After lunch had concluded, the third tier of battles commenced with the battle between Shishida and Tokage, which Tokage won with some effort. For the next match…

"Look out, party people!" said Present Mic. "We've got another battle between two of Joreh's finest! It's the weapon master Dragutin Tadić versus the eye laser-shooting Lazar Mihailović! Who will move on to the quarterfinals? I'm on the edge of my seat here!"

As a bunch of challengers had done before them, Lazar and Dragutin had words for each other:

"Your weapons will be no match for my eye beams!" said Lazar.

"HA! Don't be so sure, Lazar! You know my weapons are indestructible!"

As he was wont to do, Dragutin shot some black liquid from his fingertip and attempted to create a weapon with it. While the weapons themselves were indestructible, the liquid didn't fare so well until it solidified, especially against one of Lazar's eye beams, with which he knocked Dragutin out.

"Tadić is knocked out!" exclaimed Present Mic. "Lazar Mihailović moves on!"

Lazar got a lot of applause, and he pumped his fists in triumph.

Before her next match, Todoroki was grabbing a can of Pocari Sweat from one of the vending machines when she was accosted by a familiar face…

"Good afternoon…Todoroki."

"Good afternoon to you too, Zorana. Am I correct in presuming that you're my next challenger?"

Zorana nodded. "You are. You are, however, incorrect if you presume that your fire or ice will be superior to the Staff of Power."

Todoroki squeezed the can. "Those are some very strong words. I do hope you've got the skill to back them up."

Zorana clenched her fists as well. "Don't think that being the daughter of the #1 pro hero in Japan will earn you my awe. I've got more than enough skill. You'll regret questioning my abilities."

Todoroki narrowed her eyes at Zorana. "Will I?"

"I can see the fire in your eyes, Todoroki. I can tell that you're very determined to defeat me. Ask yourself, though: for whom are you doing this?"

Todoroki gritted her teeth, not exactly knowing how to answer that question, but still unwavering in her determination.

While Dragutin and Lazar were battling it out, and while Zorana and Todoroki were engaging in trash talk, All Might, Aizawa, Nemuri Kayama – better known as "Midnight" – and other UA faculty members plus Stojanović had been called down to the conference room for a meeting with Yokimiru Mera of the Hero Public Safety Commission.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm afraid I've got some grim news," said Mera. "About half an hour ago, negotiations between the Japanese and Russian governments broke down because Russia not only demanded the return of the Poseidon tsunami bomb, but also that we hand over Izuku Midoriya, demands that Prime Minister Horikoshi refused to accede to. As a result, Russia has declared war against Japan."

"WHAT!?" Stojanović pounded his palms on the desk. "How can this be!?"

"Allow me to explain:" said Principal Nezu. "A group of UA students was engaging in a work study with a pro hero, part of which involved recovering the tsunami bomb from a sunken Russian submarine."

Stojanović pounded on the desk again. "Do you mean to tell me that Serbia is about to be dragged into a war with Russia!?"

All Might nodded. "It appears so."

Yet again, Stojanović pounded on the desk. "THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! Serbia has always been friends with Russia! HOW DARE you drag me and my students into this political quagmire!?"

"Stojanović, before you continue with your outbursts, ask yourself: why did you want to become a hero in the first place?" asked Aizawa.

Stojanović was huffing and puffing. "I was tired of seeing my country suffering from the ruins of war and being crushed under the iron fists of totalitarian leaders. I wanted to bring peace to this world."

"I also want to bring peace to this world, and being that we share similar goals, I'd also like to remind you that Japan has also suffered from war before. Perhaps you should consider helping us out this time."

Stojanović clenched his fists. "And why should we betray our Russian friends?"

"Mr. Stojanović, I believe Mr. Aizawa has a good point," said Principal Nezu. "Have we not given you food to eat, beds to sleep in, knowledge on how to fight, in addition to sharing aspects of our culture with you and just generally being hospitable people?"

"But…!"

Stojanović gritted his teeth, wanting to protest further, not particularly being interested in being dragged into a war with a nation he considered friendly, but at the same time, he thought back on the various wars that Serbia had been involved in at one time or another, and he felt as though he'd be unable to sleep at night if he allowed a nation that had been so cordial to him and his students to come to harm, so he gave his answer:

"Very well…I shall give you my assistance as well as that of my students."

"Thank you!" said the UA staff members.

Stojanović crossed his arms. "Just know this…"

"What?"

"If we lose this war, I'm pinning all the blame on Japan."

"Mr. Stojanović, there's no need to be so cynical," said All Might. "Our students are very capable combatants, and I've seen what your students can do, too, not to mention we have some fine pros here in Japan."

Stojanović nodded. "Forgive me, All Might. I'm still rather troubled by the prospect of war. Nevertheless, I have faith in your words. Now tell me: where do the Russians plan to strike from?"

"According to intelligence we've received, the Russians have been massing their forces in the Sakhalin Oblast, and to a lesser extent, Primorsky Krai," said Mera. "Now, if you have nothing else for me, I have to get going." Mera yawned. "I really need a can of Monster…"

The next match was between Rajko and Sladjana, or at least it would have been…

"Listen up, party people, I hate to rain on this fun parade, but this tournament is suspended until further notice, and all UA and Joreh hero students are to report to the auditorium at once!" said Present Mic.

A wave of hushed murmurs fell over the crowd as they speculated on the reason for the tournament being paused, but only a select few had a good idea of what it meant…

As soon as the UA and Joreh students filed into the auditorium, Principal Nezu had an announcement:

"Students, I'm afraid I have bad news: Russia has declared war against Japan."

Immediately, the students exclaimed "WHAT!?"

"Yes, I realize this is a shock for you, and believe me, the Japanese government did everything in their power to avert this disastrous situation. In the meantime, Mr. Stojanović has a few words to say…"

Stojanović stepped up to the podium.

"Students of Joreh, the Japanese government has requested our assistance in fighting the Russians, and I agreed that we would assist them in this war.

Another "WHAT!?" erupted from the Joreh students.

"THIS IS BLASPHEMY!" exclaimed Lazar. "Russia and Serbia have always been friends!"

"What have we done to deserve getting dragged into this war!?" shouted Sladjana.

"There is NO WAY I'm getting involved!" said Rajko.

"As the class representative, I understand your protests, but we have no choice but to follow our dear teacher," said Zorana.

"Have you gone mad, Sister!?" said Milovan.

"Yeah, how can you willingly betray a friend of Serbia's!?" said Danijela.

"Everyone, LISTEN TO ME!" shouted Deku.

"And WHY should we listen to you?" said Lazar. "You're probably the one responsible for angering the Russians!"

"Lazar, your anger is understandable and valid, but please, hear me out: this isn't about Serbia, or Japan, or Russia; this is about us, as heroes! Japan has been ruined by war before, just as Serbia has! If we stand idly by and do nothing, then millions of innocent people will die, and many more will become homeless! We've given you our food, a roof over your heads, plenty of entertainment, and we've not only shared our culture with you, but knowledge on how to become better heroes! Please, if you believe in being a hero, stand up and help your hosts out! Introduce yourselves to the world and proudly say 'I AM HERE!'"

Lazar glared at Deku. On one hand, he really didn't want to go against the Russians, but at the same time, he'd learned much about the tragic effects that war had not only on Serbia, but in the rest of the former Yugoslav countries, and as angry as he was about getting dragged into a foreign war, the more he thought about Deku's words, the bigger the whole thing weighed down on his conscience. Lazar gave his answer:

"Your words have touched my heart, Midoriya. In the name of all that is heroic, I'll fight alongside you to protect Japan!" Lazar raised his fist. "Who's with me!?"

"URA!"

The rest of the Joreh students thrust their fists into the air. Deku smiled, knowing that he'd done his bit in bringing the international hero community closer together. Then, he turned to the stage:

"All right, tell us what to do!"

Enji Todoroki – Todoroki's father, the pro hero Endeavor – stepped up:

"The pros will do the bulk of the fighting. You students should do your best to evacuate civilians from the front lines."

*-Once again, the phrase "OH MY DAMN CHERRY BLOSSOMS" is a registered trademark of KagamiPINKAgreste, used with permission.

RESOURCES TO HELP UKRAINE:

UNICEF: Currently working to help children and families affected by the war, particularly those without potable water or electricity due to infrastructure damage.

RAZOM FOR UKRAINE: Working to provide critical medical supplies for emergency and tactical situations in the field and in hospitals. Also has other ways you can take action, such as contacting elected officials and signing petitions.

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: Has response teams providing medical care not only in Ukraine, but also in neighboring countries with Ukrainian refugees, such as Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.

UNITED24: A global initiative to support Ukraine whose funds go to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Healthcare and Ministry of Infrastructure.

SIGN MY ROCKET: For a donation, you can have an artillery shell signed.

Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.

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