All four of them placed their knuckles together, leaving a small square of empty space in the middle as they said farewell.

"See you in the finals!" they chanted, before pulling back.

Izuku was positively giddy. He hadn't believed he would win not only one round, but two! As he turned to wait for the tournament brackets, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Tokoyami still standing there, looking a bit contemplative.

"What is it, Tokoyami?"

The bird-headed student sighed, before looking up at him and smiling.

"Thank you for freeing us," he muttered, as if not wanting to be overheard, "For showing us the skies for- for what they can be."

Izuku positively beamed at his new friend.

"I'm glad I could help you two out! Oh, by the way: is Dark Shadow… it seems like it's fairly sentient."

Tokoyami nodded, releasing his spiritual companion to come out and offer its hand.

"It- she, is," Tokoyami confirmed, "In fact, I don't think she's ever been so vibrant before today."

"Because today I got to taste the sky and have a nest to protect for the first time!" she said, offering up her own hand, "Thanks, Midoriya!"

Extending his hand, Izuku grasped the inky-black limb and gave it a small bob of confirmation. That seemed to satisfy the creature, and it quickly retreated from the light of day. Oddly, Izuku felt his hand tug with it for a moment, followed by a gasp from Tokoyami.

"You too are afflicted by darkness?"

Izuku glanced down at his hand, to see an odd array of black and blue-ish tendrils warping along his palm. He shivered and clenched his fist, willing them to go back. The fear of them seemed oddly tinted by… gloating? Where the heck was that emotion coming from?

"I, ah… can I trust you with a secret?" he mumbled, glancing around.

Uraraka was still nearby, but Hatsume had wandered off for maintenance. He could share it with them, he supposed.

Tokoyami nodded.

"The curse of trust and private information are powers no warrior would be rid of."

As the three gravitated together again, Izuku opened his hand and let the black tentacles emerge from his skin just slightly.

"My Quirk… I don't know how it all works," he explained, using the cover he and All Might had come up with, "What we do know, is that it didn't manifest until the day of the Entrance Exam. I think this is why."

"Affliction by darkness?"

"Winning?"

Izuku chuckled.

"No. Well, kinda in your case, Tokoyami. Actually… you're both half-right. You see, I think my power is like a copy Quirk, but more specific. The first time I ever used my Quirk, it was when I suddenly inverted my body's gravity against the zero-pointer. Which happened right after I'd been affected by a Zero-Gravity Quirk from the first real friend I ever made, and right before I went to save said friend."

Uraraka gasped in surprise and wonder.

"And just now… I touched Dark Shadow directly, right after we became friends, Tokoyami," he continued, "We are… friends, right?"

"Our dark brotherhood was forged in battle."

"Right… but anyways, now I've started to manifest this sort of… shadow rope energy. I don't know what it does, and I think I'm gonna have to keep it out of the fight for now, just in case it could hurt someone," Izuku decided.

"But what about that air thing you did?" Uraraka asked, mimicking his punches, "Those were so cool!"

"Um… I don't know," he admitted, "It felt like my arms were being guided. Maybe I was localizing my Float to just my arms or something, and moving them really fast? Regardless, I probably need to learn the true limits of my power, or else I'll end up like Todoroki: only using half my strength."

Uraraka gave him a big thumbs up.

"Don't worry, Deku! You'll be the best before you know it! That's why your nickname's so fitting!"

"So the title Deku means one who is the best?" Tokoyami clarified.

"No… Kacchan named me Deku when we were kids, and said it meant useless. Mostly because my Quirk didn't really activate back then," Deku whispered, embarrassed, "But Uraraka… she said it sounded like Dekiru: "You can do it!" so I've kind of adopted the meaning of "Do your best!" for Deku."

"To bend an affliction to a power is truly the height of dark power!"

Uraraka and Izuku glanced at one another, before smirking and starting to chuckle. Tokoyami quickly joined in, the three of them laughing as they headed for Midnight's podium.

"I see the thieves are enjoying their spoils."

The trio turned to see the blonde kid from Class 1-B smirking at them, radiating an aura of disdain.

"I'd say that you'll be taken out in the first round, but I think those who made it in will tell you that," he continued, "Looking down on all of us, saying we weren't worthy of you and this tournament section? It sickens all of us. So don't be surprised if some of you don't have any friends in the Hero Course when you get back to class."

With that, he walked off, leaving Deku feeling very small. Had it seemed that way? Had the others all thought them arrogant and rude?

"Don't listen to him, Dude! That was so Manly! You got us all off our butts and into the action!" two voices called in unison from behind him.

"Thank you for the opportunity, Midoriya! I wouldn't have made it to this round without you guys, Kero!"

"That bum's just sore he lost! We proved we're the ones willing to go the distance, and that means stuff to the big shots out there!"

""For the power is in them, wherein they are against unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.""

"-and you were all like "You're not trying!" and "Go Plus Ultra!" and we were all like "I'll show you Plus Ultra!" and "Oh no the scary bird demon!" and it was all like "Yes the scary bird demon!-"

"Midoriya! I apologize for holding back on you! I intended to join another team to prove I was a worthy rival to you, and that I respected your abilities, but I failed to live up to my ideals until the end! I will not fail you again!"

"I was gonna tap out there for a bit, but then that last match gave me the drive to keep going, where I could really go all out!"

"Please forgive me, I didn't respect your determination to grow, remembering the Quirk Test at the beginning of the year! I will not look down upon you again, Midoriya!"

"That was a pretty metal move, sealing yourself in with a demon and daring us all to come in after ya. I dig it."

Seeing almost everyone else in the tournament bracket praising him, thanking him even, for challenging them how he did… it was too much for Izuku. Uraraka saw the signs and paled.

"Everybody get down!" she screamed, leaping at Tsu and pushing them to the earth.

Izuku turned his face skyward and cried tears of joy and relief, feeling the geyser of water push him down so hard it cracked the concrete they were standing on. The majority of the others around them either laughed or playfully screamed out in mock-fear. Shiozaki moved around to catch some of the water on her hair, evidently unbothered by using his weakness as an advantage for the next round.

As he wiped his eyes, Izuku realized that two of the finalists weren't coming over to speak with him. One was Todoroki, obviously still annoyed at him, but the other was a purple-haired boy who Deku thought he'd seen as a rider on Ojiro's team. Shinso, wasn't it? They glared at him from opposite sides, though not as intensely as he'd expected.

Izuku didn't have much time to dwell on it though.

"Alright all you listeners! Since that took a little longer than expected, we're gonna give you a quick taste of what's next before we hit Lunch and recovery for our wonderful contestants!" Mic exclaimed, "It's time for the event you've all been waiting for: the One-On-One's! So be sure to eat your food with gusto, because it might be your last!"

Midnight gestured to the massive screen once again, revealing the empty tournament brackets. Team Tokoyami went up first, followed by the ones who'd grabbed headbands. A small shock ran through Deku as he saw Kacchan's name wasn't present, but instead Kirishima's was. He whirled to find his old friend, only to see a vague outline of the boy appearing in the 1-A viewing box.

He smiled up at Kacchan, wanting him to know he'd done the right thing. Distant explosions told him the gesture wasn't appreciated.

Returning to the screen, Izuku looked over the matchups.

Midoriya v Shinso

Todoroki v Ashido

Ojiro v Sero

Asui v Hatsume

Jiro v Yaoyorozu

Tokoyami v Shiozaki

Tetsutetsu v Kirishima

Uraraka v Ida

So he'd be up against the General Studies guy first. That was worrisome. He'd seen most of what the others could do, even if from afar, but his Quirk and skills were still close to the chest. Hatsume had said she'd gone to grab his bandana, and that it had been the easiest.

"They were all, I dunno, kinda bored-looking," she'd explained.

"Midoriya…"

Izuku turned, taking an involuntary step back as he found Todoroki right next to him.

"Let's talk…"

Hitoshi took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He wasn't liking his odds with this first matchup. The green-haired guy, Midoriya, he was pretty strong-willed, and clearly in this for the glory. That might make him easy to trick, but he might just toss Hitoshi right out of the ring with some kind of flying kick that would keep moving even if he was hypnotized.

Ojiro hadn't been happy when he'd realized what Hitoshi'd done to him, but when he'd explained why: he'd promised not to tell anyone his secret so long as he got the first headband. Now that the two of them were in the tournament proper, he just had to hope he kept his word.

Hopefully he'd be able to catch Midoriya off guard and show everyone that the gloryhogs in the Hero Course were still only human. Luckily he was pretty well-rested from that last bout, otherwise he might not even be able to stand anymore. Luckily, the grape-haired pervert had been boasting loud enough for him to snag the headband before the anger-management moron had tried to nuke them all.

Stepping up to the ring, he prepared to give it his all once again.

"Making a weird face, despite his spectacular performances so far, it's Izuku Midoriya, from the Hero Course!

Versus

The Invisible Man, who dove into the overtime test without fear but hasn't really done much otherwise, it's Hitoshi Shinso from General Studies!"

Hitoshi grinned at his opponent, who seemed rather queasy. Good, that meant he was off-balance.

"The rules are simple! Win by knocking your opponent out of the ring, immobilizing them, or getting them to say "I give up"! Bring the Pain! We've got our good old Recovery Girl on standby! And Fight Dirty if you must! "Ethics" have no meaning here!"

"Of course," Cementos added, "Going for the kill is a no-go. I'd stop you, and you'd be disqualified immediately."

""I give up", Huh?" Hitoshi smirked, trying to grab Midoriya's attention, "You got that, Izuku Midoriya? This battle's a true test of will, not that arrogant announcement and dirty ice trick you pulled earlier. I suppose if you've got a dream though, you'll do anything to reach it, even cheat your way to the top, huh?"

"START!"

"After all, When you're born with the power to look down on everyone, hard work must not even be a factor," he finished, knowing he'd won.

"What did you say?!" Midoriya roared, starting to charge him.

Hitoshi smirked as the other boy stopped dead, slowing and staring off into space. His eyes were the dull white-grey of a hypnotized victim.

"I've won."

"Hey, what's up guys?! The match only just started! Show some spirit!"

After a few moments of nothing happening, Hitoshi began to pace around, smiling at his prey. It would be good for everyone to see that even this high-flier wasn't invincible to his power.

"And just a few seconds into the match, Midoriya's frozen in place! Whoever this Shinso guy is, he just leapt from another player to someone to have a major eye on!"

Eraserhead began to say something, but Shinso wasn't worried about what they told the crowd. This was his match, and he was going to get some catharsis out on the boy prideful enough to claim he wasn't trying.

"It must be nice, sitting up there in your flying glass house," he spat, stepping closer and leveling a finger at the frozen Hero Student, "Able to avoid any problem by running and being praised for what genetics dealt you as if it was somehow earned. But today you learn the lesson those of us with Quirks that aren't bred for public opinion learned on day one: life's not fair."

"Now," he ordered, "Turn around and walk out of this ring."

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Midoriya blinked.

Izuku didn't know where he was. Everything was dark, and some kind of wind whipped around everything. All he could see was a concrete floor and a wall, where oddly smoky figures drifted around, their eyes and shapes giving off an odd familiarity. One looked… somewhat like the skeletal form of All Might. He counted seven, but felt like he was missing one.

He tried to call out to them, to figure out why he wasn't fighting Shinso, but couldn't speak. He had no mouth! He didn't have… anything. He was just as smoky and wispy as the others, with only his eyes able to show he was even alive.

"Izuku!"

A sudden grip came at him from behind, wrapping him up in arms he couldn't recognize. He was turned around, and the hug became tighter. At first, he thought it was his mother, her hair and facial structure not too different from how Inko's used to be. Then he thought it might be a future version of Uraraka, her aura of love and pride so similar as she hugged him. But as he focused on her, things appeared different.

If he really had to compare it to a sensation he knew, he'd have to go with: being hugged by a very proud grandmother.

"I can't believe it! We didn't expect our Quirks had come with, and when you became Ninth, we worried you'd hurt yourself, but then you- Oh, I'm just so proud you got mine!" she cheered, still not releasing him.

A sensation of annoyance or perhaps gentle rebuke came from the other figures, but Nana scoffed at it like she could hear whichever one it was speaking.

"I have a grandson I can be proud of who's using my Quirk. When he unlocks yours, you can be as calm as you want," she called back at them, before holding Izuku's smoke form at arms length so they could see one another.

"I can see why Toshinori picked you," she nodded, "And I completely agree. Might be a bit biased, but hey, sue me."

Who… where… what…?

"Yeah, speaking's not really easy here the first few times," she apologized, "but I get your drift. I suppose you can call me your Quirk Grandma! I was the seventh User of One-For-All: Nana Shimura!"

The shock must have been evident in his eyes or aura, because Shimura laughed a little.

"Just Nana's fine, Izuku. I've seen many of your rather prominent memories, and you're kind of stuck with us, so formalities aren't really important."

Izuku managed a nod, and she smiled kindly.

"As for where and what, you can ask Toshinori when you get out. We don't have much time left, and I'm finishing up a little talk with Hito- ahem, Shinso, while you get your head back on. Hopefully we'll be able to speak again when you adjust more. Just remember, Izuku: We're all very proud of you, and the strongest Heroes smile when things get tough, even after the toughest battle of their lives."

Gritting himself, Izuku sent a wave of determination her way, his version of a promise to Nana that he would be worthy of her pride and trust.

"You already are. Tell Toshinori I'm proud of him, and he chose well. Now, get back out there, Ninth!"

It wasn't the normal, sluggish blink of a natural body keeping itself functioning, but a determined and intense squishing of eyelids, as if to clear one's thoughts. Then they opened again, and Hitoshi took an involuntary step back. His green eyes, once so vibrant with hope and joy, were grey.

Not only were they the wrong color, but his entire aura shifted. Midoriya stood straighter, radiating confidence and experience. He looked down at his hands, giving them an experimental flex before looking up at the stands. He seemed to be looking for someone, and eventually settled on the exit behind him.

Midoriya placed a finger at either corner of his mouth, before smiling brightly and tugging his cheeks just a bit. Then, he turned back to Hitoshi, and smiled more gently.

"Don't worry, I won't interfere in your match. I'm just here to say something."

Something was wrong. Midoriya shouldn't be able to move with any intent while hypnotized, let alone speak!

"No one's ever had confidence in you, have they?" Midoriya asked, his voice too somehow different, more elegant and experienced.

However, there was one part that was still present: the one element of Midoriya that Shinso had been conflicted about fighting. The compassion and dedication of someone who wished to save others was still there.

Hitoshi tried to muster the power to hypnotize Midoriya again.

"Of course not! But why would they when they have people like you to fawn over?"

Midoriya didn't even flinch as he replied. Evidently Hitoshi couldn't hypnotize people who were already hypnotized.

"No one ever fawned over Midoriya or his power," he said, evidently in third person but it didn't feel as awkward as that should have been, "They looked down on him just like you. He received Red Spider Lilies on his desk, was bullied for being a nerd, and more than once contemplated ending this life and hoping for a better one in his reincarnation. The only difference between how he would be and how you are now is this: one man said the words he most needed to hear, the words I now say to you: Hitoshi Shinso."

Midoriya stepped forward, holding his fist towards Hitoshi, not like a punch but like he wanted a knuckle bump.

""You Too can be a Hero!""

Hitoshi felt something give in his heart, and he choked out a laugh. Raising his own fist, he gently pressed it against the offered one.

He felt the hypnosis snap inside Midoriya, and his eyes abruptly turned back to their usual emerald. The aura of strength vanished, leaving just the friendly boy he'd been about to humiliate.

"What's this?! A sudden display of showmanship! What could these two be planning!?"

"Alright, Midoriya. I don't know what just happened, or who hijacked my power over you, but I've got a proposition for you. No Quirks. Just you and me. We'll give the crowd a show," he offered, wondering if Midoriya would take the bait.

"You're on!" he grinned, clenching his other fist in agreement.

Hitoshi almost got him again for that, but decided instead to swing a punch into Midoriya's face. He deserved it for being so naive, even if he was justified.

Midoriya stumbled back, before looking up at him and smiled back even wider than before.

The two rushed one another, punching it out with no skill or powers, just straight up brawn against brawn. Each one of Midoriya's punches were fast and hard though, nearly winding him each time, and pushing him a little further back. But he wasn't giving up. Hitoshi landed successful hits on weak spots and managed to slow his retreat up until the very edge.

"And now they're fighting on equal footing! Why aren't either of them using Quirks?! Who will last longest?! What was up with that freaky smile towards the exit?!"

"Secret Technique! Congaree Smash!" Midoriya roared, dodging Hitoshi's final straight and clotheslining him with his arm.

Hitoshi was swung out of the ring, falling to the grass below with a soft impact that still jarred him.

"Shinso is out of the Ring!" Midnight shouted, "Midoriya moves on to the second round!"

"Well, it looks like we're starting off small today, but no less intense than any other round could be!" Mic continued, much to the joy of the crowd, "Let's give a hand for our barbaric boxers, short-lived but bright as the stars!"

"Hey, good match."

Hitoshi opened his eyes to see Midoriya standing over him, hand offered and a smile on his face. Sighing, he swung his arm up and took it, feeling himself pulled up in an instant.

"I suppose," he muttered, about to head off.

He felt his hand catch in Midoriya's, and was about to ask what was up, when it was suddenly lifted in the air. He turned and realized why. The crowd cheered at the movement, and Midoriya was grinning at them and him in equal measure.

"They say that Heroes who smile, even after the most intense battles are the strongest," Midoriya said, nudging him, "I think you're one of 'em."

Swallowing, Hitoshi managed to get out a small beam to the people in the audience, earning a little surge of its own. Then he pulled away and let his more subtle grin take over.

"You can't choose the thing you admire," he said, heading for the exit, "So… I'm glad you and I chose to pursue it anyways."

"You're gonna be a Hero too, aren't you?"

Hitoshi nodded, still facing away.

"Then I promise you this, Shinso."

He turned back, seeing Midoriya holding his hand out the same way he had before the hypnosis had broken.

"I won't hold back. I won't stop growing. When you make it to the Hero Course, I'll be there to challenge you every step of the way. Let's become Heroes together!"

Hitoshi leveled his arm, giving him an air-bump.

"See you there, Midoriya."

"Let's have a great match, Todoroki!" Mina cheered, giving him a peace sign.

He was always so dour and serious. Guy needed to lighten up a bit. Maybe if she got him a date- no, bad Mina! Now was not the time to indulge in shipping classmates. She could do that after by antagonizing Midoriya and Uraraka.

"He's the best of the best, the strongest of the strong, give it up for Shoto Todoroki!

Versus

The pink destroyer of worlds, Ridley Scott's monster born again as a cutie of doom: Mina Ashido!"

"You held back in the cavalry battle," Mina yelled, holding her arms to her sides and preparing an acid drip, "Don't make the mistake twice: or you'll regret it!"

"START!"

A wave of cold came her way, and Mina barely had time to leap up and away from it before she was sitting in midair with her back stuck in a glacier. She tried to get a look at it, but wasn't able to twist enough. Growling, she melted what she could and got free, slipping a little and sliding towards Todoroki.

She recovered quickly, leaping back to her feet and jetting out acid to help her maintain speed over the rough ice.

"Nice shot, but I'm not just gonna sit here and take it!" she roared, preparing to throw some acid at his clothes.

Todoroki just glared at her, his expression so intense she almost tripped herself up. Readying a fist, she leapt off the ice and went for a solid hit to his solar plexus. Her hand got caught in something burningly cold, and before she could break out: the cold spread up her arm and over her whole body, leaving only her face exposed.

"A-a-a-a-ashido?" Midnight shivered, "Can you move? I can't really see you from this angle."

"No…" she chattered back, "I'm out…"

"Sorry," Todoroki sighed, placing a hand to the ice and starting to melt it, "I overdid it a little. I was just annoyed."

"Th-that's okay, Todoroki," Mina managed, "Next time though… just ask me to help you find a date, yeah?"

"I'd rather not."

"Your name is Toshinori?!"

"Um… yes? Didn't I tell you that?" All Might checked, confused at why his pupil was being so frantic about his name. Sure, he'd always been a bit of a fanboy, but really this was too much.

"No, I had to hear it from Nana!" Midoriya complained, folding his arms as if put out about it.

"N-nana!? You mean Master Shimura?! How do you know her?" All Might asked, a little panicked, "And how did you know her smile during your match?"

"You mean, you never met a past user?"

"Of course I did! So have you! I'm here, aren't I?"

"No, I mean… When Shinso hypnotized me, I was in this windy place, where all these smoke people were wandering around, and one even looked like you, but I couldn't move. I didn't really exist there, except for a shadow too, but I knew what my body was doing. But there was this one woman there, she called herself Nana Shimura, and she said she was talking to Shinso while I talked to her. Don't you know where or what that was? She said you would!"

All Might felt the energy slip out of him, wilting down to his skeletal form. He felt rather stunned. Had his pupil somehow contacted the vestiges of One-For-All within the Quirk itself? He'd seen the afterimages of them periodically, usually in dreams, but never substantial enough to speak to or have them control his body.

"Oh, and before that, when I was in the cavalry battle!" Midoriya continued, "I didn't recognize it at the time, but I remember a voice talking to me really quietly, which I think was her! And she helped power my arms up for those strikes that shredded my muscles!"

"Calm down, young Midoriya," Toshinori interrupted, giving his student a small bop on the head, "Now try to calm down, and I'll tell you what I know."

Midoriya nodded and took a seat across from him, having been patched up a bit by Recovery Girl and now waiting for the candy to kick in his system.

"Yes, I saw the spirits once," Toshinori admitted, "when I was younger and had first received One-For-All. They're traces of the past users, including myself and my master: Nana Shimura. In my time they were little more than echoes; a few visual markers of the past. They never interacted with me or guided me so far as I can recall. Whatever happened out there must be special to you."

"Then… you don't know what this is?" Midoriya asked, holding up his right hand.

Toshinori shivered in awe and horror, already set-off by the talking about ghosts and whatnot. Midoriya's hand was surrounded by thick, black and blue tendrils, not unlike the tentacles of a sea creature or squid ink.

"That's astounding! I imagined your body might try to tap into the Quirks of past users, but not so quickly as this!" he managed, gesturing for the boy to put it away, "Did anyone else see it?"

"Well, two people did, but I think I have a cover story for it and any other powers that might arise," Midoriya admitted, a bit sheepishly.

"A cover story for why you're developing multiple Quirks at age 15? This I have to hear."

"Well, I unlocked Float during the entrance exam, right? But I did it after I met Uraraka, and she helped me before the exam by tapping my shoulder and stopping me from falling. And I used it when trying to save her. And this power manifested right after I shook hands with Tokoyami's Quirk: Dark Shadow."

"I see. Then it was young Uraraka and young Tokoyami who saw this?"

"Yeah. I told them that my Quirk didn't manifest until the day of the exam, but I added in a guess about why these Quirks are awakening when they do, to help make it closer to the truth. I think… I think I'm unlocking powers that are similar to Quirks of people I've made a connection with."

Toshinori mulled it over. It wasn't an impossible theory, he supposed.

"I noticed young Tokoyami seemed oddly at ease when you flew together. I take it you two are friends then? In which case, your explanation has merit both in the cover and in truth. You're pretty sharp when it comes to Quirks, aren't ya?"

"If you say so, All Might."

"So, what did Master Shimura say to you? I haven't talked to her in a while!"

"Oh, she said she was my Quirk Grandmother, and that she was very proud of us. Um… she apparently approves of me."

All Might laughed, glad to hear his master was doing alright, if only in spirit form.

"Oh, she also told someone off who wasn't happy she was so excited. Do you know who any of the other users are?" Midoriya inquired.

"I know of my master, and I asked her about how she received One-For-All once, so I know she got it from someone named En, but otherwise I don't have much. I've been putting out some feelers for information, but it's slow going."

"Oh," Midoriya sighed, frowning a little, "Well, maybe I can ask some of them later."

"Later? What makes you think this wasn't a one-time event?"

"Nana said she hoped we could talk again. She seemed pretty excited I was there."

"He's as plain as they come, but also the creme of the crop! Hanta Sero Everybody!

Versus

The animal man himself, the king of the plain and simple, Mashiro Ojiro!"

"Jeez, you couldn't put a little more pizzazz into our intros?" Sero muttered, earning a small grin from Mashiro.

"Well, it's not like he's wrong…"

"Ready? START!"

"Okay, I guess we're going now," Sero mumbled, turning around and opening up with his tape dispensers.

Mashiro was faster, able to dodge out of the way in time with the range he had. The problem was: his speed wouldn't hold up as he got closer, and he couldn't win this far away. He had to think of something clever. Something unpredictable. Something, dare he say: unorthodox.

Smashing his tail into the ground, he leapt up in the air over the next attack, wincing a little. It hurt, but he could stomach it. He did it again, feeling the concrete crack. On his third time, he felt the pieces give.

"Whoa! He's got so fired up, he's broken the very ground he's standing on!"

Leaning down, Mashiro hefted a plate from his work, then another. He found a pair which fit his needs, and nodded. Rushing his opponent, he held them up like shields, able to catch the tape on them and then discard it as he bounced closer.

Praying he didn't look like Tigger, he caught and evaded a second attack, before rocketing into the air and descending on his opponent. He gave his tail a full-body swing, catching Sero across the chest as he fell, and rocketing the other boy towards the wall.

"I can't lose like this! It's too normal!" he roared, firing one last line of tape at Mashiro's body.

They caught his arms, and Sero tried to swing back to him, only for his momentum to be cut as Mashiro's tail swung down and gave the tape slack. Sero's feet only had to brush the ground once for him to lose.

"Sero Out!" Midnight called, "Ojiro advances!"

"Unusual enough for ya?" he checked, grinning.

Sero groaned.

"Dude, even our catchphrases are plain. We gotta work on that in class or something."

"You're on, my guy."

So, here's something new! I want to hear your thoughts, as always!

Remember: comments and wonderful questions from readers is writer food. I can survive on little "Good Chapter"s, but that's like eating a bit of bread each week. Gimme a feast, and I'll have the energy to keep extending the word-count and keeping up with the upload schedule.

Love you all, my darlings!