Here is the thirty-first chapter in this story released when I wanted it to be released based of my release process for this series. Only 8 students remain in the first year's Sports Festival vying for the final four sports in it so it's time to see who advances one more step towards immortality and who is eliminated as the quarterfinals get underway. That is all I have for the administrative stuff I have for y'all and while there are no questions to answer there are three guest reviews to respond do which I will do now. 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, I'm glad to see that you liked the battles. The Weiss v. Todoroki battle was the hardest to write so I'm glad to see that it's come off well and Todoroki did have to win though if she had Myrtenaster things may have been different. I couldn't resist at least one accidental grope and it was more a reverse of when Mimosa fell on Asta in the Shadow Palace than anything else, and to give Noelle some jealousy and an outlet as Mineta did deserve that. Noelle's getting stronger but right now Ruby has the edge due to technique but she did well and has already shown her brother that she's doing better than expected. Monoma's really working out his neck muscles for sure. Do keep reading and enjoying my work.

To Nathan Ramos (guest), glad to see that you enjoyed the chapter though you will have to wait and see who wins the Sports Festival. Your ideas are good but alas some I can't do. In making a crossover of this nature where two additional franchises within the main one and adapted to fit the main one's lore some things just can't be adapted to it. One of them is the different races from Black Clover, while the faunus from RWBY can fit as heteromorphs, I can't do the elves at all though I may work the devils in as an extremist heteromorph supremacist cult in the Spade Kingdom but that's the best I can do with them. I've not really thought about how I want to do Ozma other than that he likely existed and given the time period having him around at the same time as Lumiere does work though I'll probably not do the whole immortal and reincarnated thing unless it's a Quirk and the reincarnation isn't like it is in RWBY but I've still got to think on it. One thing though that I can't do due to the timeline is have Yochi know the first Wizard King. Based on MHA canon, All for One is around 120 years old give or take a decade and the first Wizard King is around 200 years prior to the events, it's why they're condensed down as there were 500 years between Lumiere and Asta becoming a Magic Knight in Black Clover but the MHA lore seems to imply that at most 250 or so years have passed since the advent of Quirks so I'm going for a 200 year history for the Wizard Kings. That doesn't mean that Yochi didn't know one, he did and it could likely be Jester if things line up nicely which I think they do so that is a good idea to have him and Yochi as fighting alongside each other to face All for One. There are certainly things to consider and I may even have some good ideas from this so thank you but I hope you understand that not all of this is doable. Do keep reading and enjoying my work.

To KGBeastboy (guest), thank you for reviewing and enjoying the chapter. I will now consider your suggestions though as this came after I'd done the draft for this chapter certain things like the first one regarding Vangeance can't happen until next chapter though it's a good idea and as that chapter has yet to be drafted due to all that's going on IRL I'll take it under advisement. The point on it being a predominately Christian thing for the Quirk Knights is actually quite a good idea especially because they are a noticeably small branch and the Christian population of Japan is around 2% or so though it would lead to a lot of questions as to why Shiozaki isn't one. Until recently there were significant restrictions on the Japanese military in general that only got lessoned in the last 5-10 years or so if I recall. Certainly with Atlas there can be a military aspect to it so that is something to consider. It's very clear that standard heroes have been commercialized so that one is pretty much a given. As always plenty to think about and see what may or may not work in this story. Do keep reading and enjoying my work.

That is it for this pre-chapter note which means that it now officially time to sit back and enjoy the thirty-first chapter in Black RWBY Academia.

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these three great franchises.

Chapter 31: Getting 4 from 8

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is it, the first match of the quarterfinals!" Present Mic said as the crowd cheered and Class 1-A watched from their box as Midoriya and Todoroki walked out of their respective entrances and headed to the battlefield. "These two heroes in Class 1-A have been duking it out all Sports Festival with clashes in the Obstacle Race and the Cavalry Battle but now it's time for them to fight one on one to see who advances. Give it up for Izuku Midoriya verses Shoto Todoroki! They finally get a proper match against each other so which of these two rivals will secure the first spot in semifinal? What are my boys' thoughts on this?"

"Again, not your boy." Aizawa said with a slightly exasperated tone. "As for this battle, the key will be how much control over his Quirk Midoriya has."

"Agreed, he's got power but it comes at a serious cost to his body, a side effect many know well." Oobleck said as the boys reached the steps and began to climb them. "In a way it's similar to Silva's issue only the damage is contained to his own body rather than the surrounding area. Now we've already seen how much Silva's improved already so perhaps Midoriya has as well."

"It's more impressive that Midoriya's made it this far without using his Quirk until the last round from what I've seen." Port added. "Few can say they've done that but that will change against Todoroki."

"They just had to mention me." Noelle grumbled, her voice a little muffled from the cast over her nose which Ruby thankfully hadn't broken but had been healed so it was in a cast for precaution. "Was that necessary?"

"You and Midoriya do kinda have similar issues when it comes to your Quirks as they're both very powerful Quirks except yours only affects you if you lose control while summoning the water." Nero pointed out from next to Noelle as the boys came to a stop facing each other for some last minute thoughts with neither speaking to the other. "So it makes sense to make the comparison."

"You're good Noelle, just a little more training and you'll be amazing." Asta said with a grin as he and Ida were watching this match due to Todoroki's ice ensuring that they'd have time to get down to the battlefield once it was over and of course he didn't notice the blush his words caused Noelle as he shifted his attention to the upcoming match. "So how will it go? Anyone got any thoughts on it?"

"I'm worried for Deku given what his Quirk does to his body." Ochaco admitted. "But I think he's got this."

"Midoriya is resourceful." Ida said. "So I'm sure he'll find a way."

"He'd better." Weiss said. "I know from first hand experience that Todoroki's going to start with his ice attack to try and freeze him. It will be fast and strong to prevent Midoriya from using his power so if you can't block, evade, or destroy that then you're pretty much screwed."

"Can Midoriya do that?" Asta asked. "I mean I…"

"Begin!"

As soon as Present Mic spoke Todoroki sent a spiked line of ice much narrower and more focused than he had against Sero or Weiss at Midoriya shutting up any chatter and the class watched intently as it closed in on the green haired boy who raised his right arm and braced his wrist with his left hand as he flicked his middle finger at the ice right before it hit. Clearly Midoriya was channeling his Quirk through his finger and at the ice though he didn't touch the ice.

Rather the sheer power he could muster weaponized the air around him to send it at the ice with enough force to shatter it and continue through it to hit Todoroki on the other end forcing him to erect a slab of ice behind him to hold him in place though he did slide back a few paces from the hit. As he did the rest of the air, now really cold from the contact with the ice, hit the crowd behind in a chilly gust. When it all done there were only bits of ice left on the battlefield.

"Woah he broke the ice!" Asta said his eyes wide as Present Mic commentated on the counter while Oobleck and Port chimed in with their own thoughts on the more technical aspect of what had happened. "He did it."

"But at the cost of his finger." Ochaco said worried as it was clear that Midoriya had broken the finger he'd flicked. "Is it worth it?"

"Given that that's all that he can do to defend against the ice I'd say so." Weiss said. "That ice is hard to deal with so if he can figure out a plan at the cost of only a few fingers it may be quite beneficial to him."

"Looks painful though." Ruby said. "Not sure I could do that but pain management is part of being a hero I guess."

"You don't need to you…" Weiss began as another attack went off that Midoriya blocked again leaving a line of ice on the ground between the boys but that was it. "And he did it again. I was right, he's testing Todoroki out, seeing how much ice he can destroy with this method while looking for an opening."

"It would fit Midoriya's style." Nero said. "Todoroki's speed with his ice makes it hard to get a good read on his abilities so this is a good way and already we're seeing something."

"We are?" Asta asked confused as another attack happened and was countered. "I don't see anything."

"You wouldn't because you wouldn't need to given your power." Nero said. "But look at the ice behind Todoroki, it's what's keeping him in place when Midoriya sends the air at him. That's how he plans on staying in bounds and no doubt Midoriya's realized that as well. So far it's held up so the force he can generate with his fingers which will give Midoriya a good gage of how much force he'll need to break through it."

"Very true." Ida said as another attack was blocked and Midoriya was forced back with all the fingers on his right hand now broken leaving just his thumb unbroken there. "But there is only so much that Midoriya can do seeing as each defense breaks a finger so what now? He's been smart to not waste an arm yet but still, what's next?"

"Next is that Todoroki makes a mistake." Nero said simply as Todoroki suddenly took the fight to Midoriya by rushing at him on a line of ice that Midoriya destroyed with a flick of one of the recently healed fingers on his left hand but Todoroki leapt over that and towards Midoriya for the next attack. "He shouldn't have bothered with that, that puts him close to Midoriya and while Todoroki can use close combat attacks as he showed against Weiss, she's not got the power that Midoriya has to counter it."

"True, I lack the offensive power that Midoriya has but remember that he called out Midoriya at the start of the day." Weiss said, something that still bugged Asta and he wanted to sort it out with Todoroki when he got a chance but for the moment he wasn't sure when that would be as he couldn't tell yet who would win this match. "So no doubt he'll want this to end quick to prove a point when an endurance match is likely the best strategy against someone with the Quirk backlash Midoriya has."

"Correct." Nero said with a small nod as Todoroki punched the ground with his left hand but Midoriya had already leapt back and away from it though he then froze it towards Midoriya and caught his right foot in the ice. "So long as Todoroki doesn't overuse his ice without using his fire to counterbalance it then he'd win by simply forcing Midoriya to injure himself to the point of either giving up or the match being called but this, this is immature anger getting the better of Todoroki and now he's open and Midoriya…yup, he took advantage of that."

The others could only gasp, nod or stare as Midoriya used the fact that he was held and that Todoroki was again creating ice behind him but was too close to his advantage by punching with his left fist. It was clear that he was now using his whole arm with his Quirk and the force of the blow almost instantly destroyed the ice holding him as well as what was behind Todoroki.

In fact the force was so great that it kicked up so much broken ice dust that they couldn't see for a moment as Midoriya landed on his feet, left arm broken and limp to his side. However, when it cleared Todoroki was on the other side if the battlefield resting in more ice that he'd used to stop himself before he got up and pushed some of the ice off him.

"Even with that lapse, he's still got the sense to make the needed ice to keep him in bounds and prevent that counter from beating him." Weiss said as Todoroki rose and he seemed to pause for a moment as he exchanged some words with Midoriya which was odd as he should be attacking right away but he didn't seem to be. "I realized that his judgment and reasoning were top tier when I faced him and he's showing it now despite that brief moment of immature anger. Midoriya's punch should have won it but Todoroki's training is easily at pro level already."

"But why's he not moving?" Asta asked confused. "Midoriya's injured so this should be it, all Todoroki needs is one more attack and this time Midoriya can't defend against it."

"I'm not sure." Nero said as Todoroki attacked again which looked like the finisher, even Todoroki believed this as he didn't reinforce the ice behind him, but just as the ice was about to reach Midoriya he blasted air at it again. "Oh."

The rest of class gasped and stared in shock as the ice was shattered and the air force hit Todoroki and blasted him back, his feet sliding over the ground as he tried to stabilize himself following the hit. He managed it but only just before he would have fallen out of bounds as they all looked stunned at Midoriya because he'd countered the attack with one of his broken fingers.

"That was insane." Asta said his eyes wide and filled with stars as Todoroki got up to question it but Midoriya just responded with a spiel of his own as he trembled and raised his right arm while speaking and whatever he was saying was getting to Todoroki as he finished and yelled at the two toned boy with a clenched fist despite his broken fingers showing that he wasn't out of the fight just yet which Asta grinned at. "Alright Midoriya, he's hurt but giving it his all. That's how it should be."

"His resolve is admirable, it's part of why I admire him and consider him a rival." Ida said as the words really struck something with Todoroki and he rushed at Midoriya with clear rage, his usual poise now completely gone. "And now Todoroki is seeing it firsthand."

"Something's set him off." Weiss said before she noticed it. "Wait, Todoroki, he's slower."

"He's overusing his ice." Nero said as she saw that ice had frosted on his right side. "But doesn't he have fire on the other half of his body? That's the perfect balance to prevent overusing a Quirk. It's practically tailor made as a top level Quirk."

"Todoroki doesn't use his left side in battle for some reason." Ida said as Todoroki reached Midoriya and leapt at him to which Midoriya responded by getting in close his right fist clenched and glowing with power the moment that Todoroki was off the ground. "So if he uses too much ice without balancing it with his fire then…"

"His body hits the limit for cold it can take instead of him rectifying it with the heat from his other side." Weiss noted as Midoriya punched Todoroki in the gut, ice forming on his broken left arm as Todoroki tried to attack but failed before he was tossed back while Midoriya yelled in pain but his arm didn't look broken which was odd for him. "That's really, really, stupid."

"Well whatever the case Deku landed a hit on Todoroki." Ochaco said a mix of worry and happiness in her voice as Todoroki got up and sent ice at Midoriya again only this time it was noticeably slower than before so Midoriya easily leapt to the side as Todoroki charged only for Midoriya to blast him back with his right thumb breaking the last of his digits on that hand and the force wasn't enough to send Todoroki out of bounds. "He's doing well but he looks all banged up. It's hard to believe he can still fight but its Deku, I know he can."

"He's got a point to prove." Asta said as the fight seemed to devolve for a moment with ice being sent but dodged and Midoriya trying to counter as best he could. "It's not about the pain or the damage, it's about never giving up, about winning at all costs the way a hero no matter the branch should, it's about proving to Todoroki that he's better because he's using all he has while Todoroki isn't. That is a hero's resolve, to fight through all that pain to win. It's just what I'd do."

"That may be." Noelle said as the fight continued with a series of rather desperate attacks from both boys. "But with that level of injuries he may not be able to fight in the next round even if he wins. Recovery Girl can't heal all that in one go, at least not without knocking him out for a while and some of that damage may even be beyond her capabilities to heal."

"At this point he doesn't care." Asta said as Todoroki got a line on Midoriya but he use the inside of his cheek to flick his thumb at Todoroki and destroy the ice to send him back to hit the ground but Todoroki wasn't out yet and he slowly rose from the latest exchange. "No doubt they're talking down there as well and that will play a role because there's only so much that you can say with actions, words will add to whatever Midoriya is doing. Todoroki is strong, that is clear, but he seems to lack the will and drive that Midoriya has. This is the first time he's been face to face with what it means to be a true hero and that is the key here."

Asta seemed to be right as Todoroki appeared to pause for a moment in the middle of the battle, a pause that he shouldn't have done as it allowed Midoriya to get in close and headbutt Todoroki in the chest the moment that he could. The hit sent Todoroki back a few paces and knocked the boy out of his momentary stupor but he continued to pause as ice formed on him. It was clear that something was going on down there as Midoriya landed a powered up punch on Todoroki's chest before he could attack which shattered the forming ice and tossed Todoroki back to hit the ground but still in bounds.

If Midoriya wasn't so badly hurt he'd have ended this by now but he was and it gave Todoroki the chance to get to one knee. Suddenly Izuku yelled something at Todoroki and whatever it was it was serious as a few second later there was a shift in the atmosphere on the battlefield before suddenly the entire right side of Todoroki's body ignite in flames that roiled up hot enough that the heat could be felt from where they were.

"He's using his fire?" Ochaco asked her hands up as she backed away from it in her seat.

"So cool!" Ruby said. "Finally we get to see what that part of his Quirk is like."

"This is hotter than what Leo can generate." Noelle said with a grimace.

"I'm just glad that he didn't use that against me." Weiss said with a wince. "I'd have lost for sure. Glyphs work well at blocking ice but fire isn't solid so while they'd block they wouldn't be as effective."

"The power on his right side, it's incredible." Ida said.

"So this is the power that can as Quirks grow through the generations." Nero mused. "The benefits it could bring, my prince if only…"

"That was the goal, it has to be." Asta said with a grin interrupting all of them as the flames died down somewhat so that they were only coming from Todoroki's left arm, chest and head as ice formed on his right leg to balance it but above that they all saw that Todoroki was actually smiling as he used the full extent of his power. "Midoriya was trying to force Todoroki to go all out, to remember what it is to be a hero, that is a win regardless of the result."

"Still this is…" Noelle began before they were distracted as a voice yelled out from the crowd, audible due to no one cheering thanks to the shock of seeing the just how much power Todoroki had.

"That's it Shoto, you've finally accepted your purpose and stopped rebelling." Endeavor's voice rang out and they all turned to see the number 2 hero walking down the steps to the edge of the lowest level of seats his own fire roiling up from his shoulders and face. "Very good, the dawn of a new era us now upon us because with my blood in your veins you'll surpass the limits that I have and finally live up to the reason why I created you!"

"That sounds ominous." Nero noted as Present Mic tried to spin it as words of encouragement but it was just weird. "Well they're not listening to it anyway; this is about those two and that's it."

"Doesn't matter." Asta said as ice shot out from Todoroki's right foot and filled the battlefield where he was fire pouring off his left side as he crouched while Midoriya did the same power coming from his left leg that was generating a lot of wind around him as the boys really let loose with their Quirks. "This is it."

The others could only nod at that as the climax was reached and ice shot from Todoroki and at Midoriya in a wave while more appeared behind him just as Midoriya leapt off the ground to close in for a final close quarters attack. As this was happening Cementoss crouched down to manipulate the cement and Midnight ripped her sleeve filling the air around her with pink mist because it was clear that this was beyond dangerous.

However neither boy cared as the fire seemed to blast off Todoroki and melt the ice around him as he raise his left hand and blasted fire at Midoriya while Midoriya filled his right arm with power for his own counter. It was going to be a massive clash when the attacks collided but at the last moment several walls of concrete shot up between them to take the fire and Midoriya's powers in a cataclysmic explosion as the cold air met the fire and wind and concrete was blasted everywhere.

The force rocked the stadium, blasted Midnight off her platform which was in turn destroyed, and whipped everything up as they tried to ride out the shockwave that had been generated. Mineta, who was once again conscious, was even tossed in the air by it and grabbed by Shoji while Nero actively sealed her feet to the ground and hands to her chair to be safe as the wind blew through them and the stadium such that the debris cloud extended up through the top of the stadium and then some before dispersing into the air around it.

"What the hell is going on?" Asta asked. "Who won? I can't see a thing."

"Give it a sec Dorksta." Noelle answered as she let go of Asta's arm that she'd instinctively grabbed during the shockwave so that no one would notice she'd done that while the dust slowly cleared while Aizawa explained the basics, and Oobleck the scientific specifics, of what had just happened and why there was a massive explosion from it. "We should…oh there we go."

Noelle was right as the dust cleared to show that Midoriya had been blasted back into the wall around the field and stood up against it for a moment, left leg now clearly broken, before he slowly slide to the side and fell to the ground unconscious. Todoroki meanwhile was still in the ring having used his ice to hold him there though the left side of his shirt had been burned away but for a few loose strands remaining.

The moment that Midnight saw that she made the declaration that Midoriya was out and Todoroki had advanced making him the first semifinalist as the robots came out and rabidly took Midoriya away. Thankfully he was by the exit so it was quick and it would be needed given the amount of healing he'd have to undergo.

"Well after that climactic end to the first quarterfinal match we're going to take a quick break to fix the battlefield." Present Mic said his voice a little rattled and it was clear that that was going to be needed as the entire surface had been shattered and dust was still pouring off it as Todoroki finally left the field. "We'll resume in 15 or so minutes."

"Deku." Ochaco said the worry clear in her voice as she got up. "I, I'm going to go check on him to make sure he's ok."

"I'll come too Ochaco." Tsu said as she got up as well.

"Yes, we must make sure that Midoriya is ok." Ida said with a nod as he too rose.

"That was scary." Mineta added joining them. "How did he survive that?"

"I may as well make sure he's good." Asta said getting up and following the other four out. "I am next so it makes sense."

Noelle, Nero, Weiss, and Ruby opted to stay put, however though they nodded at Asta's words as it made sense for him to go. 5 was too many in reality so 9 would be overkill. Best to leave it to the others as they and the rest of the class sat back to discuss the intense battle they'd just watched and what it would mean for both Todoroki and Midoriya going forward.

As for the 5 who'd left, they hurried down to the Nurse's Office as fast as they could. With the break that was going on Ida and Asta weren't needed just yet so they could make sure that Midoriya was ok before heading to their starting points as the stage was fixed for the second quarterfinal match. That had been on hell of a fight and Midoriya was beat to shit so they needed to make sure that he was good and didn't even bother knocking as they barged in and yelled.

"Midoriya!"

"Deku!"

Only Ochaco said Deku but they were all concerned as they burst in to find Midoriya on a bed with the top half reclined up so that he was in a sitting position. His shirt was off and his arms bound had his chest while there was a brace around his left leg which was purple while blood caked his cheek. It wasn't a pleasant sight and with him was Recovery Girl and a skeletal man with long, lank, blond hair wearing a suit that didn't fit him who none of them had seen before who were looking over Midoriya.

"You scared me." The man said as he coughed though he wasn't facing them so they couldn't get a good look at his face or see that the cough spewed out blood. "I wasn't expecting his classmates so soon."

"Are you ok, Deku?" Ochaco asked Deku as she led the group in and noticed the new man who she presumed was some relative of Deku's or maybe a staff member they'd not met who was here to check up on him for some reason. "It's nice to meet you sir, sorry for coming in like this we wanted to make sure that Deku was ok."

"Yeah, nice to meet you too miss." All Might said glad they didn't recognize him in his weakened state but making sure to do his best not to turn his full face to them. "You're good friends to come see him."

"Now, now, kids, Midoriya is in no state for visitors so you'll have to leave him be." Recovery girl said though her tone wasn't harsh. "Give him some space, I'll let him go soon enough."

"Hey guys, not watching the matches?" Izuku asked as he opening his eyes to look at his friends. "Why?"

"The battlefield was wrecked by your fight so they're taking a break to repair it before the next one." Ida said. "That's why we're here."

"Yeah it was an epic ending." Asta said with a grin. "You really got Todoroki to go all out, that's just what a hero should do no matter the branch."

"No it wasn't, it was the scariest thing I've ever seen." Mineta said as he pointed at Midoriya his hand shaking as he did. "What pro, Huntsman Agency, or Quirk Knight Squad is going to want a sidekick that hurts himself every time he uses his Quirk?"

"Be quiet Mineta, you're just rubbing salt in the wounds." Tsu said sending her tongue out and at Mineta to try and shut him up but he ignored it. "This isn't the best time for that."

"All I'm doing is telling Midoriya how it is." Mineta said looking at the girl.

"Please be quiet, you're too noisy and I need space to work." Recovery Girl said getting their attention as she began to usher them out her hands up and cane in her hand. "I know you're worried for your friend but I have to focus on surgery right now."

"Surgery?" They all asked stunned.

"That's a big deal though." Ida said as the others protested as well.

"Go on just leave me to it, I am a professional." Recovery Girl said as she got them out and closed the door on them as Tsu let out a final 'Ribbit'.

That left them all standing in the corridor outside the room as they were kicked out and a light went on above it that said surgery in progress as the door was locked from within. It wasn't a good sign but there wasn't much that they could do and dejected they left it be as Ochaco, Tsu and Mineta went back to their seats and Ida and Asta went to their waiting rooms. It had been an exciting start to the quarterfinals but the show must go on and the next pair headed off to get ready because when the battlefield was fixed Asta and Ida would face off to see who met Todoroki in the semifinals.

"Alright the battlefield has been repaired and now it is time for the second match of the quarterfinals!" Present Mic said his excitement back and the crowd roaring for the next match as Asta and Ida walked out of their respective tunnels and into the battlefield. "Two more members of the Hero Course's Class 1-A will now duke it out for the second spot in the semifinals as Tenya Ida and Asta face off! Boys, what are your thoughts on this?"

"None." Aizawa said as the boys reached the stairs and began to climb them. "This is a challenge for both of them given what's at play and it could go either way."

"Yes this is arguably the most open of the remaining fights once you factor in everything." Oobleck said. "I for one am curious as to how the Quirks at play will work in this."

"Agreed, this is going to be interesting." Port said as Asta and Ida crested the stairs and walked onto the battlefield. "We're going to learn a lot about both of their Quirks from this match."

Asta heard the commentors but he toned them out as he came to a stop facing Ida a grin on his face. This was truly a challenge for him given the nature of Ida's Quirk, and one that he had a plan for and which would really show off what he could do so long as the plan worked. Whatever the case it would be hard but Asta was more than ready to rise to it because he had to face Yuno in the final and this was just the next hurdle to get over to set up that matchup.

For his part Ida wasn't taking Asta lightly in this match. He may have blown through his first match and then dealt with the underhanded trickery of Hatsume in the second and only winning it because she was just using him to show off her gear but he'd still gotten here and he wasn't going to lose now. Ida had to live up to his brother's legacy and the expectations that he'd set for himself as a member of Ida family while also showing that he was as good as Midoriya and beating Asta was the next step in achieving that. He'd learned a lot from Midoriya's loss to Todoroki and was ready to try his hand once he got past Asta.

The biggest problem though was Asta's Quirk. Anti-Quirk was going to be a serious obstacle, being able to neutralize a Quirk while also nullifying its effects was an incredible power and Asta knew how to use his swords. The one thing Ida didn't know was the precise mechanics of how those swords worked when it came to facing a mutant class Quirk like his, however that wouldn't matter because Ida planned on winning this in seconds with speed. Speed was what he was best at and his strength, he would use that to overcome Asta's power before it could be employed against him.

"No hard feelings Ida." Asta said still grinning. "But you're not Yuno so I've got to beat you and advance because there's no way he's losing to Tokoyami in the next battle."

"I admire your rivalry with your brother but I too have one with my own brother that I must also live up to." Ida said. "He may be older and the hero I want to be like one day but I also want to impress and eventually exceed him so I will win the Sports Festival to show that."

"Family is important." Asta said respecting Ida's stance and the nobility he was showing. "So let's do this Ida, I'm ready to advance."

"As am I." Ida said with a nod.

"Alright folks their ready and so are we." Present Mic said interrupting them. "So let the battle … Begin!"

"Recipro Burst!" Ida said as he fell into a runner's stance as he over torqued his engines and shot at Asta as fast as possible.

As Ida was moving, a rend appeared in the air next to Asta and he drew his smaller sword from it and swung it low as he did but he appeared to be too slow for it as Ida was already behind Asta with his hands on Asta's shoulders by the time Asta had finished swinging his sword which was a testament to the speed Ida could manage with Recipro Burst. As soon as Ida had Asta in his grip he began to run forward to force him out before he stalled. It was a simple plan but one that Ida was sure would work, until it didn't.

That was because Asta had known that he'd miss with his swing. He'd seen how Ida had beating that Class 1-B girl in the first round and knew the boy had serious speed when went all out like this, a speed that Asta couldn't match while drawing his sword. When you added in that while Ida had a mutant class Quirk it was located in his calves it made things even harder as that was where Asta had to hit if he wanted to nullify Engine and it was going to be hard.

That was why Asta had drawn and swung despite knowing that he'd miss because he knew that that action would allow him to be in position to act as Ida began hurrying him to the edge and did so as he let go of the sword with his right hand and let the blade swing the rest of the way around in his left. As a result, it clipped Ida in the back of his left calf right on the middle pipe of his engine as they crossed the halfway point of the battlefield.

The moment that happened Ida's left engine didn't so much as stall as it straight up cut out and he staggered from the sudden loss of momentum, letting go of Asta while still in bounds in the process as he tried to get himself under control with just one engine running at max. Asta wasn't idle in all this as he dropped his small sword and stepped forward, another rend appearing in the air and the larger handle of his great sword appearing as he did and he drew it from wherever it was created or stored.

As Asta drew it, Ida's other engine stalled so all he could do was look at Asta as Asta let out a yell and swung his sword while drawing it to slam it's heavy edge into Ida's chest. With no Quirk to nullify the sword was just a blunt weapon but that was more than enough to the job as he slammed it into Ida's chest and then blasted the boy to the side with his raw strength while yelling the entire time.

All Ida could do was cough out all the air in his lungs as it was expelled and he was blasted to the side and out the side of the battlefield, the long side that Cementoss wasn't seated on, and over the edge of the raised platform to hit the grass below before he could do more than process that he'd just lost. Ida was out and the battle hadn't lasted half a minute.

"Ida has been knocked out of the ring." Midnight said with a crack of her flail. "Asta's the winner. He advances to the semifinals."

Asta just smirked as he hefted his big sword onto his shoulder and stood there as the crowd cheered and the commentators discussed the swiftness of the match and how Asta had won it. Asta didn't care for that, he'd won his third match of the day and advanced to the semifinals to face Todoroki.

He had plans for that match after what he'd seen against Midoriya and he was more than ready to win it. He needed to because after that it was the final and he fully expected Yuno to reach it. With that as his goal, Asta dismissed his sword as he hurried to make sure that Ida was ok before he returned to watch Yuno's quarterfinal and confirm that his rival was also one step closer to the finals.

"Well that was just as I expected it to be." Noelle said as Midnight declared Asta the winner. "I didn't have any doubts that Asta would lose against Ida."

"Same." Nero said. "Even with Ida's speed, all Asta needed to do was get his sword onto his engines and he had it. He may be dense but when it comes to battle tactics Asta is very astute."

"It was still closer than his other matches." Weiss pointed out. "The first match was against a transformation class Quirk and a whole body one at that, that was clearly the easiest for Asta as he could just beat that loudmouth into the ground while the second was against a ranged emitter class so not too hard to counter. A mutant class is going to be harder, especially one that is localized and which also grants speed, even if Asta had that it still took skill to win it. I doubt Asta's next match will be as hard, for all his power Todoroki's Quirk can be easily nullified."

"Agreed." Nero said and Noelle nodded at that. "Ida was his toughest challenge before the final, I doubt that Todoroki will be an issue. Midoriya would have been though so things have worked out well for Asta."

"He would?" Ruby asked confused. "How so?"

"That air pressure move he did to destroy Todoroki's ice." Nero said. "That wasn't a Quirk or even the direct effect of the Quirk itself, that was the air itself. Sure, Midoriya used his Quirk for it but he affected the air. If it's not a Quirk or the product of a Quirk then Asta can't nullify it."

"Huh, I never thought of that." Ruby said. "Midoriya does have a lot of power with that even if he does break his bones when he uses his Quirk."

"You ok, Ochaco." Tsu asked as and they all realized that Uraraka hadn't spoken and was getting a little tense as they spoke of Midoriya.

"Right, sorry." Ruby said embarrassed. "You're worried for your bestie, aren't you? That was insensitive of me."

"I, well, Recovery Girl said surgery." Ochaco said. "So yeah I'm worried for Deku."

"He'll be fine." Noelle said. "Midoriya's a fighter, he won't let that affect him and besides, he may have lost but he got Todoroki to use his fire. Asta seems to think that that is a win and I trust Asta's judgement."

"Yeah, Midoriya reminded us all what it means to be a hero no matter the path we intend to take." Nero added. "He won despite losing and I'm sure Asta will build on that."

"No question." Noelle said.

"Thanks." Ochaco said with a smile at her friends. "I know he'll be fine, Deku's amazing like that, but I do worry when he gets hurt. I hope he can learn to avoid that in time."

"And that's normal." Nero said. "You care deeply about him so it's only natural to worry."

"Yeah…" Ochaco said a small smile on her face but before she, or anyone else for that matter, could think about it a by now familiar face popped up to annoy them.

"It's time for your scheduled loss this round." Monoma said as his head appeared over the partition a grin on his face. "You may have knocked 24 of us out of the Sports Festival and even surprised us with beating Shinso but we have still have one left and Yuno is our best. He was top in the entrance exam and he's dominated all his battles without moving, and that's after coming second in the Obstacle Race and first in the Cavalry Battle so he's not going to lose. That bird's got…"

Monoma didn't get to finish before he took another chop to the neck and slid down with a vacant look in his eyes before he disappeared from sight. A moment later Kendo's head appeared where Monoma's had been.

"Sorry, that's to be expected with only Yuno left for our class so we're all rooting for him." Kendo said. "We want him to win, it's just Monoma who's being annoying about it. Good luck in the coming battle."

Class 1-A just blinked at that before Kendo returned to scold Monoma, again. Without Asta present, he was on his way though as he'd already helped Ida off the battlefield though Ida was going to see Recovery Girl for the blow he took to be safe, there wasn't really anyone who could talk about Yuno when Monoma brought him up and with Midoriya not present either to defend the class or add his own thoughts there wasn't anything to say to Kendo.

Instead they all just settled in to watch the coming match with many chatting about Tokoyami's Quirk and how they expected him to do well after the last two rounds. Only Ochaco and Koda were worried because they knew about Tokoyami's weakness and one thing had been clear in the battles that they'd seen so far, Yuno's stars shone brightly.

"It's time for the third match of the quarterfinals and this one is different from the other the three!" Present Mic said to the cheering crowds as Yuno and Tokoyami walked out of their sides and to the battlefield. "That's because this is the only match with someone not in Class 1-A in it. It's the last member of the other Hero Course Class, Class 1-B's standout Yuno against Class 1-A's Fumikage Tokoyami and his awesome bird! Thoughts gentlemen?"

"If what I've seen is true, this match is already over." Aizawa said. "The winner is clear."

"Yes I've noticed that as well though I do wonder who's been observant enough to see it." Oobleck said as the boys reached the stairs and began to climb. "Regardless this is going to be a good example of how there are just times when you face a Quirk that you are at such a disadvantage against that it may be better to fight Quirkless."

"Which is another example of why training with a weapon is important." Port said. "There are more uses to weapons than just facing Grimm."

As Port was finishing Yuno and Tokoyami reached the top of the battlefield and walked onto it. Yuno knew what they were talking about, he'd noted this back during the Cavalry Battle when his team had been watching and waiting. That had been a great time to see what the members of Class 1-A were capable of. Yuno may not agree with Monoma's plan for the first event but the idea to see what Class 1-A could do was good and Yuno gave credit where credit was due on that front and used that tactic in the Cavalry Battle to get a sense of the Quirks in Asta's class.

That was when he'd noticed something about his opponent's Quirk, something that he wasn't 100% sure about but which he could easily prove right at the start of this match. He was going to do that and if he was right then despite the strength that Tokoyami had shown so far Yuno would know that he had this battle and he'd swiftly join Asta in the semifinals. His rival was still ahead of him and he had to catch up.

Yuno wasn't the only one who knew what Port was talking about, Tokoyami did as well. He was fully aware that this was a match were he was at a severe disadvantage, more so than he'd be against anyone else other than maybe Asta, even Todoroki or Bakugo, because of how much light Yuno could generate. Still, he had one thing going for him and that was the fact that so far only Koda, Midoriya, Uraraka, and Hatsume knew his weakness, Yuno didn't. As such, if he could overwhelm the other boy right at the start then he had a chance.

In effect this match was a modern equivalent of an American western quick draw as it would come down to how fast the boys were with their Quirks and both knew it. It was so obvious to them and both were serious, no nonsense, kids that there was no need for words as they stared at each other waiting for the battle to start. All they needed was a tumbleweed and an old saloon door and the scene would be perfect. They didn't have that so as soon as it was clear nothing would be said, Present Mic obliged them.

"Begin!"

"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami yelled as he summoned out his friend.

"On it." Dark Shadow said as he burst from Tokoyami's gut and tore across the battlefield at Yuno. "He's…ah!"

The scream came as Yuno quickly created a field of stars in front of him that he made glow as bright as he could. He didn't even need to connect them into a constellation shield to block Dark Shadow, the glow alone caused the avian Quirk creature to pull up, arms in front of it and retreat in an arc backwards as the bright light weakened it. That was just as Yuno had expected when he saw Dark Shadow block Bakugo's attack in the Cavalry Battle and now it was confirmed so he just moved the stars forward, their brightness weakening Dark Shadow and pushing him back to Tokoyami who grimaced at this.

His attack had failed, Tokoyami knew it and the brightness was that of actual stars, there was no way that Dark Shadow could handle it at his current level. This match was over and both of them knew it as Dark Shadow returned to Tokoyami to hover small before him whimpering at the light shining on them. It was clear that he couldn't do more so rather than force him back, Yuno caused the stars to move around, more forming, and creating a cage of stars that glowed around Tokoyami so he could escape even if he wanted to. It was a sign of respect to his foe and making it clear that in battle you had to win outright.

"How'd you know my weakness?" Tokoyami asked as he fully called back Dark Shadow to rest up and recharge inside him as he stood in the cage. "The speed you had your stars out indicates that you were aware of it from the start."

"I watched the fighting in the Cavalry Battle to learn what your class's Quirks could do in combat." Yuno said simply. "I saw how it reacted to Bakugo's Explosion Quirk when you protected your team from him. That reaction showed that it was either weak to the explosion or the light. When I learned that you named your Quirk Dark Shadow I figured that light was your weakness and as you can see I can generate better than any here and that includes the fire Todoroki showed earlier this round. However, I wasn't 100% certain that I was right but I knew that our battle would confirm it. You and I both know that this is over."

"Yeah, I figured that if I couldn't reach you before you created your stars I'd be done." Tokoyami said with a resigned sigh as he closed his eyes and bowed his head. "You win, Yuno, I surrender."

"Tokoyami gives up." Midnight said with a crack of her whip and the stars vanished ending the first match without either combatant taking a hit of any kind even if the only hit in Asta's match with Mimosa was him landing on the girl at the end, as well as being the only match where neither student moved from their starting match the entire time. "Yuno wins and advances to the semifinals."

Yuno bowed to Tokoyami who returned the boy only deeper out of respect before both boys turned and walked off as the commentators discussed it, the weakness of Tokoyami's Quirk, and the respectful end of the match. All Tokoyami could think of was how he had to get stronger to withstand such light while Yuno was just focused on the next round. He had a good idea who to expect in the semifinals and he was ready for it because he knew that Asta would be ready for Todoroki and then it was the final and Yuno fully intended on facing Asta in it.

"One more round Asta, you'd better win your next match because I will as well." Yuno said as he walked into the bowels of the stadium. "We'll meet in the final soon."

"I thought the bird was a lot stronger than that." Kaminari said, he was finally conscious again and sticking away from Silva. "Guess it can be beaten after all."

"Wouldn't have thought that light would be its weakness though." Sero said. "Must have…"

"Ha, you lost that one just as I said you would." Monoma said as he popped up to taunt them following the first time Class B hadn't lost in a round of the final tournament. "Yuno may have been the only one to make it to the quarterfinals but he's still not lost, or even moved, yet and advanced yet again so he's going to win this."

"That was quicker than I expected." Asta admitted, he'd returned just in time to see the match and how Yuno dominated it, which he didn't mind because now there was just one battle left for each of them to win for them to meet each other in the final. "I thought Tokoyami would do better but he couldn't even touch the stars. I didn't realize that light weakened Dark Shadow."

"None of us did." Nero said. "Which made Yuno the worse opponent for Tokoyami. Todoroki, Bakugo, or even you Asta would have been bad but those stars were something else when it comes to illumination."

"It doesn't matter that your classmate couldn't win, all that matters is that none of them can beat Yuno." Monoma said getting annoyed that he was being ignored and trying to regain their attention. "Three of your class have already lost and all utterly. You do realize that Yuno hasn't moved in any of his battles, right? We've…"

"Sorry." Kendo said with a sigh as she popped up while Monoma slid down from another chop to the back of the neck. "That was just a bad matchup, they will happen in the field so it's good to learn about them now so that we can be prepared for the real deal."

"Yes, there was a lot to learn there." Weiss said as Kendo dropped down while Monoma complained that he couldn't finish rubbing their win in Class A's face while Kendo reminded him how they'd lost all but 4 of the interclass matchups and three of the wins had been Yuno's. "But that's over next is Ruby. Can, can she win this? She is facing Bakugo after all. I of course believe she can but I want your opinions on it."

"We don't have Midoriya here to help out in the assessment and he knows Bakugo better than anyone else." Noelle said. "So I'm not sure. She's got speed, I know that first hand, and her technique is up there as well but both can be matched by Bakugo and he's got firepower on top of speed and technique which Ruby lacks."

"This will come down to who has a better battle plan." Nero said. "Both of them are talented and highly intelligent when it comes to the applications of their Quirks so that will be the key. Rose no longer rushes things like she's trying to prove something so she'll know to be sensible but Bakugo is no idiot and can adapt on the fly really well as he showed against Midoriya in the battle trial. It can go either way I see."

"Well I know that Ruby can win this." Weiss said her voice full of confidence for her best friend. "I have faith in her."

The others just nodded at that. Only Nero had a suspicion about Weiss's feelings, which Weiss clearly hadn't figured out herself, but her faith in her best friend wasn't because of that, Weiss had full faith in Ruby because of what Ruby could do. It was a good sign and soon it they would see that as the final match of the quarterfinal was about to start.

"Alright folks, three matches have been complete and only one remains in the quarterfinals so who will be the last student to make the semifinal?" Present Mic asked as the crowd roared and Ruby and Bakugo walked out of their respective sides and towards the battlefield. "Well it's time to find out as our last two students battle for that spot in this matchup between classmates in the Hero Course's Class 1-A. It's the only girl and only Huntress track student remaining in the Sports Festival as well as one of only two remaining recommended students, Ruby Rose, versus the explosive boy who keeps coming fourth, Katsuki Bakugo! Who's got this I wonder?"

"Hard to say, this is a matchup of two students skilled in a certain nuance of Quirks." Aizawa said as Bakugo grumbled on his way to the platform at another dig at coming fourth multiple times at this point. "So I don't know who has the edge."

"Quite right." Oobleck added as the students began to climb the steps to the battlefield. "Physics and the application of it can play a vital role in how you maximize the use of your Quirk and both Miss Rose and Mr. Bakugo have Quirks that require intricate knowledge of the subject, which both do as I've seen their scores. It will be fascinating to see how it plays out in a combat situation."

"Right, a great way to end the quarterfinals." Port said as the students reached the battlefield and walked out onto it. "This will be good to watch, I know it."

"You saw what happened last round, I'm not holding back in this tournament." Bakugo said his plan already in mind for beating Petals as he'd watched her closely, after seeing what Todoroki could do Bakugo knew he couldn't take a recommended student lightly, and he was going to show that with this win over one of the other recommended students. "I don't care that you're a girl or a recommended student, I'm here to win without anyone doubting it."

"I wasn't expecting you to hold back, I'd be insulted if you did." Ruby replied as she came to a stop facing Bakugo with her fists clenched at her sides. "Because I'm not either. I'm here to win as well and I intend to do just that."

As Ruby spoke she tried to quell her nerves as she wouldn't lie, facing Bakugo would be tough but she had a plan for how she was going to beat him along with a backup one if the first failed. She knew this would be tough but she'd not give up until the very end because she'd seen how Uraraka hadn't given up against Bakugo and it had inspired her to do the same. If he wanted to win then he'd have to knock her out completely.

Bakugo just made a tisking sound in his throat. He had his plan and he wanted to get this over quickly not only because he was up against an annoying Quirk wielded by a chick who knew what she was doing with it but also because if he won he'd face that pretty boy in the semifinals. That was what someone who he really wanted to face seeing as that bastard had beaten him not just in the entrance exam but in every round of the Sports Festival so far and he'd not moved once in the final event. Bakugo was eager to face someone he could actually respect and beat him to show that he was better than that person.

"Well then let's end the quarterfinals!" Present Mic said. "Battle begin!"

Instantly Ruby rushed forward and burst into her Quirk as fast as possible, pushing her speed to the max to get in close to Bakugo before he could react. If she could slam into him and then grab and burst with him she knew that she could win because she was skilled with getting in and out of her Quirk with someone in her grip as well as with how she changed her burst and it was those factors that would allow her to win but she needed to get to Bakugo before he reacted. Alas, Bakugo's reaction speed was a lot faster than she'd expected.

Bakugo's reaction speed was indeed fast but what really helped was that he knew this move was coming. It was a good opening move but after the nerd showed Bakugo that he had a predictable habit when he first attacked someone he'd stopped it, Petals had one as well when she didn't have that oversized garden tool of hers and she didn't change it so he was able to get his arms up and unleash a strong, powerful and wide ranging explosion right at the swirling vortex that was coming towards him.

While Bakugo wasn't certain if he could blast her out of her Quirk with his, he knew that meathead's sword could do it but that sword was special so he wasn't going to presume that his explosions could do that as well. He did know that she could hit others in her Quirk as well as grab them and then use her Quirk on that person as well as herself so he was avoiding both by blasting her. If he got her at the same time all the better.

However, neither happened as the moment the explosion began Ruby suddenly arced upwards at a sharp angle to avoid the blast so that it passed below her as it was too wide to break herself apart to get around. Due to the force of the blast she was forced to go a lot higher than she would have liked and the moment she did Bakugo adapted to it and brought his arms down to his side to blast himself up and after her as fast as possible grinning the entire time as he waited for the right moment to overwhelm Petals with his explosions.

That moment came as the vortex neared its apex and Ruby was forced by her time limit to burst out and reform in midair. As soon as she did, Bakugo raised his hands and blasted a barrage of explosions up at her.

The explosions slammed into Ruby's boots and then washed over her but she quickly burst into her Quirk and shot away. Unfortunately, the fact that she was now a red swirl with red rose petals falling from her as she moved worked against her and Bakugo was able to track her and blast after her increasing the force of his blast so that he was over her and then matching her speed as she retreated.

The reason for this was simply, Bakugo wasn't going to take any chances in this battle. After Round Cheeks had surprised him in the round before and forced him to go all out to defend himself against her attack he knew he had to avoid overusing his Quirk if he wanted to be good for the pretty boy next as he'd need all his power in the semifinals. That and Petals, while not enough to be a truly respected threat, was someone who Bakugo had to beat quick or else she might be able to beat him and he couldn't allow that. As such he was going to go hard and fast to beat her as soon as possible.

Ruby for her part was fleeing to regroup as she shifted to her backup plan. That was a simple dodging plan using her speed and mobility to force Bakugo to hit the physical limit of his Quirk which she was sure Uraraka had come close to managing.

She wasn't sure what it was but Ruby was sure that she could avoid it long enough to either hit it or at least find the opening she needed to get in close and grab him. Once she had Bakugo in her grip she knew she that could win it but she had to get there and that meant evading him. That was easier said than done though because the moment she was forced to burst out Bakugo attacked again only this time from above.

The explosions rained down on Ruby as she reformed in the air and instinctively she burst again and dove straight down to evade the attacks that slammed into her. That was just what Bakugo needed and he ended his attack and blasted the air above him to rocket down to the ground after Petals, diving through his own explosions just as Ruby landed in a crouch on the ground after bursting out of her Quirk. That would be the last time she got to use Petal Burst as Bakugo unleashed another volley from above.

Ruby's plan was to land on the ground and then burst backwards to get free from the barrage but the moment she did the explosions hit her from above for a second time. They didn't fully hit her, though her clothes were torn in places and the heat singed her exposed arms, but the big issue was the force as it drove her to the ground just as Bakugo had planned.

The moment Petals was down Bakugo sent out a hard blast to propel him the final few feet to the ground as fast as he could so that he landed right next to her as she was laid out and began to rise. He knew that she'd burst away in a moment and he couldn't allow that.

That was why Bakugo slammed his left hand into Ruby's back with enough force to drive her chest first into the concrete and then unleashed a powerful blast right into her back from point blank range. It was a blast that was hard enough to ensure he knocked her out because he could risk her remaining conscious, especially when he was so close to her, that was how much of a threat he saw from her.

All Ruby could do was let out a gasp, as well as some blood, as the explosion rocked through her, her eyes wide and her whole body was covered by the explosion as it pressed her into the ground with its force. She'd not seen it coming and she was already blasted past what she could handle so the only thing she could thing before she passed out on her chest on the battlefield was that Bakugo may be an ass but he was damned good at the combat side of being a hero.

That was it for Ruby though as she lost consciousness without getting up, her arms out in front of her, head to the side and the back of her shirt, along with her sports bra that she had on under it, was just gone leaving a large burn on her back. Only when Bakugo knew that Petals was out cold and the explosion died down did he rise and step back so that Midnight could see the results of the battle. The moment she did she made her ruling.

"Rose has been knocked out." Midnight said with a crack of her flail. "Bakugo is the winner. He advances to the next round!"

"And with that brutal ending Bakugo has advanced to the semifinals to complete the set." Present Mic said as the bracket showed the path of his advancement before the screen changed. "Ladies and gentlemen, the final four!"

Bakugo just smirked as he looked at the image on the screen. It was splint into 4 with a vertical section for each of the remaining students starting with Todoroki on the far left, then a grinning Asta, a serious Yuno, and finally Bakugo on the far right.

This was just what Bakugo wanted, he was going to face the pretty boy next and really show it and then beat either icy hot or the meathead in the finals, all worthy opponents so beating them would really show everyone that Bakugo was going to surpass All Might one day. That was just what he planned on doing and was still smirking as he walked off to wait for his match while the robots came out to get Petals and take her to the Nurse's Office.

There was a clear tension in Class 3-A's box as everyone shied away from Yang. The anger was pouring off her and many knew that she had a bad habit of giving into her anger and when that happened she usually activated her Quirk which almost always ended in the destruction of the surrounding area so they had to be careful.

To add to it, Blake could tell that Yang's eyes were now red and not lilac, a clear sign that her Quirk was almost active though her hair was normal and not glowing with a fire-like effect so it wasn't fully active. Those were the tells that Yang was using the power that she'd stored from the damage she'd stockpiled that was a passive aspect of her Quirk.

"Yang." Blake said hesitantly. "Are, are you ok?"

"I, I, yeah I'm good." Yang said as she let out a long sigh as she closed her eyes and to the class's surprise the rage vanished and the tension of her Quirk being activated died down. "Sorry, I reacted as a sister and not a Huntress."

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

"I'm angry that Ruby was so utterly beaten like that and with such a brutal finishing blow because she's my little sister so I want to protect her but I can't do that." Yang said as she opened her eyes to reveal that they were once again lilac. "She needs to stand on her own feet and losing is part of that, I won't always be there to protect her so she needs to learn from this. Plus that was a clear sign of respect at the end so I can't be made that someone as strong as that Bakugo kid saw Ruby as a threat worthy of taken out like that."

"Ok two things." Blake said. "One, since when have you been this introspective? And two, that was respect?"

"I am always introspective in battle, that's how I know that Bakugo wasn't toying with Ruby or being needlessly cruel there." Yang said. "In that battle he clearly realized what Ruby's strengths were and what she could do. That's why he went all out right at the start with the barrages and matching her speed. It's also why he made sure she was knocked out with that final blow. He realized that the only way to stop Ruby from grabbing him and using Petal Burst to take him out of the ring was to render her unconscious. Not holding back to the end shows that he saw Ruby as a threat and that's a good sign."

"Huh, when you put it like that then I guess I can see where you're coming from." Blake said as she thought on Yang's words. "You would know combat more than I would."

"That I do." Yang said. "And I'm still pleased with what Ruby's done. She's doesn't have the best direct combat Quirk like me but she still made it all the way to the top 8 which is impressive. To add to that she was the only girl to reach the quarterfinals and the only confirmed Huntress track student. I'm proud of her."

"That's good, she'll be glad to hear that." Blake said. "We'll do something special for her tonight."

"We will but there is one thing I'm still going to do after that." Yang said as she turned to Blake and slammed her fist into her palm with a grin that Blake did not like on her face. "When we get to talk to the first years, I'm going to get that Bakugo kid back for what he did to Ruby."

Blake, and the others in their class, just gulped at that. There would be a time at the start of the second semester where the acknowledged top 10 3rd years got to talk to the first years and it looked like Yang would use that to exact some sisterly vengeance on Bakugo. Well, the kid was strong so it would be good and with only four left it was time to see which of the remaining first years would claim the title as Class 3-A sat back to wait for the semifinals of the U.A.'s first year's Sports Festival to begin.

The moment Ruby was loaded onto the stretcher and taken off Weiss was up and leaving the box. Several had left for Midoriya but Weiss had opted to stay as there'd been too many going to see him, she wasn't going to do so for Ruby. She understood that Ruby couldn't see her last round, her wounds were minor and Ruby needed to be ready for her battle with Noelle but Weiss was out and Ruby's injuries were clearly second only to Midoriya's so she wanted to go and make sure that her best friend was ok.

As such she didn't stay for the discussion of the last quarterfinal battle or the upcoming semifinals, she just hurried to the Nurse's Office. She was in such a rush that she didn't even notice that Midoriya was back and about to head to his seat having returned just before Ruby lost to note the outcome of the other quarterfinals. Weiss just rushed past him as she hurried into the bowels of the stadium to go and make sure that Ruby was ok.

Even with her arm in a sling, Weiss wasn't slowed down as she made her way down to the Nurse's Office. Thanks to ending up there after her own loss Weiss knew where she was going and she made a quick beeline to it so that she reached it in only minutes. Just like the others did with Midoriya earlier, Weiss jut barged into the room ready to make sure that Ruby was ok.

"Ruby, are you…" Weiss said as the door was flung open and she leapt in before she realized that something was very different with who was looking after Ruby. "Er, who are you?"

What Weiss was referring to was the fact that rather than Recovery Girl being there like she had when Weiss came too following her own first round of healing, she had another round scheduled for after the day ended due to the stamina drain that Recovery Girl's Quirk caused the person being healed, the person in the room wasn't her. Instead, the only person present was a teen boy who looked to be a few years older than her with slightly messy blond hair that was parted over his left eye who Weiss had never seen before wearing the U.A. PE kit under a white coat to indicate that he was here in an official capacity.

That much was certainly clear as he had his hands on Ruby's bare back, though Ruby still had her jacket on, as she lay face down on the bed. The boy's hands were glowing with a warm looking yellow light as he gently rested them on Ruby's back and the glow was extended over Ruby's back which didn't look as badly burnt as it had after Bakugo had knocked her out and Ruby no longer had any burns on her arms either. The touch was clearly professional and not inappropriate in the slightest but still, Weiss couldn't help but feel a surge of jealousy in her as she saw the touch.

"Huh, oh hello sorry when I'm healing I can get a bit too focused on my work." The boy said as he looked up as the door closed behind her and showed Weiss that he had deep blue eyes. "It's why I don't heal in the field unless I have some support around me so that I can focus on my work."

"Ok but that doesn't answer my question." Weiss said as she walked further into the room. "Who are you?"

"Oh right, I didn't introduce myself." The boy said with a slight flush of embarrassment at that. "I'm Jaune Arc, Huntsman track student in Class 3-B and a student healer when Recovery Girl needs assistance."

"Right, Present Mic said that there was a student healer I think." Weiss said as she approached Ruby's bed. "So you have a healing Quirk then?"

"It can be used for healing purposes when used on other people, yes." Jaune said with a nod. "But that is just an aspect of it what my Quirk can do."

Jaune Arc, Quirk: Biological Amplification. Jaune can amplify the biological features of the human body be it internally with his own or through tough with other people. This can create a temporary boost in strength, stamina, speed, or Quirk duration while also speeding up a body's natural healing and recovery processes allowing him to heal people. It's not as rapid as Recovery Girl but it will speed up healing noticeably without the stamina drain that she has.

"I see." Weiss said as she reached Ruby's bed. "Where's Recovery Girl?"

"She's taking a rest; she did have to perform surgery on that Midoriya kid before she could start healing him with her Quirk." Jaune said. "My Quirk will speed up your natural healing but the damage that kid did was too much so he needed some serious help. However, short of that I can help so Recovery Girl called me in to assist for anyone else in the quarterfinals as she needs a break. This burn is noticeable but not bad, I'll have your friend right as rain soon but she'll be sore so you should help bandage her up and she'll need a new shirt."

"Urgh, where am I?" Ruby asked as she lifted her head and turned to see Weiss, smiling as soon as she saw her friend not realizing that there was someone else in the room though she did feel a warmth in her back that was soothing. "Weiss? What are you doing here?"

"You, Rose, are in the Nurse's Office." Jaune said from above her as he worked. "I'm a student healer working on your back. You'll be fine soon; it will just take some time to heal you up."

"Oh ok, that explains the strange feeling." Ruby said though she was still looking at Weiss, if Weiss was there then there was nothing to fear from whoever was healing her so she could relax. "You didn't answer Weiss. What are you doing here?"

"I came to make sure you were doing alright you dolt." Weiss said with a small smile at Ruby as she came up next to Ruby and created a glyph to sit on next to Ruby's bed while Arc continued to work. "You were knocked out by Bakugo so I was worried about you."

"Yeah I don't remember that." Ruby said with a groan. "I remember being blasted to the ground before what felt like a massive fist punched through my body and then nothing. How bad was it?"

"He blasted you point blank in the back to knock you out." Weiss said as she bit her lip recalling the battle. "It was brutal to watch."

"Well it was the right thing to do." Ruby said. "I would have grabbed his ankle and burst him out of the ring otherwise. I wasn't going to give up unless I was knocked out. Uraraka showed no fear to Bakugo, I couldn't either and clearly he knew that and took measures to ensure I was beaten. I'll take that as a plus when it comes to facing Bakugo."

"You were amazing." Weiss said as her left hand twitched and then she just went for it and turned in on her glyph so that she could reach out her free left hand and take Ruby's left hand in hers and squeezed it, flushing as Ruby smiled and squeezed back and held her hand. "You didn't give up at all, it was fast and brutal but that was the only way Bakugo could beat you."

"Yeah my plans were to either beat him at the start by grabbing him and taking him out to kicking him to the ground or if that failed to use my mobility to find an opening as he overused his Quirk." Ruby said as Weiss idly rubbed her thumb on the back of Ruby's hand which Ruby found soothing. "But I underestimated those explosions. He may have a terrible personality but Bakugo's got power and brains."

"Yeah, shame his personality is, as Kaminari so aptly put it, hot garbage mixed with fresh sewage." Weiss said which caused Ruby to snort out a laugh. "What?"

"I didn't expect you to say something so crass Weiss." Ruby said as she chuckled before wincing. "Ow it hurts to laugh. That's annoying."

"You took a blast to the back, there's some pretty noticeable muscular and internal damage in addition to the burn." Jaune said. "Schnee, try not to make your friend laugh."

"Sorry." Weiss said. "And sorry Ruby."

"It's ok, it shows how much you've thawed out this year, you're no longer the ice princess." Ruby said with a smile. "I like it as it's the real you."

"Oh, ok th, thank you." Weiss said with a flush as she looked away but naturally continued to hold Ruby's hand with hers. "Th, that means a lot Ruby."

Ruby thought it was cute reaction and smiled at it as she and Weiss fell into a comfortable silence still holding hands while Jaune was now awkwardly healing the former. He really felt like a third wheel but he kinda had to be here so he just left it at that and focused on his work.

"So, Bakugo completes the final four." Ruby said breaking the silence. "And there's a break now before the semis. Who's going to win? I gotta say, the four left are all powerhouses. It's going to be intense to see who wins it all."

"Yeah, it's going to be good." Weiss said. "Though I think that…"

At that Weiss began to give her analysis on the upcoming semifinal which Ruby should be healed up for as there was a good break before Asta and Todoroki kicked off the penultimate round of the final event. Ruby also gave her two cents as the girls continued to chat while Ruby was healed enough to watch the remaining battles in the Sports Festival. The entire time Weiss never let go of Ruby's hand.

"Deku?" Ochaco asked as Izuku returned to their seats and limped to his seat next to Uraraka. "You're back?"

Izuku's surgery had gone well though he would now have some scars and on his right hand and slightly crocked fingers from what he'd done in his match against Todoroki. It was a reminder of his lack of control over his Quirk and that Recovery Girl wouldn't heal him again if he broke bones like this so he had to figure out how to properly control One for All.

That would come in time and he now had real motivation for it but for the moment he just wanted to watch the rest of the battles. He'd been released in time to see Kacchan's win over Rose and now it was just him, Todoroki, Asta, and Yuno left in the Sports Festival. An interesting set of semifinal battles that Izuku wanted to watch.

He couldn't make notes, his right arm was in a sling and his left a case, same for his left leg, but he could watch and learn what he could from the last few battles. Even with his injuries he wasn't going to miss these matches.

"It looks like the surgery was a success." Tsu said as Izuku reached his seat and sat next to Uraraka with Ida on his other side. "But should you really be here?"

"Yeah I can be, Recovery Girl healed me up enough to walk." Izuku said as he took his seat. "So I was discharged."

"Still doesn't look good." Ida pointed out. "She wasn't in when I went to get looked at, some third year Huntsman student called Arc looked over me and healed me up quickly with his Quirk. You look like you should still be resting."

"That kind of damage was serious." Nero said. "It's not good at all."

"Yeah, shouldn't you take it easy?" Ochaco asked with a worried tone in her voice. "This can't be comfortable for you, Deku."

"It's fine, so long as I can walk I wasn't going to miss the last three matches." Izuku said seriously. "I want to watch them in person. There are only four left, three in our class and one from Class B, this is the point where everyone's efforts are finally paying off. Todoroki, Asta, Yuno, Kacchan, one of them will win the Sports Festival, I can't not watch that."

The others just stared at Izuku for that before nodding and turning back to the battlefield. His tone showed his seriousness so they were going to leave it at that as they settled in ready for the semifinals to start. Of them, Noelle was the most nervous as they got ready to watch the penultimate round of the final event of their first Sports Festival.

There it is, the final four are known and what a final four it is. Four strong, determined, boys left to fight for the glory of winning the Sports Festival but who will advance from the semifinals to make it to the last round? Well stay tuned because that is coming in two weeks' time as I am ahead of schedule so I will get two chapters out this month for y'all to enjoy and that goes for the other two stories in my Black Trio as well. That is all that I really have after this chapter, it's another fun and action filled one with a little sweetness thrown in, so I will leave it off here. Anyway, that is all that I have for this massive chapter so I will leave it 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