Chapter Fourteen: Cooperation

Listening to Midnight explain the rules, Izuku absently pinched his chin as he ruminated the information they were being given.

Each team was worth the sum total of the constituent members, and the resulting value of their starting headband. Losing your headband, or those you had gathered did not eliminate you from the game, but being knocked out of bounds or forcing others to do the same did. As did the rider setting foot on the ground or the horse breaking up. Quirks were allowed, barring effects that were expressly used to affect the instant-loss conditions.

Fifteen minutes of chaos, or Hell if you were the one holding the 10 million band. Knowing Bakugo, though, he would be either gunning for Izuku (and whoever was with him) or the 10 million headband.

Or likely both, Izuku thought, and smiled. He had his plausible deniability.

At the center of the arena, the blond was fielding requests to join his team. Hardly surprising, as he had versatile Quirk and knew how to use it. That he had anyone willing to team up with him was more surprising, but it was impossible that no-one liked him, or at least found him useful in this particular instance.

"You really concern me when you smile like that," said Momo, walking up next to him.

"Eh, just thinking of the loopholes they're leaving, but none that should concern most of the participants."

Momo gave him a dubious look, eyes flicking towards Bakugo.

"Oh, I'm not going to hurt him. Unless you count his pride. And don't tell me you want him operating with carte blanche to inflict violence on any and all of your classmates."

She considered it for a moment, then inclined her head. "Well, I have a team to assemble. Are you available?"

"Of course! Where do you want me?"

[IB]

Itsuka was staving off a panic attack. She had been expecting to be avoided on principle of holding a sign that effectively meant "attack me!", and a part of her just wanted to ditch it as soon as the action started, but that lasted until Yoarashi practically teleported in front of her at Midnight's dismissal and boomed, "Kendo, I wish to team up with you!", then bowed hard and low enough to slam his head against the pavement.

Blinking at her boisterous classmate, she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Are you serious? I'm going to be the target of every other team out there."

Yoarashi stood up, blood dribbling down his face, pumping up a fist. "What better way to demonstrate your passion!" he expounded. "You have proven your determination, and quite explosively at that! To that end, I wish to see you reach the next phase of the Sports Festival and challenge you myself!"

Itsuka tilted her head. "Eh?"

"You will require defense and a considerable degree of maneuverability, both of which I can provide in abundance!"

` Reiko appeared from behind the whirlwind's bulk. "I can grab headbands without requiring us to get close or incur much risk. Provided the two of you can maintain a lasting defense or a means to keep away from any opposition."

Others of Class 1-B had congregated around her in short order, each giving the reasons to have them on her team. However, she could only have three teammates for this. Who would best fill the gaps or amplify their existing effects.

"Reiko, your lift capacity is similar to your weight, right?" Itsuka asked, getting a nod in return. "Monoma, can you match that?"

The copycat slapped Reiko's hand, then lifted her up. "I suppose so."

"Okay. Everyone, find yourself a team. If you can't find a team, let me know."

"Okay, here's how we're going to play this…"

[IB]

Hitoshi was at a loss. Most of the people he would have preferred teaming up with were already finding teams. Hardly surprising, as he had wanted to make an effort under his own merits and capabilities. He wouldn't be able to stay in Izuku's shadow forever, so he had to come up with a plan on his own. There was a non-zero chance that Izuku would arrange things so that he would pass into the third phase, but that was something he didn't necessarily want to leverage if he could help it.

Ochako was out, having already been roped in by the icy-hot looking guy from Class 1-A. Momo had tagged both Izuku and Sho, along with another girl from Class 1-B, or at least that was what he was guessing; the dark-haired girl hadn't really said much while he was within earshot Aside from himself, Izuku, Sho, Mei, and that other girl from 1-I, the bulk of the contestants would be from the Heroics class.

The trick would be advertising his skills without showing too much of his hand to the opposition. Hiding the trigger condition for his Quirk was going to help, which meant he was going to have to convince someone normally.

"Hey. Shinso, right? Still got any room on your team?"

Hitoshi turned to a teen with yellow hair with a black stripe streaking through. Scratching his head, he shrugged. "I'm not exactly in a position to refuse, but why me?"

"Eh…I think Todoroki was scouting me out, but he was needing someone to block me attacks, and that person didn't join him for some reason."

"You do electricity right?"

"Yeah. Tends to go everywhere, though, so…"

Putting a hand to his chin, Hitoshi considered his options. "I'll consider it, but I think Todoroki is onto something with your Quirk. Just don't expect miracles."

"You still got to the 15th spot. That's hardly nothing."

"Shinso!"

Hitoshi nearly jumped at Mei's sudden appearance. For a loud personality, she could be quite stealthy at unexpected times.

"Ten-Million already turned me down, and the next two teams are full!"

Hitoshi glanced in the direction of the indicated teams. "Do you have anything to direct electricity, or at least shield us from the effects?"

Like a switch being flipped, Mei immediately perked up. "Indeed, I do!" She cracked open a chest full of her "babies", proudly showing off each one in quick succession.

"Mei, a proposal. Team up with me, and you'll get to test your children against the best U.A. has to offer. Hardly a better demonstration of their capabilities, don't you think?"

Mei's smile was all teeth, eyes hooding ever so slightly. "Mr. Mindsweeper, you have yourself a deal!"

"Alright. We need another person to work with. Someone with some defensive abilities, or can make use of a gadget of yours that can bridge the gap. A physical fighter, maybe?"

His eyes drifted to a blond, tailed teen standing by himself.

[IB]

Shoto ran down the list of his classmates and who might be most useful in a cavalry battle. He had originally been hoping to recruit Yaoyorozu, but she had already chosen to form her own team, which had ultimately edged out Kaminari as a viable option for his plans.

No matter. He could still work out a solid strategy. He had Iida and had managed to talk Uraraka around to helping him. That still left a fourth slot. And while he could leave it empty and manage on the strengths of his present members, an extra utility or more firepower might come in handy in a pinch.

"Ahem."

Shoto locked eyes with the lavender-haired girl from the Management course, smirking at him with arms crossed over her chest.

"What can you do?" he asked.

She snapped off a tendril of hair, which sprang out as a length of chains, which drifted up to her hand, winding around like a snake.

"If I understand you team composition, you have mobility, offense, and defense, but you're lacking in reach. That's a niche I can fill quite easily, and maybe keep you from launching yourself out of the arena."

"Shiozaki could do something like that," said Uraraka.

"But can her vines hold up under intense cold? Would they be able to hand the strain of your entire team pulling against it?"

Shoto thought it over a couple of times, then nodded. "Welcome to the team."

[IB]

"Now then," Present Mic boomed over the loudspeakers. "It's about time to get started!"

There was a brief pause as he patted his co-host. "Come on! Wake up, Eraser! After fifteen minutes to form teams and talk strategy, twelve cavalry teams are lined up on the field!"

"There are some interesting combinations out there."

Itsuka secured her team's headband and tensed her hands. "Is everyone ready to roll?"

"True enough, Eraser! Now raise those battle cries! It's time for U.A.'s bloody battle! LIGHT THE SIGNAL FIRE!"

Without hesitation, most of the teams made a b-line straight for her. Hardly unexpected, but annoying to say the least

The ground became soft.

"Reiko, Monoma, up!"

Her team lifted out of the muck and into the air. Coming down to a landing, Itsuka felt the chill at the back of her neck.

"Brace!" she shouted.

Yoarashi stomped his foot down, ice warping into a spiral around them. Itsuka followed by smashing the construct, letting her team escape the enclosure.

"Again!"

Another wave of ice surged forth, wind twisting it out and around them, forming a wall opening out of bounds.

Itsuka prepared to backhand the next attack herself, but relaxed infinitesimally when no such attack immediately followed.

"That'll buy us a minute or so."

An explosion immediately contradicted her, the explosive blond from 1-A barreling through the opening.

Then the blond launched himself up and at her, explosions crackling and tearing at the air in a dive bomb.

Enlarging her hands, she took the hit on her palms, the remaining force rocking her back.

She ignored her stinging hands and flung Bakugo back out, only for a line of tape to slap onto back, reeling him back onto his horse. From what she could make out, that was not planned in advance, or at least not communicated to his team.

"That didn't disqualify them?" she balked

"No part of him ever touched the ground," Reiko noted, something that Midnight announced as the reason.

"…Crap!" Seeing as Bakugo wound up for another attack, Itsuka readied for another. "Fine. Let's get out of the crowd and keep moving!"

"Up we go!" Yoarashi boomed, Monoma and Reiko combing their efforts to put them out of reach of the main competition. "Look out below!"

A few teams had been duking it out in the landing zone, and hastily forgot about it when they came down. Now on the other end of the map, Ituksa shot a quick glance at the clock.

"Thirteen minutes." She muttered to herself. "We should hold out that long."

The other teams had wheeled around and were charging at her team once more.

[IB]

Toshinori watched as the Cavalry Battle unfolded. The initial clash had been felt all the way into the stands. Despite the forces being brought to bear, you could see it as a game between children instead of an exhibition of outstanding talents aiming to join the ranks of Heroes.

Really, that's what it should have been, but after that disastrous Trial of Battle, he found himself reevaluating how to teach his students, and contemplating why this was the sort of thing they threw students into after only allowing them to freely utilize their Quirks a month prior.

On one hand, they had to be ready for the stresses they were liable to face in their prospective careers. But at the same time, engagements in the field necessitated restraint. Moderation, especially in proximity to citizens and weakened structures. Enemies like the Nomu were rarities, petty thugs and grunts typically having little to distinguish themselves from the Quirkless as far as defenses went, and that meant ambush tactics.

Before his eyes, ice formed, shattering or melting, only to refreeze the moment after, young Todoroki's efforts shaping the battlefield wherever he went. Explosions thundered as young Bakugo executed frankly reckless maneuvers with his team. Nuts and bolts nearly the size of sedans dropped into a barrier as young Yaoyorozu's team kept the opposition at bay.

Itsuka was doing her best to keep ahead of it all, her team launching over obstacles and snares, chased by the competition.

"Quite the spectacle, is it not?" Nedzu mused.

"A little more balanced out than my own time here, but that's liable to change as Itsuka gains a better handle on One for All."

Idly resting tented hands on his lap, Toshinori felt his found buzz, finally hearing his ringtone break through the roar of the Sports Festival, albeit too late to actually catch the call. Toshinori looked down at his phone, seeing several unread messages and missed calls.

Nighteye?

A hasty by-your-leave, Toshinori found one of the lounges by the teacher's section, punching the answer button as Nighteye called him yet again. After their last correspondence, Toshinori thought that would be the end of their interactions, but it seems something dictated otherwise.

"Nighteye, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Tell me you've seen it," his old sidekick snapped, though not at Toshinori. Nighteye was stressing out over something, and was fighting to keep his nerves under control.

It had happened more than a few times, harrowing encounters on the case, even when they weren't pursuing All for One. It had been a long time since he had helped Nighteye with his episodes, but he still found himself falling into old habits.

"What in particular?" Toshinori asked.

"Midoriya. The one who gave the pledge. Don't tell me you haven't noticed a resemblance to him."

Suddenly grateful for the privacy, Toshinori pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I can see a resemblance-" he replied,

"Then you can understand why we need to make-"

"-but that's hardly grounds for ruining a young man's life. I've talked to few times, and have seen him with his peers. He's hardly the pillar of malice All for One was."

"Just because he hasn't made an obvious move doesn't mean he isn't plotting something."

"Mirai," Toshinori stressed, "if young Midoriya wanted me dead, he could have stabbed me in the back during the U.S.J. and no one would have been the wiser. Or simply have done nothing." Logic had always been the fastest way to get through to him, even when he was working himself up. "Listen, I understand you're concerned, and I do appreciate you looking out for me, but think through this rationally. By all appearances, he's the son of a media baron. If you're wrong, that would be a PR nightmare to say the least. And if you're right, you would be tipping your hand for no gain whatsoever."

Nighteye's teeth audibly clenched on the other side of the line. "I…see," he, said, finally. "Thank you for your wisdom in this."

"It's no trouble." "If Midoriya is – somehow – related, if All for One somehow had the time or the interest in having a family, you need to have iron-clad proof. You know what those kinds of accusations can do."

"I'll see what I can do." And like that, the call ended.

That…was interesting. While far from the rapport they shared when they were partners in the Heroics business, it was still more than he would have hoped for after their parting of ways.

But hearing Nighteye give voice to theories Toshinori had entertained and discarded stirred his memories again, something relegated to the back of his mind and simultaneously on the tip of his tongue, but for the life of him, he couldn't rightly recall what that might be or what it might mean for him.

[IB]

Less than half the time was remaining. Itsuka took a breath, ignoring the buff of mist that accompanied it, and took in her surroundings.

Most of the battleground – and it was a battleground – was strewn with hardware, ice, vines, twisted concrete, and other debris generated by repeated clashes of the titans, all chasing her down for a strip of cloth..

She had been holding off on using One for All. Just the run through the obstacle course had left her feeling winded and drained, and she needed to conserve some energy for the next phase of the Sports Festival. Big Hands still made for an excellent shield, deflecting the persistent barrage, but the stinging in her palms was starting to wear on her.

Her peers were giving her a run for her money, and the excitement was infectious. It was exhilarating to put herself through the paces. Torodoki and Bakugo seemed to be holding a grudge, or at least were determined to recover some of their dignity from the obstacle course/

Speaking of…

Todoroki's team swung around, chains pulling them around into a slingshot and accelerated by Iida's Quirk, ice spreading out like a slide towards her horse.

Itsuka and Monoma both enlarged their hands, warding them away and pushing off against the ice.

Six more minutes, she reminded herself, ignoring the low, churning rumble beneath her skin.

[IB]

Momo shook her head as she digested Izuku's plan. She had been around him enough she can guess what he is after with this plan. It was also incredibly risky, especially considering the persons involved, and they could easily manage without the 10 million point band, but she was going to humor him this time.

"I hope you know what you're doing," she said, forming a shield from her arm; she would be needing it in short order.

"Me, too," Izuku replied, and led the horse towards the thick of the fighting.

The congregation around Kendo and her team was more preoccupied with one another than anyone who might be lurking in the background, something Hitoshi's team appeared to be taking advantage of. And between Momo, Sho, and Izuku, they had mobility.

Momo readied for the charge. "Sho! Graphnel!"

Her cousin passed his grappling hook and took aim at the redhead's exposed back and fired. Focused as she was on staying out of Bakugo and Todoroki's respective reaches, she didn't realize what was happening until the gripping apparatus clamped down, but by then, Momo was reeling the band back in, catching it with her free hand.

The 10 million point band was in their possession, and like that, all eyes turned to them.

"Now we run."

Momo secured the bands around her neck as Izuku wheeled everyone around to flee the encroaching horde, aiming for the least occupied corner. The team of two wisely vacated their position, and Momo began ejecting pieces of hardware from her arm, into Kodai's hands.

Kodai passed the nuts and bolts to Izuku, who cast them into a wide arc, leaving the girl's hands free to press her fingers together, the enlarging objects falling into the path of the incoming assailants, absorbing incoming attacks and forcing their pursuers to back off or divert to the side.

Everyone but one angry Pomeranian and his dancing partners.

Blasting through the barrier, Bakugo and his team set their sights on, then flooding their path with acid, cutting off any chance of pursuit. The cordon they had established was small, and closing the gap was hardly going to be a challenge.

"Hold," Momo stressed.

Another trio of bolts were sent their one, one flying high and lodging itself in the gap Team Bakugo had come through. The other two deliberately stalled out in their path, once again pushing them to the side. Either they would jump out of the ring, go straight where Sho was had a flame-thrower prepared, come to a complete stop, or go over the barrier.

Naturally, Bakugo went with the last option, Sero having to put a strip of tape to catch the ballistic missile as the rider went flying off without consideration of the backblast.

Izuku smirked, and mentally cheered, Perfect. Pushing against Bakugo, the blond flew up and over them, letting Momo snag his headband as he passed overhead.

The extreme tension the reeling line of tape was under didn't need much additional pressure to snap, letting Bakugo's own momentum and strategy worked against him. Too close to the ground to come out of his dive he had thrown himself into and too far for Sero to cast another line to him, crashing into the ground outside the ring, face first.

"Team Bakugo is out!" Midnight shouted.

"Sorry about that," Momo said to his teammates as they vacated the field to pick up their leader, exploding in a rage and cursing up a storm. Luckily, he wasn't charging back into the field, so Izuku was content to file that under "problems for later".

"Better luck next time," Sho hollered after them.

A nut and a bolt were flung aside, ushering in Team Kendo. Wind whipped up at them, just enough to stall them without actively pushing them out of the ring. The two teams charged, opposing forces whipping hair and clothes in a series of reaches and reverses. Partway through, something like a hand snagged the band from Momo's neck, reeling towards team Kendo and her team.

"Oh, you clever girl," sad Sho.

Kendo's team pulled back and braced for an attack.

"Should we go after them?" asked Kodai.

Momo shook her head. "I don't believe so."

The temperature began to drop, and ice surged around the remaining barrier. Yoarashi stomped the ground, a blast of wind hitting the ice and warping it into a wall in front of them, which Kendo immediately punched, the chunks of ice littering the field as Team Todoroki swung up and over into the cordon.

"That's our cue to leave," said Izuku.

Todoroki ignored them, likely having seen the exchange or keeping an eye on the scoreboard overhead, so their withdrawal was met with no opposition.

"Everyone is surrounding Kendo's team," Momo reasoned. "Not enough time to secure it without potentially destroying the headband entirely, or risk losing ours. If our ranking falls too low, we'll move. Otherwise, we should hang in the background. "

Another handful of hardware passed around the team and was scattered in a semi-circle, securing their position as they settled in for a prolonged siege.

[IB]

Itsuka almost missed Bakugo and his team. Not because she preferred him over Todoroki, but the two had been getting in each other's way when they had both been on the field, and now that he was gone, that left now other interference to speak of.

Squaring off against one another, Itsuka assessed their respective positions.

Todoroki had several headbands he and his team had stolen from the others, probably to minimize the number of competitors for the next phase. Meanwhile, Itsuka still only had her team's band. There were three minutes left on the clock. The current rankings were her team, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, and then that Shinso guy from Gen. Ed. If she lost her team's headband, there wouldn't be enough time to find enough points without clashing against those, and that might not be enough to net a victory.

"I'll be taking that," Todoroki declared, sweeping his right arm back, ice blanketing the arena behind him, leaving the remaining competitors frozen in place. Then bringing his hand forward, the ice followed suit.

"Jump!" Itsuka

Ice once again warped around and up, Todoroki putting more effort to pin down Itsuka's horse. When they landed on it, more ice tried to pin them down, but Monoma was able to free them, only for Todoroki to follow up with more ice, the sculpture growing larger and taller with each successive strike as Yoarashi expertly wove the mass out and away from them.

Temperatures continued to drop, though. Even under the sun and warm weather, the cold was starting to take effect, and they barely had the traction needed to keep their footing, and Todoroki kept chasing them.

Chains shot forth and sank into the ice, a ramp forming as Todoroki's team slingshot up to Itsuka's position, nearly slamming into them before they dipped down one of the slides Yoarashi had left as an escape route.

Itsuka caught a hand on the twisting ice, bringing them to a stop, her breath and those of her team misting in the air. "This is less than ideal," she said.

Todoroki's own horse was having some trouble, the slick ice hindering them as much as it worked for them. She was preparing to just keep this pattern going until Yoarashi spoke up.

"The next time they come at us, we should aim for the right, their left."

"What are you thinking?" she asked.

"Todoroki has only been using his right side. His left side is supposed to be his fire, but he has been refusing to utilize it."

"That is incredibly foolish," said Reiko.

"But it gives us an advantage," Itsuka added. "Get ready. Looks like they're ready for another go. Monoma, see if you can't snag one of their Quirks when they do. Ideally Todoroki's."

Engines revved and Team Todoroki moved forward, sweeping down the valley of ice as the dichromatic teen created a fresh path. As planned, Itsuka's horse jumped right, wind buffeting the opposing team as they maneuvered around.

It was hardly noticeable, but Itsuka heard the slap as they passed.

Once again, Todoroki's horse skidded to a stop, though much better than the last time. From what Itsuka could see, he was making the ice a little rougher to provide the necessary traction.

"Did you get it?" Itsuka asked.

"Yup." Monoma smiled widely, and said, "Things are about to get a little heated."

"Kindly refrain from any puns," Reiko groused.

"I liked it," Yoarashi interjected, then tense. "Here they come!"

Squaring off against their opponents, Monoma mimicked Torodoki's earlier moves, and a fresh layer of ice spread from his right foot, the two competing formations collapsing into one another, nearly toppling the horse.

"T-that's br-brisk," Monoma shivered, then ignited his left side. "Ah…that's better."

"We're lucky he isn't using that," said Itsuka. "Melt the bridge!"

"Got it!" The copycat raised his left hand, fire racing outward. The effects were immediate and satisfying.

The other team reacted swiftly, Todoroki refreezing the melting shelf in front of them long enough for Uraraka and chain hair girl to pull them back to a stable shelf. Below them, the other contestants were treated with a sluice ice water and slush, and weakened sheets of the formation tipped and slid into the newly formed gully.

"You good, Monoma?"

"Yeah.

"Keep a hold on that Quirk. Don't bother switching with anyone else until this round is over."

"Can do, Prez."

Another barrage of chains burrowed into the ice shelf, Todoroki's team launching up, and then down, ice cracking upon impact, but not breaking entirely as the juggernaut continued to edge them further back.

Ice formed behind them, letting them drop back and away from pursuit, though that idea lasted a handful of seconds before Todoroki and company stormed after them. They were going to hit the bottom of the valley soon, and Itsuka turned to tell her team to guide out to level ground when Iida's voice cut about the din of the crowd.

"Recipro-BURST!"

A plume of light and ice particles shot up behind Todoroki and his team, catapulting them forward and past Itsuka, shooting back up to the rise. She only idly noticed her team's headband being stolen, Yoarashi coming to the same realization, accelerating after them.

"And the tables have turned. Team Todoroki is now in the lead!"

Smoke trailed behind Iida's calves. If Itsuka's knowledge of engines was on point, he probably stalled out after torqueing away like that.

"What a rush! And with only thirty seconds remaining!"

Time enough to get it back, Itsuka thought, then said, "Yoarashi, catch up to them!"

Itsuka held on for dear life, Reiko and Monoma doing the same as Yoarashi's Quirk propelled them after Todoroki, just as the crowd counted down the final seconds with Present Mic.

Todoroki was beginning to secure the headband around his neck and glanced downward in time to see Itsuka racing towards them, nearly falling back

"Reiko!"

The band in Todoroki's hand flew towards Reiko's, Monoma catching the rest of the horse with ice before they flew off of the edge.

Reiko passed the headband to Itsuka, but instead of the 10 million, it was Todoroki's own 655 point band.

A moment of stunned silence looking at Todoroki's fleeing team was all Itsuka spared before shouting, "We got duped! They still have it!" She didn't care how he had pulled it off, but she wasn't letting him simply get away with it.

Nothing else needed to be said as they repositioned and gave chase, Yoarashi enthusiastically dragging the whole horse along. The interval between their presumed success and the realization of the ruse was enough that Todoroki to put some distance between them. Time he spent blocking the way with walls of ice.

Hands enlarged, Itsuka began smashing through them, heedless of the numbed stings on her knuckles and palms, until she saw Team Todoroki skating away on a freshly made path.

"Ten!"

This was going to be close."Give that back, Todoroki!"

"Nine!"

Teal lightning flicked around her, gathering at her hand.

"Eight!"

Fire erupted from Todoroki's left side…

"Seven!"

…And was immediately swept aside and dispersed the blowback from One for All shattering the structure around them and cracking the sheets of ice below, reaching out for the stolen headband as the ice slid to the sides, splitting under the abuse and pressure.

"Six!"

Todoroki leaned back, out of Itsuka's reach.

"Five!"

And then ducked under the backswing with an enlarging hand..

"Shit!"

"Four!"

Monoma formed a buffer for Yoarashi to push off of, guiding them away from the edge to catch the stumps of shattered icebergs.

"Three!"

Their combined efforts cushioned their fall, but there was no way they were catching up to Todoroki, who had already reached ground level.

"TWO!"

Itsuka gritted her teeth. Damn it!

"AND TIME~!" Present Mic shouted. "That's the end of the second round, listeners! Let's take a look at the teams moving forward to the final phase! In first place, Team Todoroki! Second place, a dark horse alliance, Team Shinso!"

Itsuka panted as she set food on solid ground again, almost dreading to see what the scoreboard would say as she looked up. But instead of the mere total of Todoroki's headband, she saw upwards of a thousand, placing them third.

"Following in third place, Team Kendo! And bringing up the dachshund's tail, the ultimate defenders, Team Yoayorozu!"

"What? How!?"

"Jeez, Kendo," said Monoma, producing a handful of bands. "You didn't need to push so hard at the last second."

In relief, Itsuka plopped onto the ground, staring skyward. It wasn't a complete victory, certainly not as she had hoped, but more than she had expected.

"You guys are amazing!" Yoarashi exclaimed at the top of his lungs. "Such passion! Such tenacity! Thank you for allowing me to take part in this undertaking!"

The rest of their class gathered around to congratulate her team.

"Great job, you guys!" Setsuna cheered. "With Kodai passing, that makes five of us going into the final round!"

"You good there, Kendo?" asked Honenuki, kneeling down to eye level with her. "Things got pretty intense that last bit."

Itsuka sat up, leaning back a little on her arms. "It really was. I don't know what came over me," she said, giving a small smile. "But it was a lot of fun."

"And totally worth it!" Monoma declared. "Like this, we lay claim to the third of the slots for the final match, putting our best people forward…"

The stream of chatter turned into a drone inside Itsuka's head. As Monoma continued to ramble, Honenuki gave her an expectant look. "Uh, Kendo?"

Curling up and tucking her face against her knees, she gave an exhausted sigh. "Too tired," she mumbled. "You do it."

Honenuki looked to Setsuna, who gave the blond a whack up the backside of his head, knocking him flat into Yoarashi's chest.

[IB]

Yui Kodai, Quirk: Size (any non-living object she touches can be enlarged or reduced in mass and volume)

Shoto Todoroki, Quirk: Half Hot/Half Cold (he produced ice from his right side and fire from his left)

A/N: That took far longer than I had hoped. But here we are. I had most of this chapter, mainly the fight written out. Keyword: mostly. I wound up scrapping a chunk of it and had to rewrite the rest. Then I managed to slam out almost double the chapter's length in a single night, which is where most of the face-off between Kendo and Todoroki came from.

As it stands, I tried to limit the amount of attention given to the Cavalry Battle, and what attention there was dedicated to the parties that would be advancing. Heck, even Momo's team saw little attention, but that was because they were content to hide in the background after getting Bakugo eliminated.

I almost had Hitoshi and his team snag the 10 million headband at the last second, but I figured it was too risky for the given team compositions, and it let Monoma shine a little for this round.

And like that, half of the canon participants of the next phase are replaced.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Guesses on who will win the Sports Festival? Let me know with a review or PM. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. Happy New Year, everyone!