Welcome back, everyone! I'm fairly certain that as of next week beyond, I'll be getting more traction for this story in terms of reviews and chapters. That's because by the time I finish "Omni Force: WORLD HEROES' MISSION" later this week, I'll be spending the rest of March taking short requests on my forum based on a list that I'll be compiling. I'll explain more when the time arises, so please stay tuned.
Anyways, the cavalry battle is reaching its peak! And we're getting so much closer to my favorite part of the story to write thus far! So I hope you're looking forward to it!
"Shiki, it seems as if we are currently in the top four," Homura pointed out, looking up at the leaderboard for the cavalry battle. Izuku's team was still in first with their ten million points, while their team was in second.
"If we'll be advancing with such a rank, then I see no reason to attempt to steal more points," Fumikage chimed in, getting the attentions of his teammates.
"Nah, we gotta aim for the top!" the Satan Gravity Quirk user insisted firmly, "Like Izuku said, everyone's looking to do their best, so we should, too!" he declared.
"Granbell..." Yuga uttered, holding onto their 675-point headband as well as 225 and 135-point ones.
"You wanna shine bright, right?" Shiki inquired of him, causing him to blink in surprise, "Then we'll shine bright right at the top!" he vowed. His teammates all had varying expressions in response to his declaration. But in the end, they all grinned in agreement.
"Then we shall win," Homura decided as they began their charge towards where the ten million points lied, still with Izuku's team.
"Crap..." Rebecca muttered out, grimacing in fright as she saw Shoto's team. He seemed very determined to get their points. With how stoic he appeared, he definitely had a plan as to deal with his foes.
"Kaminari, be ready," he advised of the Electrification Quirk user.
"You got it, man!" he replied as yellow electricity started to spark around him. Momo created an insulated sheet to cover her and the others. "Indiscriminate Shock..." Denki began, "ONE-POINT-THREE MILLION VOLTS!" he exclaimed, unleashing a large discharge of electricity about the area, zapping several nearby teams. Izuku and the others found themselves zapped as well, screaming with agony. At that point, Shoto's team began their charge towards them. Rebecca glanced up and gasped.
'Oh no...' she uttered inwardly, 'We're all sitting ducks after getting zapped...!' she realized, looking back at her pained teammates, including Izuku. She then saw the ice from the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user closing in on them. 'I gotta do something!' she concluded through her thoughts, shutting her eyes. Her markings upon her legs glowed brightly. And all of a sudden, the tingling sensation was gone.
"Huh?" she uttered, opening her eyes. She and her team were still moving about the field like they hadn't gotten zapped. In fact, Shoto's team had just appeared in front of them.
"Kaminari, be ready," he advised of the Electrification Quirk user.
"You got it, man!" he replied as yellow electricity started to spark around him.
"Ah!" Rebecca gasped in realization, "We gotta fall back!" she insisted quickly, turning with her teammates.
"Wha-?! Rebecca?!" Izuku yelped in surprise, while Shoto blinked in surprise.
"Don't let them get away!" he called out to his teammates.
"Rebecca, what's wrong?" Ochaco asked of the Leaper Quirk user as they kept running, avoiding the electricity being discharged by Denki as it was zapping the other teams, allowing Shoto to not only trap them in ice, but also take some teams' headbands.
"I was worried we'd get zapped by Denki if we stayed too close!" Rebecca answered as she glanced back to see their opponents still after them, "With Momo on their team, they don't have to worry about getting themselves zapped..." she pointed out.
"Yeah, good point..." Izuku agreed, "But I don't think we can risk taking to the sky again," he mentioned while narrowing his eyes in thought, "Without both of the hover soles, we're gonna wind up in more trouble than before..." he realized.
"And if they know where we'll land, we'll be sitting ducks..." Ochaco noted additionally. Meanwhile, Rebecca was deep in thought. Getting zapped definitely happened earlier. She didn't just imagine it. She looked down at the markings on her legs, wondering what exactly had happened earlier.
'Did... Leaper do this?' she guessed inwardly. All of a sudden, ice surrounded her and her teammates, walling them off as they had approached the sidelines. Now it was just them against Shoto and the others. 'Think about it later,' Rebecca advised of herself as she took on a determined expression, 'Right now, I gotta help Izuku and the others win!' she declared through her thoughts.
"There," Kleene said as the 370-point headband gently floated into Itsuka's hands.
"Nice job, Kleene!" the Big Fist Quirk user complimented, tying the headband around her head.
"That wind Quirk of yours really does the trick..." Setsuna commented with a cheeky grin.
"I suppose," Kleene replied as she nodded, "My brother's Quirk is much more equipped for battles like these," she pointed out.
"Speaking of whom, why's he with a Class A guy?" Reiko inquired curiously.
"Yeah, I saw they had a chick from Support, too..." Setsuna mentioned.
"Whatever the case may be, we shouldn't concern ourselves," Kleene insisted of her teammates, "If I know my brother, he will advance to the next round like us," she affirmed confidently, "For now, let's stop the winds of those in Class A," she decided.
"Sounds good to me," Itsuka responded with a grin. The battlefield had divulged to several separate situations. Most of the teams were trapped in Shoto's ice, while others were battling each other for their headbands or running away. Katsuki's team was taking all the headbands from Neito's team, working together fluently as they snatched them.
"Hey, we're not taking any other headbands?" Weisz inquired of Kris and Maria.
"We have enough for now," the Class B student assured, "So long as we advance, we'll get to prove our strengths in the tournament round," he pointed out.
"Exactly," Maria agreed, giving the Machina Maker Quirk user a wink.
"Uh, sure... whatever..." he responded, sheepishly scratching his right cheek and blushing. In the meantime, Katsuki and Shiki's teams both approached the ice wall surrounding Izuku and Shoto's.
"They're definitely in there!" both the Explosion and Satan Gravity Quirk users exclaimed, followed by blinking in surprise. They turned to find themselves right next to each other, staring blankly. Pointing to each other and yelling, both teams charged at each other.
Back on the other side of the ice wall, Izuku was making sure that his team was keeping themselves to Shoto's left side. If he were to try and use an ice attack, he'd risk hitting Tenya, essentially the only person keeping his team mobile. He cursed at how cunning his opponent was.
"We still gotta worry about Kaminari's electricity like Rebecca said..." Ochaco pointed out as she grimaced.
"Yeah, but we don't have anything to defend against it..." Izuku noted in frustration.
"Hehehehe..." Mei chuckled cheekily from behind, "Electricity, you say?" she inquired as there was a glint of excitement in her eyes.
"Kaminari, now!" Shoto shouted.
"Got it!" Denki responded, unleashing another large discharge of yellow electricity. It streaked toward his opponents, who all grimaced as they had nowhere to go. However, a blanket suddenly was deployed over them, blocking out the electricity. "Huh...?" the Electrification Quirk user uttered out with a dopey expression upon his face.
"Was that... an insulated sheet?!" Momo inquired aloud.
"But how'd they obtain one?!" Tenya questioned, blinking rapidly.
"Hatsume, was that you?!" Izuku inquired back to the Support Course student as he and the others removed the blanket.
"You betcha'!" she replied with a nod, "A supporter's always gotta make sure to plan for anything!" she noted as she gave him a thumbs up.
"And look!" Rebecca chimed in, enticing her teammates to glance ahead and see the dopey expression on Denki's face.
"Whee..." he uttered out.
"He short-circuited!" Ochaco realized, starting to smile.
"We still got a chance, Izuku!" Rebecca noted to her best friend, "All we've gotta do is hold on until time runs out and-!" In that very instant, Shoto's team shot forward thanks to Tenya's Recipro Burst. And at that speed, the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user snatched the headband off of his rival's head. Everyone on Izuku's team was left stunned.
"I told you, Midoriya..." the Engine Quirk user began, grinning at the One For All inheritor, "that I'd do my best to beat you," he stated firmly. The crowd cheered loudly at the sight. Grimacing in frustration, Rebecca turned to her best friend.
"What do we do?" she asked of him, getting his attention. In the situation they were in, there was only so much time left to try and take other headbands. And they didn't know who had how many points. This was their only chance.
"Then let's do it!" Ochaco exclaimed as she and the others charged forward to their team leader's surprise, "We'll get the points back, Deku! I just know we will!" she declared confidently.
"Uraraka..." he uttered out.
"That's right!" Rebecca yelled, "No matter strong each of them are, they have limits just like us!" she noted aloud, "We'll snatch all their headbands!" she vowed.
"Rebecca..." Izuku uttered. He remembered he wasn't just fighting to get into the next round himself, but to get his teammates in as well. He wouldn't let them down. So in calling upon the power of One For All, he was ready to attack. And in that instant, Shoto reflexively ignited his flames.
"Dammit!" Katsuki cursed just as he managed to snatch a headband away from Yuga's head, while Homura was quick to take one away from his neck in exchange.
"We're running short on time, everyone!" Fumikage called out to his teammates, "At this rate, we won't be able to attain first place like we vowed!" he pointed out.
"Then let's go!" Shiki declared, having his green markings shine brightly. All of a sudden, he and his teammates floated up from the ground, avoiding another blast from the Explosion Quirk user as he and his teammates widened their eyes to see their foes fly away.
"Elbow Guy, get 'em!" Katsuki shouted.
"I'm Sero!" Hanta replied in frustration, firing off a strand of tape from his left arm to try and catch the opposing team. However, he was ultimately thwarted by a red energy blade procured by Homura, who slashed the incoming strand in half.
"Down there!" Yuga exclaimed, pointing towards Izuku and Shoto's teams. The One For All inheritor was still reaching his hand out to the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user. He wasn't intending to hit him, only planning to breach his defense long enough to take one of the headbands. And with a wave of his arm, he blew his foe's aside as he was left in shock, wondering why he had activated his flames at all. In that instant, Izuku snatched the first headband around his neck, taking it away.
"I did it!" he exclaimed.
"Uh... please tell me something's wrong with my eyes..." Mei chimed in, much to the freckled teen's surprise. He looked down and panicked to find that the headband he obtained was only 95 points. That wasn't enough.
"Here we come!" Shiki roared from above, causing Izuku to gasp as he saw the Satan Gravity Quirk user and his team land down, charging towards them. There were ten seconds left. Katsuki burst through the wall of ice, Homura readied an energy blade in her right hand, Shoto was given a staff created by Momo, freezing it in ice, and Izuku reached his hand out again. All of them were determined to see their victories through.
"TIME'S UP!" Present Mic exclaimed over the loudspeakers. Grimacing in frustration, the One For All inheritor closed his right hand into a fist and clenched his teeth together. He failed. 95 points would be nowhere near enough. Every rider disembarked, with their teammates checking on them to make sure they were okay.
"At this rate, he'll win..." Shoto muttered as he closed his left hand into a fist, knowing that his father, Endeavor, had watched him use his flames, even for just a moment.
"And now's time for the final standings!" Present Mic announced, "In first place in a surprise turn of events is Team Aoyama!" he yelled, causing the Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk user to glance up in surprise. He looked at the two headbands he had. Neither had the ten million points.
"I believe this is what you're looking for, Todoroki," Homura chimed in, getting his attention as he looked over to see her holding the very headband upon her energy blade, "I told you not to underestimate me..." she pointed out with a glare, while her teammates were all smiling behind her.
"In second place is Team Todoroki!" Present Mic announced. A frustrated look came across Shoto's face again. The standings kept going. Katsuki's team was in third, Weisz's in fourth, and Hitoshi's in fifth.
"Girls... I'm..." Izuku tried to say, being turned away from his comrades as he trembled with frustration, "I'm really sorry..." he apologized, balling his hands into fists.
"Um... Izuku?" Rebecca uttered, getting his attention as he turned to face her, "After you grabbed that low headband around his neck, I found an opening," she pointed out to his surprise. She held up a 370-point headband. "I think this'll be enough for us to pass," she assured with a giggle. And just like that, her best friend burst into tears, shooting up like a geyser. He was so thankful in that moment, and she just laughed happily with Ochaco and Mei. Itsuka and Tetsutetsu's teams also made their way into the next round. Things were looking to be quite crazy with what was ahead.
And that ends the cavalry battle. Up next, some hijinks before we get into the real meat of this festival! Stay tuned for more!