Midnight Sensei explained to us the rules of round 2.

"Those who reach th top merely encounter fresh new hardships. And the kids who have enrolled here will hear it countless times. Plus ultra. The time limit is 15 minutes. The point value of each group's headband is worth the total point accompiuation of each of the horse's members. The one to wear the headband will be the rider. Think of them as a standard bearer. Until time is up, you'll all be fighting and stealing as many of each others' headbands as you can. You may not equip your headband on any area besides above your neck. As more and more headbands are taken, maintaining control of the situation will become more and more demanding. And the most important aspect of the game is that even if you should lose your headband or break configuration, you're still not out of the game. Quirks are of course allowed, so I want to see some fine brutality out there! That being said, this is still just a human cavalry game! If you attack any other group to break them up on purpose, that's a read card and you'll be forced to sit out the rest of the game. All right, you now have 15 minutes. Start your teamups!"

I had about three seconds to start trying to think of who I wanted to team up with when a low voice suddenly hissed behind my back,

"Iida, would you be interested in joining my team?"

I turned around and saw Todoroki, flanked by Yaoyorozu, standing there.

"Your team, Todoroki?" I could hear my own surprise and wasn't sure how to handle it.

"Of course, I understand if you would prefer to follow Midoriya. But I believe our combination could beat him, so if you are interested, let me know." Before I could say anything else he had turned away, Yaoyorozu following, and walked over to Kaminari.

I understand if you would prefer to follow Midoriya.

Follow Midoriya…

"Hey! Iida!"

Speaking of him, he had appeared beside me, with Uraraka in tow, smiling and ready to recruit me.

"With you at the front, Iida, we'll make the horse. For the rider, we'll need someone physically strong. Using Uraraka's quirk to make us float, our mobility will be unmatched. In any case, with our triple formation, our evasion ability would be no joke."

I was silent for a long moment, as I weighed things in my mind. "As impressive as ever, Midoriya. But I'm sorry. I refuse. Ever since the entrance exam, I've been losing to you. You're an amazing friend, but it's precisely because of that that if I only ever follow you, I'll never grow myself. Bakugou and Todoroki aren't the only ones who see you as a rival." I turned on my heel and walked away, towards where my Cavalry team, still at only 3, was waiting for me. "So I too challenge you."

Todoroki nodded as I joined his flanks, and we turned away, to leave Midoriya and Uraraka to get by as best they could. I tried not to look back at them. If I did I feared I might lose my new resolve.

"The reason I chose all of you is because I think this is the battle formation with the best balance. Kaminari, you're on the left. Send out sparks to make sure the enemy never gets too close. Yaoyorozu, you're on the right. You'll be making us an insulator sheet, plus whatever defense and mobility you can provide. Iida, you're at the front with your engine power. You'll be our physical defense as well."

"And Todoroki, you can protect us with ice and heat, right?" I asked, trying to visualize the battlefield.

Todoroki said nothing for a moment, turning around to look - or rather glare - at something in the stands.

"No. While in combat, I never use my left side."

I waited for him to say more, but he simply returned to strategizing.

"ALL RIGHT, HAVE YOU ALL FORMED YOUR TEAMS, WELL YOU BETTER HAVE! LET'S DO IT! LET'S START THE COUNTDOWN TO THIS VICIOUS CLASH!"