Ochako stepped onto the platform with her fists clenched tight at her sides, her breathing controlled despite the adrenaline pumping through her veins. On the other side, Shoji stood with his multiple arms relaxed, his face hidden behind the mask he always wore.
Midnight raised her whip high above her head. "Ready... BEGIN!"
CRACK!
Ochako launched forward immediately, closing the distance without the slightest hesitation. Her sneakers slapped against the concrete platform as she sprinted straight at Shoji with her fingers spread wide.
Shoji didn't panic. He extended two of his duplicated arms forward to create a barrier between them, while his other limbs shifted position, ready to counter any angle of attack.
She ducked under the first, rolled beneath the second, and stretched her hand toward his torso. Almost! Shoji twisted his body at the last second and used another arm to shove her back. Ochako stumbled, caught her balance, and tried again from a different angle.
"You're fast, Uraraka," he said with deep calm. "But speed alone won't be enough."
"Come on, Uraraka-san!" Momo shouted from the waiting area. "You can do it!"
Ren leaned forward in his seat, watching intently. Ochako's quick, but Shoji's got way too much reach. She needs to get creative or he's gonna wear her down.
Ochako leapt to Shoji's left side, feinting a high attack before dropping low at the last second. Her fingers brushed his ankle. Got him!
Gravity abandoned Shoji's body instantly. He started floating upward, flailing his limbs as he tried to find something to grab onto.
"Clever!" Shoji called out, though his voice stayed level. "But not enough."
He used his duplicated arms to reach down and grip the edge of the platform, anchoring himself before he could drift too high. Then he started pulling himself back down through brute strength, hand over hand.
"Seriously?!" Ochako's eyes went wide. "That's not fair!"
She rushed him again, but Shoji had already positioned four of his duplicated limbs in a defensive net. From any angle she tried to approach, there was an arm waiting to block her.
She dodged one, ducked beneath another, and almost got caught by a third. The crowd was on their feet, watching the exchange with rapt attention.
Ochako growled in frustration and lunged to the right, her hand reaching for one of his arms. Shoji pulled it back just in time and used another limb to shove her away, creating distance.
Her feet skidded across the platform as she absorbed the impact, her eyes never leaving her target.
Damn it... she thought, gritting her teeth as she searched for an opening. His reach is unreal. No matter how I try to get in, he's always got an extra arm ready to stop me.
"URARAKA'S ON THE OFFENSIVE!" Present Mic roared into his microphone. "SHE'S NOT GIVING UP! BUT SHOJI'S DEFENSE IS LIKE A WALL WITH EYES ALL OVER IT! HOW'S SHE GONNA BREAK THROUGH?!"
Ochako was breathing hard now, sweat dripping down her temple. She tried from another angle, then another, but Shoji kept blocking every attempt.
He's too good at defense. I gotta get close enough to touch him again.
Ochako charged in again, this time ducking low and trying to slip under his guard. Shoji anticipated it and used his arms like a cage, surrounding her advance from multiple angles. She twisted mid-jump and managed to slap one of his duplicated limbs.
The arm went weightless instantly, floating upward.
"Got one!" she gasped.
"That's right," Shoji conceded, retracting the weightless arm. "But I still have plenty more."
He advanced with his remaining arms, using his size and strength advantage to push her toward the edge of the platform. Ochako stumbled under the coordinated assault, her feet sliding dangerously close to the boundary line.
No! Not like this!
She activated her Quirk on herself, reducing her own weight to almost nothing. The sudden weightlessness let her slip out of Shoji's grasp and leap backward, landing several meters away with her arms windmilling for balance.
"INCREDIBLE AERIAL MANEUVER!" Midnight purred into her microphone. "Our gravity girl is pulling out every trick she's got! This is the kind of creativity I love to see in young heroes!"
Ochako's breathing was ragged, sweat sliding down her temple as she squared off against Shoji again. He hadn't even broken a sweat, planted there with perfect composure while she was already running on fumes.
Think, Ochako, she ordered herself. What would Momo-san do? What would Ren-kun do?
The memory of her parents flashed through her mind. Their tired faces after long shifts on the construction site. The way her mother still smiled despite the exhaustion. The way her father would ruffle her hair and tell her she'd do great things.
I didn't come this far to lose now!
"Shoji-kun!" she called out, her voice steadier than before. "I'm not done yet!"
"I can see that, Uraraka," he answered respectfully. "You're tougher than most people give you credit for."
In the waiting area, Ren jumped to his feet. "Come on, Ochako!" he shouted.
Toru's uniform appeared next to him, bouncing nervously. "She's so close to losing! This is bad!"
"Don't count her out yet," Ren murmured, his eyes locked on Ochako's trembling figure.
She charged in again, this time with a different strategy. Instead of going straight at him, she tapped the platform under her feet as she ran, leaving sections of concrete weightless. The chunks floated up into the air around them, creating obstacles between her and Shoji.
"Clever!" Shoji moved between the floating debris with ease, using his duplicated arms to push the blocks aside while he tracked her position and kept his footing.
Ochako used the distraction to circle around him, approaching from his blind spot. Her fingers were inches from his torso when one of his arms shot out and grabbed her wrist.
"Not this time," he said firmly.
He started pulling her toward him, using his strength advantage to drag her across the platform. Ochako's feet scraped against the concrete as she fought to resist, her other hand desperately reaching for any part of him she could touch.
This is it, she realized with rising panic. If he throws me now, it's over.
Shoji spun himself around and got ready to launch her out of bounds with a coordinated motion of all his limbs working together. Ochako felt her feet leave the ground as she was lifted up, the edge of the platform rushing closer.
The entire stadium held its breath. Half the audience rose to their feet.
"URARAKA'S GOING OUT! THIS IS IT! THIS IS... WAIT! WHAT'S SHE DOING?!"
At the last possible instant, Ochako deactivated her Quirk on herself while simultaneously activating it on Shoji. The grip on her wrist loosened from the sudden weightlessness, and gravity slammed back into her body.
BAM!
She hit the platform hard, the impact knocking the wind out of her lungs. But Shoji was floating now, completely weightless and rising into the air with his arms flailing for something to hold.
Ochako ignored the pain screaming in her shoulder from the landing and lunged forward on her hands and knees. She grabbed Shoji's ankle just as he started drifting upward and yanked with every bit of strength she had left.
The momentum carried them both toward the edge in a chaotic tangle.
CRASH!
They slammed into the boundary together in a cloud of dust and scattered debris. For a second, no one could tell who had gone out first.
The dust settled.
Ochako was flat on her back, panting, with one foot still touching the white line of the platform. Shoji was completely outside the boundary, sprawled on the ground with his weightlessness finally released.
"OUT OF BOUNDS!" Midnight declared, snapping her whip. "Mezo Shoji is out! The winner is Ochako Uraraka!"
Ochako lay there for a moment, her chest heaving and her muscles trembling with exhaustion. Then a huge grin spread across her face.
I did it, she thought, tears of relief and joy welling at the corners of her eyes. Mom, Dad... I did it!
Shoji stood up and walked over to her, extending one of his hands to help her up.
"That was an excellent strategy, Uraraka," he said sincerely. "You earned that win."
"Thanks, Shoji-kun!" She took his hand and let him pull her to her feet, swaying slightly with fatigue. "You were amazing too! I really thought I was gonna lose!"
"You never gave up," he answered simply. "That's what made the difference."
In the waiting area, Ren let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Told you not to count her out," he said to Toru.
"That was incredible!" Toru bounced with excitement. "Uraraka-san is awesome!"
Momo clapped politely, a small smile on her face. "An excellent tactical adaptation. She recognized her disadvantage and created an opening through deception."
Bakugo scoffed from his seat. "Tch. Lucky shot. Round Face just got lucky he didn't catch her in the fall."
"Lucky or not, she won," Ren said. "That's what counts."
"Next match!" Midnight announced, clearly relishing the crowd's anticipation. "Tsuyu Asui versus Katsuki Bakugo, a head-to-head between Class 1-A classmates! This promises some truly electrifying tension! Let's see if our adorable frog girl can tame the most short-tempered student in the academy!"
"WHO YOU CALLIN' SHORT-TEMPERED?!" Bakugo roared from the platform. "Shut your mouth, you damn witch! I'm gonna wipe that smirk off your face the second I'm done crushing the frog!"
"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" Present Mic laughed. "BEGIN!"
Tsuyu didn't waste a second. The instant the match started, she activated her camouflage Quirk and blended into the platform, her body taking on the texture of the concrete beneath her.
For a moment, she vanished from sight completely. The crowd murmured in confusion.
"Where'd she go?!" someone shouted.
Bakugo's eyes narrowed as he scanned the arena with predatory focus.
"You're already hiding?!" he bellowed. "You think I'm some idiot who can't track movement?!"
BOOM!
He fired an explosion at the ground where he'd last seen her, sending a shockwave rippling across the platform. The force scattered dust and debris in every direction, blurring visibility for a moment.
Tsuyu took advantage of the cover to reposition, her frog-like agility letting her move in complete silence. She circled around to Bakugo's left side, waiting for the perfect opening.
There, she thought calmly, watching him through her camouflage. He's focused forward. His blind spot is wide open.
She shot out her tongue at high speed, aiming for Bakugo's ankle to throw him off balance and drag him out of bounds before he could react.
Bakugo twisted at the last possible moment, his combat instincts screaming danger even though he hadn't consciously seen the attack. His palm was already glowing orange with accumulated nitroglycerin sweat.
BOOOM!
The explosion detonated right in the path of Tsuyu's extended tongue, the heat and shockwave slamming into her hard. She retracted her tongue with a grunt of pain, her camouflage flickering from the shock.
"FOUND YOU!" Bakugo roared triumphantly.
He launched himself into the air with a massive explosion from both palms, twisting mid-flight to aim his next attack downward. Tsuyu tried to leap away, her powerful frog legs propelling her across the platform in a desperate dodge.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Bakugo corrected his trajectory with rapid bursts. Each explosion brought him closer, cutting off her escape routes one by one.
Tsuyu landed near the platform's edge, her breathing slightly elevated but her expression still calm.
Ribbit... He's too fast, she assessed quickly. I can't outrun him with those straight line explosions. I need...
Bakugo came down on her, his palms aimed directly at the concrete beside her. The force of the detonation sent a shockwave rocking the entire platform.
KRAKOOOM!
Tsuyu was flung backward by the explosion, her body tumbling through the air completely out of control. She tried to use her tongue to grab the edge of the platform, but the momentum was too much.
She landed outside the boundary with a dull thud.
"OUT OF BOUNDS!" Midnight declared, cracking her whip. "Katsuki Bakugo wins!"
"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT, FOLKS!" Present Mic roared. "BAKUGO SHOWS US EXACTLY WHY HE'S ONE OF THE TOP COMBATANTS IN CLASS 1-A! THOSE REFLEXES WERE ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL! HE DIDN'T GIVE ASUI A SINGLE OPENING!"
Bakugo landed on the platform with smoke rising from his palms, his face twisted into a scowl that was somehow less murderous than usual.
"At least you weren't a complete waste of time," he muttered, glancing over at where Tsuyu was getting back to her feet. "Better than those other extras who didn't even try."
Tsuyu looked up at him and nodded slightly, brushing dust off her gym uniform.
"You're really strong, Bakugo-kun, ribbit," she said simply. "I'll do better next time."
"Of course you will!"
He turned and stomped off the platform toward the waiting area, explosions still crackling around his clenched fists.
In the stands, Momo's hands were trembling slightly in her lap.
"That was... decisive," she murmured.
"Bakugo doesn't mess around," Ren said, watching the blond disappear down the tunnel. "But hey, you're not fighting him. You're fighting Kirishima."
"Yes," Momo said quietly, her voice barely audible over the noise of the crowd. "Kirishima-san. His Hardening Quirk is incredibly resilient. I'll need to identify a weakness in his defense, calculate the optimal material composition to penetrate his exterior without causing permanent damage, account for the potential duration of his hardened state based on stamina consumption rates..."
She was spiraling. Ren could see it in the way her eyes were unfocused, staring at nothing while her lips moved rapidly through some seemingly endless mental list.
Time to break the loop.
He reached over and grabbed both of her cheeks, squeezing them between his hands like she was a stress toy.
"Mmph?!" Momo's eyes flew open in surprise.
"Okay, you need to stop," Ren said firmly, keeping his grip on her cheeks. "You're doing that thing where you overthink it until your brain ties itself in a knot."
"Mmm nmmph mmmphmmmph..." Momo tried to protest, but the words came out completely unintelligible.
"You look really cute when you're nervous," Ren continued, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "But you should have more faith in yourself. You're brilliant, and you've got one of the most versatile Quirks in the whole school."
He let go of her cheeks, and Momo immediately brought her hands up to rub the slight pinkness left behind.
"Ren-kun!" she protested, her face flushing. "That was... inappropriate!"
"Yeah, probably," he agreed without a hint of shame. "But it worked. You stopped all that mumbling."
She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again as she realized he was right.
"I suppose... I was overthinking things," she admitted reluctantly.
"You think?" Ren leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. "Look, I could give you a boring motivational speech about believing in yourself and giving it your all, blah blah blah. But that's really not my style."
"Then what do you suggest?" Momo asked, already anticipating where this was going.
"A bet."
Her eyebrows lifted.
"A bet?" she repeated.
"Yeah," he answered, his smile widening. "If you win your match against Kirishima using a perfect strategy, I'll take you somewhere special after the festival. Like a local fair or something. I'll show you what normal people do for fun when they're not drowning in money."
Momo's blush deepened at the implications, though whether it was from the comment about her wealth or the idea of going somewhere with him alone wasn't entirely clear.
"And if I lose?" she asked cautiously.
"Then you model a certain cheerleader outfit I've been picturing," Ren said completely casually.
"A... a WHAT?... Ren-san, that's...!"
"Too much?" Ren asked innocently. "I can pick something else if you want."
"No!" Momo said quickly. "I mean... it's just... very unexpected!"
"So is that a yes?"
Momo looked down at her hands, her heart beating so fast she could hear it in her ears. The image of herself in a cheerleader outfit flashed through her mind and made her face burn even hotter.
Why am I even considering this? This is completely inappropriate. I should decline immediately and focus on the match.
But then another thought crept in.
Although... if I win, I'll get to spend time with Ren outside of school. Just the two of us. That would be...
"So?" Ren pressed. "You in, or are you too scared to lose?"
The competitive spark in Momo's eyes ignited.
"A bet right before my match?" she said, recovering some composure despite the lingering blush. "Well, I do appreciate that you're thinking of ways to motivate me. Kirishima-san is undoubtedly a very strong opponent. His endurance is admirable, so I'll definitely need a flawless strategy to overcome him without neglecting my defense."
She looked back at him.
"Though I must admit, your condition for me losing is rather... peculiar," she continued, choosing her words carefully. "You aren't being influenced by Mineta-san's ideas, are you?"
"Mineta wishes he could come up with ideas this good," Ren said with a grin.
Momo bit her lip, then took a deep breath.
"Either way, I accept the challenge. I have absolutely no intention of losing today. I'll give everything I have to win with a perfect plan, and then I'll gladly accompany you to that special place."
She looked him straight in the eyes, the earlier nervousness completely replaced by fierce determination.
"Wish me luck."
"You don't need luck," he said. "You've got skill. Go show Kirishima why Creation is one of the most powerful Quirks at U.A."
Momo stood up from her seat, smoothing out her gym uniform. The tremor in her hands had vanished entirely, replaced by steady confidence.
"I won't let you down," she said with determination.
Then she turned and walked toward the waiting area where the next combatants would be called, her posture straight and her stride decisive.
Ren watched her walk away, still smiling.
Worth it, he thought. Now she's fired up instead of thinking herself into a panic attack.
Ochako leaned over toward Ren. "Did you just motivate her by promising her a date?"
"Hey, you can question my methods, but not my results!"
Down in the arena, Midnight's voice boomed through the speakers again.
"ALRIGHT, EVERYONE! GET READY FOR THE NEXT MATCH! THIS ONE'S GONNA BE A BATTLE OF CREATION VERSUS HARDENING! BRAINS AGAINST PURE DURABILITY! GIVE IT UP FOR MOMO YAOYOROZU AND EIJIRO KIRISHIMA!"
The crowd roared with anticipation as both fighters stepped onto the platform from opposite sides.
Kirishima grinned widely, cracking his knuckles.
"No hard feelings, Yaoyorozu!" he called cheerfully. "But I'm gonna give it everything I've got! It ain't manly to hold back against a strong opponent!"
"I would expect nothing less, Kirishima-san," she responded. "Let's have an honorable match."
Ren leaned forward in his seat, watching intently.
Alright, Momo, he thought. Let's see that perfect strategy you're gonna build.
"BEGIN!"
********
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