Right now, it seemed the whole world was watching Midoriya, and for good reason. With his fantastic showing in the Obstacle Race, it felt like he was the one to beat.

"Nobody said aiming to be the next #1 would be so much pressure!"

"Each team will have a combined total of points based on the individual point value of its team members. That total will be the sum of each member." Midnight explained. "Everyone will know how much each team is worth by the number on their headband. Swipe as many headbands as you can to raise your team's score. Remember, if you lose your headband that does not immediately disqualify you. You can remain in the competition by swiping other teams' headbands to make up the loss in points."

She waved her whip at the students.

"All stolen headbands must be worn from the neck up, so the more you have the harder it will be to manage them. Once time is up, the four teams with the highest score will move on to the final round. You may use your Quirks as much as you like, however there are still rules. Make a team fall on purpose and I'll slap you with a red card, disqualifying you from the competition. You have fifteen minutes to build your team."

"RIGHT HERE!" Ben, Katsuki, and Morimoto called out as one as they stood by Izuku.

"YOU GUUUUUUUUUUUYS!" The freckled lad sobbed, a waterfall of tears gushing out of his eyes.

"The team that's the most mobile will have an advantage, and since you have the highest point value, Deku, we can get another advantage teaming up with him right from the start," Katsuki explained.

"And with you as the rider, the three of us can play an effective game of keep-away," Morimoto added.

Metal Bat and Mount Lady joined Death Arms and Vigorshy in the staff break room.

"The Sports Festival isn't really about how prepared the students are to be heroes, it's more about simulating the competition they face if they go pro. This country is overrun with agencies. If you want to put food on the table, you need to be able to stand out from the other agencies." Death Arms noted.

"That's such a sad way of looking at our jobs," Mount Lady said.

"Says the woman who's never had a problem stealing the spotlight," Metal Bat pointed out.

"It's not like heroes never work together or combine agencies. The first round was all about the competitive side of the hero business. The second round is more about the cooperative side." Vigorshy noted.

Death Arms nodded. "Yeah. Every point you score counts for your whole team. Finding a good combination of Quirks and physical ability is vital."

Most of the students in Class 1-A tried to team up with Shoto but he ultimately decided on a team with Momo, Denki, and Tenya. Mayumi got together a team of Mei, Ochako, and Fumikage while Tsumi had picked up a team of Mina, Eijirou, and Sero.

Akatani, Le, Wankuro, and Kirby formed a team together though Akatani was casting suspicious glances at Hitoshi as he got a team made of Yuuga, Oujiro, and Shouda.

"Looks like everyone's sticking to their homeroom class," Izuku noted.

"They're trying to find the best combination to work with, especially those that can either only act as horse or rider. It's best to work with someone you know, and whose Quirk or Object of Power you can compliment." Morimoto said.

"Or who can work with support items," Katsuki noted. "Like that crazy friend of Mayumi's."

"And since Mayumi doubles as a Support Course student, that means double the support tech on top of using Gyrfalcon and its myriad of capabilities," Ben added.

Meanwhile, Monoma had a dark look on his face as he saw Class 1-A teaming up together.

"Everyone's foaming at the mouth for what Class 1-A will do. Why are they stars? The only difference between us and them is that they fought a couple of villains. Just because we're Class 1-B doesn't mean we're second-rate or that we can't win this whole thing."

"You're saying that, but you only just barely passed the first round." Sen pointed out.

"Kaibara, who's side are you on?!"

"Not the blonde howler monkey, that's for sure..."

"And it looks like everyone has their teams!" Present Mic said after time was up. "By now they've had time to talk strategy. So let's get ready to rumble!"

With one last countdown, all of the teams rushed Team Midoriya. Juuzo Honenuki of Class 1-B was the first to make his move, stomping the ground to make it softer with his Quirk, Softening, and causing the team to sink.

"Ben! Morichan!"

"RIGHT!"

The two combined their Quirks to essentially turn their cavalry into a small space rocket, Ben protruding jets of fire from his feet while Morimoto turned his legs into jets. Ibara Shiozaki tried to trap them with her vines, only for Izuku to launch a smokescreen to cover their escape.

So long as we keep our headband we're guaranteed a spot in the finals. We just need to stay ahead of the other teams."

"Sooner or later they'll start attacking each other for the chance to fight us and in the process, they'll start grabbing each other's headbands to lower the competition," Katsuki said.

Morimoto nodded. "A predator always goes for the easiest meal, so we just have to make ourselves too much of a hassle."

Mayumi and Tsumi had the right idea as they were leading their teams into snagging the other teams' headbands.

"Everyone's trying to take out Midoriya cuz he's at the top but they forget that there are plenty of slots in the finals. Why go for the top right now when we can fight for it when it really counts?" Mayumi noted.

Tsumi grinned, her team surprised at how she was able to steal some of the other teams' headbands so easily.

Meanwhile, Team Izuku found themselves surrounded by Team Tetsutetsu and Team Shouji. The boys cursed as they tried to figure out a plan of escape, only for Izuku to notice his arm twitching before a massive burst of black tendrils exploded from it.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Katsuki exclaimed.

Izuku's eyes widened. "This is Blackwhip, the Quirk of the late Wrangler Hero: Lariat. He was a One For All user?"

"What the hell?!" Tetsutetsu called out. "Since when can he do that?!"

"Impressive, Midoriya..." Le noted as he and his team were busy following the example set by Teams Mayumi and Tsumi.

All-Might had also noticed what was happening as he watched the screen with interest.

"Daigoro Banjo, the fifth user, was one of the few One For All users besides me to face HIM and win."

"Midoriya's just full of surprises!" Present Mic said. "The judges are calling this legal, so it looks like Team Midoriya has full coverage to protect themselves! Maybe even steal a few headbands!"

"I doubt they'll be taking any. So long as they keep their own headband they stay at the top." Aizawa said. "It'd be irrational to steal anyone else's headband when the point gain is minimal."

With his newfound power, Izuku kept blocking shots from the other teams but knew that with everyone closing in, he and his team needed to get out of there fast.

"Kacchan! Launch us now!"

"Everyone hold on to your asses!" Katsuki called out, pointing both his palms at the ground as he let loose a big explosion to launch the team to the other side of the arena.

"Get ready for an extra boom!" Ben smirked. "Mixing Fire, Gas, and Sound creates my own EXPLOSION!"

With an additional explosion created by Ben, Izuku's team was able to create an effective shockwave to push back everyone else.

"Don't steal my schtick, dammit!" Katsuki barked.

"Wish I could have played Midoriya online during a gaming session. I could have used some tips for party building and team management." Tomura said as he and the Scarlet Council watched. "But that new ability..."

"Could it be..." Sin Scholar pondered.

Daybreaker nodded. "Yes, I remember Lariat using a similar Quirk to bind me multiple times. So he was a One For All user as well, was he?"

"I remember he fought All For One, who tried to steal One For All. That's how we learned that it is immune to his power, so long as the user of One For All has a higher will." Gaia noted. "All For One was growing beyond Mugen at the time, as was One For All."

Tsumi's team had gotten into a square-off with Itsuka Kendo's team, consisting of her, Reiko Yanagi, Setsuna Tokage, and Kinoko Komori. Monoma's team, consisting of him, Sen Kaibara, Tsuburaba Kosei, and Kuroiro Shihai, was going after any of the 1-A teams they could get close to.

"Geez, what's his deal, anyway?" Eijirou asked. "He's not acting very manly."

"His plan was to have our class throw the first round, only coming up towards the end." Itsuka clarified. "Everyone loves an underdog, right?"

Tsumi nodded. "Maybe in other schools, but this is UA High. We're supposed to be Plus Ultra, no matter what class we're a part of."

"Just so we're clear, he doesn't speak for all of us," Setsuna said. "His big mouth got us in a whole lot of trouble with the Sisters of Fate."

"Sheesh, what an ego," Sero noted. "Why did he even apply to UA if he's gonna shoot his mouth like that at everyone that isn't 1-B?"

Itsuka sighed. "He has this glorious ideal of what heroism is all about, taken from comics and cartoons."

"The man carries too much envy to be a hero," Reiko said.

"But forget about him right now!" Tsumi said. "Right now it's just us against each other right now!"

"You got it!" Itsuka said as she enlarged her hand with her Quirk, Big Fist, and made a big swipe. "Now let's see if we can snag some points!"

The girl managed to grab something but found she only managed to snag one or two of Tsumi's headbands. The rest were...skin-colored bandages.

"W-What?"

It was then Itsuka and her team saw Tsumi looking at them with unbridled fear and panic, her smile small and shaky, for just a second. She then had her team turn away and continue stealing from the other teams.

"Tsumi...?" Mina asked worriedly.

"They can't see them...nobody can see them..." The rat-tailed girl whispered to herself over and over.

It was just halfway through the competition, and while most of the teams had lost their headbands due to Mayumi and Tsumi's actions, Teams Izuku, Shoto, Hitoshi, and Le still had theirs. However, this left a lot of people scrambling to make up for the loss in points.

Monoma grimaced as he saw this going on, having managed to snatch a few of Team Tooru's headbands.

"Damn it... This wouldn't be happening if they had just gone along with my plan..."

He didn't know that Vlad King, his own homeroom teacher, was up in the stands and sighing in exasperation.

"I can't believe he managed to pass the Entrance Exam. We should consider altering it for next year to filter out anyone who would look down on others or hold a longtime grudge for perceived insults."

"Recommended students do have to go through an interview. Perhaps we should make that mandatory for the normal entrance exam as well." Serpenshia noted.

As for Shoto, he was having a tough time getting close to Izuku. The plan had seemed simple. It didn't matter to him how few or how many points his teammates were worth. All he had to do was grab Izuku's headband and all that was moot. So he made his team choices based on their skills and how they could complement his own.

Things seemed to be straightforward...and then Izuku sprouted tentacles from his arms.

Now it wasn't too odd, Regenizard could create tentacles from his body as well with certain adaptations but these were different...MUCH different. Now Izuku's team had an effective means of defense and offense.

"What's the plan here, Todoroki?" Denki asked. "I can use my special move here and now and still hit them. But if we're not close enough, we'll never snatch that headband before Midoriya's team recovers."

Shoto narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the scoreboard to see Team Tsumi and Team Mayumi ahead.

"We're switching targets. Goto and Shudai's teams are closer, so we'll aim for them. The plan itself is unchanged."

Momo nodded and quickly created a large insulated blanket for the team as Denki charged up.

"INDISCRIMINATE SHOCK: 1 MILLION VOLTS!"

Most of the other teams were hit immediately since they were closing in while trying to attack Izuku's team. Ben saw this and absorbed the electricity into himself to protect the rest of his team.

"I'M ALL JUICED UP, BABY!"

"Use that juice to get us in the air!" Morimoto ordered.

With an electrified shockwave boost, Ben launched the rest of Team Izuku into the air as Izuku noticed Shoto icing over the field with a pole that Momo created.

"He's adapting to what happened at the obstacle race. Good effort, but it's still not foolproof."

He then sensed something coming and threw up Blackwhip, creating a web barrier just as Dark Shadow slammed into it.

"Ow! That barrier's hard as concrete, Boss!"

"Not bad, Zu!" Mayumi praised her friend.

Fumikage nodded. "Indeed. A brand new facet to his Quirk and he's already showing skill. Dark Shadow is at its strongest in darkness, but that makes it harder to control. With this much light out, my offensive options are limited."

"Man, I wish I could've been on his team!" Mei moaned.

"Deku is so cool..." Ochako silently praised.

With Team Tsumi, Eijirou quickly took notice of Shoto's team making a beeline for them.

"Damn it, we're vulnerable right now."

"Don't worry, gang! I know acid melts ice!" Mina smirked as she started building up an acid stream along their feet, weak enough to not melt their shoes off, but strong enough to glide along the ice.

"Seems the likes of Team Todoroki and Monoma are coming at us," Mayumi told her own team. "Let's crank up the heat and break the ice!"

Mayumi activated her Thermo Buster, which she got from scanning Shoto's Quirk and turning her arm into a cannon that looked like a fusion of a flamethrower and a snowblower.

"Right now it's turning into a free-for-all!" Present Mic called out. "So far Team Midoriya is still sitting pretty with ten million and change in points! And it looks like Team Todoroki has switched targets!"

"That was a smart call on Todoroki's part. He saw how versatile Midoriya's new Quirk mutation was and decided he was better off going after more viable targets." Aizawa noted.

Right now, the ones in the lead were Teams Izuku, Mayumi, Tsumi, Shoto, Hitoshi, and Le.

"We've only got one minute left. Kaminari, Iida, I need your help."

"Right!"

Momo quickly threw the insulating blanket over the team while Goto got her team back up. Shoto directed Tenya into a tight swerve to create an ice barrier to prevent anyone else from getting hit.

"TEN MILLION VOLT VOLLEY!"

Denki practically lit up the arena to create a powerful electrical wave to stun all surrounding teams while Tenya charged up his engines to overdrive.

"RECIPRO BURST!"

The sudden speed boost caught many off-guard as Team Shoto aimed for Team Mayumi. However, Teams Izuku, Tsumi, and Le suddenly leaped over the ice wall with Izuku's hand lit up with green energy, Le's hands crackling with Chaos energy, and Tsumi's eyes blazing red.

Without even thinking, Shoto instinctively put up a fire barrier from his left side, just as Le grabbed his headband with one of the whips.

"And Team Ultimave snatches a last-minute headband! But is it enough to take out Team Todoroki!?" Present Mic called out.

"Did... Did we lose?" Denki asked weakly.

"No," Momo said as she held up a grapple gun she had made, with one of Team Mayumi's headbands in the claw. "I saw what had happened, so instead of going for defense I decided to make up the difference by finishing our original plan."

Shoto was completely out of it, ignoring everyone else as he stared at his left hand, some small embers still flickering off it.

"They made me use it...the side I refused to ever use..."

With the Cavalry Battle over, everyone looked over the final scores. There would be 32 placers for the final round of the Sports Festival. The ones who passed were Teams Izuku, Mayumi, Tsumi, Shoto, Le, Hitoshi, Itsuka, and Monoma.

"Though we may have just barely passed, this is our chance to show up those arrogant 1-A dogs..." Monoma sneered.

Hitoshi chuckled as Yuuga, Oujiro, and Shouda looked around in confusion. He knew it was a dick move to brainwash them, but at least they passed with him. He'd probably also need to apologize to Akatani later.

"Thanks for all your help."

Ibara was sulking at the sudden loss of Team Tetsutetsu's points during the match with Awase and Juuzo trying to comfort her while Tetsutetsu was cussing up a storm with tears in his eyes.

"Perhaps this is divine punishment for stealing the tiny one's points in such an underhanded way..."

Shoto continued staring at his left hand, everything around him tuned out as he clenched it tightly with growing fury.

"At this rate... I'll end up exactly who he wants me to be..."

Unbeknownst to Shoto, his father, Enji Todoroki, the Flame Hero: Endeavor, was deep in thought.

"I wish I could make Shoto understand that I don't want him to be like me. But perhaps that's the problem. I pushed too hard, too fast, to make up for my mistakes raising Toya."

Thanks to the influence of his childhood friend Tony Panelle AKA Regenizard, he had come forward after the incident that caused Shoto's scarring, citing the reason being his abusive behavior towards his children in light of his eldest son's apparent death when he couldn't handle his own Quirk, and that his own wife Rei had simply snapped under pressure and needed psychiatric help to recover. He had been slowly rebuilding his reputation since, but some scars ran deeper than others.

"What that boy needs is a reality check from someone other than me. And perhaps Tony's son is exactly the sort of hammer needed to drive in this nail."

"Man, Iida! I can't believe you were holding out on us!" Ochako said as all of Izuku's friends gathered together for lunch.

"I needed to find some way to prove I could hold my own without Midoriya," Tenya said. "Alas, a part of me wished I could have been on his team."

"You're a colorful bunch for sure." Le chuckled lightly before Kirby looked around in confusion. "Something wrong, Kirby?"

"Izu...gone?"

It was then everyone looked around to see that the short pink-haired boy was right; Izuku was oddly absent.

"Uh...where the hell did Deku go?" Katsuki asked.

As it turns out, Izuku had been taken to the side by Shoto, who was staring at him with an icy glare.

"So...did you want to talk or something?" The green-haired boy asked awkwardly.

Yup, since I included extra students in 1-A and 1-B, the Sports Festival will have more contenders for the final tournament!

Also, it seems Regenizard is old friends with Endeavor and managed to keep him from being his worst self like in canon. Unfortunately, all the family drama still ended up happening.

-BIO TIME-

[MONOMA NEITO]

Quirk: Copy

Quirk Description: Copy allows Monoma to temporarily copy the Quirks of people he touches for up to five minutes at a time. He can copy multiple Quirks but can only use one at a time. He also cannot copy certain Mutant Quirks or Quirks that require the accumulation of something, such as Fat Gum's fat reserves. He also gets a basic idea of the Quirk he's copying when he copies it.

[ITSUKA KENDO]

Quirk: Big Fist

Quirk Description: Big Fist allows Itsuka to enlarge her hands to three times their normal size, increasing her strength and striking power. They are also useful for restraining people. Thanks to also being a martial arts prodigy, Itsuka is able to combine her Quirk with her physical capabilities to become a truly deadly fighting force.

[FUMIKAGE TOKOYAMI]

Quirk: Dark Shadow

Quirk Description: Dark Shadow allows Fumikage to summon a sentient shadow entity from his body that has a mind of its own and works in tandem with him in a symbiotic relationship. Dark Shadow becomes stronger when it's darker but more vicious and harder to control while in light, he is easier to handle but not as strong.

[EIJIROU KIRISHIMA]

Quirk: Hardening

Quirk Description: Hardening allows Eijirou to, as the name implies, harden his body into a rock-like style which increases his durability and strength. He can also sharpen his hardened parts to add more offense. He can increase the level of hardening but doing so puts more of a tax on his body.