Transformers MHA, Arc 2: Earthrise

by The Omni-Remnant

After a rather intense adventure and the U.A. Sports Festival approaching fast, Izuku and his friends have two important things to do; improve their Quirks in time for the festival… and hide a bunch of giant alien robots. That proves to be easier said than done, especially when enemies on Earth and from beyond the stars end up coming for them…

30. Uraraka vs Bakugo, Midoriya vs Iida

A/N: Good Morning, everybody! Time once again for the next installment in the U.A. Sports Festival and… well, in all honesty, I think we're all pretty sure how things are gonna go here, at least in terms of the first battle. Which is why I'm gonna keep this intro short and sweet. Nevertheless, things ARE gonna get more interesting in the next round, so let's get into it, shall we? This is…

Chapter 30: Uraraka vs Bakugo, Midoriya vs Iida

…..

Megatron had been right; the second bracket had been more fruitful than the first when it came to combat. Granted, the Decepticon leader had a feeling that there were still better matches yet to come, but so far, the last three matches had proven to be more entertaining than the first four. …The only gripe that the Emperor of Destruction had was this while showing of "sportsmanship" that the humans exchanging between one another after their matches. 'If this were the gladiatorial arena, we would be wasting no time in getting to the executions.' he thought to himself as he kept his optics focused on the screens. "Hmph, their nobleness irritates me. Such heroic nonsense."

"My thoughts exactly, my liege." Starscream concurred, though he seemed disgusted by that fact. "These beings, especially the heroes, are far too sensitive and soft. "Oh, it's all about how you play the game", BAH! What matters is victory!"

Unicronus stepped in and held up a hand. "Yeah, yeah, we get it. Trust me, it sickens me, too. But Lord Megatron, you may wish to keep a close watch on this next match." The Decepticon general pointed to the screen and zoomed in on the ashen blonde taking the field. "This one. This is the other boy who's been taking the festival by storm along with Todoroki and Midoriya. His name is Katsuki Bakugo, and he's got a power that's truly potent."

Leaning forward in his seat, Megatron rubbed his chin curiously. "Does he, now?"

"Yeah, apparently he can create explosions via the nitroglycerin in his sweat." Barricade piped up.

"…Sweat. As in, what organics secrete from their pours when they overheat." Megatron's lips curled in disgust as he sat back. "…Repulsive."

"I know, right?" Swift agreed. "The kid's freakishly strong, though. He's come in third for every event so far, but he's aiming for the top." She gave a short chuckle as she added; "Heh, the little scrap even announced that he was gonna win the whole thing during the opening ceremony. You should've seen it, Lord Megatron, the entire school pretty much turned on him in an instant."

As revolted that Megatron was by the perspiration powers of the blonde, he had to admit, he was intrigued once more. "Did he, now?" The more he inspected Bakugo's face, the more he recognized something within the boy's eyes. There was arrogance, anger, and irritation all in play, but above all else… there was determination, the likes of which Megatron hadn't seen in a long time. 'It reminds me of… myself in a way.' A smirk came to his lips as he prepared for whatever came next. "Alright, young Katsuki Bakugo. Let's see what you're made of."

…..

Back on Earth, Ochako took a deep breath as she prepared to face her foe. This was it, the moment of truth. If she didn't beat Bakugo, she could kiss her Sports Festival run goodbye. And after being carried here via brainwashing, there was absolutely NO way she would go down without a fight. 'I'm gonna become a pro. I'll sign with a good agency and make plenty of money. Then I'll be able to let my parents have an easy life.' She remembered her vow that day in the hallway, the one where she poured her heart out to Deku, Kyoka, and the others. It was a promise that she wasn't going to let go of, not even for a moment. 'Daddy, Mom… this is for you.'

Just then, Bakugo's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "You're the one who screws around with gravity, right, Pink Cheeks?"

"…Pink Cheeks?!" Ochako recoiled. 'Dang it, not HIM too!'

The explosive blonde gave her a warning glare. "Well, if you're gonna give up, do it now. 'Cause I'm not gonna hold anything back." He didn't receive a verbal response, though. Instead, Ochako got herself together and matched his gaze, which was all the answer he needed. 'Hmph, so it's like that, huh? I can respect that, facing yer death with dignity.'

Up in the stands, as the rest of Class 1-A and the Autobots reluctantly watched, Momo felt compelled to ask; "Midoriya, what exactly was that strategy you came up with for Uraraka?"

"Indeed, I'm also quite curious." Tenya added, all while Izuku's eyes went to his notebook. "How would you have it to where she would have an advantage over Bakugo?"

"Well… honestly, it wasn't much of a plan." Izuku gripped his hero notebook, staring at the burned cover that Bakugo himself had burnt with a small explosion. "Kacchan's so strong. When it comes to close combat, he almost never has any openings. And the more he moves, the more he sweats, which just makes his Quirk more powerful."

Jazz let out a whistle at that. "Hoo, man, sounds like the dude don't got any kinda weakness."

Izuku's brows furrowed down to the battlefield, where Uraraka and Bakugo continued to stand off. "At first glance, yes. But if Uraraka can touch him, she can make him weightless with her Quirk. Then, she could push him effortlessly out of the ring."

Kyoka tilted her head at that. "But wouldn't he still be able to use his explosions? He could just move himself away from the boundary, even IN midair."

"Well, yes, but it all depends on what trajectory he blasts in. One wrong move, and it could mean his downfall."

Sadie nodded in understanding. "Hm, I see. Sounds like a fairly simple solution… but let's see what SHE has in mind for this match." The moment Present Mic gave the word to begin the match, Ochako took off running, keeping herself bent down low toward the ground. "Oh, and there she goes!"

"Giving up ISN'T an option for me!" Ochako hollered her response.

Kyoka pumped her fist, exclaiming; "Wow! Look at her go!"

"It's a great start." Denki concurred. "And if she touches him, she's golden!"

"I doubt that'll be easy, though." Sid muttered, folding his arms in trepidation. He saw just how serious Bakugo was down there, and it was obvious that he wasn't playing around. "Just watching that Bakugo kid, I can tell he won't let her get close."

Izuku nodded, watching intently for what would happen next. "Exactly. Which is why he won't dodge. Instead, he'll focus his energy on a counter attack."

Down on the battlefield, Bakugo simply narrowed his eyes at Ochako, all while small sparks began popping out of his hand. "And now, you die." He began pulling his right hand back, and Ochako's eye widened.

'There it is.' She recalled, her mind going back to that initial hero training and how Izuku countered Bakugo's right hook. Ochako started to bring her hands together. 'If I can just dodge this move—' BOOOM! The second Ochako went to duck, Bakugo let loose, the blast consuming her in fire and smoke.

The spectators, including the Autobots, all gasped in shock, while 1-A collectively called out; "URARAKA!"

Optimus held his composure, though. His concern for Ochako wasn't any less than that of his team or the students, but he had a feeling that the brunette wouldn't go charging in like that if she didn't have a plan. 'Still, it's evident that this Bakugo will not show her any mercy. I suppose it isn't surprising, though, considering that brashness he has about him.'

Thankfully, Ochako HAD been able to avoid the brunt of the blast, though her face was now lightly dusted in soot. 'Stupid. Saw it coming and I still couldn't get outta the way…' However, it was then she noticed that she had a good opportunity in front of her. 'Time to put phase two into motion…'

"Ya shoulda dropped outta the match." Bakugo growled as he walked through the lingering smoke, trying to locate his target. Just then, he saw some vague object coming through the haze, and the moment he saw a bit of blue and white, he let off another blast. "There's no way you can beat ME!" He slammed his hand down and—BOOOM! …He saw that it was JUST Ochako's jacket, his eyebrows shooting up at his error. 'What the…' What he didn't see, though, was Ochako lunging out from behind, her hand raised and ready to strike.

"WOAH! She flung her jacket over as a decoy!" Present Mic shouted. "What incredibly quick thinking!"

Ochako brought her hand closer, clenching her teeth to steel herself. 'This is my chance. I can make him float—' BOOM! But it was too late. Bakugo saw her coming out the corner of his eye and whipped around, blasting her back with great force. Thankfully, the Gravity user was able to tumble into a landing on her feet.

Never the less, the students were left in awe. "Woah! Talk about quick reflexes!" Sero commented.

"Yeah, that reaction time is nuts." Sato agreed.

"It's impressive, ribbit, but also kinda scary." Tsuyu added.

Sonny pursed his lips in worry. "Ochako can't get the drop on him. And because her Quirk involves physical contact in order to work, his reflexes put her at a big disadvantage here."

Despite that disadvantage, though, Ochako just kept pressing forward, which Bakugo was able to counter with easy. "Too SLOW!" BOOM! The audience could only watch in horror as the girl was consumed again… only to reemerge with only minor scrapes.

"I'VE GOT YOU!" BOOM! "Augh!" Another blast, and this one sent Ochako flying back a bit farther.

Ojiro was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable. "Good lord, is she okay?" Just then, he felt something nuzzle into his back, catching him off guard.

But when he saw it was Toru, he let that guard down, knowing that the invisible girl was just as, if not even more uncomfortable than him right now. "I can't watch! Tell me when it's over!"

BOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

Again and again the blasts came and went, and yet still, Ochako didn't give in despite her increasing injuries. Somehow, they were still small, but they were beginning to add up. "This isn't over yet—" BOOM! Once again, Ochako disappeared into ash and smoke… only to reappear and still running toward her opponent.

"Huh?" Bakugo couldn't help but be a bit curious as to how she was able to keep going… but he couldn't stop now. He whipped his hand and let off a blast, almost as if he were smacking her away with it. BOOM!

Up in the commentary booth, Present Mic couldn't help but cringe with every blast, though Aizawa seemed unmoved by the actions. "Seems like she's not resting between attacks despite being constantly blown up… the poor girl."

"Her feint didn't work earlier, so… is she getting desperate?" Sadie questioned, mostly to herself. But then, she noticed something odd. Orion's eyes were alternating between the match below… and up toward the sky for some reason. "Um… sir? Is everything okay? What're you looking at?"

"Hm…" Orion hummed, giving her a smile as he nudged his head upward. "See for yourself."

The pink-haired Autobot spared a glance up… and what she saw made her jaw drop. "Oh… my… word."

"Mmhm." The Autobot leader nodded. "That's what she's been doing."

"I… I-I don't believe it." Sadie's smile returned. "Ochako, you smart little cookie."

However, the general audience still weren't completely comfortable with what was going on down on the battlefield. One hero even stood up and called out; "Hey shouldn't one of the teachers step in? This is getting too rough, don't you think?" If anything, though, neither Cementoss or Midnight said or did anything. In fact, they seemed more annoyed by the hero's comment.

"Urk…" Ochako groaned as she got to her hands and knees, seeing Bakugo looming over her within the smoke. …And yet still, she charged at him. BOOM!

"This is SHAMEFUL!" A hero with blonde hair stood up in the crowd, donned in a while, yellow and green suit with a long yellow cape flowing behind him. He also wore a distinct, winged headpiece over his forehead. "Listen, kid, you really wanna be a hero?!" He pointed an accusing finger down at Bakugo. "Then stop acting like a bully! If you're so good, just send her out of bounds!" BOOM! But Bakugo simply ignored him, keeping his focus on Ochako instead. "Stop toying with the girl and ends this match!"

"Yeah, you heard the guy!" Next to him, a heroine dressed like a poodle stood up and raised her fists in ire, and before long, the rest of the audience was jeering against Bakugo.

Present Mic noted that, and couldn't help but be like-minded in the situation. "The crowd is now BOOING Bakugo! …And honestly, I kinda agree with what they're sayin—OOF!" Without warning, Aizawa elbowed Present Mic in the face and out of the way so he could grab the microphone. "AUGH! Hey, woah! What the crap?!"

Grabbing the mic to the best of his ability, Aizawa called the hero out. "Where is the man who started this uproar? Are you a pro?" At his question, the crowd became silent once again, and the hero from before suddenly felt very small after being aimed at. "Because if you're being serious, you can go home and hang up your cape. I'd suggest… looking into another career."

Even the students were confused as to what their homeroom teacher was saying. "Uh, anyone know what he's talking about?" Izuku asked.

"Bakugo's fierceness is an acknowledgement of his opponent's strength." Aizawa explained as the process repeated down on the battlefield, with Bakugo blasting and Uraraka doing her best to avoid them. "He knows she deserves to have made it this far, so he's making sure he does whatever it takes to keep her at bay and come out on top."

"…SERIOUSLY?!" Kyoka shouted, springing out of her seat before being held back by Izuku and Tenya, all while kicking and screaming. "You're gonna excuse that ASSHOLE'S behavior on the grounds that it's some sorta TWISTED form of RESPECT?! What the hell, AIZAWA?!"

"Kyoka, please calm down!" Izuku urged.

"Now YOU'RE the one causing a scene!" Tenya furthered.

Orion stood up and made his way to the front row, saying; "Kyoka, that is enough." He didn't say it with force or with a snap in his voice, but with a commanding tone that made the purplette stop immediately. "I understand that this is a frustrating situation. But in truth, I believe that your teacher has a point." Kyoka's jaw dropped as Optimus gazed down at Bakugo, seeing the boy's eyes. "In truth, I sense no malice behind his attacks. Of course, they are brutal and unforgiving, but at the same time, he is doing it in order to win, not because he is bullying her. If that were the case… I sense that he would be far crueler than he is being now."

There was a short silence before Izuku nodded. "Orion's right, Kyoka. Remember, Kacchan's doing this for the sake of his advancement, and Uraraka's doing the same. They're both giving it they've got without holding back." He sent her a sympathetic gaze as the punk rocker lowered her head. "Isn't that the point of the Sports Festival?"

"Well, yeah… but he could at least be less mean about it!" Kyoka huffed.

"Either way, you shouldn't worry about it." Orion went on, taking everyone by surprise again as he lifted his head toward the sky. "After all, Ochako has a plan."

Down on the field, Ochako breathed hard as she collected herself, having done the best to her ability up to this point. "I think… it's about time." Her words made Bakugo do a double take as she prepared to bring her hands together. "Thank you, Bakugo… for keeping your eyes focused on me!"

"I cannot blame Bakugo or anyone with an untrained eye for not noticing." Orion continued with a smile. "But it IS surprising that none of the professional heroes took notice of what was happening from the stands. If they had, they would've seen Ochako's strategy in action."

Jeff, with a furrowed brow, looked up to see what his leader was talking about. "OP, whatchu talkin' 'bou—OH! Ohhh…" The Autobot lieutenant lowered his sunglasses, his jaw falling open at the sight. "…Holy scrap."

Soon enough, everyone had caught sight of it, and their reaction was much the same as Jeff's was. "Hm, indeed." Prime explained. "Ochako stayed low to the ground as she ran, meaning that Bakugo's blasts tore up the battlefield as she stealthily avoided his attacks. Thus, the debris became weapons for her. After that, she simply had to keep him focused on her by attacking relentlessly without rest. Rendering him oblivious to… well, that."

High up in the air, floating above the battlefield, was all the debris that Bakugo had blasted up, the hunks of cement hanging precariously in midair thanks to Ochako's Quirk. There were thousands of stones, big and small, some even as large as boulders. And, after judging it worthy to be used, Ochako brought her finger tips together… and released them all. "GYAAAAH!" All at once, the stones came falling straight down to the ground, making everyone in the audience yell in surprise.

"A… A METEOR SHOWER?!" Present Mic shouted.

"So NOW you notice." Aizawa grumbled.

Izuku, still reeling from what he was seeing, felt a surge of adrenaline as the debris came down. She HAD thought of something. "She had a plan all along! Amazing!"

Kyoka belted out a laugh and pumped her fists into the air. "HAHA! Holy crap, that's cool as hell! Go for it, 'Chako!"

The brunette was already on that, though, dashing past the smaller pieces of debris as Bakugo craned his head up to the bigger pieces falling toward him. 'With this much debris, whether he's evading or counterattacking, there will definitely be an opening!' Ochako brought her hands together, making herself weightless. 'In that moment, I'll finally get close to him!' Finally, she leapt forward, reaching out as Bakugo brought his right hand up. 'This is it! My shot! I'll win and be just like Deku—'

KA-BOOOOOOOM!

The shock had hit Ochako so much, it was almost as if the blast had happened three different times. Nevertheless, all Bakugo did was let loose one MASSIVE explosion upward, one that encompassed the entirely of the meteor shower in one go. The burst was so huge that it whipped up a wind that blew through the whole stadium and sent Ochako flying back, making her tumble to the ground as she lost focus on her Quirk. By the end, the debris was no more than dust, with a few smaller stray pieces clunking onto the ground or out onto the stadium roof.

Ochako coughed, shakily getting onto her hands and knees… before Bakugo's voice sent a chill to her core. "I figured you'd have some sorta stupid plan to beat me. You ARE friends with that damn nerd, after all."

With horror etched into her features, Ochako trembled in place. Her attack had done nothing to him. "It… I-It took him one shot."

Everyone in the stands were also gutted to see that happen. Everyone in 1-A, Izuku, Kyoka and the others included, were left slack-jawed, while the Autobots were put off by the whole ordeal. "NO! Augh! You gotta be kidding me!" Sadie snapped. "How powerful IS this kid?!"

"I… I have no idea." Stella admitted.

"AH!" Present Mic gasped. "B-Bakugo bangs out a huge demonstration of power! He blasted apart Uraraka's finisher and he's STILL untouched!"

"Good god, I wish he didn't remind us." Kyoka grumbled, glaring down at the ashen blonde. "Look at him, not even phased. How the hell is he THIS strong?!"

Orion, however, saw differently. Indeed, Bakugo seemed to be keeping calm on the surface… but the moment he saw the boy's hands shaking, he knew that Ochako's attack must've made him worry, if only a little. 'He didn't expect her to do that, despite what he said otherwise.' The Prime smiled with pride down to the Gravity user, even as she trembled before her adversary. 'Your strategy proved sound, young Ochako. Had he not noticed it until a few moments later, perhaps the situation would have been different.'

Even still, Ochako wasn't feeling too proud of herself at the moment. 'I put everything I had into that move… but I wasn't good enough' She hung her head, both in disappointment in herself and in fatigue. Her injuries were small, but they were adding up, and adding onto the fact that she had been blown back hard by Bakugo's move, it was starting to become more than she could take. …But even then, that wouldn't stop herp. 'I can still stand… I WILL get up.'

And that's exactly what she did, even on her shaky legs. The sight made Bakugo smile in genuine anticipation. He couldn't remember the last time an opponent had put up THIS much of a fight. "Alright then, time for us to get serious! Uraraka!" He charged in, ready to meet her head-to-head.

'If Deku were in the ring, he wouldn't give up yet!' Ochako went to do the same… but her legs buckled, giving out right from underneath her.

Bakugo's eyes widened and he came to a stop just a few feet in front of where she went down. Despite her falling, she still showed signs of wanting to continue… though her dim eyes and weakened body would probably say otherwise. 'She's past her limit… but she wants to keep fighting. Damn…'

'No… come on, get up!' Ochako scolded herself, forcing her body to start crawling as her legs twitched. 'I wanna keep going, I can still fight!' As she crawled, Bakugo took a ready stance incase she WAS still good to fight. And, as she kept going, Ochako suddenly felt a certain memory come rushing back to her. A very important one at that…

"When I grow up, big and strong, I'll help you and mommy out in any way I can!"

She could hear the soft, caring voice of her father, remembering his words quite clearly;

"I appreciate you wanting to help us, Ochako. But as your father, I'd be happier if you achieved your own dreams. That'd make us perfectly happy. And well, if you DO make money, you can take us on a vacation!"

It was at that moment that Ochako's vision began to become a blur, her head slowly falling as she struggled to continue. "I'll become… a hero." And with that, the Gravity user finally fell, leading Midnight to rush out onto the field. The R-Rated Hero raised a hand to Bakugo, holding him off as she knelt down and rested a hand on the brunette's back. Still barely conscious, there was only one word that Ochako could utter. "D… Daddy…"

Midnight closed her eyes, quickly coming to her decision. "Uraraka has been KO'd." She waved her hand to the victorious student. "Bakugo advances to the second round!" All at once, the whole stadium erupted into a massive uproar of cheers, no doubt still in awe of what had transpired before them.

"…Damn." Kyoka muttered.

"No doubt about it, she gave it her all down there." Momo said, placing a hand over her chest. "But… I just hope that she'll be okay."

"She will." Sadie stood up with Stella, the two clapping for the effort that their friend had put in. "I know she will."

The Autobot cadet nodded in agreement. "She'll make a fine hero one day, that's for sure."

Orion closed his eyes, going to sit back down in his chair. "Without question, she will. I imagine that, with another year of training, she could very likely turn the tables on Bakugo if they meet in this same position once again."

"Still, can't deny that fight was somethin' else." Jeff added as he saw the small medical bots coming down with the stretcher, all while Midnight helped Ochako onto it. "The girl's got spirit an' determination to spare."

"Hm? Hey, down there." Tenya pointed toward the ring where, much to everyone's surprise, Bakugo had stayed, watching as Ochako was brought straight inside to Recovery Girl. The moment she was out of sight, though, the blonde turned around and went for his own exit. "…It would seem that, despite his attitude, perhaps Uraraka was able to garner some respect from Bakugo in that fight." He glanced over to Izuku, who watched the scene intently. "Has he ever done something like this before?"

"No, not really." Izuku scratched his chin, intrigued at the sight. "Though to be quite honest, I have a feeling that Kacchan WOULD respect Uraraka's resolve not to give up in this situation. He held nothing back and neither did she, so… perhaps some respect WAS won?"

But Kyoka wasn't convinced. "I don't buy it. There's no way someone who's THAT much of a jerkwad would respect someone JUST for that reason alone."

Sid gave a shrug. "Eh, who can say? Different people work in different ways." He leaned over toward Kyoka, adding in a whisper; "Besides, you'd be surprised at how many mean or cranky guys are in the Autobot ranks and are still good guys in the end."

"Wow, really?"

"Oh yeah." Sonny affirmed. "The Lightning Strike Coalition Force were probably the best example of this. Some of the most brutal warriors around—aside from Swoop, who's the brains of the bunch—but aside from that, ya wouldn't be able to find better allies to protect ya on the battlefield." He gave a cheeky smile and a shrug. "Plus, they were a riot at parties."

Kyoka pursed her lips at the sound of that. Brutal warriors who were also good guys? It was interesting, but at the same time, she wasn't about to excuse Bakugo just yet. He still bullied and likely even hurt Izuku in the past. For her, that was inexcusable. She let out a sigh and stood up. "Well, in any case, I think I'm gonna go see how Ochako's doing before the next round gets started."

"I-I'll come with you." Izuku got up as well. "Besides, our match is up next."

"Indeed." Tenya concurred. "Though Kirishima and Tetsutetsu's contest will be first, so… it might yet be a while."

The rest of the class winced as the same thought went through their heads; 'Hopefully not…'

…..

Meanwhile, on the Darksyde, Starscream had to admit, he was thoroughly impressed by the battle he had seen. The previous three had been enjoyable, but once again, the young Katsuki Bakugo had managed to make himself stand out amongst the juvenile humans. …Still, even with his fierceness and cunning, his personality still made him more of a wild card than anything else. 'Hero or not, that child is a danger to those around him.' The Seeker thought to himself. 'Probably best to avoid him at all costs…'

"And that's it for the first round!" Present Mic gave a sigh as the Cons watched Ochako get stretchered off of the field. "Hah, and I was really rooting for her. …Oh yeah, and I guess Bakugo is moving on."

"You're supposed to be unbiased, you know." Aizawa pointed out.

"Let's try to forget that depressing outcome! We'll be back with more matches soon, folks!"

"…Or not."

As the Voice Hero announced the short break, Frenzy couldn't help but crack up. "AHAHAHA! Oh man, I LOVE these two! They argue like a couple o' buzzartrons squawking at one another over a meal! HEHEHE!"

Barricade gave a small chuckle of his own. "Heh, yeah, though gotta say, that was probably the best match yet."

"Indeed, ze one called "Bakugo" was truly impressive." Shadowstriker admitted. "Ze precision he has with his explosions is a sight to behold. It is obvious zat he has practiced such maneuvers from an early age."

Nightra swiveled around in her chair with a smirk, bringing her pointer fingers and thumbs together before pulling her hands apart, bringing up a holo-screen with Bakugo's profile on it. "Oh, you've got no idea, Arania. Turns out, this Bakugo kid was pretty much gifted since his Quirk emerged. Apparently, his parent's Quirks mixed together inside him and created this Explosion Quirk, and when he got it, he was praised a scrap-ton."

Skywarp raised a curious eyeridge at that. "Seriously? Is he really THAT special?"

The Decepticon hacker glanced over toward the main screen. "Considering what we just saw, Warp, what do you think?" She received a grumble in response.

Unicronus, for his part, bowed his head to Megatron. "My lord, what did you think of this display?"

"Hmph, it WAS very impressive, and quite entertaining on top of that." Megatron's optics focused onto Bakugo's face as he left the field, the boy's red eyes in a seemingly permanent glare even though he had won. "The boy is cold and efficient, showing no signs of enjoying what he just did. It was all for the sake of victory, something that I can appreciate. However… I sense that his potential is still yet to be truly unlocked."

This, understandably, took the Decepticons by surprise. "M-My liege… vat do you mean by zat?" Flatline asked.

"Quite simple, Flatline; the boy has been pampered and treated like a prodigy from a young age… and as such, while he has grown in that time, it also means he has stagnated at this current point in time." Megatron furrowed his brow, settling his chin upon his fist while leaning on the arm of his chair. "And just by that expression, I can tell that he KNOWS it. I saw his hands shaking when he took notice of the meteor attack, and that he hadn't expected his opponent to do something like that."

"So… you're saying that he's reeling from the fact that his fellow classmates are somehow able to accel when it comes to their Quirk's growth during the semester, while he's stuck at the same level he started school as." Thundercracker deduced.

"Precisely, Thundercracker." The Decepticon leader acknowledged his underling's attentiveness. "The boy wishes to become better… yet he has no clue how. And it is frustrating him to no end."

Just then, on Megatron's end of the call, there came the sound of an automatic door opening, followed by a familiar voice; "Lord Megatron." Shockwave spoke as he walked in, the Decepticons just barely being able to see him as he walked into frame. He gave a bow and continued; "My apologies for the interruption, but I have news from Skyquake and Dreadwing. They have found an Autobot supply depot and wish for your audience."

This got the commander's attention immediately. "Is that so? If that is the case, then a base cannot be far behind…" He stood up from his chair, setting his attention onto Starscream and Unicronus. "I must leave for now. There are things of greater importance that require my attention."

Starscream let out a silent sigh. 'Oh, thank Primus.'

Unicronus, on the other hand, gave a bow. "Of course, my lord. Best of luck in locating that potential base." He gestured over to the other screen. "We'll continue recording the Festival for you to watch later. I have no doubt that there will be even better matches in the rounds to come."

"Hm, I'm sure. Inform me if anything of great importance occurs. Megatron, out." And with that, the screen turned off, leaving Starscream to give out a much more relieved sigh.

"Oh for the sake of Sigma, I thought he would NEVER leave."

Swift and the other Decepticons all groaned in unison. "Ugh, we GET it, you hate the guy. Would ya quit reminding us every ten seconds?"

…..

Back in the stadium, Izuku and Kyoka were walking through the halls on the way to the waiting room, fully expecting to find Ochako there. They had tried Recovery Girl's office first, and while they had been greeted by Kaida and Mina, Ochako was no where to be seen. "She actually left about a minute ago, guys." Kaida had mentioned. "I tried makin' conversation, but she didn't say much… and I'm pretty sure there's a lot weighing on her mind right now."

"No doubt about it." Kyoka agreed. "Well, we'll be sure to take things gently with her when we see her." And there they were, headed hopefully to where their friend was. Kyoka, however, was beginning to worry. Not just about Ochako, but about the Green Bean walking next to her. He had been silent for most of the trek, wearing a rather solemn expression to boot. "…Izuku?"

"H-Huh?"

"Heh, there you are." Kyoka chuckled as he snapped his head up. "Was worried you zoned out for a sec. …You okay?"

Izuku put on a small, reassuring smile. "O-Oh, yeah, no problems here… well, aside from thinking about Uraraka. She wanted to make it far so badly… she must be so upset and—uuhh…" Izuku trailed off as they passed a set of stairs… and when Kyoka saw who was coming up, she immediately realized why. "Gah! H-Hey, Kacchan!"

Bakugo grumbled, his eyes darting between the greenette and Kyoka. "The hell're youyou're your girlfriend doin' here, Deku?"

Both teens instantly blushed and shouted; "He's/She's not my boyfriend/girlfriend!"

"God, FINE! Whatever. Does it look like I even care?" Katsuki grumbled as he continued past them, earning a glare from Kyoka. "Anyways, Deku, hope you were payin' attention, because if you get to the finals, you'd better keep watchin' what I do."

"Hmph, taking pride in a victory like that?" Kyoka spat back. "Relentlessly blowing up Uraraka despite you KNOWING you're—"

"She WANTED to keep fighting!" Bakugo whipped around, getting right in Kyoka's face. "Listen, I get it, ya don't like me because I picked on that nerd in middle school. But to be freakin' honest with ya, I couldn't care less about what happened in the past. We're livin' in the here and now, and right now, we gotta prove WHY we're here!" His harsh scowl softened a bit, a small glint of respect laced in his voice. "And as far as I'm concerned, Uraraka did that… she didn't back down from me, so I returned the favor. After that fight, she proved she's anything but frail." But then, he glanced toward Izuku. "Thanks in no small part to you, I bet."

Izuku blinked, tilting his head. "What do you mean?"

Bakugo scoffed, turning to face Izuku fully. "Don't play dumb with me, Deku, that was your idea, wasn't it? That meteor shower of hers." His brows furrowed at his former childhood companion. "You WOULD come up with something that annoying. Listen, if we end up in the finals—"

"You're wrong." Izuku interrupted, his demeanor growing serious and taking Katsuki by surprise. "That plan, Uraraka came up with it all on her own. I didn't know anything about it. If that battle was harder than you thought it'd be, then it's because of her strategy, not mine."

Kyoka couldn't help herself; she smirked at the disbelief on Bakugo's face. "Hm, something tells me you DID underestimate your classmates before now." She tapped her finger to her chin as the ashen blonde's expression twisted in annoyance. "And lemme see, you learned both Kirishima AND Uraraka's names so far because of that, so progress IS being made…"

"Oh, shut the hell up!" Bakugo spun around and began stomping off back to the stands, before he could get any more aggravated. "Doesn't matter what comes my way, I'm still gonna make it to the finals, so I suggest you be prepared, Deku!"

Izuku had wanted to stay silent… but he couldn't. "And I suggest you start giving people proper credit." That made the Explosion user peer over his shoulder, locking eyes with the One for All inheritor briefly before mumbling an acknowledgement. With that, the two groups went their separate ways, with Izuku letting go of a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Oh dear god, that was so stressful—oof!"

"Yeah, but it was also AMAZING!" Kyoka said with a hearty slap to the back, jabbing her fist into Izuku's chest. "Dude, you totally let him have it! That was some of the best comeback material I've ever heard!"

"Hehe, thanks… though I only spoke from the heart on that one, honestly."

"Sometimes, that's all you need to stand up to jerks like him." Kyoka reached up and ruffled his hair. "I'm proud a' ya, Green Bean."

A small blush made it's way to Izuku's cheeks, which he desperately tried to hide. "Hah… w-well, I try my best. C'mon, the waiting room's not too far away." As they continued, though, their thoughts quickly went back to how Ochako was doing. "Uraraka… she must be so devastated."

Kyoka could feel the solemn atmosphere herself, too, especially when the room came in sight. "Yeah… I think she felt like she had a lot riding on this, with how much she wants to help her family and all." The duo paused in front of the door, nodding to one another before Izuku reached for the knob and opened it…

…Only to find a smiling Ochako sitting at the nearest desk. "Man, I lost!" She said as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Too bad."

The best way to describe Izuku and Kyoka's expressions at that would be to compare them to deer getting caught in the headlights. Needless to say, this was the exact opposite of what they were expecting. "H-Huh?" the greenette muttered.

"Uh… hey, 'Chako." Kyoka walked in. "How're ya doin'?"

"Oh me? Pretty good, all things considered." Ochako scratched her cheek, careful to avoid the large, padded bandage on it. "Guess I got carried away at the end there, though. Really thought I had it in the bag, dang it."

"Well, you… seem fine." Izuku said hesitantly. "But weren't you injured? We went to Recovery Girl's office and you weren't there. Kiryu was kind of surprised you left so early."

But Ochako waved her hand in reassurance. "Oh, don't worry about me, Deku. Recovery Girl took great care of me. She was really careful not to train my stamina too much, though, so I've still got a few scrapes and scratches."

Kyoka tilted her head. "And you didn't ask Merissa to heal those for you?"

"I wasn't exactly up for feeling numb for a while… besides, I already experienced that feeling after the match." Ochako grit her teeth and brought up a frustrated fist. "Jeez! I didn't realize just how powerful Bakugo really was! He wiped the ring with me! Now I realize how much more training I have to do…" The brunette trailed off when she noticed her friends staring at her incredulously. "Eh? Something wrong?"

"Well, no, but…" Izuku reached out worriedly. "You're sure you're good?"

"Oh, heck yeah, I'm better than I expected." Ochako suddenly felt her phone buzzing in her hand, which didn't go unnoticed by Kyoka. Still, the purplette decided to remain silent about the matter as Ochako brought the phone close to her chest. "Even if you've lost, you always gotta keep looking ahead to what's next, Deku. This just means I've gotta work harder now."

While she was still concerned for her friend, Kyoka couldn't help but smile at Ochako's resilience. "Now that's something I can get behind."

"WAAAHH-HOOOOO!" The three brought their heads up at the sound of someone cheering… and they all knew exactly who it was with a voice that loud.

…..

Back up top, Kirishima and Tetsutetsu had taken back to the battlefield in order to decide who would go on. As Midnight had suggested earlier, the contest would be arm wrestling, with Cementoss having created a special table for them to do so. Thus, both boys had hardened up the most they could and went at it, growling as they pushed against each other with all their might. "We're finally about to learn who the true winner is from the seventh match; Kirishima or Tetsutetsu!" The crowd became absolutely riled up as Present Mic commentated on the heated match. "Whoever prevails in this arm wrestling match will advance to the second round! LET'S GO!"

Just then, something happened; the hardened metal on Tetsutetsu's hand… cracked under the pressure of Kirishima's grip. As his opponent yelped, Eijiro recognized his chance. 'Now! GO!' The spikey redhead let out a guttural tell as he SLAMMED Tetsu's hand down and cracked through the concrete table, giving himself the victory.

"Kirishima is the winner!" Midnight raised her hand. "Add him to the bracket!"

As the crowd went wild for the display of strength, Tetsutetsu knelt down and grasped his hand, gritting his teeth in pain. "Gah! Damn my metal deficiency! Shoulda eaten more iron this morning…" At that moment, though, he saw a shadow cast over him, leading Tetsu to crane his head up… where he was met with a surprise.

Kirishima stood over him with a hand extended, respect etched across his face. "Hey man… you put up a good fight."

As the sun cast its light over the two, Tetsutetsu couldn't help but return the respectful grin. "Hehe, ya weren't so bad yerself, bro." And thus, the duo shook hands, much to Midnight's absolute joy.

"OH! So chivalrous!"

Up in the stands, meanwhile, Sideswipe had to admit… if he could shed tears, he probably would. All he could do was sniffle and ball a shaking fist at the sight, covering his eyes with his other arm. "I swear, those two… m-maybe being so much alike ain't such a bad thing after all, man."

Strongarm deadpanned and quipped; "You're only figuring this out NOW?"

…..

"Now we've got a full roster for the next round of the tournament! Let's get the party started now, ya dig?!"

Izuku furrowed his brow at Present Mic's announcement, a little frustrated that he hadn't had much time to prepare. "Already? Hah, well, it is what it is." He turned around and wave to the two girls. "Later, ladies, I'm off."

Kyoka gave him a jab in the arm before he went off. "Best of luck, Broccoli Top. We'll be rooting for ya."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Deku!" Ochako reached out as he headed toward the door. "You weren't able to prepare since I was here!"

"Nah, this was perfect." Izuku shook his head with an assuring smile. "I'll catch you two soon, okay?'

Ochako nodded and raised her hand to him. "I'll be watching. Good luck out there."

"Thanks a lot." And with that, the greenette departed, leaving the two girls by themselves.

"Hah, well, we should probably get back to the stands." Kyoka nudged her head toward the door. "I bet even Mina's back by now."

A small chuckle escaped Ochako's lips at that. "Hehe, yeah, they're probably wondering where we are…" But then, she glanced down to her phone, reading the missed call that she'd received earlier. "But uh… Kyoka? There's something I gotta do before heading back. Think you can—"

"Oh, don't worry, I get ya." Kyoka winked. "I'll be waiting just outside, so whenever you're ready."

"Hm, thanks…"

As Kyoka steped outside, however, she had a pretty good idea of what Ochako was about to do, along with who that missed caller was. And, as she listened to Ochako redial the number, concern for her friend outweighed her resistance to spying in on a personal conversation. Reluctantly, she plugged her jack into the door, and listened…

"…Hey, daddy." Ochako spoke first. "Sorry for not picking up earlier."

"No, no, it's fine! Sorry for calling when you're busy. Your mom and I watched you on TV. You almost WON! Honey, you were amazing!"

Kyoka smiled as she heard Ochako's father give his praise… yet the Gravity user herself didn't sound as confident as she had been letting on earlier. "It wasn't that close. And I wasn't very good… I rushed it too much at the end. I didn't have a backup plan for what I'd do if that big move didn't work. …I failed."

There was a momentary pause before Ochako's father spoke again. "You lost… but that doesn't mean you can't still become a pro hero. I know I don't have the best understanding of how all this works, but there's always next year, right? This isn't the end."

The Earphone Jack user could practically hear Ochako's voice begin to break. "I know, but… I wish I coulda gone further in the festival. …So I could have more chances to show what I'm made of. The scouts barely saw me do anything this time around."

"Hmhm, just what're you in such a hurry for, anyway, huh?"

"It's just… I-I wanna help you guys out as soon as I can." Kyoka could hear the pain in Ochako's voice, making her hug herself to give herself some comfort.

But, thankfully, Ochako's dad was quick to give comfort to his daughter, speaking softly to her. "Ochako, there's no need to rush things." he assured. "The very fact that you feel that way shows me you'll make a kind, caring hero one day. I am SO proud of you, you know that, right?"

And that was that. Ochako broke down crying, covering her eyes with one hand as knelt over the table. "Hic—Y-Yes, daddy. I know… th-thank you." she hiccupped.

"Good, now you should really get back to the stands. Your friend's up next, isn't he?"

"Y-Yeah, he is. I'm gonna go now, so… bye, daddy."

"Goodbye, sweetheart. Love you."

"Love you, too." That was Kyoka's cue to take her jack out of the door and lean against the wall casually, keeping her eyes closed as Ochako came out. Whatever tears she had let out had been dried, and she seemed plenty composed. Kyoka offered a small smile to the brunette… only to get hit with the bluntest question possible. "So, how much did you hear?"

Kyoka, however, took it in stride as she began walking toward the stands. "I haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about."

Ochako pursed her lips and pointed at the punk rocker. "See, using language like that is what makes people believe the exact OPPOSITE. You heard that whole thing, didn't you?"

"Hey, all I heard was a one-sided conversation." Kyoka shrugged, fibbing just a little. "Side note, you sure you're okay? I… heard you crying, and…"

"They were GOOD tears, I can assure you." Ochako took a deep breath as she fell in line with Kyoka, craning her head down just a little. "I… I-I sometimes get really emotional when it comes to my dad."

"Heh, wish I could say the same for mine." Kyoka smirked. "I love my dad, but he's a total doof."

Ochako laughed and waved her hand. "Haha! Oh, don't get me wrong, mine is, too. I can't begin to count the number of times he's done goofy stuff." She let out a breath, craning her head down slightly. "It's just… he and I have always shared a strong bond, you know? Guess you could say I'm a Daddy's Girl."

Kyoka brought her arm over her friend's shoulder, giving her a wink. "Yeah, I get ya. Don't worry, I totally get it. Just don't forget, you've got us to come to if you're ever feeling upset too, okay?"

"Hm, right." Ochako nodded, feeling a whole lot better about herself than she had a few moments before.

…..

"Alright, ladies and gents, let's get the second round a' matches started! Lemme hear ya say "YAY-YUH"!"

The crew of the Nemesis were baffled by such a word, needless to say. "What the scrap kinda word is "yay-yuh" and why would ANYBODY say it?" Barricade uttered.

Nightra was scrolling through some databanks, trying to find the word in question and coming up with nothing. "Can't even find it in ANY of this planet's dictionaries. Closest I've come are the words "yay" and "yeah", both being related to shouts of joy or affirmation." The female con rolled her optics and made her screen disappear. "These organic languages can be SO annoying to understand."

"This next bout brings together another couple of pals from Class 1-A, so keep your eyes peeled!" The Decepticons watched closely as Present Mic introduced the two students, who were walking out to meet each other on the battlefield. "He's kept proving to be quite the surprising entrant in this Sports Festival, but can he keep up the pace in THIS battle? It's Izuku Midoriya! Versus… the young man whose surprising speed has certainly left us all quite blown away… and a little amused. It's Tenya Iida!"

"Ugh, more of the Autobots' whelps going up against one another." Skywarp sneered. "Don't you think this is getting rather old?"

Shadowstriker only returned a sour look of her own right back to her team leader. "Well, zat's what happens when ALL of zem make it to ze finals. It's rather unavoidable."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Skywarp grumble. "Just kinda tired of seein' those dumb teenagers."

Swift whistled at the comment. "Wooh, the edge lord's throwin' ALL the shade over here! Might wanna pump the brakes a bit there, Warp. Not like we can do anything about it, after all." Once again, the Seeker just growled and faced away from the screen, choosing to simply mind his own business. Swift, for her part, glanced back over to her commander. "So, whaddya think, boss? Which kid's gonna win this one?"

"Hmph, Midoriya, obviously." Starscream scoffed. "The engine-legged child is certainly faster, but Midoriya is simply able to maneuver himself better. In the end, I predict that his victory will be assured when his opponent isn't able to follow his movements to the letter."

Swift had to admit, that was actually fairly well thought out. "A bold prediction there, Screamer, let's see how that pans out for ya."

…..

"Ready… BEGIN!"

Izuku and Tenya didn't initially move when Present Mic gave the okay to start, the two friends having locked onto one another's sights with determined eyes. "Just so you're aware, Midoriya, I very much still intend to keep my promise." Tenya went low to the ground, taking a ready stance to sprint forward as his engines began powering up. "I WILL do my best to beat you, and I certainly hope you don't plan on holding anything back either!"

"Never." Izuku widened his own stance, bringing his arms up in front of his while activating his own Quirk. 'One for All, Full Cowling… Eight Percent!' All across his body, One for All manifested itself in jagged, red patterns before disappearing in favor of the green lighting that surged all across his body. 'I've only used this a few times during the whole Festival… now it's time to REALLY show it off!' His eyes widened in challenge before shouting; "Come at me with everything you've got!"

Tenya wasn't about to hesitate on that request. "GRAAAH!" BOOM! The sound of Tenya's engines going into high gear echoed throughout the whole stadium as he charged toward his opponent… who remained still the whole time. With an exerting grunt, Tenya suddenly jumped into the air and went for a rolling kick, boosted by his engines, straight for Midoriya's side.

"WOO! Would ya look at that speed! It's enough to give ya whiplash folks—WHAT THE?!" Right as Iida's kick was about to connect, however, Izuku quickly bent backwards, ducking the attack at the very last moment before sliding directly under Tenya, who blinked in disbelief. Present Mic was practically out of his seat as he watched Izuku then do a double kip-up kick straight into Iida's back from the floor. "Would ya look a that timing! Midoriya just Matrixed his way out of that kick before giving one of his own! Such movability!"

However, despite being kicked, Tenya was able to twist himself back into position, landing in crouch before charging once again. "A brilliant move, but not one that I'll fall for twice!"

'Hm, then you might wanna keep on your toes for this one.' As his friend closed in, Izuku bent his legs before then leaping straight over Iida, this time balling a fist before bringing it down. 'SMASH!'

But Tenya saw it coming first. 'I knew it!' Quick as a flash, he kicked up his engines a bit and rushed out of the way, leaving Izuku to hit nothing but the hard cement below.

CRACK! "Augh!" Unfortunately for Izuku, both the pavement AND his hand made the same sound, quickly feeling a tingly feeling traveling up his arm. 'Damn, he avoided that faster than I anticipated.' Izuku removed his fist from the ground, noticing that one knuckle was bloody and a bit out of place. He grit his teeth and opened his hand… POP! "Urk!" The finger went back into joint, but it still didn't help the pain.

"Keep your head in the game, Midoriya!"

"H-Huh—AH!" The greenette was too late to avoid Tenya's leg coming straight at him, the kick striking him in the shoulder and sending him tumbling across the field.

"Woah! What a comeback from Iida! Just goes to show ya that speed CAN be both an advantage AND a detriment depending on how it's used."

When Izuku came to a stop, he thought over Present Mic's words, watching as Iida circled back toward him. 'He's right, I might have the maneuverability, but even with Full Cowling, Iida's still faster than me. I'm going to need to rely on lots of different factors here to help me—' "WOAH!" He was brought out of his thoughts when Iida went for another kick, this time aimed at the inheritor's legs.

As the two went back and forth, their friends watched on from the stands, all of them eagerly watching to see who would win this bout. "Wow, Midori and Iida are so impressive." Mina admired, the pink girl now sporting a bandage wrapped around her abdomen. "To think that both of them are able to go up to such high speeds!"

"Yeah, pretty crazy." Denki agreed. "No wonder they managed to get this far."

Momo continued to pay attention carefully, making sure to take note of every move the boys used. "The difference in fighting styles is clear, though. With Iida constantly on the move, his legs make for the most useful weapon he has…" Her focus was mainly on Izuku, however. "Meanwhile, Midoriya's better movement allows him to avoid Iida's attacks, but so far, he's only been able to land a hit when taking Iida off guard."

Kyoka hummed and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Makes me wonder if Izuku will be able to get the jump on Iida again…"

"Well, if Deku can take advantage of Iida not being able to make precise movements, then maybe…" Ochako murmured.

As they discussed this, though, Stella had made her way to the front and was cheering for her human partner, with Brian clapping his hands next to her. "C'mon Tenya, you've got this! Just keep up the pace, you've got this in the bag!"

Sadie was also down there, helping Brian show his support. "Let's go, Izuku! You're doing good, just don't let Iida psyche you out!"

As his Autobots cheered, Orion could see that the gears were beginning to turn in Izuku's head. At present, he and Tenya were engaged in close combat, but the Prime could tell that wouldn't be the case soon enough. 'This match could either end in submission, knock out, or ring-out… and I have a feeling that the latter will be the one employed here.'

On the battlefield, Izuku was doing his best to block all of the quick kicks that Iida was sending his way, which only managed to hurt his arms with every impact. It didn't help that the Class Rep was using small bursts from his engines to strengthen the kicks right before they hit, which made them all the more painful. 'I've gotta switch things up. If he decides to use his Recipro-Burst, I'm done—WAIT!' Izuku's eyes widened as a plan entered his mind. 'If I can LURE him into using his Recipro-Burst, I might be able to win this. I just need to get enough distance and make sure the timing is right.'

With his plan in his head, Izuku suddenly ducked a high legsweep from Tenya before punching him straight in the gut, causing the latter to go skidding back several feet. From there, Izuku took some distance himself, which Tenya didn't fail to notice as he began running after him. "A little distance won't save you, Midoriya!"

"Try and get me, then." Izuku said with a smirk before dashing off in a burst of green light.

'Was… that a challenge?' Tenya didn't really have much time to think about his friend's odd behavior, though, not when he was getting away. He put his engines into gear, increasing his speed as Izuku kept up the pace, while making sure he had his plan straight in his head.

'Okay, in order for this to work, I need to use a Texas Smash…' He glanced down to his left arm, taking every factor into consideration. 'If I bump up to ten percent, then I think I'll be able to knock him out of the ring. It might hurt a little, but it's worth giving it a try, at least.'

As he approached one end of the field, Izuku turned on a dime and rushed over to the opposite side in no time flat, making Iida stop in surprise. "W-What the…" By the time he managed to compose himself, Tenya saw that Izuku had made it to his destination, the One for All user already in a crouch. "So, you're faster than you let on?"

"Well, I decided to bump up my power a little for that."Izuku replied. "Think you can keep up?"

"Oh, I very well know I can." Tenya went into his ready position, his engines beginning to power up into full gear. 'It looks like he's about to charge me. I have ten seconds before my engines stall. I can get him out of bounds in that time, but I have to be sure I don't let him out of my sight. It's now or never!' FWOOSH! From his engines, Iida's exhaust flames went from yellow to blue, which let Izuku know that he was ready. "Torque Over…"

'Here it comes…' His legs began to move…

"RECIPRO-BURST!" BOOM! With practically blinding speed, Tenya launched himself at Izuku, who reciprocated in kind… but instead of head-on, he darted off to Iida's left side. The blue-haired boy's eyes widened, following Izuku as they crossed paths in the middle of the ring… only to then see his arm begin to glow red with power. 'No… I took his bait!' Tenya went to skid, being the only way that he could hope to turn without stopping.

…But it was too late. 'One for All, ten percent…' "Texas… SMASH!" Izuku punched Tenya in the back, the force whipping up a small burst of wind. That, along with Tenya's over torqued engines, made for enough force to send him flying. He heard Tenya shout in shock and panic as he was blown straight through the air… and out of bounds… and into the opposing stadium wall. As Iida hit the ground, his engines stuttered and stalled, leaving Izuku stunned. "I, uh… I-I didn't mean for it to be THAT hard."

Midnight was a bit surprised at the power of Izuku's hit herself, but nevertheless, she had to give the final ruling; "Tenya Iida is out of bounds, so this match goes to Izuku Midoriya!"

The stadium erupted into a chorus of cheers, with those in Class 1-A staring on in both joy and amazement. "Woah, did you see that?!" Sato exclaimed.

"Yeah, that was somethin' else!" Sero agreed, the Tape user still wrapped in a warm blanket after his earlier experience. "Midoriya's wicked strong!"

"Ribbit, he might actually be in the running to win the whole thing!" Tsuyu added. The frog girl didn't see it, but Bakugo's eye twitched a little after hearing that.

Meanwhile, all of Izuku's closest friends were cheering their lungs out. "WOO! Way to show 'em, Izuku!" Kyoka belted out.

"Deku! That was amazing!" Ochako called.

Brian and Sadie down in front were both practically jumping for joy, while Stella gave a sigh as she watched Tenya slowly get to his feet. "Oh well, there's always next year. And besides, if anything, this gives us an excuse to get to that training we were talking about."

Back on the field, Izuku had quickly made his way over to Tenya, the spectacled young man letting out a breath as his hand went to his back. "A-Are you okay, Iida?" the greenette offered a hand, which thankfully hadn't been broken by that attack. "I'm sorry if that was too hard, I didn't expect to—"

"No, no, don't apologize, Midoriya." Tenya insisted, taking Izuku's hand in a firm shake. He smiled as he stood up, bowing his head in respect. "You genuinely got the better of me out on the field just now. To be frank, I did not expect such a maneuver on your part. Truly, you are just as crafty as you are strong, if your performance so far is anything to go by."

"Uh… thanks." Izuku scratched his cheek. "Though to tell the truth, I kind of came up with that plan on the fly."

"If anything, that just makes you more impressive." Tenya affirmed. "You've shown yourself capable of creating premediated plans AND spur of the moment plans quite effectively. You would make quite the tactician, Midoriya, and I only hope I'll be able to learn such feats as an aspiring hero."

Izuku nodded back. "I'm sure you will. So, can I expect a rematch next year?"

Tenya wore a determined smile at that. "Oh, you can. But for now… do your best to win THIS year, hm?"

"Hm, right." Izuku craned his head up to the stands, where he saw his classmates all cheering for the battle they just witnessed. And, directly above them in the higher boxes, he could see All Might smiling and giving him a thumbs up. However, in another part of the crowd, he could see Shoto Todoroki standing by himself, his eyes locked firmly on him. 'I'm going to the semis… better make sure I give it all I got.'

…..

A/N: And there you have it! With the first round having ended and the second beginning, we're seeing people advancing left and right. Of course, Bakugo won over Ochako, but if you've seen the anime, you knew that was happening already. But of course, like the anime, the loss serves as character development FOR Ochako, so it IS very much important. And besides, that meteor shower move is STILL really impressive.

And of course, we also had the bout between Tenya and Izuku, which, believe it or not, was actually the HARDER of the two matches to think up since I had nothing to go on, which will be the case for almost all of the next round. That said, I think I did a fairly good job with it, bringing in Izuku's crafty mind once again to trick Tenya into using his own Recipro-Burst against him.

But, in terms of the Con-mentary this time around… yep, everyone's been saying it, but indeed, Megatron sees something of himself within one Katsuki Bakugo, though at the same time, he can tell that Bakugo has stagnated with his Quirk, and that's part of why he's so brutal in his efficiency. Quite interesting… oh, but don't worry, while Megatron might be leaving now, his business won't take too long, and he'll be back in time for the semis. Also, mentions of Skyquake and Dreadwing! Two Decepticons from Prime who I'm sure have quite the fanbase. But, with that being said…

And now, The Preview! With things rolling into the next round, it's time once again for a whole new slew of battles. We've got Creation vs Extinction, Ice vs Grass, and Explosive Fire vs Hardened Rock. Which of these lucky kids will end up going to the semis? It's time to find out! Next time; Fight On, Challengers! Thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll catch you all next time! Stay safe out there, and as always…

GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!