Hey all! Welcome back to "Through the Rough"! Match 4 just got started with a flurry, as Class B's going for a more offensive approach against Class A. They got the upper hand to start off, especially with Shoto's ice getting nullified. But now, it's Tenya's turn to turn the tables with his own new move!

So how'll things go? Let's find out!

THROUGH THE ROUGH

"Ugh… ow…" Toru groaned, having a temporary boot around her foot as she sat upon one of the beds in the nurse's office.

"Sorry, dearie…" Recovery Girl apologized, "You're tuckered out for now, so you'll have to make do with some crutches for the day," she told her.

"Oh, that's okay…" she assured, "It's my fault for getting hurt in the first place…" she grumbled.

"I heard you did well, though," the nurse pointed out, "Still, I wish that darn Ivry would hurry it up and get over here to help out…" she muttered in frustration, "What's keeping her held up?" she wondered aloud.

"Uh…" the Invisibility Quirk user uttered, knowing how the Shining Star Hero was biasedly commentating the matches alongside Sekijiro. Before she could fully answer the question, she took notice of Homura standing up, finishing what was left of the protein bar she had been given. "Homura?" Toru said in surprise, getting her attention.

"What are you doing up, dear?" Recovery Girl asked, "After that whole show you put on, both you and Rutherford need plenty of rest…" she pointed out seriously, only to notice that the Wind Rage Quirk user wasn't on his bed, "Now where'd that boy run off to?!" she exclaimed in question.

"He must've wanted to see his sister battle," Homura answered to her surprise, "And I too wish to see the fourth match," she admitted additionally, "I want to know just how far Shoto's come," she said with a small smile, "After all…" she continued, "we have yet to settle who's stronger from the Sports Festival," she recalled. She then headed out of the room without another word.

"Ah, w-wait!" Recovery Girl stammered out, only to sigh, "Honestly, I understand Rutherford's case…" she noted, "but what's got her so fixated on Todoroki?" she wondered on.

'I could probably think of a reason or two…' Toru pointed out inwardly. Back at Ground Gamma, the ice around Tenya had shattered as he suddenly zoomed out, barely missing Juzo as he yelped in shock.

"You're gonna beat me with a new move?!" he inquired, looking around frantically for his quickening foe.

"I can't control this completely…" the Engine Quirk user admitted as he zipped right past Juzo again, barely missing him.

'So fast...!' he exclaimed inwardly.

"But at this speed, the trade-off is power!" Tenya yelled as he was zooming around his foe, shattering the ice and sending the Softening Quirk user flying.

"Well, fair enough…!" he grunted out, having his helmet deploy a mouth guard. The Class A representative came to a stop as the softened ice was blown away by the force of his speed.

"You're under arrest, Mudman!" he declared, only to blink in surprise to see his enemy placing his hands onto what remained of the hardened ice. He softened it so that he could sink in, just before Tenya zipped by, barely missing him again. It wasn't a good idea to leave him in the wind, but Juzo knew he had no chance of beating him, especially after his own armor was cracked by the Engine Quirk user's mere force. Swimming through the softened ground beneath the ice as if it were water, he figured that his best objective would be to deal with the others of Class A before trying to take him down.

OPENING

Insert "Kizuna no Kiseki" by MAN WITH A MISSION X Milet

Starts with Class 1-A walking out onto Ground Gamma, dressed in their winter costumes. They discuss amongst themselves what they're hoping to work on for the end of the year, with Izuku leading the way alongside Rebecca. However, they stop as they spot their opponents of Class B, as some of them wave to the group. Neito cackles madly at the sight of them, only to end up chopped in the neck by Itsuka.

What follows is a shot of Laguna, who thinks back to being a part of Oasis with Goodwin and his other friends. He also sees a blurry figure with long, dark hair, only to witness her fade away as he reaches out to her. He opens his eyes, widening them to find Hitoshi there with his new scarf and support item.

We get to see the Shining Star Heroes with brand new costumes, who are gathered with Shota, Sekijiro, Nemuri, and All Might, as they're about to watch the training matches commence. In round one, Rebecca is grouped up with Eijiro, Denki, Tsuyu, and Hitoshi, leading the charge against their opponents as she draws her Happy Blasters and fires. Laguna and Hitoshi come face-to-face, with the former looking rather anxious compared to normal.

The second round features Weisz equipping his Arsenal Mark II armor, using it to defend himself from the onomatopoeias shot towards him by Manga. Meanwhile, Momo finds herself struggling against the likes of Itsuka, whereas Fumikage and Yuga can't seem to overcome the combination of Kinoko and Shihai. As the match continues, Izuku furiously writes down notes on Class B, while Rebecca looks at him and smiles.

In the third round, Homura clashes her energy blades against Kris' wind. The two of them stare each other down determinedly, rushing forward and enveloping themselves in bursts of red and green light respectively before colliding. The fourth round features Kleene using her wind to pull in the likes of Tenya, Mezo, and Mashirao, as the latter of the trio starts getting sucked in. However, he's saved by Shoto as he fires a blast of flames toward the Wind Snatch Quirk user. She dodges, letting off a little grin.

For the fifth round, we see Shiki and Katsuki standing back-to-back as they're surrounded by the multiple pieces of Setsuna's body. The former of the two assumes his Overdrive form, stamping the ground to make the pieces fall instantaneously, followed by the latter firing off a multitude of explosions. From afar, we see Kyoka and Hanta hanging back, glad that they're letting the muscle of their group handle their foes.

Finally, the sixth match features a team of Izuku, Ochaco, Koji, and Mina. The One For All inheritor shoots his girlfriend a reassuring thumbs-up as he enters the stage, making her giggle. However, her expression shifts into one of fear as she witnesses the mass of black energy tendrils that suddenly start rampaging about.

Meanwhile, we go through various scenes of Endeavor, Hawks, Mirko, the I.U.A. Heroes, and many others, including the League of Villains as both Tomura and Shura are standing in the shadows of All For One and Nero respectively. The song winds down, closing out with a picture of Class A gathered together for their joint training session.

END OPENING

"Whoa, Recipro Turbo?" Rebecca said from the viewing section, "It's way faster than what I remember…" she admitted.

"Yeah…" her boyfriend agreed.

"We've seen it before," Eijiro chimed in, getting their attentions as he approached alongside Tsuyu, "When Iida was up against that wolf villain guy back on Nabu Island," he recalled.

"Though I don't remember him being that fast…" Tsuyu noted aloud.

"Faster than even Gran Torino…" Izuku added.

"That's our speedster for ya!" Ochaco exclaimed with a pump of her right fist.

"He must've been trying to stand out from you since you started using kicks in your arsenal, Midoriya," Koji presumed.

"I should ask if he's got any new pointers for me," Izuku admitted as he looked at his notes.

"Hey, guys!" Mina yelled, getting her classmates' attentions, "Eyes on Ojiro!" she called out, pointing to the big screen. Back on the battlefield, the Tail Quirk user was struggling to gain any sort of ground against Kleene, who used her wind to not only redirect his attacks from her, but also counter with her own.

"Variable Cross!" she shouted, landing another punch to his chest, making him grimace.

"That doesn't look good at all…" Kyoka noted aloud, "Ojiro can't make this a fist fight if Rutherford's just gonna use her Quirk to stop every blow…" she pointed out.

"But he's taking her hits!" Hanta pointed out, "You can do it!" he cheered. However, the Tail Quirk user wasn't sure if he could keep this battle up.

'Between the fact that she could pull me into some kind of trap like she did in the Sports Fest, I can't risk getting too close,' he noted to himself, 'And unlike Kogetsu, I know my Twirling Tail Dance isn't enough to overcome her wind…' he mentioned through his thoughts, 'Rutherford really is strong!' he realized.

"I've got you now!" the Wind Snatch Quirk user exclaimed, having a gust pull her foe in toward her. He grimaced, knowing what was about to happen. But all of a sudden, Tenya sped in and grabbed her. "Huh?" she uttered in surprise, getting carried away.

"Whoa, Iida?!" Mashirao yelped, seeing his teammate speed off.

"Don't worry, I'll throw Sylph in jail!" he assured, "You go back up Shoji and Todoroki!" he insisted quickly.

"Right, got it!" the Tail Quirk user responded.

'His talking got all faster…' he noted to himself, sighing with relief.

"Ergh… let go…!" Kleene grunted out.

"Not a chance, fiend!" Tenya shouted back, "Aside from Honenuki, you're the most troublesome villain for us to deal with!" he pointed out, "Taking you off the board should at least give us a chance!" he proclaimed.

"You say that…" the Wind Snatch Quirk user began as her markings brightened, getting his attention as he gasped, "and you haven't even seen what I'm really capable of yet!" she yelled as her wind suddenly started swirling around her. The Engine Quirk user was forced to leap away, widening his eyes underneath his helmet. His foe had taken on her Overdrive appearance, with her wings spread as the wind swirled mightily beneath her.

"Whoa!" Yosetsu yelped in surprise, blushing a little.

"So that's her Overdrive…" Laguna noted aloud, "She really has gotten stronger since then…" he added quietly to himself. Bracing himself with his arms over his face, Tenya endured the wind swirling around him. Kleene flew down, with a torrent of air to follow.

"Variable Cyclone!" she exclaimed, attempting to engulf her foe in her wind. However, he instantly sped away to her surprise.

"Perhaps I was foolish to think I could easily stop you when I knew you had that Overdrive…" he admitted, "So I'll go ahead and help my classmates instead!" he decided, dashing off.

"Ergh…" Kleene growled in frustration.

'I was hoping not to use my Overdrive too soon…' she admitted to herself, 'But I can't leave him to do as he pleases,' she noted on through her thoughts, flying off in the direction Tenya had fled, 'I won't forgive myself if I let him hurt my teammates!' she added inwardly with a determined look in her eyes.

"Well, as expected!" Sekijiro exclaimed into his microphone, "Rutherford proves her strength to be too much for Iida to deal with, forcing him to retreat!" he pointed out excitedly.

"Don't get all hyped up, you blood-boiling loudmouth!" Sister yelled back, "Ingenium's just making sure to take care of your other Class B babies first before her!" she proclaimed.

'Those two aren't going to quit, are they?' All Might presumed inwardly. Looking back at the screen, he saw Shoto struggling to put a stop to Tetsutetsu, with the latter bashing through his foe's waves of ice. 'Surprised as I should be, Todoroki was likely underestimating just how strong Class B was getting…' he noted to himself. At that moment, he took notice of a pair of figures approaching from the steps, being Homura and an armless Kris.

"Has the match started yet?" the former of the two asked in between exhausted breaths.

"What are you two doing here already?!" All Might questioned out of surprise.

"I need to see this battle to the end," Kris affirmed as a reply.

"I as well," Homura agreed with a nod. Their teacher cracked a small grin, letting out a sigh.

'You've got some good fans on your side…' he noted inwardly.

"Thanks to how resilient he is, that hardhead's still moving like it's no one's business," Weisz pointed out with crossed arms, leaning up against the railing alongside Momo.

"You'd think that a decrease in temperature would deter him…" she mentioned curiously, "He's gotten much stronger than back during the Sports Festival," she noted on.

"Yeah," the Machina Maker Quirk user agreed.

"Guy's so manly…" Eijiro commented, "I'll learn from his example!" he decided firmly.

"Why's Todoroki not using his fire yet?" Kyoka wondered aloud.

"Maybe he thinks the ice'll slow him down first?" Hanta suggested in response.

"Blasting ice even though it's useless is only something an idiot would do!" Katsuki grumbled out with a wicked smirk.

"Yeah, he uses it too much," Shiki concurred to his surprise, "Just like back in the Sports Festival," he mentioned as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Don't agree with me, gravity brat!" the Explosion Quirk user shouted, causing him to look over and tilt his head in confusion. Back on the battlefield, Tetsutetsu continued smashing every wave of ice sent his way.

"Bring it on!" he challenged, "No wall's gonna stop my iron fist of justice!" he proclaimed fiercely.

"Okay then…" Shoto began, igniting flames over his left arm, "How 'bout a wall of fire instead?!" he roared, unleashing a burst that engulfed his foe.

"Yeowch!" Pony yelped as she was forced to run away and evade the flames. That allowed for Mezo to easily free himself from her horns as he pulled them off.

"Shoji, Tsunotori's yours!" the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user called out.

"Right!" his teammate responded, running off in pursuit of the Horn Cannon Quirk user. Shoto let out a relaxed breath. He assumed his flames would force Tetsutetsu on the defensive, giving him some distance and potentially providing him the chance to start a counterattack. But then, he blinked in surprise.

"You still don't get why I'm your opponent, do you?" the Steel Quirk user guessed as his silhouette was within the fire, still standing, "I thought it would be obvious…" he said, while Shoto lightly gasped in disbelief, "Your Quirk has zero effect on me!" his foe proclaimed, his skin shining a bright, hot red as he stepped forward, unfazed, "Those flames of yours got my body burning red hot!" he roared out with a big grin, "Let's go!" he challenged.

"Do your best, Hot-Tetsu!" Pony cried out from afar.

"I've been training for something just like this!" Tetsutetsu pointed out while charging through the fire, "You ever been inside an oven?!" he inquired rhetorically, "Well guess what?!" he roared out, landing a sudden right hook to his foe's head, making him stumble back.

"Tetsutetsu has Todoroki on the ropes and won't let him escape!" Sekijiro shouted over the loudspeakers, "Given their close proximity, Todoroki's unable to use any of his area attacks!" he mentioned, "He's gonna be finished!" he proclaimed excitedly.

"Like hell he is!" Sister retorted angrily, while those of Class A watched on worriedly. Homura clenched her fists as she looked at the big screen, seeing her friend in trouble.

'Shoto…' she uttered inwardly. On the battlefield, Tetsutetsu grabbed the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user by his collar, lifting him off the ground as he grimaced.

"Half-Cold, Half-Hot?!" the Steel Quirk user exclaimed, "You won't even put a scratch on me!" he declared, "Get it yet?!" he inquired on as his opponent looked to be close to losing consciousness, "I've forged my steel into something even you can't dent…" he pointed out, "BY DEMOLISHING MY LIMITS!" he roared, striking Shoto squarely in the stomach as he gasped with pain. For some reason, he thought back to the harsh training his father drilled into him, wanting him to surpass his limits with his flames. Tetsutetsu continued punching away at him, looking to knock him out quickly. The Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user was wondering why was remembering the Flame Hero's words now of all times.

From the viewing section, Homura watched on intently. Shoto thought back to all that he had gone through, particularly from the Sports Festival where he finally decided to use his fire in battle. It was a part of his Quirk, and it wasn't his father's. He had the choice to decide what kind of hero he wanted to be. The heat around his left side intensified.

"Get back…" he warned as steam wafted off from his body.

"Whoa, that's hot!" Tetsutetsu yelped, stumbling away reflexively from the intense heat his foe suddenly started exuding. The flames building around the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user grew stronger, instantly evaporating the nearby ice and accidentally overheating the nearby cameras as one broke.

"Well, there goes that one…" Sekijiro commented.

"Damn…" Sister cursed out. Everyone watching from the viewing section was amazed by just how intense Shoto's flames were.

'I can raise the temperature higher…' he noted to himself upon the battlefield as he gritted his teeth, 'Go further… Burn myself if I have to!' he proclaimed on, 'In order to become… who I want to be!' he declared inwardly.

X

The remaining cameras in the area were having trouble showing a clear picture to those in the viewing section, with the intense heat threatening to burn through their circuitry. Everyone could tell that the situation had changed drastically. From what seemed like Class B's victory was now turning into an opportunity for Class A to make their counterattack.

Tetsutetsu found himself unable to get close as the heat was seemingly too much, even for him. But at the same time, he figured that Shoto wouldn't be able to utilize those intense flames forever. With his arms crossed over his head to brace himself from the heat, he pressed forward.

"I getcha', Todoroki!" he yelled, "You got all that heat in your body, same as me!" he pointed out, "But I doubt you can keep it up for long…!" he grunted on, "In that case… I'm not backing down!" he declared, charging forward suddenly to his foe's shock. He threw up his enflamed left arm to block the Steel Quirk user, only for him to ram into him, becoming engulfed in the fire as he grabbed his opponent's arm. "Endurance contests are my specialty!" he noted, kneeing Shoto in the stomach, "I'm gonna go beyond!" he declared.

"Ergh…" the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user grunted out, "You keep this up… you'll end up with more than just burns…" he warned.

"If you're not willing to risk everything during training, then you're not ready to do it in a real fight, either!" Tetsutetsu retorted in response, "Our powers and their limits…" he continued while continuing to knee Shoto, "are there to be surpassed!" he proclaimed. Despite the great deal of pain he was in, the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user flashed a grin.

"I think it's time for you to shut up…!" he decided, unleashing a massive torrent of flames. From afar, Kleene took notice as her eyes widened.

'That has to be Shoto…' she realized, 'He must be going all out against Tetsutetsu…' she mentioned to herself, 'Should I go back him up instead?' she wondered inwardly, grimacing a little, 'No, I need to make sure Tenya and the others don't cause my classmates trouble first…' she affirmed through her thoughts, 'Besides, I bet Juzo and the others have a plan to stop Shoto's flames, too…' she added, flying off into the distance. Elsewhere in the area, Pony was fleeing the scene while standing aboard horns that flew her around the pipework, though she could feel the heat from the flames from all the way where she was. She blinked in surprise as she barely avoided getting caught by Mezo, who extended an arm out from one of his tentacles. She landed atop a small section above her foe, readying four horns that floated in front of her.

"Sorry, Tentacole!" she apologized in advance, "I never look at octopuses in the aquarium!" she noted, "They are not cute!" she added to her foe.

"I'm used to being feared," he responded, clenching his fists.

"Then don't take it personal, 'kay?" Pony requested, "I'm tryin' to win this for our team!" she exclaimed as her floating horns were aimed at the Dupli-Arms Quirk user, who brought forth multiple fists from his tentacles.

"Bring it on," he challenged.

"Thunder Horn!" the Horn Cannon Quirk user yelled, unleashing her horns as a continuous barrage from her head, while two floated by her side on standby.

"Octoblow!" Mezo roared, punching fiercely at the incoming horns, shattering them to pieces. It was a struggle between the pair, but the Dupli-Arms Quirk user was drawing closer. However, Pony fired off one of her horns on standby, aiming to have it veer around and strike him squarely in the back. Luckily, he had thought ahead, catching the horn with another arm he protruded, as an eye he formed had seen the incoming projectile.

"What?!" the Horn Cannon Quirk user yelped out.

"Perfect timing, Ojiro!" Mezo remarked, causing his foe to look up to see the Tail Quirk user jumping down.

"Twirling Tail Dance!" he exclaimed as he somersaulted. Pony fired off another pair of horns, but they were easily shattered by her opponent's tail, who then went ahead and grabbed the horns that grew back before she could fire them off again, wrapping his extra limb around her as she yelped. "You might be good with those horns, but they're of no use if you can't shoot them!" Mashirao pointed out.

"Aw, this is how ya catch me?!" Pony exclaimed in a country accent, "It's so darn ordinary!" she complained.

"Ojiro, I'll take it from here," Mezo decided as he approached, "Hand her off to—" All of a sudden, he started sinking into the ground as he yelped.

"Shoji, no!" Mashirao exclaimed, only to suddenly feel a gust pulling on him. He gasped as he looked back to see Kleene there in her Overdrive with her hands held out.

"Let go of Pony!" she insisted, increasing her gust's force.

"Dammit…!" Mezo cursed, "Both Honenuki and Rutherford are here…!" he grunted out as he sunk into the softened ground, with Juzo emerging.

"Kleene, I got this!" he assured, causing the Wind Snatch Quirk user to blink in surprise, "You go support Tetsutetsu!" he insisted of her.

"But…!" she tried to argue, only to see that he had gotten the pair of Class A students submerged in the softened ground. She grimaced, flying off back from where she had been before. Juzo swam through the softened ground, aiming to free Pony from Mashirao's hold. He gritted his teeth.

"You bastard…!" he growled out. He then made his tail rotate rapidly in a circle. "Fist of the Tail: Swamp Smack Spin!" he roared. The force of his sudden move was enough to blow both Juzo and Mezo out from the softened ground, with the former slamming against the pipework, while the latter latched onto a nearby railing. He then extended his left arm out to latch onto his teammate's coat, starting to pull him out.

"Thanks for that," he remarked gratefully.

"Likewise," the Tail Quirk user responded, "Let's get Tsunotori to jail and—!"

"You gotta warn me before you go and do something like that, Honenuki!" Pony suddenly shouted, causing Mashirao to perk up in surprise. All of a sudden, a pair of horns emerged from the softened ground, shooting out and piercing her foe's tail. He grimaced.

"I won't let you go!" he proclaimed determinedly.

"I don't need you to," the Horn Cannon Quirk user retorted, having another pair of horns suddenly fly out from the mucky ground, piercing her opponent's tail again. The force of all four horns was enough to pull Mashirao out of Mezo's grasp, flying off through the pipework.

"Ojiro!" the Dupli-Arms Quirk user exclaimed.

"With the power of four horns, I'll send you straight to the slammer!" Pony declared before she and her foe crashed into Class B's jail in a flurry of dust.

"You're kidding me…!" Denki gasped out from the viewing section, "Does that even count?!" he questioned emphatically.

"Sadly, it does," Witch confirmed.

"Hm," Sekijiro huffed with a smirk, "Doesn't matter how she got him inside," he pointed out, "If he's behind bars, he's out," he noted on.

"That marks the score one to nothing for Class B!" Neito declared proudly with a pump of his left fist, "Guess Class A isn't as strong as they always say they are!" he mocked, cackling like a madman. Luckily, Itsuka was quick to chop his neck, knocking him out.

"I feel like that could've gone a lot better if Kleene helped, shroom," Kinoko commented.

"Yeah…" Shihai agreed, "She could've taken Shoji and Ojiro into her Wind Cage instead, and they wouldn't be able to break out of it," he noted on.

"I guess he must've thought she'd wanna conserve her energy to try and stop both Todoroki and Iida," Manga presumed.

"Either way, we're still winning," Itsuka pointed out. The screen flashed back to the fiery scene of Shoto and Tetsutetsu's confrontation.

"What's the matter… Todoroki…?" the latter of the two inquired while still enflamed, "You're getting slow!" he pointed out, thrusting his left hand out to strike his crossed arms, pushing him back slightly.

"I could say the same to you…!" he retorted. His mind was growing hazy. Like how using his ice too much hindered him, the intense heat was making start to lose consciousness. He needed to defeat the Steel Quirk user soon, otherwise he would end up in a worse position. He thought back to Homura's words before the match started. He needed to go beyond his limits.

Swiping his left arm at Tetsutetsu, the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user forced him to step back. The flames surrounding them then gathered over his left arm as he raised it to the sky. His foe grimaced as his steel-clad skin disappeared, hearing the roar of the fire building upon Shoto's fist like the turbine of a plane. He stepped forward to attack… but immediately found his left foot sinking into the ground, having been softened.

"Can't let ya melt my classmate," Juzo remarked as he was behind the pair, having just emerged. The fire around Shoto's fist dissipated as he grimaced, glancing back to see the Softening Quirk user.

"H…Honenuki…" Tetsutetsu weakly uttered as smoke wafted off of his overheated body. Thanks to the softened ground, many pieces of pipework were left unstable. One fell down and struck Shoto squarely atop his head, rendering him unconscious.

"Now it's over…" Juzo proclaimed. But without warning, he suddenly found himself struck at the back of his own head by a powerful and fast kick by Tenya, shattering half of his helmet as he sped by.

"I didn't miss this time, Mudman!" he exclaimed. He quickly zipped over to pick up Shoto, only to instantly grimace from the heat he exuded. "So hot…!" he winced out.

"Bastard…" Tetsutetsu weakly groaned out, "I won't… let you get away…" he proclaimed in spite of the pain he was in. Tenya knew that with both of his team's foes weakened, it was the prime opportunity for him to take them both to jail. But thinking back to what had happened in Hosu with Stain, he knew that saving lives was a priority. So he decided to zip away with Shoto to safety, planning to return later.

Juzo cursed himself for deciding not to go after the Engine Quirk user until later. By doing that, he practically doomed both himself and his teammates. Anything he softened would go back to normal once he passed out. He didn't know where Kleene and Pony were, and Tetsutetsu was on the brink of going unconscious like him. At the very least, they needed to make sure their opponents didn't get away. He didn't want to fail his friends, crawling over to a nearby tower and placing his right hand upon it.

"Tetsutetsu, push this! Quickly!" he yelled to the Steel Quirk user. Instantly cladding himself in his metallic skin, he charged over and head-butted the tower as hard as he could. The force of the blow caused it to start toppling over towards Tenya and Shoto. Looking back with a grimace, the Engine Quirk user wasn't sure if he'd be able to get away in time. The tower crashed onto the ground in a powerful plume of dust as those watching widened their eyes.

"What happened?!" Mina exclaimed in question.

"Iida… Todoroki…!" Izuku gasped out. As the dust settled, both Juzo and Tetsutetsu were lying unconscious upon the ground. And the collapsed tower had hardened back to normal. However, neither of the Class A students who had been fleeing the scene were in sight.

"Where are they?!" Hiryu asked.

"They didn't get crushed, did they?" Denki inquired out of concern.

"No," Kris suddenly responded, getting their attentions as they saw him flash a grin, "She made sure of that," he noted. Looming above the collapsed tower upon a torrent of wind was Kleene, who breathed heavily. Hovering over her right hand was a small sphere of wind, which encased both Tenya and Shoto.

"Dammit!" the Engine Quirk user cursed aloud.

'If Recipro hadn't given out at the last second, we would've both been crushed…' he noted to himself, 'Rutherford saved us…' he realized, grimacing under his helmet, 'But that also means…' he continued as the Wind Snatch Quirk user flew off toward her team's jail cell. Meanwhile, Pony and Mezo had restarted their battle, with the former firing off her horns at the Dupli-Arms Quirk user, who bashed them aside. He closed in on her again, ready to strike with a multitude of fists he formed. But suddenly, a powerful gust pulled on his body, hoisting him into the air as he was sucked into the sphere of wind over Kleene's right hand.

"Huh…" she exhaled.

"Thanks a bunch, Kleene!" Pony exclaimed gratefully. The Wind Snatch Quirk user seemed solemn, however.

"It's not over yet," she pointed out to her classmate's confusion, "Go check on Tetsutetsu and Juzo," she advised of her, "They're in bad shape," she mentioned.

"Okay, on it!" the Horn Cannon Quirk user responded. It wasn't long before the cell containing all four of the Class A team members was shut. Letting her Overdrive form disappear from around her body, Kleene exhaled an exhausted sigh.

"Thank you for saving us, Rutherford," Tenya said, getting her attention as she looked to see him remove his helmet, checking on Shoto, "Though I'm sure you'd have preferred to not win in that way," he pointed out. The Wind Snatch Quirk user glanced off to the side.

"I wouldn't call this a perfect victory, either," she admitted to him, "We made mistakes of our own, me especially," she confessed on, looking at her hands, "I trusted my classmates' judgments, but I should've made my own decisions based on the situations in front of me…" she noted, closing her extremities into fists.

"And it looks my class has come away with another perfect victory!" Sekijiro exclaimed over the loudspeakers, "Iida's speed and Todoroki's flames weren't enough to stop the winds of our amazing Sylph!" he noted proudly.

"Oh, cork it, you jerk!" Sister shouted into her microphone, "What about that stupid stunt the metalhead pulled?! Or soft boy getting his shit rocked?!" she questioned further mockingly, "Your so-called perfect class got knocked around good ya know!" she affirmed.

"Why you…!" the Blood Control Quirk user growled. Everyone else sighed.

'The biased commentary's somehow getting even worse…' Hermit commented inwardly before holding up her microphone.

"At any rate, all four members of Class A's Team Four have been captured," she noted aloud, "Therefore, Class B wins this round," she confirmed. Homura looked on at the screen, seeing the unconscious Shoto. He may have lost, but he had done well to battle back against unexpected tactics. And that was something she could admire as she smiled.

X

"Ah…" Tetsutetsu yawned as he awoke, stretching his arms in the nurse's office a little while later.

"Well, those burns certainly were a lot to deal with…" Recovery Girl commented, getting his attention as he looked over to see her treating Shoto, while Kleene and Homura stood by, "But it's good to see you up," she pointed out, "Have yourself a Snickers to get some energy back," she advised, pointing to the wrapped candy bar lying beside the dresser.

"Oh, thanks!" the Steel Quirk user exclaimed gratefully, taking the candy bar and eating it after undoing the wrapper, "Hey, what are you two doing here?" he asked of his fellow student heroes.

"I had left the office early, so I needed to come back," Homura replied.

"And I wanted to make sure that everyone from our match was okay," Kleene added.

"Ojiro's already gotten healed up," Recovery Girl noted, "Honenuki and Todoroki will be up soon," she added assuredly.

"That's good to hear," the Soul Blade Quirk user said. However, Kleene lowered her head with shame.

"What's the matter, Kleene?" Tetsutetsu asked upon noticing, finishing his candy bar.

"…I couldn't help you or Juzo during our match," the Wind Snatch Quirk user responded after a moment, "And I would always follow his plan because it seemed to work in our favor… at least until Class A started to get an upper hand," she explained further. Listening from outside of the room was her brother. "I want to trust my teammates, but I also want to be able to make my own decisions in the heat of the moment," she affirmed with clenched fists.

"In that case, I screwed up," Juzo's voice chimed in, getting everyone's attention as they saw him push aside the curtains separating his bed from Shoto's, "I should've trusted you to help us, but I instead got worried that it'd backfire in the end," he noted, "I hope you'll forgive me, Kleene," he said, bowing his head ashamedly. The Wind Snatch Quirk user let off a little smile.

"It's alright, Juzo," she assured, "We'll have a perfect victory next time," she affirmed.

"Yeah!" Tetsutetsu agreed. At that moment, Shoto stirred awake, sitting up.

"Oh, Shoto!" Homura yelped in surprise.

"Glad to see you up, dear," Recovery Girl said, handing her patient a protein bar, "This should charge you right back up," she affirmed.

"Uh, thank you," the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user said gratefully as he accepted it, "Did… our team lose?" he inquired of Homura, who blinked in surprise.

"Unfortunately, yes…" she confirmed as an answer.

"That said, it still kinda felt like a loss to me," Tetsutetsu admitted, getting their attentions, "That firepower of yours was crazy strong!" he complimented, "Let's have a rematch sometime!" he insisted.

"Yeah, I'd like that, too," Juzo agreed, chiming into the conversation.

"I as well," Kleene said, "Our team might've won, but we've still got plenty to improve upon," she pointed out, "I hope you'll accept our challenge someday, Shoto," she remarked with a smile.

"Yeah, sure," the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user responded.

"And I would like to face you again as well, Kleene," Homura noted as she stood up, "You've proven just how strong you've become since we last fought in the Sports Festival," she mentioned on, "I'd like to see how you would fare against me now," she added. The Wind Snatch Quirk user giggled.

"I'll look forward to it!" she promised in response. As the Class B students left, Shoto despondently looked at his right hand. His classmate took notice.

"Is something wrong, Shoto?" she asked of him, sitting down beside the bed.

"My ice…" he said, "It's always what I tend to start out with in a fight, and Honenuki took advantage of that," he pointed out, "I feel like it's been ingrained in me, so I need to try changing things up," he noted on, closing his hand into a fist. Homura then put her extremity atop his.

"There's no need to rush," she assured as he looked over at her in surprise, "Remember, we'll be training under the number one hero someday soon," she added, "I'm certain he'll help both of us improve in our tactics," she affirmed confidently.

"…Right," Shoto agreed after a moment, sharing a smile with his classmate.

"Ah, youth…" Recovery Girl sighed out happily. Back at Ground Gamma, Neito was giggling excitedly.

"Two wins apiece…" he noted aloud, "But these next two matches should reveal just who the superior class really is…!" he proclaimed excitedly, "Now it's finally time for the fifth match!" he yelled.

"Oh great, he's at it again…" Mina grumbled out.

"Looks like we're up!" Shiki noted, punching his left hand excitedly.

"Still not sure about this plan of yours, Bakugo…" Kyoka admitted, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.

"Yeah, it doesn't sound like you at all…" Hanta mentioned.

"Just shut up," Katsuki insisted of his teammates, "We're going for a perfect victory…" he vowed, glancing over to Izuku and Rebecca, "That's the only way I can get to the top," he proclaimed.

"Then let's do it!" Shiki insisted, heading off to the battlefield.

"Walk behind me, dammit!" Katsuki roared in command, while their other two teammates sighed with exasperation. The fifth match was set to begin…

ENDING

Insert "Footprints" by the peggies

Opens with Izuku receiving a notification on his phone. He picks it up and looks at it while seated on his bed, while Rebecca sits up beside him and yawns. He smiles, showing her what he just read. She beams after a moment, nodding to him.

The two of them head downstairs together, seeing groups of their classmates heading out together for the day. They smile at each other, holding hands as they leave the dorm. We see Shiki walking on a sidewalk with Momo, calling for her to hurry after him as he hurries off towards a set of stores. Meanwhile, Tsuyu and Ochaco meet up with Kleene and Kris at a supermarket, talking happily with them. Fumikage's checking apples with Dark Shadow, only to see Laguna doing the same.

Elsewhere in the store, we see Katsuki checking some bottles of hot sauce, while Weisz and Minoru are browsing some adult magazines. Homura's eyes sparkle at the sight the Valkyrie-brand energy drinks, which she buys a lot of to the shock of Kyoka, Mina, and Toru. Izuku and Rebecca arrive, having a shopping list on hand. They nod to each other, splitting up with their classmates to gather what they need.

Izuku grabs packets of noodles and rice, while Rebecca gets pork, bok choy, panko bread crumbs, and other ingredients. She's joined by Rikido, who advises her on what specifically she should look for. Meanwhile, Izuku goes to gather up birthday candles with Koji and Shoto, who both grab jars of frosting and sprinkles.

The couple checks out of the store with everything they need, returning to U.A. later that night. With help, they put the ingredients together to make a great feast, along with a birthday cake intended for Tenya. He's touched, tearing up at how kind his classmates are. He blows out the candles, celebrating amongst his friends as they laugh. The song winds down, with the class happily enjoying themselves through the night, hoping for many more great ones to come…

END ENDING

Two more matches to go! And we're going to be getting through quite the doozy of chapters to wrap up this arc, which'll be a lot of fun in the end. But that's all from me for now.

Thanks for reading, everyone!