband! They're in last place, and Team Bakugo has stolen the lead!" Present Mic shouted.

"We got it!" Ashido cheered.

"It's your problem now!" Kendo laughed, expanding her fist and shoving the team away, "Now, we've got a point gap to make up for."

"Yui, you need more rubble?" Moxie asked. Yui shook her head 'no' in response.

"Alright, we need to pick a high value target, or we'll never close the gap." Kendo decided.

"Team Midoriya placed second, they'll have plenty of points!" Tokage grinned.

"Right, then that's our target! Time for part two." Kendo nodded, as the team began moving, making for Team Midoriya.

"Uh-oh, we've got incoming!" Uraraka shouted.

"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami shouted, sending forth the shadowy figure to block Team Kendo's path.

"Moxie!" Kendo shouted.

"Hold on tight!" Moxie leaned forward, activating Bounce.

The team rocketed forward, clinging tight to Moxie to avoid falling apart as they left the ground, slamming down next to Team Midoriya.

"Kendo, now!" Moxie shouted, as the redhead reached for their headband.

"Uraraka!" Midoriya shouted, as the team began to float. Suddenly, some weird boots they were wearing and a pack on Midoriya's back activated, sending them flying to safety.

"D#mn it…" Moxie grit his teeth.

"Don't worry, I got it." Tokage smiled, revealing her floating, detached arm which held the second-place headband.

"And Team Kendo has closed the gap, jumping to second place!" Present Mic announced, "Was this their plan all along?"

"Teaming with our sworn enemies? Kendo, I'm shocked!" Team Monoma appeared, charging in for the second-place headband.

"They're not our enemies!" Kendo shouted back, "Time to move!"

"We're stuck!" Tokage cried, as their team sank into the mud, "It's Honenuki!"

Moxie braced himself and activated his Bounce, sending waves through the mud that pushed him up.

"I can push myself out, but I can't reach solid ground for a good bounce!" Moxie grit his teeth.

"Here, bounce off of me!" Tokage offered, detaching her hand and placing it under Moxie's foot.

Moxie bounced off her hand, pushing himself out of the mud as Team Monoma closed in.

"I can get us out, keep me covered!" Moxie slowly pulled his other foot out.

Expanding her fist, Kendo blocked Team Monoma as they went after their headband.

"I'm afraid I can't let 1-A hog the spotlight, so I'll take you down with him!" Monoma grinned, as his lead horse, Sen Kaibara's, forearms began to spin.

"I got it!" Moxie shouted, activating his Quirk and pulling his team out of the mud, sending them flying forward.

"Tsuburaba!" Monoma shouted.

Tsuburaba exhaled and created a wall of solid air in their way. Moxie slammed into face first, stopping all their momentum.

"Moxie!" Kendo shouted.

"I'm good!" Moxie shouted, his nose bleeding. He grit his teeth with a smile and stared determinedly at Team Monoma, "Maybe we should change our plans."

"Way ahead of you! Yui!" Kendo called, nodding to Tokage.

Yui threw a handful of rubble up into the air over Team Monoma, causing it to grow in size to draw their eyes as she scattered more rubble on the ground.

"Moxie, are you ready?" Kendo asked.

"Yeah!" Moxie nodded, blood dripping from his chin.

"Then let's go!"

Moxie pushed off again with another bounce, rocketing past Team Monoma as Kendo reached for their headbands.

"I don't think so!" Tsuburaba shouted, exhaling a wall of solid air that blocked her hand.

"I got 'em!" Tokage laughed, her extended hand yanking Monoma's headbands from around his neck.

"And Team Todoroki has taken first place!" Present Mic announced, "Team Bakugo has fallen to sixth, Team Kendo and Team Midoriya sit in second and third!"

"Looks like we're safe for now, we just need to keep evading…" Moxie nodded.

Suddenly, someone flew over their heads, snatching Kendo's headband.

Hiryu soared back to her team, landing on Shoji's back as the multi-armed boy barreled off.

"And Team Hiryu comes out of nowhere to take second place, dropping Team Moxie to fourth!" Present Mic announced.

Along side Shoji and Tsuyu, a purple-haired boy was a part of their team.

"Remind me why we let you join again?" Tsuyu asked.

"Because you needed a fourth and didn't have time." Hitoshi Shinso responded, "Besides, my Quirk makes it easier to get headbands."

"I-It's a useful Quirk." Hiryu nodded, noting the four other headbands they had so far.

"D#mnit, they dropped us to fourth, we need to get our headband back!" Tokage shouted.

"Right, get ready to-"

"Time is up!" Midnight announced, cutting Moxie off.

"In first place is Team Todoroki, made up of: Shoto Todoroki! Momo Yaoyorozu! Denki Kaminari and Tenya Iida!"

"Hmph." Todoroki crossed his arms, his face impassive.

"In second place is Team Hiryu, made up of: Wyva Hiryu, Mezo Shoji, Tsuyu Asui and Hitoshi Shinso!"

"We barely sniped this place, right at the last second, thanks to you Hiryu." Tsuyu nodded.

"In third place is Team Bakugo, made up of: Katsuki Bakugo, Eijiro Kirishima, Mina Ashido and Hanta Sero!"

"D#mnit! Only third place!" Bakugo roared.

"And tied for fourth place is Team Kendo, made up of: Itsuka Kendo, Moxie Usagi, Yui Kodai and Setsuna Tokage! As well as Team Midoriya, made up of: Izuku Midoriya, Ochako Uraraka, Fumikage Tokoyami and Mei Hatsume!"

"Since fourth place is tied, Kendo, Moxie, Midoriya and Uraraka will be advancing to the next round!" Midnight announced.

"Ah, what? Who decided that!" Tokage pouted.

"Sorry, Tokage!" Moxie laughed.

"We barely made it…" Uraraka sighed.

"Hatsume, Tokoyami… sorry you can't advance to the next round with us." Midoriya looked like he was holding back tears.

"Don't go anywhere, cause we'll be right back with the next round!"

It'll take me a hot minute to figure out the brackets now, but the next chapter should hopefully be going up tomorrow.

Until next time, Enigma, signing off.