The Symbol of Peace and Justice

Chapter 16 – No Easy Way Out

For a second, there was silence, and then the raucous roar of the crowd blew away the tension in the air like a typhoon on a warpath.

"You're dead, Four-Eyes!"

"S-such uncouth behaviour is unbefitting of a hero!"

"Hn."

"Huh?"

"H-hello."

"Let's give these guys a show they won't forget!"

"Nice!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Shinso Hitoshi, eh?" Gohan mused aloud, his calmness a stark contrast to his competitors. "Interesting."

If there was one opponent he was wholly unprepared for, it was this guy. Hatsume Mei was also an unknown factor, but at least he had a vague idea of what to expect with her, given her bright and bubbly personality. Shinso, on the other hand, was like an unopened book.

A glance to his side showed Sato and Kirishima engaged a silent staring contest, matching smirks adorning their faces. The pair stood still as statues, unflinching in every sense of the word. Theirs would definitely be a contest worth watching.

Ashido rolled her eyes at the sight, before turning to Gohan and giving him a small, almost shaky smile. "If I win my match, we'll end up facing off in the second round…"

"You got this, Ashido. You're strong," Gohan stated confidently, flashing the girl a smile of his own.

Ashido blushed, but grinned nonetheless, her dark eyes sparkling with a fire he wasn't surprised to see. "You bet!"

Gohan nodded in approval, and after bidding her farewell, turned his attention to the crowd around him, curious as to the whereabouts of his opponent. It didn't take long to find Shinso; his distinctive indigo hair, gloomy aura, and the blank stare he was giving Gohan, made him stand out like a beacon in the sea of excited students.

Not knowing what to expect from the boy, but wanting to be polite, Gohan walked over and held out his hand, a kind smile on his face. "I wish you the best of luck for our match. Let's make it a good one, eh?"

Shinso's cold gaze drifted downwards, but he didn't shake the offered appendage. Instead, his violet eyes locked on to Gohan's onyx ones and his brow furrowed ever so slightly. "You almost sounded genuine there."

Gohan's smile receded. "I don-"

When something thick and furry covered his mouth, Gohan snapped to action by grabbing the offending object, squeezing it, and swivelling his body to his attacker while simultaneously launching a knife hand strike to their neck. However, upon seeing the startled face of Ojiro within his crosshairs, he froze, his extended fingers ending up an inch from the tailed boy's throat.

"Ojiro?! What the hell, man?!" he cried, quickly lowering his hands. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to-"

"I'm fine, Son. Just… don't say another word," Ojiro pleaded, directing a glare at Shinso.

The indigo-haired boy wore a smug smirk, looking thoroughly amused by the proceedings. But, after the tense silence between them stretched on with no sign of abating, he shrugged and walked off, his gait one of casual nonchalance.

When Shinso was out of hearing range, Gohan turned towards his classmate, confused. "You want to explain what all that was about?"

"Whatever you do, don't reply to anything that guy says," Ojiro exclaimed, his face a mask of deathly seriousness that left the demi-Saiyan even more baffled.

"Why's that? If it's because he's a jerk, don't worry. I've dealt with my fair share of-"

"Son. Trust me when I say that guy's dangerous. Even for someone like you," Ojiro continued.

Now it was Gohan's turn to get serious. "Explain."

"Come with me," Ojiro beckoned, leading him to the entrance of an unused tunnel.

Much like he had during his earlier conversation with Todoroki, Gohan leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and waited for his classmate to speak.

Ojiro scrunched his face in thought, as though choosing his words carefully. "That guy's Quirk… it's like nothing I've ever seen. It's some kind of… mind control," he exclaimed.

Gohan's jaw dropped, his head being sent reeling at the revelation. "Mind control?! That's insane!" No wonder his classmate thought Shinso was dangerous; the guy's Quirk was fucking terrifying.

"Yeah. And it was so subtle, too," Ojiro continued. "The last thing I remember is him asking me what my Quirk was, and then the next thing I know, the cavalry battle's just about to wrap up."

Gohan rubbed his temples, still struggling to comprehend what he'd heard. "So for about half an hour, this guy was in complete control of your actions without you being able to do anything?"

"Yeah…"

"And he activated this mind control when you answered his question?"

"As far as I'm aware."

That wasn't enough. Gohan needed more intel. "Is that the only way? Can he do it through physical contact? Or his thoughts?"

Ojiro let out a deep sigh and ran a hand through his blond hair. "I don't know. Like I said, I was out of it the whole time, and when I finally asked him what happened at the end of the battle, he just ignored me and walked off."

Gohan pursed his lips in deep concentration. "So you have no idea how to break out of the mind control once you've been caught?"

Ojiro swallowed thickly. "There is one way, but I don't think it's doable in a tournament setting."

"Oh?" Gohan leaned in.

"Remember how I said I came to my senses near the end of the cavalry battle?" When he received a nod of affirmation, Ojiro continued. "That's because I bumped into someone from another team and snapped out of the mind control."

Gohan's eyes widened. "So physical contact can break you out of it. Any other ideas?"

"No, sorry," Ojiro muttered, dropping his head and kicking aimlessly at the concrete floor.

Gohan closed his eyes, absorbing the mountain of information he'd just been fed. After a few seconds of silent contemplation, he opened them and shot his classmate a warm smile. "Thank you for telling me this, Ojiro. You have no idea how grateful I am."

"It's all good, man," the tailed boy mumbled." You saved all our asses back at the U.S.J. It's the least I could do."

'Perhaps, but you've just saved me from a potential shitshow of cataclysmic proportions,' Gohan mused. "Still, let me make it up to you. I'll treat you to kebabs sometime. There's this great place not too far from school I found a few weeks ago."

Ojiro finally glanced up, his earlier gloom replaced by a look of surprise. "Well, I'd be stupid to turn down free food, but kebabs? Make it Chinese and I'll consider it."

Gohan chuckled. "I know a good Chinese place too. It's a bit farther away, but still within walking distance. They make a mean beef and oyster sauce stir-fry."

"Now you're speaking my language!" Ojiro laughed. "It's a deal! And thanks, Son. You really didn't have to do this."

Gohan waved him off. "Don't worry about it." It was the least he could do.

Once the pair re-entered the stadium, Ojiro clapped the demi-Saiyan on the back. "Good luck in your match, Son. I don't think you'll need it, but you can never be too careful."

"You got that right. I'll catch you later, Ojiro." Before they could go their separate ways though, a recent memory fought its way to the forefront of Gohan's thoughts, drawing a vibrant blush from the boy. "Oh! By the way, sorry for, umm, y'know… almost jabbing you in the neck back there..." he trailed off, scratching the back of his head.

Ojiro snickered. "No need to apologise, man. I should've known better than to sneak up on another martial artist. I would've reacted the same way… just not as fast." He then whistled appreciatively. "Still, those reflexes are something else. What kind of training did you go through to get to that point?"

"The really unorthodox kind," Gohan revealed, resisting the urge to shudder.

Ojiro chuckled. "Sounds fun. Well then, I've leave you to your preparations. Remember what we talked about."

"Will do. And thanks again," Gohan replied, giving a parting nod to his classmate.

With that out of the way, he rejoined the congregation of animated students in the centre of the stadium. From what he could hear and see, their enthusiasm hadn't dimmed in the slightest, which was nice. Unfortunately, that sentiment didn't apply to him. As keen as he was to watch his peers duke it out, he couldn't shake off the unease he felt about his own fight.

If his off-the-rails rollercoaster of a life had taught him anything, it was that peace was fleeting, and danger could strike at any moment. While this world lacked the planet-shaking threats of his homeland, the overabundance of varied and obscenely powerful Quirks meant he could never fully drop his guard.

"Never forget that death could come at you any time, any place, anywhere," was one of the grimmer lessons Piccolo had literally hammered into him as a child. While Gohan found it a bit extreme, even back then, the principle behind it was solid. Even Miyamoto Musashi subscribed to a similar ideal, and the era he lived in was significantly less chaotic than the current one.

Sato ended up being right where Gohan left him, while Kirishima and Ashido were nowhere to be seen. The demi-Saiyan raised an eyebrow at his best friend's rigid posture, crossed arms and severe frown. "The hell's up with you? Lose your candy stash?"

"Why were you being so chummy with Tails? You trying to replace me?" Sato questioned, his frown deepening.

Gohan rolled his eyes. "We were strategising."

"Strategising?" Sato's tone transitioned to one of disbelief. "Against that purple-haired shrimp who's built like a twig? Just blow on him and he'll pass out."

"It's not wise to underestimate your opponents," Gohan chastised.

Sato snorted. "Whatever you say, Mr Miyagi."

"Mr Miyagi never said that," Gohan deadpanned.

"True, but it's something he would say," Sato retorted, clasping his hands behind his head.

Gohan opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by Present Mic's booming voice projecting from the loudspeaker. "Hoo boy, some of those matchups are straight up fire! Am I right, folks?" The crowd roared in agreement. "Yes, yes, they're simply fantastic! But, before we can proceed with the main event, we have some fine recreational events for you all to enjoy! First up – a scavenger hunt with a special U.A. twist!"

Surprisingly, the crowd cheered at this too. Gohan figured they'd be too impatient for another intermission and would want to get straight back to watching children pummel the crap out of other. Then again, Present Mic did a decent job hyping it up; the 'special U.A. twist' sounded particularly intriguing.

Gohan turned to Sato and smiled. "That actually sounds kind of fun. Want to take part?"

The taller boy shook his head. "Normally id be down for that… but I finally have a chance to one-up Kirishima, and I don't want to waste it." He clenched a fist and brought it to his face, his expression hardening. "I knew I'd get another chance to fight him again, but I never thought it'd be here, on the biggest stage of them all. I gotta get my head in the game, bro."

Gohan chuckled. He couldn't remember the last time his best friend was so fired up about something not related to baking. "I'll come with you then," he offered. "We can do some sparring, meditation, pep talks – whatever you think you need to get ready."

"What about the scavenger hunt?" Sato inquired.

"Making sure you don't embarrass yourself – and by association, me – takes priority," Gohan explained, the corner of his lip twitching.

Sato barked out a boisterous laugh and slammed his fist into his palm. "You cheeky little shit! Fine! Let's go find a place to spar. I've got a couple new techniques I've been meaning to try out, and could really do with a punching bag."

Gohan nodded in approval, a contemplative finger on his chin. "In that case, we'd better go find you some boxing gloves." When his friend shot him an inquisitive look, he smirked. "I wouldn't want you breaking your hands before the big fight."

Sato's eyes widened momentarily, before a snort slipped from his large lips. "Where'd all this sass come from, Son? Have you been hanging out with Blasty behind my back?"

As though a bucket of freezing water had been poured on him, Gohan's jovial mood evaporated on the spot, and a scowl settled on his face in its place. "Not cool."

"Don't mess with the bull, young man. You'll get the horns," Sato taunted, gesture and all.

"And you'll get an ass-kicking if you poke the bear one too many times," Gohan grumbled, motioning towards the stadium exit with his head. "Now let's go. We don't have all day."

"Right behind you, Mr Miyagi!" Sato chirped, smugness dripping from his voice.

With a resigned shake of the head, Gohan led his friend towards the stadium's exist. Although that Bakugo jibe stung him more than he'd care to admit, he was genuinely glad that Sato didn't seem overwhelmed by the occasion. Whether that attitude carried over to his match, however, remained to be seen.


Once the recreational interlude concluded, the students were herded into corporate boxes set up in the stands, which were big enough to accommodate exactly thirty people. Each class was designated their own private box, separated from their rivals via concrete walls that allowed them some form of privacy from prying eyes. They didn't block out sound though, as Mineta's screeching could attest to.

From here, they were treated to sight of Cementoss working his magic to construct a suitable fighting stage. Always keen to observe Quirks in action, Gohan paid rapt attention as the stage started to take shape.

The base of the stage consisted of a large, tiled rectangular area, connected to the ground by a short flight of stairs. Resting atop this base, up another short flight of stairs, was the actual fighting ring – or rather, fighting rectangle. A bit of an odd choice in his opinion, but he supposed it was par for the course with U.A.

Unlike the tiled base, the ring consisted of a smooth, pristine clean white surface. A thick border separated this section of the stage from what could only be the out-of-bounds area, which contained a similarly smooth surface, only much darker in colour. All in all, the setup wasn't too dissimilar to that of a sumo ring...

Well, except for the flashy U.A. logo at the bottom, the flames springing up from the four corners of the base, and the much larger size in general. Despite the weird rectangular shape, the ring looked rather spacious, if a bit dangerous due to the sharp edges of its two elevated platforms.

"Thank you, Cementoss! Fine work as always!" Present Mic praised as his colleague sat down on a chair directly facing the stage. "Now, who's ready for some heart-stopping, blood-pumping, gut-churning, testosterone-rising ACTION?!"

"We are!" the crowd chorused.

"That's what I like to hear! Now listen up, boys and girls, and listen good! While the rules are simple, they're very, very important!" Present Mic cleared his throat. "The aim of the game is to knock your opponent out of bounds or immobilise them completely! You can also win by making them say, 'I give up!'

"Bring on the injuries, bring on the pain – because we've got our very own Recovery Girl waiting in the wings to kiss your boo-boos better! Try not to go overboard though! You guys are still heroes-in-training, so excessive force will result in DISQUALIFICATION!"

A rain of boos rang out through the crowd; whether that was because they wanted to see excessive force, or frowned upon the thought, Gohan didn't have a clue.

Before he could properly ponder the morality of the audience, Iida and Bakugo stepped into the stadium and took positions on opposite sides of the ring. While the latter glared spitefully at his opponent, the former wore a mask of stern indifference. What Iida wasn't wearing, however, were his trademark glasses. Smart.

"Our first contestant hails from Class 1-A of the hero course! He's the fiery hotshot with a heart of rage: Bakugo Katsuki!" Present Mic announced as the crowd went wild. "He will be facing his classmate: the sophisticated and elegant Iida Tenya, youngest son of the prestigious Iida Family!" At that, the spectators hollered even louder, deepening Bakugo's already venomous scowl.

"I don't see this ending well for Iida," Sero mused aloud.

"Hey! Iida still has a chance!" Uraraka protested.

"I dunno, Uraraka. Bakugo looks mad. Really, really mad," Kirishima observed.

"So what? Bakugo always looks mad! He was probably born that way!" Uraraka countered, making a few people chuckle.

"What do you think, Son?" Sato asked from beside the demi-Saiyan.

Gohan pursed his lips, but refrained from speaking his thoughts.

"Begin!" Present Mic announced.

Iida instantly dashed forward, but Bakugo was just as quick to act, launching himself into the air like an explosion-powered jetpack. From this elevated position, he altered the trajectory of his propulsions and rocketed towards Iida's moving form, snarling like a rabid dog during his descent.

Iida, to his credit, was agile enough to screech to a grinding halt and leap to the side, narrowly avoiding an explosive punch from Bakugo that cracked the cement and crapped out a thick black smoke that covered a portion of the ring. Unfortunately, he was unable to track Bakugo's follow-up leg sweep, which slammed into his heels and knocked him flat on his back.

With a savage roar, Bakugo leapt out of the smoke and pounced on Iida, driving his knees into the taller boy's biceps and going to town with a vicious ground and pound. "Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!" he screamed, mercilessly drilling his knuckles into his opponent's face with no sign of stopping.

Most of Class 1-A could only watch the grim spectacle in silent horror; a stark contrast to the positively elated audience. Gohan was equally as concerned as his classmates, but he kept the bulk of his emotions in check. "Come on, Iida! Is this really all you've got?" he ground out through gritted teeth, his fists clenched tightly in his lap.

"Is this the end of Iida?!" Present Mic asked, his voice taking on a melodramatic flair. "Will the first match end in the first- whoa! Would you look at that?!"

The crowd oohed as the calf engines on Iida's right leg flared to life, then aahed when the embattled student slammed a turbo-boosted foot into the back of Bakugo's head.

Bakugo grunted audibly and toppled forward, loosening his hold just enough to allow Iida to wriggle his arms out of harm's way, and use his upper body strength to throw off his attacker. Then, after scrambling to his feet, Iida lunged at the groggy blond, who was on his knees, and booted him full force in the ribs.

A collective gasp reverberated through the crowd as Bakugo was sent rolling towards the edge of the ring, only to stop a metre or so from the border. Gritting his teeth, he rose to his feet and aimed an absolutely ferocious glare at his opponent. He wasn't displaying any outward signs of damage, but Gohan knew he was still feeling the sting of that kick.

Iida opted to press his advantage and charged at Bakugo, but the blond was well enough to spread out his arms, generate heat in his palms, then slam them together to discharge a tremendous explosion that blew Iida backwards before he could get off an attack. Bakugo was even quick enough to add a loud "Fuck off!" for emphasis.

Fortunately, Iida wasn't close enough to bear the full brunt of the blast, and managed to land on his feet on the opposite side of the ring. With neither combatant making another move, the spectators were given the opportunity to fully take in the tall boy's appearance for the first time since his incredibly recovery.

Unfortunately, Iida looked to be in a far worse state than Bakugo. He was panting rather heavily, while his nose leaked blood like a runny tap. After wiping as much of it as he could with the sleeve of his singed tracksuit, he stared back at Bakugo, his expression blank. However, the almost imperceptible twitching of his eye – which would no doubt swell up later – showed that he too was annoyed.

"What a rousing comeback from the brink of death by Iida!" Present Mic bellowed, the jubilant audience hooting in kind. "Can he follow through and pull off a victory? Or will Bakugo's overwhelming power prove too much in the end? Any predictions, Eraser Head?"

"No," Aizawa groused.

"Fucking hell!" Kaminari gasped. "That was intense!"

"Bakugo's a machine, but Iida's no slouch either," Kirishima pointed out.

"I told you not to count Iida out!" Uraraka exclaimed, sounding fittingly smug.

Ashido laughed. "You tell 'em, girl. Go, Iida! Kick his ass!"

"Yeah! Make him piss himself in front of all these people!" Sato hollered.

Sero looked at him with a raised brow. "You know you're just going to make Bakugo madder, right?"

"Don't care! It's fun seeing that bastard lose his shit!"

Back down in the ring, Bakugo slowly advanced towards Iida, small explosions dancing along his outstretched hands. When the blond reached the centre of the ring, Iida's calf engines sprang to life, and he took off in a sprint around the fighting stage, circling Bakugo like a roided-up roadrunner. The longer Iida ran, the faster he became, and the harder his form was to discern.

"Is-is Iida trying to pull a Flash?" Kirishima queried.

"You mean run around really fast and create a tornado?" Gohan asked. At the resultant nod, he shook his head. "I seriously doubt it. If I had to guess, I'd say he's trying to build up his speed as high as possible to confuse Bakugo, then strike him from a blind spot."

"Eh? That's pretty smart of Iida," Kaminari commented.

Gohan frowned. "It's a solid tactic, but the fact that Bakugo's just letting Iida do it has me worried."

Indeed, Bakugo was content to stand in the centre of the ring, unperturbed. The only signs of movement on his part were his crimson eyes dangerously darting to and fro, trying to track Iida's ever-increasing speed. And, given his relative calmness, he was succeeding.

After thirty more seconds of this, Iida pounced, dashing at Bakugo's rear from a forty-five-degree angle. Just as he was about to lash out with a tackle, Bakugo pivoted where he stood and thrust an open palm in Iida's face. "Burn!"

A flashbang-like explosion went off in front of Iida's eyes, eliciting an agonised cry from the boy as his hands flew to his face.

Without wasting a second, Bakugo landed a devastating uppercut to his victim's unprotected gut, making Iida hunch over and drop his arms on instinct. With a prime target now left unprotected, Bakugo drove a palm into Iida's face, dug his fingers into the skin, and slammed the back of his head into the ground with a sickening crack.

His firm grip still in place, Bakugo's hand glowed a menacing orange, but before disaster could strike, a cry of "Stop!" from Midnight halted the torture.

Bakugo shot a brief glare at the teacher, but retracted his hand and stepped back, revealing Iida's battered, unconscious form to the world, drawing a round of stunned gasps from Class 1-A's box.

His nose was twisted at a weird angle, blood still pouring from it like a fountain. The five thin gouges from Bakugo's nails had also started to bleed, although nowhere near as badly. Topping off the grisly image were a pair of tightly-shut eyes, and a mouth frozen in a pained grimace.

"The winner of the first round is Katsuki Bakugo!" Present Mic declared, his voice lacking its usual spark. Even the subsequent cheer from the audience was absent of some of its earlier vigour.

"Poor Iida," Uraraka whimpered, watching a crew of medics step into the ring and carefully manoeuvre the wounded boy onto a stretcher while Bakugo walked away, his hands in his pockets.

"He probably has a concussion from that last attack," Yaoyorozu remarked. "It's a good thing Midnight-sensei stopped the match when she did. Any further blows to the head would've been really dangerous."

Gohan bowed his own head in respect. "Iida fought well given the circumstances. Bakugo's a formidable opponent."

Kaminari cleared his throat. "Does anyone want to explain what the fuck just happened? It looked like Iida had it in the bag, and then Bakugo turned the tables at the last moment."

"A-actually, Kacchan was in control of the match the whole time," Midoriya mumbled.

Kaminari looked unconvinced. "You sure about that?"

"Midoriya's right," Gohan added, seeing his green-haired friend flinch under the gaze of several of their classmates. When they turned their attention to him, he moved to elaborate. "Bakugo set a trap he knew he could spring. He knew he couldn't match Iida in speed, but he also knew Iida would avoid attacking from the front, since it hadn't worked for him the last two times he tried it. So, by moving to the centre of the ring, he left Iida with only one option."

Kaminari whistled. "Well shit. High-level fights are kinda like a chess game, huh?"

"Not that you'd know anything about that," Jiro teased, making a few people snicker while Kaminari pouted, visibly affronted.

Gohan scratched his cheek. "I have to admit though, I didn't think Bakugo had the reaction speed to pull that off. That was genuinely impressive."

"Kacchan's always had amazing reflexes," Midoriya explained, frowning at the sight of Iida finally being carried out of the stadium. "Unless Iida managed to incorporate some long-range attacks into his fighting style, the outcome of their match was always going to be the same."

"Well, look on the bright side! At least he wasn't wearing his glasses!" Ashido chirped, albeit half-heartedly.

Sato stroked his chin. "Yeah, what was up with that? I though those things were superglued to Iida's face.

Midoriya let out a sheepish chuckle. "I told Iida he should wear contacts instead of glasses for his match. Kacchan can get a bit o-overenthusiastic with his Quirk…"

Gohan rolled his eyes. 'Translation: Bakugo's a psycho.'

"If Iida had contacts this whole time, why wait until now to put them in?" Ashido wondered. "Wouldn't it have been much safer to do it before the sports festival? It's not like we're playing tag at the park or something."

"Iida didn't own any contact lenses," Yaoyorozu answered, much to her classmates' surprise. "He asked me to make him a pair."

Midoriya perked up at the admission, his eyes bulging in her direction. "You can do that too? With the right prescription and everything?"

Yaoyorozu was taken aback, but gave a light smile and nodded in response. "I did some light reading on the field of optics when I was younger. You never know when you'll need to rescue someone who has trouble seeing."

"That's so cool!" With surprising speed, Midoriya whipped out a pen and exercise book – from where, Gohan didn't know – and began scribbling in it, his frenzied pen strokes accompanied by unintelligible mumbling.

"Fucking nerd," a cold voice uttered, making everyone except Todoroki freeze and snap their attention to the source.

Not paying them any heed, Bakugo strode to a seat isolated from his classmates and plopped down on it, clasping his hands behind his head and planting his feet on the seat in front of him. Gohan furrowed his brow at the cocky swagger on display, but kept his mouth shut. Now wasn't the time to stir up needless drama.

Sero was the first to break the silence, flashing a grin at the volatile blond. "Hell of a performance out there, man. You killed it."

Bakugo smirked. "Four-Eyes was a joke. I barely broke a sweat beating his ass." His expression then morphed into something even uglier as he levelled a crimson-eyed glare at his peers. "I hope one of you losers will at least make me try. Then again, if you bore me to sleep you might actually have a shot at beating me."

Unsurprisingly, this triggered a round of agitated complaints from the more hot-headed members of Class 1-A, which in turn set off the other classes, who could easily hear the ruckus. Since Iida was currently incapacitated and therefore unable to put a stop to the chaos, all Gohan could do was groan and sink deeper into his seat.

Fortunately, Present Mic was there to save the day. "Now that all the blood has been cleaned up and the wounded have been evacuated, it's time to start the next match!" he roared, much to the delight of the crowd. "Come on down, Kaminari Denki and Uraraka Ochaco! It's your time to shine!"

The two combatants stiffened, then shared a tense glance. Before either could say a word though, Uraraka stood up and hastily made her way out of the box and down a tunnel.

Kaminari scratched his spiky hair, looking thoroughly puzzled. "Did I do something to make her mad? If this is about the cheerleader outfits, that was all Mineta's idea."

"Knew it," Tsuyu croaked.

"Just shut up and get down there, you dolt, unless you actually want to get disqualified," Jiro scolded, before her eyes narrowed ominously. "And thanks for reminding me about the cheerleader outfits. I've been meaning to have a chat with you about that."

Kaminari froze, gulped, then shot up out of his seat like ass was on fire and sped off after Uraraka. "No time to chat! Wish me luck! Bye!"

With a shake of the head, Jiro crossed her arms. "Dumbass."

Gohan leaned closer to Midoriya, who was sitting three seats away, and noticed that his green-haired friend's earlier exuberance had vanished, being replaced by a worried frown and clenched fists. "Nervous?" he whispered.

"A bit," Midoriya replied. "Kaminari is a bad matchup for her."

"True, but we both know how resourceful Uraraka is," Gohan stated. "That, plus her drive to win, makes her a tough opponent for just about anyone. She's strong, Midoriya."

Midoriya swallowed thickly. "I… you're right. We should be supportive and believe in her."

"That's the spirit," Gohan exclaimed with a light smile, shifting his attention to the ring below and waiting for the combatants to emerge.


"Our next two contestants are also from Class 1-A of the hero course!" Present Mic declared, pausing briefly to allow the eager audience to take in the combatants as they faced off in the ring.

Uraraka wore a stern frown with narrowed eyebrows and clenched fists, while Kamari looked as casual as could be. If the electricity user was at all bothered by being in the spotlight, he certainly didn't show it. It was almost impressive.

"First up, the fittingly named spark plug with a cheek beyond his years: Kaminari Denki!" The crowd roared enthusiastically, their volume only amplified when the boy waved back in response. "He will be facing one of the MVPs of the previous round! Don't let her appearance fool you, because this girl means business! Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Uraraka Ochaco!"

Whether it was due to her reputation, or because of how serious she looked, the crowd lost their collective minds, and the reception they gave Uraraka blew Kaminari's out of the water. Unsurprisingly, he looked a bit bothered by that.

"You can do it, Uraraka!" Midoriya cheered.

"Beat him up good, Ochaco!" Tsuyu croaked.

"Don't embarrass yourself, Kaminari!" Sero hollered.

"Begin!"

"So, Uraraka, wanna go out with me once this whole thing blows over?" Kaminari suddenly asked, flashing the girl a carefree smile. "If you say yes, I might take it easy on you during the match. After all, I wouldn't want to mess up that cute face of yours."

Midoriya stiffened where he sat, his freckled face turning an unnatural ashen colour. Gohan, meanwhile, was stunned at Kaminari's brazen confidence in announcing such a thing on international television.

Uraraka's eyes widened imperceptibly and her cheeks turned a tad brighter, but a resolute shake of the head was her response. "I refuse."

Kaminari pouted, but quickly shrugged off the rejection with a smirk. "Oh well, it was worth a shot. Maybe when I beat you and show you how strong I am, you'll change your mind."

To complement this declaration, crackling bolts of electricity sprang to life around him, dancing dangerously along his figure. Uraraka's expression hardened as she took a few steps back and bent her legs a fraction, waiting for her opponent to make the first move.

Kaminari was happy to oblige. "Indiscriminate Shock: One-Point-Three Million Volts!" he hollered, raising his hands and slamming them down in one swift stroke, sending forth an electrical discharge that sailed towards Uraraka at high speed.

From her coiled position, Uraraka lunged to the left and immediately broke out into a sprint, narrowly avoiding the attack. From here, she continued running along the outer edge of the ring, her speed unwavering.

Kaminari quirked a brow, but his confident aura didn't dwindle. "Not bad, Uraraka! But let's see you dodge this! Indiscriminate Shock: One-Point-Three Million Volts!"

Mimicking his previous movements, he fired off another electrical discharge, only this one was aimed in front of his target as opposed to directly at her.

Uraraka was anticipating this though, as she forced her momentum to a grinding halt and swivelled on the spot, instantly changing direction before taking off in another sprint. Just like before, the attack sailed harmlessly out of the ring and dissipated upon colliding with the wall.

Kaminari's grin finally faltered. "Indiscriminate Shock: One-Point-Three Million Volts!" he screamed for a third time, launching yet another electrical discharge that was dodged in the exact same manner.

However, instead of continuing her run. Uraraka planted her feet firmly on the ground and glared determinedly at her opponent, not a trace of perspiration on her pretty face. Her mouth didn't move, but her message was clear, and Kaminari was visibly taken aback.

"S-so badass!" Kirishima stammered with stars in his eyes.

"Kaminari's rattled," Tsuyu observed.

'Perhaps, but Uraraka can't keep this up forever,' Gohan mused, his gaze unflinching.

Kaminari let out a deep breath and forced out another smirk, but it lacked its earlier assuredness. "Not bad at all! But let's see you dodge when you have nowhere to run!" he challenged, pulling back his clenched fists and thrusting them at the ground. "Indiscriminate Shock: One-Point-Five Million Volts!"

A surge of electricity sailed along the surface of the ring towards a prone Uraraka, leaving a trail of electrified cement in its wake. Unlike its weaker iteration, this technique covered substantially more ground, making it significantly more dangerous.

Midoriya gasped, and Gohan couldn't fault him for panicking; they both knew that if their friend was hit, she was done for.

As though anticipating Kaminari's change in strategy, Uraraka tapped her pinkies together and lifted off the ground, eliciting a round of stunned reactions from the spectators – her opponent included. Hell, he was more shocked than anyone else, if his gaping mouth and bulging eyes were any indication.

A white shoe was then hurled at Kaminari and bounced off his face with an audible thump. "What the f-" A second immediately followed, leaving a vivid red mark on his forehead. "Ouch!"

A balled-up blue jacket was next, crashing into his gut like a cannonball and forcing him to hunch over as sickening retching sounds spewed from his mouth.

While the bloodthirsty crowd roared their approval, Gohan could only watch in astonished silence as Uraraka, now barefoot and clad in a black singlet, rocketed towards Kaminari with outstretched arms, her face a picture of absolute concentration. The moment she came within reach of her target – who had recovered just enough to raise his head – she flung her hand to the side and slapped him with as much strength as she could muster.

The deafening cheers of the audience drowned out the sound of the smack, but the gruesome way Kaminari's features contorted around Uraraka's fingers spoke volumes about the agony he was experiencing. To further compound his misery, his body was lifted off the ground as though he'd suddenly become a balloon.

"Whoa! What a shocking turn of events!" Present Mic commented. "In a mesmerising display of ingenuity, Uraraka has overcome her ranged disadvantage and completely turned the tables! Will our resident spark plug manage to save himself from becoming an astronaut? Or will U.A. be the second hero school in the northern hemisphere to send a student to the moon?"

"W-w-w-what's happening?! Help! Help!" Kaminari screeched, his arms and legs flailing haphazardly as he continued to rise higher and higher.

"I've used my Quirk on you! If you want me to get you down, give up!" Uraraka shouted, having dropped to the ground and retreated to the opposite side of the ring.

Kaminari's face reddened and his breathing picked up speed. "Sh-shit! G-get me down! I'll suffocate in space! My eyes will explode!"

"Give up first!" Uraraka repeated.

"No! No! No! No! NO! I'm not gonna go out in such an uncool way!" Kaminari curled his body into a ball, and small bolts of electricity started crackling around his floating form.

Gohan's heart sank. "Oh no…"

"Indiscriminate Shock: Two Million Volts!"

A thunderous shockwave erupted from Kaminari, dispersing an array of electrical bolts that struck every inch of the ring and charred some of the grass outside of it, the sheer wattage of the technique immense enough to reach even the stadium's inner walls. The discharge wasn't large enough to harm the audience, but Uraraka had no means of escaping the attack, and was subsequently left smoking and shaking where she stood.

"N-no!" Midoriya choked out.

The poor girl's agonised face was mired with blackened streaks of charred skin, her lips twitching unnaturally from paralysis. In a heart-wrenching display of courage, she remained standing in spite of the undoubtedly excruciating pain she was experiencing, but this only lasted a handful of seconds before her trembling legs finally gave out, and she collapsed. A moment later, Kaminari's airborne body fell to the ground with a stomach-turning thud.

Everyone in attendance was rendered varying degrees of speechless, until Present Mic broke the silence. "Well how about that, folks?! It looks like we're at a bit of stalemate! Have no fear, though! The show must go on, an there can only be one winner! In an event such as this, the first person to stand up w-"

"Whee! Whee! Whee!" Kaminari chanted robotically, rising to his feet like a drunk zombie and stomping aimlessly around the ring, flashing the awestruck spectators a double thumbs up.

"-ins…" Present Mic finished anticlimactically. He then loudly cleared his throat. "Kaminari Denki is through to the next round! Just look at how happy the little guy is!"

The audience exploded in raptures, while Gohan slumped in his seat and ran a hand thought his spiky locks. Down below, a crew of medics had stormed into the ring and were tending to a clearly unconscious Uraraka. What he wouldn't give to have a senzu bean right now…

"Holy crap! My heart feels like it's about to burst out of my chest!" Kirishima exclaimed.

"Should it still count as a win if Kaminari's in his dumbass mode?" Ojiro questioned. "I mean, yeah, Uraraka's down and out, but it's not like Kaminari's in any shape to fight."

"He's standing; she isn't. It's as simple as that," Tokoyami stated.

Ojiro let out a deep sigh. "I get that. It just… feels weird, you know?"

"Indeed," Tokoyami offered.

Midoriya suddenly leapt to his feet, startling those in the box who weren't engaged in their own conversations. "I'm going to wait for her in the medical room," he announced, setting off for said location.

"Wait up," Gohan called out, making his friend pause mid-step and turn around. "When she wakes up, make sure she knows she did exceptionally well, and that she should be proud of her performance."

Midoriya's mouth morphed into a shaky smile. "I will, Son. Thank you."

After the green-haired boy departed, Ashido let out a wistful sigh. "Does anyone else think those two make a really cute couple?" she asked aloud.

Several of their classmates voiced their agreement, save for Bakugo, whose response was, "who the fuck cares?"

"I wish I could find a girl that cares for me the same way Midoriya does for Uraraka," Sato grumbled quietly.

"Whatever happened to your plan to woo Princess Zelda?" Gohan whispered back, his lip quirking cheekily.

Sato snorted. "I stopped pining for her the same time you stopped trying to look up Chun-Li's skirt," he shot back, before stroking his chin in thought. "Then again, I'm not sure you ever did."

Gohan's cheeks coloured a fierce crimson. "Wh-what?! I would never! G-get your head out of the gutter!" he stammered.

"Ooh, are we spilling secrets?" Ashido inquired, leaning in close with a devilish smile on her lips.

"N-no! Sato's just talking crap!" Gohan stammered.

Ashido chuckled. "If you say so.

As soon as she leaned back in her seat, Gohan flipped his best friend the bird, and Sato responded in kind. Perhaps he needed to cool his jets a bit? As much as he enjoyed his newfound hobby of teasing Sato, it wasn't like the guy didn't have ammunition of his own. Regardless of whether the shit he spewed was truthful or not, teenage gossip was a foe to be wary of.

Down in the ring, Midnight was trying to shepherd Kaminari off the stage, but the electricity user was being an uncooperative nuisance even in his half-conscious state.

"Ochaco was so close," Tsuyu commented, a rare hint of sorrow seeping into her tone and bringing Gohan back down to Earth.

"She definitely outsmarted Kaminari," Jiro added, watching amusedly as Midnight grew so frustrated with her failure that she pulled out her whip and got cracking. "He's lucky his Quirk is powerful enough to compensate for the fact that he has the mental capacity of a three-year-old."

"You sound like you know him pretty well," Tsuyu remarked.

Jiro rolled her eyes. "Hardly. That idiot's latched onto me for some reason and won't leave me alone."

"Maybe he likes you?" Tsuyu suggested.

Jiro gagged, as though the mere thought repulsed her. "I tolerate his company, but he's dreaming if he thinks he has a chance at… that. I don't date perverts."

"He is pretty perverted," Tsuyu agreed.

Before they could broach this topic further, Present Mic's voice boomed over the loudspeaker. "Sorry for the delay, folks! Young Kaminari was having such a good time out there he simply didn't want to leave! Fortunately, once Midnight got whipping, his clock started ticking!" The accompanying whipping sounds he made with his mouth drew a round of laughter from the crowd. "Now that we're back in business, could Yaoyorozu Momo and Todoroki Shoto come down to the ring!"

"Well, that's my cue," Yaoyorozu announced, exhaling deeply and rising from her seat.

Gohan gave a quick scan of the box, but found no trace of her opponent. "Todoroki's already left?"

"Yeah, he went to the waiting room during Uraraka's match," Yaoyorozu revealed.

Gohan blinked. "Oh. Makes sense. Well, umm, good luck in your match!" he offered.

"Thank you," Yaoyorozu replied, shooting him a warm smile that stirred up butterflies in his stomach.

Once she left, Sato crossed his arms and adopted a thoughtful expression. "I know they both got in through recommendations, but don't you think this matchup is kinda one-sided?"

Gohan scrunched his face as he pondered the question. He didn't like to admit it, but his best friend wasn't completely off the mark. "It's true that she doesn't have the speed to properly defend against Todoroki… but I wouldn't count her out just yet," he answered, a smile gracing his lips. "She's smart. Smarter than me. I wouldn't put it past her to have something up her sleeve."

"If you say so," Sato responded, still sounding unconvinced.

'I do say so,' Gohan huffed inwardly.

Even if she didn't win, he was sure Yaoyorozu would put up a good fight. His fellow class president wasn't someone to be taken lightly.


"You guys are in for a real treat with this match, because our next two fighters are among the cream of the crop!" Present Mic teased, making the already lively crowd go even crazier.

Inside the ring, neither Yaoyorozu nor Todoroki looked at all perturbed by the adulation they were receiving. The former bore a look of grim determination, while the latter's mouth was set in a barely perceptible frown, his heterochromic eyes narrowed by the most miniscule of margins.

"Also, in what's become something of a trend, they belong to Class 1-A! Seriously, Eraser, have you been slipping something in their drinks?" Present Mic questioned, his tone distinctly accusatory.

"No," Aizawa grumbled.

"I'm not sure I believe you, but I'll let it slide for now," Present Mic exclaimed, earning an audible growl from his co-commentator. "Anyway, back on topic! When I said, 'cream of the crop', I meant it! Literally!

"Our first combatant, Yaoyorozu Momo, hails from the world-famous Yaoyorozu Family! Blessed with a Quirk that allows her to create almost anything, and with an intelligence far beyond her years, she's definitely someone to watch out for! Meanwhile, the exceedingly-impressive Todoroki Shoto is the fruit of none other than Endeavour's loins! That's right, folks! The Number Two Hero himself! How's that for pedigree?!"

Todoroki's lip curled at the mention of his father, and his scowl only deepened when the crowd roared euphorically. It made Gohan's brow crease in worry, and he couldn't help but inwardly curse Present Mic's lack of tact, unintentional or not.

"Begin!"

Two pistols phased into existence in Yaoyorozu's hands and were instantly pointed at Todoroki, only for a colossal tidal wave of ice to wash over her, stunning every single spectator in the stadium to silence. A few agonising seconds later, the ground stopped shaking and the frosty haze encompassing the ring dissipated, allowing the audience to take in the gruesome aftermath of Todoroki's overwhelming attack.

Half the ring was covered by a literal mountain of ice; one of such immense height that it protruded far past the roof of the stadium. Sharp, jagged spikes dotted its surface, gleaming ominously in the sunlight and further adding to its fearsome visage. All in all, it was equal parts impressive and intimidating, not least because of how perfect of a prison it was.

Yaoyorozu was trapped at the base of the behemoth, encased up to her neck in ice. Her head was free, but it may well have been affected too, as her face was frozen in an expression of abject horror. It was a heartbreaking sight, but Gohan opted not to avert his gaze.

"Yaoyorozu, can you move?" Midnight asked, her tone surprisingly level despite the fact that she too was hit and had half her body frozen.

Yaoyorozu's mouth moved, but no words came out. A second attempt also resulted in failure. Her eyes shut tight, and the tiniest of sighs slipped from her lips. What followed next was a strained shake of the head, and a single tear sliding down her cheek.

Midnight nodded. "Yaoyorozu is immobilised. Todoroki advances to the next round."

Unlike before, this announcement wasn't met with applause. Instead, a round of encouragement rang out through the crowd.

"Don't worry! You'll get him next time!"

"You've put on a hell of a show!"

"I can't wait to see you again next year!"

"Keep your chin up, girl! You did great!"

Todoroki walked over to his victim and muttered something too quiet to hear, but Gohan had seen enough apologies in his time to be able to make out the familiar lip movements of the phrase, "I'm sorry."

It was a surprising enough sight to warrant a raised eyebrow from the demi-Saiyan. While it was nice to see his normally standoffish classmate actually being nice for once… where the hell was Shoji's apology? Then, in an even more baffling act, Todoroki placed his left hand against the ice and started melting it.

Gohan was thoroughly stumped. While he was undoubtedly pleased to see Todoroki stay behind to free Yaoyorozu, he couldn't help the way his eyes narrowed on their own accord, or how his teeth ground together automatically. What exactly was this guy playing at? Why the double standards?

Ojiro exhaled sharply. "Sheesh! Talk about being merciless."

"Todoroki went too far again!" Hagakure protested, snapping Gohan out of his stupor.

Before he could respond, Bakugo snorted. "Stop being such a baby. Frosty had the right idea."

"But-"

"But what?!" Bakugo interrupted harshly, making the invisible girl recoil in her seat. "This isn't a fucking game! If you think being a hero is about sitting in a field of flowers, singing nursery rhymes while jerking each other off, you're in the wrong fucking profession! If you want to make it in this business, you have to give it your all! Every! Single! Step! Of! The! Fucking! Way!" he enunciated, small explosions accompanying every word.

As much as it made him sick to his stomach, Gohan couldn't bring himself to disagree with Bakugo's overly crass assertion, nor could he find fault with Todoroki's approach, even if it was perhaps a tad excessive. He would've liked to think his earlier words had an effect, but that was wishful thinking. It was clear his heterochromic classmate had acted more in anger than anything.

Sero let out a nervous chuckle, breaking an uneasy spell of silence. "Anyone else see Yaoyorozu make a pair of handguns? Was she…" He gulped. "Was she actually going to shoot Todoroki?"

"Yes. With tranquiliser darts," Jiro supplied, sounding succinctly irritated.

"O-oh. That makes sense," Sero responded, a few of their classmates nodding in agreement.

Gohan was impressed. That was pretty clever on Yaoyorozu's part, and probably the best approach she could've taken, given her opponent. Had Todoroki been just a few seconds slower, she might have had him. Sadly, 'might' wasn't enough in this instance.

Kaminari suddenly strode onto the scene and plopped down next to Jiro, right in Yaoyorozu's empty seat. "Hello, friends! What did I miss?" he chirped, his cheerfulness a welcome contrast to the gloomy aura that had encompassed the box.

"You're back early," Sero remarked, eyeing the blond warily. "I thought you'd be in your 'whee' mode for at least an hour."

"I would've, but Recovery Girl snapped me out of it with smelling salts," Kaminari replied, his face scrunching in disgust. "That shit is nasty, but it works."

"If you knew what was good for ya, you would've stayed retarded," Bakugo taunted, flashing the electricity user a menacing grin.

"Ch-chill out man! Save it for the fight!" Kaminari pleaded, raising his arms in a placating manner as a bead of sweat trailed down his temple.

Bakugo chuckled darkly, but did shift his attention back to the ring, where Yaoyorozu had finally been thawed out, and was now being gently guided out of the ring by Midnight. The normally radiant girl looked a right mess: her skin was a sickly, pallid complexion; stray tresses of ebony hair stuck to her cheeks and forehead; and she was shivering something fierce.

It hurt Gohan's heart to see Yaoyorozu in such a state, and he was half-tempted to follow her to the infirmary, just so he could provide some form of comfort. Unfortunately, doing something so out-there would arouse a metric crapton of suspicion that he was in no way equipped – or willing – to deal with. Teenagers were a different breed of nosy than the media, but they were nosy nonetheless.

"Far out. This tournament's been a bloodbath so far," Sato exclaimed, scratching the back of his head. "Not literally, but like, half the people who have fought are incapacitated right now. That's mental."

"That's to be expected when you take a bunch of superpowered teenagers and make them fight each other," Tsuyu stated. "Even if it's just for sport, people are going to get hurt."

Kirishima chuckled. "It's kinda badass though, don't you think? We're pretty much like gladiators fighting in the Colosseum."

"Or Pokemon. Especially in Kaminari's case," Sato quipped.

"Oi! That joke stopped being funny in elementary school!" said electricity user protested.

"New school, new rules!" Sato teased.

"Well, Pokemon is essentially legalised cockfighting, so you're not entirely wrong," Tsuyu conceded, making Sato frown and stare at the sky in silent contemplation.

Kaminari giggled. "Heh. You said 'cock'. Ouch!" he then cried, rubbing his arm where Jiro had punched it. "The hell was that for?"

"Stop being immature. It's embarrassing," she scolded, making the blond recoil in fright and shift one seat down.

"Sorry about the delay, guys! We had to do a bit of, ahh, landscaping, before we could proceed with the next fight," Present Mic joked over the loudspeaker, earning a few chuckles.

Sure enough, Todoroki's ice mountain was nowhere to be seen, and any residual water it left behind had been cleaned up, leaving the ring looking pristine as ever. Were someone to tune in to the tournament right now, they'd have no idea that three children had been hospitalised on that very stage. It was actually kind of scary how easily certain Quirks could cover up evidence to such a degree.

"Anyway, it's time to get on with the show! Midoriya Izuku! Hatsume Mei! Come on down to the ring, because you guys are up next!" Present Mic finished.

Kirishima breathed out a sigh of relief. "Finally! One more fight and then it's my turn!"

"That eager to get your ass kicked in front of millions of people, huh?" Sato taunted, smirking at his opponent.

Kirishima fired back with a ferocious grin. "Keep talking, big guy! It'll make it all the more sweeter when I bury you in the middle of the ring!"

Sato barked out a laugh. "Bitch, please! I'll lay your ass down for the three-second tan!"

"So that's how you wanna play it, eh? Fine by me, bro! You're on!"

"Guys, please! Save it for the match! Midoriya's up next!" Ashido pleaded, causing both hotheads to stop their macho posturing and avert their gazes, light blushes adorning their cheeks.

"Sorry. I got a bit carried away," Kirishima mumbled.

"Me too. My bad," Sato added sheepishly.

Ashido rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Dumbasses," she muttered under her breath, making the corner of Gohan's lip quirk.

Down below, Hatsume had made it to the ring with a hop in her step and looking unabashedly carefree. Midoriya was still walking towards the stage, but his expression was decidedly more serious.

Kirishima whistled. "Well I'll be damned. Midoriya looks like he means business. This ought to be good."

Bakugo scoffed. "You're in for a world of disappointment if you're expecting anything out of that loser."

"If Midoriya's a loser, then doesn't that make you an even bigger loser?" Tsuyu quipped, startling the volatile blond and drawing his venomous glare. "Last I checked, Midoriya was the one who beat you in All Might's battle trial, not the other way around."

Bakugo's face reddened like a kettle about to pop, but his mouth remained shut. Not even the handful of resulting snickers at his expense were enough to evoke a reaction… although the way his body trembled unnaturally as he sunk deeper into his seat was enough indication that he was absolutely seething with rage.

'Well played, Tsuyu,' Gohan praised inwardly, before refocusing on the battle about to be fought. His onyx eyes zeroed in on Midoriya, and he couldn't detect a spec of doubt or hesitation on his friend's freckled face. It was enough to warrant a small smile. 'Come on, bro. You got this.'


AN: I would've had this out at least two weeks earlier, but I ended up getting into a pretty nasty car accident – that the other party was 100% at fault for, for making an illegal right turn and smashing into my car, completely caving in the front right side of it, directly where the wheel was. My car was fucked beyond repair, and I ended up with a sore hip and neck for a few days, but had the crash happened just a second later, the other car would've slammed into the door instead of the wheel (here in Australia, drivers sit in the right seat and drive on the left side of the road), and crushed me where I was sitting.

The whole thing left me pretty shaken up, and the resulting stress, not just from the accident, but from dealing with an insurance that wants… to… stretch… shit… out… for… as… long… as… possible… so… they… can… delay… paying… you (spoiler alert: they still haven't done shit, even though this happened three weeks ago), and the hassle of trying to buy a new car and then haggling for a better price, completely killed my motivation to write for a while. Just thinking back on the whole thing irritates the absolute hell out of me. But, knowing that I could've gotten off much, much worse, is a small comfort. Of course, even that small comfort quickly went away, because, just a few days later, the world went mad. The less said about that the better, though.

Anyway, if you have the time, please let me know what you thought of this chapter, and the fights so far. I'd initially planned to fit the entire first round in one chapter, but it would've ended up being between 15k to 20k words long, which is way too much. It'd also mean you'd have to wait even longer for an update, so there's that.

Thanks as always to everyone who's favourited, followed, and reviewed thus far. Your continuous support means the world to me, and is one of the few things these days that can put a smile on my face.

Until next time!