Here is the twenty-eighth chapter in this story released when I wanted it to be released based of my release process for this series. The Cavalry Battle is over and the 32 students who remain for the final round are known but not what the one on one tournament rules will be or who they will be facing. Well, it's time for a bit of a break for lunch and then the reveal of who is facing who in that final round. A needed break indeed, it's not like there won't be anything unexpected during it, right? Time will soon tell but for now that is all I have for the administrative stuff I have for y'all and while there are no questions to answer there is a guest review to respond do along with an announced change to two previous chapters which I will do now starting with the review response. Do keep them coming as your support is the best motivation for me to keep producing chapters at this kind of rate.
To Guest (guest), thank you for your review and support for my adaptation of the Cavalry Battle with these two great franchises added to it. As Shinso showed in canon, you can advance by simply playing it safe, being obscure, and then surgically striking when need be and that's just what the non-canon teams did to advance to the expanded final round. Yeah I think Neo will do all she can to avoid Asta from now on, he could be a major problem for her. She avoided it this time and is out so it's back to her mission but knowing there's another who can nullify Quirks, well that's got to worry her. Monoma's plan really wasn't too bad, smart and shows a different kind of hero, but he needs to loosen up a little, Mimosa is her own person and he should have accepted it though I'm sure that Mimosa will end up with her own rivalry with someone in specific in Class 1-A and that that rivalry will soon start even if she's not aware of it just yet. Shinso advanced in the last moment in canon, this time he won with the aid of Yuno and really shocked everyone to claim victory and still no one knows his Quirk. Class B isn't out just yet and Monoma has a few to support. Keep reading and enjoying my work.
As for the change that I've made (if you've begun reading after this chapter was uploaded then please disregard this note), I've altered parts of Chapters 12 to better fit canon as there is a bit about Princia Funnybunny in it. This was done before Sword of the Wizard King came out so there was limited information on them but I wanted them to be adapted into the lore of this crossover as they are, if I recall, considered canon characters so I used what little had been revealed at the time. Now that the film is out and I've seen it I've updated the references to them to be in line with the film though without any major spoilers other than the reference to Princia's attribute due to adapting it into a Quirk along with a vague reason for what happened to her. However, for now I'm going to leave the stuff about Edward and Conrad still being alive just retired and disgraced respectively due to shortening the list of Wizard Kings because I've shortened the timeframe for the Black Clover adaption from 500 to 200 years between the 1st Wizard King and the current age in as is as I have some plans on that front that will adapt Sword of the Wizard King into this series though that won't be for a long time but if you want to see that or have more references to those 4 characters do let me know as I found them all interesting and wouldn't mind factoring in some more lore from time to time. So if you're rereading this story or if you notice new references in the future and are confused this is why.
That is it for this pre-chapter note which means that it now officially time to sit back and enjoy the twenty-eighth chapter in Black RWBY Academia.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these three great franchises.
Chapter 28: Break in the Festival
"Congrats on advancing, Mina." Tsu said as almost all of Class 1-A left the stadium with mixed reactions ranging from pleased to annoyed to upset to frustrated at the results of the recent Cavalry Battle. "You're team did well. I'm disappointed in how we did though, I had hoped that we could advance with our plan. Between Shoji's scouting, Mineta's balls, and my tongue we had a strong team but alas we messed up."
"I don't get how did we lose our headband?" Mineta again still shocked at how that had happened as Mina thanked Tsu but in a muted tone noting that she was only on Bakugo's team because she could melt Todoroki's ice which she didn't even do in the end so she'd not really shown what she could do. "Our plan should have worked, it was foolproof. I even got to be on a team with a girl though I wasn't as lucky as Asta. Seriously, how did that happen?"
"We let our guard down for a moment and lost, that's all." Shoji said as he walked past already accepting the result. "It's taught me a lot and I will learn from it. You should as well rather than being jealous of something you'll never get."
"Come on Mineta, cheer up." Kaminari said as he snapped out of his stupid state while Mineta was complaining about Asta, which he agreed with, and tried to cheer up his fellow ladies' man. "It's a loss but so what, you can bounce back from it. The ladies love a comeback story, much better than a muscular meathead."
"How, after such a…" Mineta began but suddenly he noticed something and his eyes lit up and a grin spread over his face at an idea that would get him out of this funk and get a little payback for his perceived treatment in the process. "Hey, Kaminari, I know what to do to bounce back but I need your help."
"Sure what?" Kaminari asked as most of the class had already made their way to cafeteria so few were around to overhear Mineta's scheme. "Is it something good?"
"Come down here and let me explain my genius plan, you'll love it." Mineta said with a smirk as he beckoned to Kaminari to get down to Mineta's height so that Mineta could whisper his plan to his fellow pervert. "Ok so here's what we do. First we…"
As Mineta explained a smile began to grace Kaminari's lips as well. Trust Mineta to come up with this but his reputation was already such that he would be suspect, that's where Kaminari came in and he couldn't disagree that this was a great idea if they played it right. All they needed was the right person to persuade and as they began to head to the cafeteria they saw that person as no one in the class noticed what the pair of amorous boys were up to.
"Damn Ida, you've been holding out on us." Ochaco said as their usual group formed while Kaminari and Mineta passed them with matching grins that if anyone had noticed would have made them suspicious but no one did as the group waited for Midoriya who was the only one who hadn't joined them yet. "I didn't know that you could run like that. It was seriously impressive."
"Oh yeah what happened to you guys behind that ice?" Asta asked his curiosity peaked. "Once it all went up we acted to get some insurance but we had no idea what was going on over there. We didn't even know that the headband had changed multiple times until after the event ended."
"Well, you see, I can over torque my engines in a pinch which gives me 10 seconds of extreme speed well above what I can normally do when I'm in my highest gear." Ida explained. "I haven't had need to use it and the drawback is that my engines stall afterwards so I can't move for a bit but in a team event like this event it came in handy to use it when we isolated Midoriya's team. It was part of Todoroki's strategy and why I was the point person on the team."
"Holding something back, not bad." Weiss said looking at Ida with a hint of respect creeping into her voice. "You're not as uptight and by the book as I thought Ida. A true hero has a trick or two up his or her sleeve to use in specific, well timed, moments. I dare say you're ahead of the curve with that."
"I assure you I did not mean to deceive my classmates." Ida said defensively though his pride did get a boost from Schnee's words as Ochaco began to run in place to show her own praise for Ida's new move. "It was a strategic choice for such a situation and I merely wanted to show that I could compete with Midoriya."
"Deception is a valid tool as a hero, don't look down on it or it may limit you in the field or as part of a team." Nero said simply. "We held back to wait and then acted when the situation was in our favor or an opening presented itself, those actions could be seen as deception to some but it was simple tactics."
"Same, we had to avoid any attacks and then strike at Class 1-B so that they knew we wouldn't take their challenge lightly, or get any of our class's points for that matter." Ruby said. "We managed to get Tsu's team's headband out of it but failed to get that loudmouth's one off his head as I wasn't sure I could manage it before he grabbed me so they advanced as well. You were the lot that managed to knock out some of Class B, right?"
"Two of them, yes." Noelle said with a nod. "We have my cousin Mimosa to thank for that, she opted to not play their game and join our team and I must admit her Plant Seeds Quirk is rather handy as a support and capture Quirk. She was able to not only get Asta near enough to steal one of the headbands that was frozen in place by Todoroki's ice but also got another one all on her own as that team was running away from the other Class B teams at the end when their class turned on each other for points. As much as I hate to admit it, Mimosa's level of control is rather impressive but I showed my worth in the end as well."
"Yeah we ensured we kept our points thanks to you Noelle." Asta said with a grin that got Noelle to flush at the praise, not that he noticed of course. "So we got plenty of points to advance even if Yuno got that 10 million headband and showed us all up, again."
"By the way." Ochaco said as she stopped running in place and interrupted the conversation as she looked around. "Has anyone seen Deku? I thought he'd have joined us by now."
"I saw him head off right after the Cavalry Battle with someone." Nero said. "He had a serious look so I figured that it was private. Best to leave him and let him join us at lunch."
"Yeah I'm sure Midoriya will be fine." Asta said as his stomach growled loudly. "After all that excitement I could go for some food so let's get it. I'm going to need more energy for whatever is next."
"Simple but I can't lie, food is needed." Noelle said. "We still have one more event to come after all."
"Very well, I trust that Midoriya will be fine." Ida said as they began to head off though Ochaco was a little nervous about that but she kept it to herself as she too trusted Deku to be fine. "Asta, could you explain how your, er, brother won that? I am still confused with how the Cavalry Battle ended. One minute we had the headband and while Midoriya was charging to get it back, and even managed to grab one of the ones Todoroki had taken, he'd shuffled them so that Midoriya wouldn't get it."
"Honestly I'm not too sure with some of the details myself." Asta admitted as they walked. "Yuno's super talented with that powerful Quirk of his and handsome, it's kinda annoying how much of a lady killer he is, but that was some serious improvement with his Quirk. Starforce is versatile and strong but I don't know how he employed it there."
"I see, it's odd, he strikes me as someone who comes from wealth and privilege that has a history of Quirk Marriages what with that strong and unique Quirk of his and his looks but he's an orphan like you." Ida said thinking on it. "It is rather perplexing."
"I never questioned it, we're both in the same boat and raised the same way so we don't care for things like birth status or wealth, most money we make will go back to the orphanage and to help the village." Asta said. "Yuno got the Quirk and good looks; I got my muscles and drive but with a Quirk of my own now I can keep up at least there even if he's the one getting all the ladies."
"How dense is Asta?" Weiss asked Nero quietly from the back of their group as they walked and Ochaco chatted idly with Ruby and Noelle about how they did, which led to a detailed account of Ruby's actions with praise for Weiss's role in it that made Weiss blush a little but she continued talking to Nero. "Seriously, anyone with a shred of common sense and observational skills can see that Noelle likes him now even if Noelle can't admit it herself but I know what her family is like, opening up is really hard for her and that's coming from me."
"From what I've gathered he redefines the word." Nero said simply. "I doubt Asta will notice though as you pointed out, Noelle's in denial herself so it's amusing to see which wins out, her overcoming of denial and then being able to act on it or his density breaking. To make this more amusing, there might be a rival that will spark some jealousy. It will be fun to watch this develop."
"What do you mean?" Weiss asked as they reached the cafeteria and headed in to get food. "Who's going to get a rival?"
"Wait and see." Nero said as they got in line to get food. "I'm sure she'll show up at lunch."
Weiss looked confused at that but Nero confused her in general so she just left it at that. She did note that the petite girl seemed to enjoy watching others and had some pretty good observational skills for someone their age. That said, Nero seemed to take special amusement in the whole dynamic between Noelle and Asta, which was odd and another thing to add to Weiss's mental assessment of Nero as she tried to find out more about the girl, in addition to the little she'd pieced together so far.
However that could wait as they had to get food so they idly chatted as they waited in line for it before getting their food and taking it to a free table. The cafeteria was as always packed with students but they were able to find one as they meandered through the students and random American cheerleaders that had been hired to entertain the crowd before the final event and who were, for some reason, in the cafeteria as well. It was a good atmosphere and they continued it when they reached the table and set down to eat.
As they did Nero noticed out of the corner of her eye that the person she'd alluded to to Weiss a moment ago was heading their way and knowing that this would be good she took the seat opposite Asta rather than her normal one next to him. That confused people as they sat down with Noelle on her normal other side of Asta but they left it at that as Weiss sat next to Nero and opposite Noelle with Ruby on her other side who Ochaco sat next to as Ida took the seat next to Noelle. It worked out just as Nero had hoped but the confirmation came when a female voice addressed them as they began to eat.
"Mind if I join again, a, Asta." Mimosa said trying to control her blush as she reached the table. "Monoma's being annoying because I took his headband as part of a team that was otherwise from your class so I'm a traitor to the class at the moment. It will blow over, don't worry, but for now I'd rather leave him to Kendo to chop into line while the rest of the class is swarming Yuno and his team following their success which will mollify Monoma by the time the next event start. Plus, I'd lot to eat with you, I mean my team, instead."
"Huh, oh sure, join us Mimosa." Asta said with a grin at Mimosa that got her to properly blush and quickly take the seat next to him "Do you know what Yuno did though? How'd he win it."
As Mimosa sat Noelle huffed not liking Mimosa's reaction at all but not understanding why she didn't like it or why she suddenly felt a stab of jealousy in her chest because surely her cousin couldn't like Asta like that, not that she liked him like that either mind you. It wasn't like Noelle saw herself with Asta like that, right? She was just a concerned friend that's all. Noelle was so lost in her worries that she missed the next for moments of the meal while muttering to herself.
"Yes, I am still curious as to that as well." Ida said leaning forward to address Mimosa and not realizing what was going on with Noelle as he did. "I was on the team he took that headband from. How'd he pull it off?"
"Oh well the one who took that headband was actually Shinso, he was the rider so technically it was his team though Yuno drew up the plan." Mimosa said. "And I'm a little hazy on the details but it seems like Yuno's developed a new star, or I guess more accurately he improved one of his current ones into a different style. Basically…"
"I see your point." Weiss muttered to Nero as Mimosa launched into an explanation for how Yuno won, minus Shinso using his Quirk on Todoroki as she didn't know that he'd done so, though Weiss did note that Yuno had drawn some inspiration from her glyphs in the creation of a constellation shield platform while Noelle seemed to be in a tizzy that only she and Nero noticed. "You think Mimosa's going down that route as well?"
"The seed's planted, that much is clear, though how I'm not sure as their only real interaction was the Cavalry Battle." Nero said. "I get Asta's drive and leadership, it's why I want to be by his side till the end, but the attraction I don't get. That said, it's probably safe to assume that I'm asexual at this point so that may explain it because the one person I've ever fallen for was a lot like Asta but for some reason I just don't feel that kind of attraction towards a person anymore."
"You are?" Weiss asked confused. "Isn't that part of that acronym thing?"
"LGBT? Yeah I think the expanded one has an A in it for that though I've been out of social issues for a long time and that stuff was always more prevalent in the west than it was here outside of manga, from what I've heard at least as I don't read manga." Nero said her tone unchanging as she ate. "Personally I don't care who someone is attracted to, I've fallen in love before, but, well, let's just say that something happened to me before I came to U.A. that seems to have disabled my ability to get sexually or romantically attracted."
"Come again?" Weiss asked turning to blink at Nero as Ruby began to ask questions about Yuno's Quirk as well. "I'm lost."
"It's just not there anymore, sexual desire that is, not that I've really tried to see if it is, so that's why I guess I'm asexual now." Nero said as she ate. "That could change of course but given Asta's similarities to my one love and how I've not fallen for him like that, plus said incident, I'm leaning to permanent change in that department."
"I am so confused." Weiss admitted which given her own current confusion regarding whether or not she was part of that acronym, something she quickly denied because she did not like Ruby in that way and quashed any other thoughts of her best friend in that manner to avoid thinking about, was saying something. "You've fallen in love but are now asexual?"
"Pretty much." Nero said and just left it at that even after Weiss gave her a moment to continue but Nero never did, she just continued to eat and did not provide any more explanation.
Weiss was now really confused as this was another strange point about Nero's past that she couldn't understand or even figure out what it meant. She'd add this to what research she'd already done into the girl to try and see if she could find more but before she could think on it anymore two more people approached their table.
"Noelle, Weiss, Rose, Ochaco, Nero, we, er, need to go to the changing room when your done." Momo said as she and Jiro reached their table, their own trays still full of food. "So meet us there when you finish eating. Ok?"
"Sure." Ochaco said as she enjoyed her rice while Ruby nodded in agreement her own American style meal mostly done already though she had a small mound of cookies for dessert to get to. "Works for me."
"Why?" Noelle asked.
"I second that." Weiss said as Nero nodded in agreement with the tsunderes.
"Apparently there's some girls only event before the final one, a fun competition it seems." Momo said. "Mr. Aizawa told Kaminari and Mineta about it and asked them to pass it along to us."
"I have a really bad feeling about this." Nero said. "Those aren't two people I'd choose to relay such news."
"Agreed." Noelle said. "Something doesn't add up."
"It came from our teacher and why would our classmates lie?" Momo asked defensively her naïve and sheltered nature coming out. "Just come, alright, we can't let the class down."
"Sounds good." Ruby said with a smile before she popped a whole cookie in her mouth.
"Fine." Weiss said. "But I'm still hesitant to trust this."
"Yeah as soon as you mentioned Mineta and girls only you had me on edge." Nero said.
"It will be fine." Momo said with a reassuring smile. "See you there girls."
With that Momo and Jiro walked away leaving them there to process it. Weiss, Noelle, and Nero were skeptical, Ochaco and Ruby trusted the co-deputy rep though Ruby did wonder why she'd not been told seeing as she was the other co-deputy rep. The reason for the skepticism being that Mineta felt that Momo was easier to fool than Ruby, especially with Weiss always with Ruby. Well, whatever was the case, it couldn't be that bad, could it?
"Something for your class only?" Mimosa asked as they resumed eating.
"Seems so." Noelle said the interruption from Momo, who was now telling Ashido, Tsu, and Hagakure as well, having broken her from her tizzy spell regarding Asta and whether or not her cousin had feelings for him. "We'll find out soon, first I want to finish my meal though."
The others nodded at that as they began to eat and enjoy the meal though they noted that Midoriya never joined them during it for some reason. When it was over, the girls got up and bussed their trays before heading to the changing room while Mimosa went back to her class to see if anything was going on with them and the boys just headed to their class's waiting room to relax before coming back into the arena for the announcement of the final event. No one knew what was coming for them as the girls headed to the locker room.
"What the hell! There's no way I'm wearing this!" Wiess exclaimed holding up the item that Momo had used her Quirk to make for them. "Mr. Aizawa cannot want this from us. He's not, well, like that. At least I don't think he is."
"I agree, it's humiliating." Noelle said flushing in embarrassment at it though a deeper part of her mind really wanted to see Asta's reaction to her in it and if he'd like what he saw enough to complement her but she quickly glossed over it. "This is why you needed our bust sizes?"
"My bad feeling is now through the roof." Nero noted looking at the one she had. "Seriously, how can this not be a trick?"
"Our teacher wouldn't lie to his students, would he?" Momo said as she stripped down to her sports bra and compression shorts to put her own one on completely forgetting about the 'rational deception' he'd done on the first day because she had suspected that that was the case from the start. "It's for a fun competition that is girls only and even if it isn't for the main Sports Festival I still intend to win it."
"Yeah, we should beat them." Ruby said quickly changing as well much more at home in the outfit than most of the other girls were though given her mixed heritage it made some sense with her. "Come on Weiss, it will be fun and I bet you'll look so hot in this."
"Yeah, they're cute." Hagakure said already in hers and striking a pose as Weiss went red not just at Ruby's words but because Ruby herself looked really good and attractive in it and Weiss had to avoid her thoughts going to places she didn't want to deal with at the moment. "Rose is right, this will be fun and seeing Schnee and Silva in them will be amusing, you tsunderes need to lighten up a little."
"It is what our teacher wants." Ochaco said changing. "So I guess it's ok."
"I still don't agree with this." Weiss said as she began to change and grumbling as she did. "But it seems we're all doing this so may as well join in, it would look bad if one of us didn't do it after all."
"This is so bellow me." Noelle said as she reluctantly began to strip off her PE kit. "But seeing as Momo and Weiss are doing it then I may as well do the same."
"If this is as I expect it is." Nero said as she took her top off revealing that she wasn't wearing a sports bra as she didn't need one but she did have pasties over her nipples before she pulled the new top on being careful not to dislodge said pasties. "Then I'm going to make them pay dearly for this."
"Class B should be doing it as well so it won't be that bad." Mina said though she was just assuming that at this point. "A good, healthy competition between us girls to show the guys how it's done."
"Yeah, us girls can have one without the testosterone and pointless dick measuring that the guys have, ribbit." Tsu said as Noelle finished putting her outfit on, the last of them to do so. "So let's show them what we can do."
"That's the spirit." Momo said as she began to hand out the last things to them. "It's almost time to go so let's give it out all and win this for our class!"
The other girls cheered or nodded at this though some were still skeptical as they finished changing and headed to the exit. The post lunch festivities would begin with a return to the field before they were informed of the final event that came before the fun and games so they had to be in place for it as the lunch break came to an end and the girls of Class 1-A headed to show what they could do, not realizing what they were walking into.
"We're back folks and it's almost time for last round of the Sports Festival!" Present Mic said excitedly from the commentary booth as the lunch break ended and the first years, excluding the Business Course students who were still doing their own thing following the first event, began to make their way back out onto the field. "But before I start, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that our Quirk Knight guest commentator has been recalled to his office by his fun killing assistant to get back to work and will not be commentating on anything going forward despite his best efforts to avoid it so no more Wizard King input on what is going on folks."
"Best efforts?" Aizawa asked the incredulity clear in his voice. "He tried to hide from his responsibilities by becoming a commentator on a live, worldwide, TV broadcast. That is possibly the farthest thing from hiding possible. We've faced glory hogging, megalomaniacal villains that were more subtle than Julius was."
"Julius certainly wasn't sensible." Oobleck said. "A shame as he is very insightful when it came to Quirks, his enthusiasm for them is second to none and he understands them on a level few do. If he wasn't the Wizard King then he'd make an excellent academic in the field of Quirk research."
"Yes I shall miss his analysis of the finite details that only he could perceive with his keen eye and understanding of time that his Quirk grants him." Port added. "A shame he had to go but he is a busy man."
"That he is and it was an honor to have him here for a little bit but don't worry folks Julius will be on my next radio show, along with his assistant Marx, so that's something to look forward to but for now, as they say, the show must go on." Present Mic said as he got back into the full swing of his commentating. "And that show starts with some good news for those who didn't make the cut for the final round. As this is a Sports Festival, we've prepared some super fun games for everyone to take part in before the final event starts. To add to it and really get your blood pumping we've even brought in cheerleaders from America so get…wait a minute, hold on, what is this that I'm seeing?"
"What on earth are they doing?" Mr. Aizawa said the shock in his voice unmistakable.
"I must say, this is new." Oobleck said his voice sounding intrigued. "Is there a reason for this?"
"I like it but I agree with my colleague." Port said. "Eraser, is there a reason for why the girls in your class are doing this?"
"No, there is no reason that I can think of." Mr. Aizawa said. "And none of them struck me as the kind to want to do this either."
"Do we really need a reason?" Present Mic asked. "Because it looks like the girls of Class 1-A have gone full on fan service!"
That was an understatement to say the least as the entire stadium stared at the 10 girls in Class 1-A who all stood in a line in orange U.A. cheerleader outfits that properly hugged their chests, well for the girls with noticeable chests that was, miniskirts, calf high white socks and yellow pom poms. It was a sight to behold and many men, and quite a few women, were staring at them with mixtures of lust, desire, attraction, envy, and a whole host of other emotions along with a lot of blushes from those who really liked what they were seeing.
Meanwhile the girls where just staring blankly at the situation and realized what had happened. This was confirmed by the thumbs up, blushes, and in Mineta's case bloodshot eyes that he and Kaminari were exchanging at the success of their plan and the searing into their memories of the girls in their class in such outfits.
"What! You two tricked us." Momo yelled her left hand in the air and glaring angrily at the boys though some of the anger was directed at herself for falling for their scheme. "You're going to regret this, I swear it."
"I did warn you." Nero said as she glared at the boys before she tossed her pom poms to the side and began to walk towards them. "I'll deal with this. I can't seal away their memories of us in these ridiculous outfits but I can make them not enjoy them."
"Why is it that I end up falling for that little pervert's schemes, I can't be this stupid, can I?" Momo asked as she fell to her knees and Ochaco bent down to pat Momo on the back while Weiss knelt down next to her and glared at the perverts who'd tricked her friend into this. "I let all of us all down and I even used my Quirk to make these outfits."
"It's not your fault Momo." Weiss said still glaring at the boys as Nero circled behind them to close in on them without them noticing her. "It's those perverts' fault. You're too nice and naïve because of how you were raised and your kind heart. You'll be a great hero because of who you are, Momo, but unfortunately some will take advantage of that. Don't worry we'll get them back."
"Yeah starting with making sure they can't enjoy this." Nero said as she reached the boys who were too busy enjoying the view they'd created to notice that she'd made her way behind them until Nero knelt down and placed her hands over Mineta's eyes deeming him the worst of the two offenders. "Now then, how about I seal your eyes shut until we change back. That will teach you a lesson that you clearly didn't learn seeing as you forgot what my Quirk can do."
With that, and before Mineta could react, there was a flash of blue light in Nero's hand and suddenly Mineta couldn't open his eyes that he'd instinctively closed when she'd placed her hands over them. He'd been distracted first by the lovely view and then the soft, small, delicate female hand over his eyes that had conjured up a lot of fantasies that would exceed an X rating so he'd not noticed until it was too late that he was now blind.
"What did you do?" Mineta wailed his hands going to his eyes but he couldn't open them. "I can't see all my hard work! Damn you Nero why do you have to ruin my enjoyment of the bevy of beautiful bombshells that is in our class."
"Because you're a little creep who tricked us, via Yaoyorozu, into these stupid things." Nero said as she rose and glared at Kaminari as Mineta started to run blindly around the field but there was no way he'd open his eyes until Nero saw fit to unseal them. "I'll free you when we're all changed but not before then. As for you, Kaminari, you need to see as you advanced to the final round but let Mineta serve as a warning for your stunt. Look too long and I will do the same to you."
"Y, yes ma'am." Kaminari said with a gulp as he looked away fearful of the response as Mineta proceeded to run face first into the concrete wall around the field, bounce off it, and land unconscious on his back which no one did anything to help him about. "Not looking at all, I promise."
"I really hate those guys, thanks for punishing them Nero." Jiro said as she tossed her pom poms down. "They tricked us by playing on Yao-Momo's kindness, they deserve to pay even more than that for this stunt."
"Calm down, Jiro, we do have a little time before the finals start and I for one dig these outfits as they are cute and you do look really good in one, we all do." Hagakure said from next to Jiro before she began to wave her arms wildly, her outfit and the pom poms showing her movements. "So how about roll with it and not let those creeps win. They only win if we don't have a good time."
"I don't care, you're crazy if you think this is a good idea because it's utterly humiliating." Jiro said angrily, her rage wasn't going to be mollified anytime soon. "Next combat trial where I get to face them I'm going to make them regret that they were ever born."
"You've got some good moves Toru." Tsu noted from Jiro's other side. "Not bad, ribbit."
"Hagakure's right, the outfits are cute." Ruby said as she shuffled her pom poms in her hands and did a little jig her hips swaying as Weiss rose to face her before she started to mimic actions she'd seen in American movies that had cheerleaders in them. "And you look great in Weiss so let's embrace it. I for one will."
"Well, if you say so." Weiss said going bright red at how adorable Ruby's little dance was and how she really did rock her cheerleader outfit, it should be criminal how good it looked on Ruby, Weiss felt. "But I'll still get those two back if I can."
"That's fine, they do deserve it so we can all draw lots to decide the order in which we get to punish them later." Ruby said. "But for now let's enjoy these outfits, especially because you look so good in one Weiss."
Weiss nodded at that as she let Ruby teach her some moves in the outfit while trying not to think of any inappropriate thoughts regarding Ruby in one as that would just confuse her because Weiss shouldn't be thinking about Ruby like that. Thankfully she was able to forget them quickly as Weiss did have to get out of her shell a bit so this might help and she really liked Ruby's compliments regarding her in the outfit so she could do this for her friend. Besides, her father would see this and Schnee behaving like this would really annoying him and that made her smile.
"What is with the outfits?" Asta asked in a confused tone as he walked over to Noelle and Nero who'd joined her after lightly threatening Kaminari while Noelle tossed down the pom poms. "Also, what are they?"
"Mineta tricked Momo and she talked us into wearing them." Noelle said her annoyance overruling the fact that Asta had no clue what a cheerleader outfit was. "Our own fault though, we should have pushed back harder the moment we knew that Mineta and Kaminari had been the ones to tell Momo and Jiro about the outfits."
"They'll pay." Nero said. "Mineta has already started his punishment but Kaminari will as well soon enough. If he's facing one of the girls in the class in the next round, well he may advance because of illegal use of lethal force."
"Huh, well I don't get the reason for it or what they are but you look great in it Noelle." Asta said with a smile that made Noelle go bright red and her pigtails stand on end for a moment. "I like it. It's different from what you usually wear, less fancy or school related."
"Oh, well, then I guess it's not too bad that we got tricked." Noelle said as Nero sighed, how Noelle was in denial and Asta was this dense was unbelievable but she just left it at that. "And my brother will be annoyed at seeing a member of the House, even a disgraced one like myself, dressed like a cheerleader so that's a plus."
Asta didn't get that part but he still smiled at it as they chatted a little more. What neither he nor Noelle noticed, but Nero did, was Mimosa off to the side pouting at how Asta was complementing Noelle and wishing she was in a cheerleader outfit as well to get that kind of complement and attention from Asta.
As Mimosa realized that she wanted to wear a cheerleader outfit to impress Asta she went red. Finally she began to understand why she was feeling this way towards Asta in the wake of seeing who he was in the Cavalry Battle and jealousy towards her cousin. It surprised Mimosa but as the rules of the final event drew near she had to put them aside to find out what they were and who she'd be facing first in the final round of the U.A. Sports Festival.
"Why is Ruby wearing that?" Blake asked as she stared at the girls of Class 1-A as they came out from one of the tunnels in matching U.A. cheerleader outfits that had to have been made by that girl in their class with a creation based Quirk. "In fact why are all the girls in her class wearing that? I've never seen a class do that before."
"I have no idea." Yang said unsure how to react as the rest of their class chatted and commentated on it though none were dumb enough to try and comment on how sexy it looked on Yang's sister. "I have a feeling that they were tricked into it. Wouldn't put it past someone in their class to do so as a prank or to be a creep, we've all fallen for tricks."
"Like the time that Neon girl at Shiketsu tricked you into flashing during the Provisional License exam?" Blake pointed out. "I'll admit it was a great strategy to get out some opponents but it was rather unexpected."
"Hey, in my defense that tricky kitty called me top heavy and said I had to go on a diet." Yang said folding her arms under her chest which had the effect of pushing up and showing off her impressive bust that had led to her being called top heavy. "So I did that to show her how ripped and in shape I am. Besides, Hado is more stacked then I am."
"Please don't remind me of that." Blake said with a groan. "That was one hell of a hot spring experience we had."
"We had to settle who had the bigger boobs, the debate had been raging all year at that point." Yang said. "So that was the best place for it."
"And the rest of us participating when it was clear that none of us were even close to challenging you two?" Blake asked. "What was the point of that? Seriously, that whole ordeal felt like we were performing some extreme fan service in a male centric manga. Thankfully no guy was there to witness it."
"We needed a controlled sample size from more average girls." Yang said with a shrug. "And those manga are based in reality, we proved it. Besides, fanservice is an important part of any piece of fiction, gotta reward the loyal fans after all."
"You don't know what that a controlled sample size is and no they're not, our class is just weird." Blake said with a sigh realizing that this was a fruitless argument to be having with Yang. "Anyway, it seems like they've been tricked but I have to admit, Ruby does look good as a cheerleader."
"She does, I may have to find who made that and get myself one, with my blonde hair and confidence I'd knock the guys dead as a cheerleader." Yang said with a grin. "Oh and look, some of them are embracing it. That's cool, adds more to the fun and games and I see that Ruby's bestie and future squeeze is joining her, that's a good sign."
"Well those will start soon because it's time for the final event reveal and draw." Blake said deciding not to address the fact that Schnee was now copying Ruby, which admittedly was rather adorable to watch especially when Ruby put her pom poms down and took Weiss's arms to show her how it was done. "So lets see who Ruby is facing in it."
Yang nodded at that as she watched Midnight approach the platform. It was time to learn how the final event would be run and who Ruby was facing but whoever it was, Yang had faith that her little sister could handle it and push on as she moved closer to winning her first Sports Festival during her time at U.A.
"Weiss, what on earth are you wearing?" Winter asked herself from the back row of the box reserved for the heads of the four Huntsmen Agencies and their guests as she sat down having missed the first two events due to a small incident that required her attention though she'd watched the replays during lunch to see how Weiss had done and was pleased with her showing so far. "What would father think of that? Well, it will annoy him to see you embarrass the family in his eyes but you seem relaxed in it, which is a good sign, you're clearly doing well here. I also see that you've made a good friend in that recommended girl with a speed Quirk, that is really nice to see. I'll have to find you for a chat afterwards."
Neither of the women on either side of Winter in the back row answered her, not that she expected it as they were professionals like her. She was in the back row of the box attending as one of Ironwood's deputies so she knew the seconds in command of the other Huntsman Agencies with her in Glynda Goodwitch, the deputy head of Beacon Agency, and Xanthe Rumpole, the deputy head of Shade Agency.
Winter didn't know the women well but she did know that both were talented and accomplished Huntresses with powerful Quirks just like she was. In fact, Xanthe Rumpole was one of the few people with a restriction on the usage of her Quirk but then again when your Quirk was called Golden Touch and allowed you to permanently change anything you touched to gold, well economically speaking you had to have restrictions as Rumpole could singlehandedly tank an economy if she wanted to.
Both women, like Winter, were behind their bosses who were in the front row of the box chatting with themselves about what they'd seen. Ozpin was considered the most senior of them and was seen as the Huntsman equivalent of All Might or Julius Novachrono but he was still good friends with Ironwood and Theodore, as well as the head of Haven Agency Leonardo Lionheart who was not in attendance today for some reason, so it was only natural for them to chat while watching the U.A. Sports Festival.
The women on the other hand, while close to their bosses and due to the trust they had from them part of what was seen to be Ozpin's inner circle, weren't as close so they watched the Sports Festival in silence. That was why they didn't respond to Winter now, or to any of her previous comments, but rather sat in silence as they waited for the Sports Festival to resume.
The final event was coming and all of them were looking forward to it. While Winter had no idea who the other women wanted to win, especially Rumpole given how rare it was for Shade to recruit a U.A. student, Winter herself was ready to support Weiss in it as she hoped her sister was able to win the U.A. Sports Festival.
"Ha, Nozel is your little sister really wearing that?" Yami said with a bark of a laugh in the Quirk Knight Captain's box as the girls of Class 1-A stood there wearing cheerleader outfits that matched the ones worn by the professional American cheerleaders who'd been hired for the Sports Festival. "That's an outfit and a half, all of them are. Wonder how that happened?"
"Shut it commoner." Nozel muttered a he glowered at the sight of his little sister in such a low class and slightly provocative outfit that was beneath a Silva, even a failure like Noelle because she was still a Silva and thus expected to live up to the expectations of their House regardless of her standing within it. "I do not need to hear your input on this."
"It is rather odd." Fuegoleon said. "Why are they dressed like that? And why is it only the girls of Class 1-A? At least Mimosa isn't dressed like that."
"They'd make a nice painting." The young Captain of the Aqua Deer Squad, Rill Boismortier, said as he used his hands to frame it and sticking his tongue out as he tried to capture the image. "I'll have to consider it later and think of a good name for it."
"No doubt one or two of those boys put them up to it with some underhanded trickery." Charlotte said the distain clear in her voice. "Young women should not dress like that unless they actually want to like the American cheerleaders they brought in for this. Those women are professionals and so long as they aren't doing it for the sake of men it is fine. This, on the other hand, is shameful. I for one would like to see those who tricked them punished."
"They could have done this on their own to liven things up." Yami said though more to annoy Charlotte than anything else given her misandrist attitude. "And besides, don't knock it until you try it prickly princess, I bet you'd look good in one of those rather than all that armor you favor. Might even help you land a man."
"Just because I prefer practicality over your unruly appearance doesn't mean I don't like my armor." Charlotte said but she couldn't look at Yami as she went bright red and inside she was gushing over the fact that Yami thought that she would look in a cheerleader outfit and debating if she should actually get one before remembering that she shouldn't bow to the whims of a man even if it was the one who she was hopelessly in love with. "So keep your thoughts to yourself and besides I don't need a man, the battlefield is my husband."
"I get it, you're some warrior woman who doesn't need a man so tell you what, if we're old and single together we can look after each other." Yami said not looking at Charlotte as he noted movement on the field that got his attention while Charlotte went into a meltdown behind him. "The draw is happening soon so this will be good. I wonder what the rules will be this year, I'm hoping for some direct combat unlike those foam swords last year, that would be good and give us a sense of what these kids can do."
The other Captains agreed with Yami on that front, though some like Nozel hated agreeing with him, direct combat was best. As Quirk Knights battle was their main duty so this was the best place to assess what the first years could do and see who of the declared Quirk Knight track students were worth an offer while also seeing if the others could be tempted to their path with offers. Regardless, so long as it was combat all the Captain knew one thing, the battles would be good.
"The side games are coming up soon so make sure that you have fun competing in them." Present Mic said getting everyone's attention as the students on the field stopped chatting, or ogling Class 1-A's girls in their outfits, to listen and look at the screen that suddenly formed a bracket with 16 slots on either side all converging into the middle for the final bout. "Because once the side games are over, the 32 students from the top 8 teams in the Cavalry Battle will be facing off one on one in a tournament style fighting competition for the ages! You're not going to want to miss the matchups that are about to come because they're going to be epic!"
"So it will be a standard fighting competition this year." Oobleck said. "That will be interesting and really show the heroes in attendance what our students can do though without weapons those on the Huntsmen track may struggle while the normal and Quirk Knight students shine. Not that we haven't had Huntsmen track students win this before, one of the two defending winners in the other years is a future Huntress after all."
"It will be a good way to see what they're made of though as there will be plenty of times in the field when a Huntsman or Huntress can't use or doesn't have his or her weapon." Port said. "So I for one am looking forward to seeing how the draw goes and the matches that come from it."
"At last, the chance to show what we're made of." Kirishima said as they all gathered together and looked up at the board where the starting slots were just gray heads with a yellow question mark in it showing that the draw was still to come. "I've been watching these finals every year and now I'm finally in them, I can't believe it. This is going to be so manly."
"Hang on, is it always a tournament for the final event?" Mina asked. "I've not followed this as much as some of the others have."
"I've never seen it before but a fighting tournament sounds fun." Asta said with a grin. "Just so long as the draw ensures I face Yuno in the final I don't care who I face, that's the only round for us."
"Not necessarily, Ashido." Sero explained. "The final is always a one on one competition, that doesn't change, but the rules of it are switched up every year. Last year it was a foam sword fighting match but this year its seems to be a standard fighting one."
"I've got swords." Asta said. "So that would have been fine for me."
"Same, but the weight is an issue if they are foam swords as that would make them lighter than Myrtenaster." Weiss said. "Ruby, what did your sister have?"
"Fighting tournaments both times, they tend to favor that for the most part." Ruby said with a shrug. "Played to Yang's strengths though her first year she ended up in the final with Luck Voltia and his Quirk doesn't deal physical damage so Yang was at a disadvantage. He basically fried her with lightning from range while using his speed to evade her until she fell down. It was pretty good and despite losing Yang showed that she could take a lot of lightning."
"But she won last year, right?" Weiss asked.
"She did though that was in part due to Voltia facing Nora Valkyrie in the semifinals and her Quirk turns electricity into power according to Yang though she wasn't clear on how it worked, so Voltia had no way of winning." Ruby said. "However, where Valkyrie turns electricity into power, Yang turns physical damage into power so she had the advantage in last year's second year final."
"She sounds like Kaminari only instead of blasting off electricity and going stupid she gets stronger from it." Jiro said. "Which branch is she in?"
"Huntress, she's in Class 3-B and working as a work study student at Beacon though Haven did try to recruit her." Ruby said. "Interesting girl, met her a few times and she's nice and almost as crazy as my sister. Also goes by the Huntress Hero name of Thunder Thighs for some reason, still figuring that out but whatever floats her boat."
"Alright students, shut up and come closer so that those in the tournament can see who they're up against after they draw lots." Midnight said getting their attention and the students all gathered up in front of the platform, other than Mineta who was still out cold on the grass but he wasn't in the final round so no one bothered to get him. "Afterwards you can enjoy the side games at your own pleasure before the tournament starts. Those in the tournament can participate in the activities or sit them out to prepare for the battle it's your choice. I am sure those in it will have their own ways of conserving their stamina for what is to come. On that note I'll start with the first place team."
"Before we start, can I ask a question." Ojiro said raising his hand and at Midnight's nod he continued. "Why are all the girls dressed as cheerleaders? I don't get it."
"Good question, I have no idea but they look hot as hell so I approve of that look and if they want to wear it in the next round, the ones who made it that is, they can." Midnight said with a grin as the girls groaned a single name in unison, 'Mineta'. "There you have it; a man of vision is behind their outfits. Now starting with the first place team, draw lots. The number you draw will determine where you will be slotted in the bracket from 1 to 32 and your name will appear the moment it's drawn so lets see who is facing who in the first round of the tournament!"
At that Midnight stepped off the platform with her lots' box and held it out to the first place team and Yuno took the first lot as he was the one who'd come up with the plan that won it so they silently decided that he'd get the honor of the first draw. He drew number 17 indicating that he'd be in the first match of the second half of the first round and his name appeared there on the board. This was followed by Shinso, Leo, and Oscar drawing their lots, numbers 3, 28 and 31 respectively. After that Midnight moved onto the second place team which had been Asta's.
Asta was pleased when he drew number 9 indicating that he'd only face Yuno in the final, providing both won out, while Noelle drew 27 creating the first matchup for all to see as she'd face Leo, Nero drew 23 and Mimosa drew 11 showing that if she and Asta won then they'd have to face each other in the last 16. That was something to consider but for now they had to pay attention to the draw as it continued and note what numbers their friends drew and who their opponents ended up being.
Ruby drew next as her team was third and she drew number 25 while Weiss drew 8 showing that the girls, like Asta and Yuno, would meet in the final if they won out. The next in their little group of friends was Izuku who drew number 1 and would thus be starting it out, which was amusing as Bakugo had drawn 32 so he was in the final battle, followed by Ochaco who drew 29 so again a set up for only meeting in the final.
After that the only one they really noted, other than their opponents, was Ida who was in the last advancing team and drew penultimate with only slots 14 and 16 remaining. He ended up drawing the latter of those two numbers thereby handing Kaminari the final slot and the matches were set.
"Alright, who's Tetsutetsu." Asta said looking around loudly looking around. "Speak up so I know who I'm beating first."
"That would be me loudmouth." The loud silver haired Class B boy yelled. "Oh I'm going to enjoy this."
"Not as much as me." Asta said with a grin at his opponent. "I've been hoping to face you."
"Alright, I'm facing the kid who topped the entrance exam." Kirishima said with a grin as he looked to Yuno who just glanced at him and nodded a confirmation before he turned and walked off to rest on his own and prepare for his matchup. "Such a manly challenge, I can't wait to see how good that Yuno kid is in combat."
"Do not let House Vermillion down." Noelle said with a glance at Leo. "Because I won't embarrass House Silva."
"I will show my brother that I am worthy of the family's Squad." Leo said grinning at Noelle. "And to do so by beating a Silva will make it all the sweeter."
"Mimosa, which one is Honenuki?" Nero asked as she noted her opponent. "He or she is in your class, right?"
"Yes, he's the guy who can soften the ground." Mimosa said pointing him out and getting a raised eyebrow from Nero. "I think I mentioned him in the Cavalry Battle, he's one of our recommended students."
"I know the power, forgot the name and face." Nero said. "This will be interesting then."
"It will be?" Mimosa asked a little confused as she looked to her own opponent, Shiozaki, who was already heading to find a place to pray for the coming battles so they didn't exchange any words. "I've got the only matchup with someone else in my class and we're seen as being very similar seeing as we both have plant based Quirks, I tend to favor vines with my seeds, and apparently we even sound the same."
"Well my Quirk is in opposition to my opponent's so I wonder which is better." Nero said. "But I need to prepare and get out of this stupid getup."
"Er, ok." Mimosa said as Nero walked off without another word.
"We're both against Class B students." Ruby said to Weiss as they looked at the scores while near them Reiko Yanagi and Setsuna Tokage chatted as they looked at the Huntress track girls knowing who they were facing thanks to how much the Class A girls had stood out so far while they didn't know who the Class B girls were. "Yanagi for me, Tokage for you. Any clue on what they can do? Or who they are for that matter."
"No but that's part of the challenge." Weiss said. "We'll face villains, and as Huntresses Grimm species, that we won't know much about so I relish this king of challenge. Now we should go change and rest up. Also find your boots Ruby."
"Huh, oh yeah I still haven't recovered them." Ruby said looking down at her sock covered feet noting that she and Nero were the only girls not wearing shoes with their outfits though Nero didn't wear shoes when she had to use her Quirk because she could use Sealing with her feet as well as her hands. "Good idea, thanks Weiss."
Weiss just rolled her eyes as they headed off while other matchups were being discussed, mainly the intrigue surrounding a lot of the Class B v. Class A matchups that Monoma was now ranting about though Bakugo just bluntly asked who Pine was before shrugging and walking off. Oscar had been about to introduce himself but decided against it at that and went to get some more food to maximize his energy for the final round.
Not all were like that though, the one Support Course student who'd advanced looked at Kaminari who she was facing but Hatsume quickly determined that he wasn't going to be of use to her so she'd beat him quick to show her gear could beat a hero and then see if the next opponent was better. That would be some kids called Ida or Komori, whoever they were, so she went to prepare her babies for their time to shine in front of all the executives from support companies who were in attendance in fancy suites.
"Aoyama is my first opponent and then Ojiro or Shinso." Izuku muttered as Todoroki looked at Midoriya and the bracket, he was facing Sero first but if he and Midoriya won out then they'd face in the quarterfinals so he wanted Midoriya to advance so that he could beat him with one hand and live up to what he'd said to Midoriya after the Cavalry Battle when they'd had their chat. "I'll have to review my notes on Aoyama to see what the best strategy against him might be."
"I shall twinkle to victory, Midoriya." Aoyama said though Izuku didn't hear it as he began to mutter to himself while looking at the board to see the matchups and make initial assessments on who he thought might win them.
The matches stated with him against Aoyama followed by Ojiro and that Shinso kid who'd been the rider on the winning Cavalry team so he had to be skilled which would make it a good matchup. That was followed by Todoroki v. Sero and then Schnee v. Tokage who had to be a Class B student. After that it was Asta v. Tetsutetsu, that would be a quick matchup Izuku felt, and then the only all Class B matchup in Vermillion Mimosa v. Shiozaki which would be interesting. The first half of the bracket ended with Hatsume v. Kaminari, a toss-up there given Hatsume's babies, and Ida against Komori who was another Class B student that Izuku knew nothing about.
The first half certainly looked interesting and the second half wasn't any less as it started with one of the frontrunners in Yuno against Kirishima followed by Yaoyorozu against Awase of Class B. In fact, only the third matchup of the second half, Tokoyami v. Ashido, was an intraclass matchup as after that it was Nero, listed with her real family name of Swallowtail, against Honenuki followed buy Rose v. Yanagi, Silva v. Vermillion Leo in a major Quirk Knight family battle that was sure to get a lot of attention, Uraraka against Kendo and finally Kacchan v. Pine to end the first round.
All that meant that there would be some interesting matchups depending on who won though the one that Izuku was the most worried about was Uraraka facing Kacchan as he was sure both would win thus setting them up for a battle with each other. He'd help her out when the time came, he had full confidence in Uraraka beating whoever Kendo was and he expected Kacchan to easily beat Pine, but for now he needed to see his notes on Aoyama to determine how to face him.
"Ok, the draw is over so let's press pause for a brief interlude before we kick off the upcoming battles." Present Mic said getting their attention as fireworks went off in the sky. "Because it's time for some fun side games to get the blood pumping for the battles to come!"
At that the side games began with a scavenger hunt but Izuku and many others didn't focus on that, they had the battles to get ready for. Everyone had their own plans for it be it relaxing, planning, recharging their Quirks, having fun in the cheerleader outfits for some of the girls, or participating in the games, they all had their own ways of getting ready for the battles. They had to be because soon the side games would be over and things got serious as the final round of the U.A. Sports Festival for first years began with the first battle, Izuku v. Aoyama.
Well, the break is now over, the matchups and rules for the final event have been determined, and the battles are about to begin with 16 pulse pounding battles that will cut the field from 32 to 16 students and y'all now know the matchups, of which only two are canon, so you can start making predictions on who you think might win. Stick around to find out because the next chapter will cover the entire first round and yes that means that it will be the longest chapter in this story by over 10k words when it comes out and could even challenge my personal record for longest single chapter I've ever published (that record is over 32k words by the way) so there's a whole lot to look forward to in the next chapter. Lastly, I just couldn't resist the cheerleaders and we all would like to see Ruby, Weiss, Noelle, and Nero in them (and Mimosa as well as I'm sure she'd look great in one) so if you want to draw it feel free (I can write but I can't draw) and let me know so I can shout out any artist, artwork, and the site you published it on. That's all I really have to say as this interlude chapter is pretty straightforward, so I will leave this chapter off here. If you like this story please follow, favorite (this story and me) to keep up with it and leave a review or PM, your support is what helps motivate me to keep up this work and any questions posed before the next chapter is uploaded I will try to answer. Until next time.
Stringdog