[The moment Shoto dashed ahead, others took their chance.]
[Kirishima charges in, fists hardened like stone. He leaps and slams his arms straight into the frozen robot's chest.]
[The robot splits down the middle, shards of frozen metal scattering across the field.]
Present Mic: WHOOO! KIRISHIMA FROM CLASS 1-A! SHATTERED THAT BEAST WITH HIS HARDENING QUIRK!
Kirishima: YEAHHHH! BREAK!!!
[Almost immediately after, Tetsutetsu grins and charges at another frozen robot. His steel body glints under the stadium lights as he rips through its torso with sheer brute force.]
Tetsutetsu: Don't forget about me!!
Present Mic: AND TETSUTETSU FROM CLASS 1-B MATCHES HIM!! HARDENING VS. STEEL—BUT BOTH GET THE SAME RESULTS! YEAHHH, BABY!
[A sudden BOOM interrupts him as Bakugo rockets into the air with his explosions, smoke and sparks raining down. He growls curses under his breath while propelling himself higher.]
Bakugo: Move the hell outta my way, you tin cans!!
[He lands hard on the back of a robot, blasting point-blank into its head until it detonates into molten shrapnel.]
Present Mic: OHHHH!! IT'S BAKUGO—GOING STRAIGHT FOR THE KILL WITH EXPLOSIVE POWER!! WHAT A SHOW OF FORCE!
[Next, Sero shoots his tape in smooth arcs, swinging himself up into the air.]
Sero: Yo, I'll cover from above!
[Tokoyami's dark shadow lashes out alongside him, slamming into another robot mid-swing.]
Tokoyami: Dark Shadow—tear it apart!
[The two crash down together, dismantling the robots before landing safely on the ground.]
Present Mic: SERO AND TOKOYAMI TAG-TEAMING!! TAPE AND SHADOW—SPEED AND POWER, WHAT A DUO!!
[Bakugo, now back on the ground, dusts himself off with a snarl. Sero and Tokoyami regroup near him.]
[Meanwhile, Hae-Sil is still standing frozen in thought, watching everyone push through. Her hands tremble slightly.]
Hae-Sil: I'm... just standing here? Why am I overthinking this? ...This doesn't have to be complicated.
[Her eyes narrow. She takes a sharp breath, then thrusts her hand toward one of the massive robots charging her.]
[The ground rumbles. The robot suddenly halts—lifted off its feet, its gigantic frame suspended in midair by an unseen force.]
Students: [wide-eyed] No way... she's lifting it—?!
Deku: [jaw dropping] That's... that's insane...!
[In the commentator's booth, Present Mic shoots up from his seat, hands slamming the desk.]
Present Mic: WHOOOOAAAAA!! HOLD THE PHONE!! IS THIS FOR REAL?! HAE-SIL JUST LIFTED A ZERO-POINTER—IN MID-AIR!! WITH ONE MOVE!!
[Hae-Sil's eyes widen too, a mix of shock and exhilaration.]
Hae-Sil: It's... not that heavy?
[With a powerful motion, she hurls the robot like it's a toy. It crashes into another group of robots, metal crunching as sparks explode in the distance.]
Present Mic: AND SHE JUST YEETED IT ACROSS THE FIELD—LIKE A DAMN PAPER BALL!! HOLY SMOKES!!!
[Gasps and cheers erupt from the stadium. Hae-Sil's face hardens with focus—she raises both arms, telekinetically snatching up the rest of the massive robots around her. One by one, they lift and slam to the ground, ripped apart with terrifying ease.]
[Students nearby can only stare, stunned.]
Student 1: She... she just cleared half the field...
Student 2: That's not even human...
[Hae-Sil charges forward, slotting in right behind Sero and Tokoyami, her hair whipping behind her as she runs.]
[Meanwhile, elsewhere on the battlefield:]
Iida darts around with blinding speed, kicking robots down in rapid strikes.
Jiro plugs her jacks into the ground, blasting soundwaves that fry enemy circuits.
Denki lets loose arcs of electricity, short-circuiting rows of machines.
Uraraka floats robots high into the air before releasing them to smash into rubble.
Ojiro spins with his tail, striking down robot after robot with martial precision.
[And at the far side of the arena—BOOOOM!!]
[Smoke clears to reveal Momo, holding a smoking device.]
Momo: It worked...!
[The remains of a large bomb-maker lie beside her, fresh from her creation quirk. Exploded robots smolder in a massive crater.]
Present Mic: AND LOOK AT THAT—YAOYOROZU FROM CLASS 1-A!! BOMBS AWAY—CREATING HER OWN FIREPOWER TO LEVEL THE FIELD!!
[More and more students pile on, each fighting their way through the mechanical horde. The stadium roars with applause, the energy at its peak.]
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Present Mic: "AND THE SECOND OBSTACLE IS... A ROPE WALK! IF YOU FALL, IT'S A LONG WAY DOWN, FOLKS!"
Students: "WOOOOAH!"
Hae-Sil: "...You've got to be kidding me. Ropes?! That's... that's death staring at me."
(thinking) If I step wrong once, I'm gone. I can't balance...
Asui: [jumps easily onto the rope, hopping forward like it's nothing] "Ribbit. That's easy."
Hae-Sil: [jaw drops, thinking] "Easy?! EASY?!"
Mina: "Sue, you're too lucky, girl! That's so cool!"
Hae-Sil: [thinking] "Cool?! My legs are literally shaking just watching this!"
Present Mic: "LOOK AT ASUI GO! SHE'S BOUNCING ACROSS LIKE A FROG ON A LILYPAD!"
Shoto: [places ice on the rope, sliding across smoothly] "...This will do."
Hae-Sil:[thinking] "...Of course. Of course he just makes an ice road like it's nothing."
Present Mic: "AND TODOROKI IS FIRST AGAIN! WHAT STYLE!"
Bakugo: [flies past with explosions, yelling] "MOVE IT, ICY-HOT! I'M NOT LETTING YOU WIN AGAIN, DAMN IT!"
Hae-Sil: [thinking] "He's literally chasing him in the sky... why does that look like a death match instead of a race?"
(Bakugo swerves onto the rope, grumbling while balancing with explosions)
Hae-Sil: [nervous breathing] "Okay okay... Shoto slid, Bakugo's flying... I can't do Shoto's thing but... maybe—wind? I can try to push myself like Bakugo but with air...No time to doubt!"
[She lifts herself with wind, wobbling in the air, then suddenly blasts forward too strongly.]
Students behind her: "HEY! WATCH IT!"
Hae-Sil: [laughs nervously, still flying] "Sorry, my bad!!! Didn't mean to push you back!!Totally an accident, I swear!"
Present Mic: "AND LOOK AT HAE-SIL, TURNING THE WIND INTO HER WINGS! IT'S A LITTLE MESSY BUT SHE'S MOVIN'!"
Hae-Sil: [giddy while soaring after Bakugo and the others] "Oh my god... it's working! It's really working!!"
--------------------------------------------
Present Mic: "AND THE THIRD OBSTACLE... MINEFIELD GALORE! WATCH YOUR STEP, KIDDIES, THIS GROUND IS PACKED WITH SURPRISES!"
Crowd: "WHOOOA!!"
Hae-Sil: [panting hard, cheeks flushed red ] "Ughh... I can't keep this up... my body's screaming... if I push again, I might collapse—" mutters "please no nosebleed..."
[She looks at the endless stretch of mines, explosions echoing as students blast and fly across.]
Hae-Sil (thinking): "That's way too far... I can't... not again. If I use my quirk now I'll burn out. Maybe... collect them into one place? Like—stack them together?" shakes her head "No, stupid, too risky. Tch... just walk. Slow. Careful."
She takes two careful steps, breathing heavy.
Jiro: from ahead, mumbling "What is Midoriya doing...?"
Hae-Sil: blinks "...Midoriya?" turns her head and sees him digging out mines with intense focus "...What the hell is he—?"
Hae-Sil steps back to the start, eyes locked on him. Deku keeps collecting, face serious.
Hae-Sil: "Hey! You—green hair!"
Deku: looks up, startled "H-huh? Me?"
Hae-Sil: "Yeah, you. I've got a question. Answer me honestly."
Deku: nervous nod "O-okay... what is it?"
Hae-Sil: points at the mines "You're thinking the same thing I am, aren't you? About using them... to launch yourself forward."
Deku: eyes widen "...! H-how did you—?!"
Hae-Sil: smirks faintly "Guess we've got the same mindset."
Her tone shifts, more serious now.
Hae-Sil: "Listen. Let's make a deal. You carry that robot part—" nods at the broken piece he's holding "—I'll hold onto you. I'll collect as many mines as possible. Then, when we blast, I'll boost it with wind pressure. We'll fly higher. Got it?"
Deku: still shocked "You'd... team up with me?"
Hae-Sil: "Don't overthink it. Do we have a deal or not?"
Deku: grits his teeth, then nods firmly "Deal."
They both clutch the broken robot part, wires stretching tight.
Deku: whispers under his breath "Kacchan... I'm gonna borrow your idea."
[BOOOOMMMM!]
[The mines explode beneath them, shaking the whole field. Students freeze mid-step, jaws dropping.]
Present Mic: "WHOOOOAAA!! CLASS 1-A's MIDORIYA AND HAE-SIL JUST TURNED THE MINEFIELD INTO A ROCKET LAUNCH! DUO TEAMWORK, FOLKS!"
Hae-Sil: clutching tightly, hair whipping in the wind "It's working—it's really working! We flew exactly as planned but..... I don't think I thought about how the landing process would go!"
Deku: "Me neither!... There's too much force!"
Hae-Sil: "...Oh crap!"
They look terrified, still soaring.
Bakugo: flies up after them, teeth gritted "...Deku..." then yells "DON'T GET AHEAD OF ME!"
Shoto: slams ice beneath him, sliding fast "Tch."
Present Mic: "THE TWO RIVALS ARE DONE SLOWING EACH OTHER DOWN! THEY'RE CHASING MIDORIYA AND HAE-SIL AT FULL SPEED!"
Hae-Sil (thinking): "Dammit... I've lost speed. They'll catch us instantly..."
Deku (thinking, determined): "Grab this chance... don't let go...!"
[Hae-Sil glances at him in midair, slow-motion moment. His face is dead serious. She hesitates... then pushes herself away from deku and the broken robot part midair, but not too far.]
Deku (thinking): "If I can't keep the lead... then I won't let them get past me!"
[He hurls the robot part between them—BOOM!! The explosion throws Shoto and Bakugo backward as Deku and Hae-Sil surge forward.]
[Below, Bakugo and Shoto close in fast. Deku steadies himself, then plants his feet on their backs midair, gritting his teeth.]
Present Mic: "MIDORIYA BLOCKS THEM OFF! WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT?! HE CLEARED THE MINEFIELD IN AN INSTANT!"
[They crash-land, tumbling but quickly get back up, running side by side.]
Hae-Sil: panting, looking behind her "They're catching up again...!"
Present Mic: "THE FINISH LINE IS NEAR! WHO'S TAKING IT—MIDORIYA OR HAE-SIL?!"
[Bakugo and Shoto roar from behind, closing in.]
Hae-Sil: grits teeth, shifting herself so she can face shoto and bakugo that are behind her "Not today... then shouts .. TAKE THIS!" blasts a huge wind wave behind her, sending both flying backward again.
Present Mic: "INCREDIBLE! SHE'S USING THAT WIND PRESSURE TO KEEP THEM BACK!"
[Hae-Sil looked at Deku and saw him silent, face set in focus, just running with everything he's got.]
Hae-Sil: "Midoriya! Sorry in advance—it's gonna hurt!"
Deku: eyes widen, panicked, thinking "W-what is she—?! is she going to push me back?!"
But instead, she blasts him forward meters ahead, shocking him.
Deku (thinking, stunned): "...She pushed me... ahead?"
Hae-Sil runs trying to catch up to Deku, sees his shocked face when he looked at her behind him. She sighs, faint smile, then yells:
Hae-Sil: "Midoriya! Go on ahead!"
She shoves him forward one last time with a powerful wind push from far. Deku stumbles but surges ahead, crossing the finish line first.
Present Mic: "THE FIRST ONE BACK IN THE STADIUM IS IZUKU MIDORIYA!! WHAT A HUGE SPLASH!"
Crowd: explodes with cheers
Hae-Sil collapses to the ground, chest heaving, face red from exhaustion.
Hae-Sil: muttering to herself "...no nosebleed... good... thank god..."
Deku walks up to her, while she was sitting up, still flushed, rubbing the back of his head.
Deku: "Um... hey. Thanks for what you did back there. You didn't have to help me. Why...?"
Hae-Sil: looks up faintly smiling "Because without your help, I wouldn't even be on that leaderboard. Would've been cruel to throw you down after you helped me up." pauses "Congrats, by the way."
Deku: smiles shyly "Uh... th-thanks. But... what's your name again?"
Hae-Sil: smile fades, eyes narrow a little "Why? You wanna be friends with me?"
Deku: flustered, cheeks red "Wha—n-no! I just meant— I didn't mean it like that! I—"
Hae-Sil: stands, cutting him off "Forget it. I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to fight, to challenge, and to win. You'll hear my name soon enough... after I show everyone what I can do."
She walks away, leaving him shocked and slightly flushed.
Present Mic: "AND THE REST ARE CROSSING THE LINE ONE AFTER ANOTHER! RESULTS TO COME SOON, BUT FOR NOW—WHAT A SHOW!"
Back in the stadium seating...
Uraraka: "Deku!!"
Deku: turns, surprised "U-Uraraka?"
Uraraka: "You were amazing out there! So cool!"
Deku: face burning, hides his cheeks with his arms "Th-thank you..."
Uraraka: tilts her head "But hey... who was that girl? The one with the wind quirk? She looked strong, but her name was kinda... weird."
Deku: awkwardly scratching his cheek "I... asked her, but she wouldn't tell me. Just said I'd... hear it later. And then she..." remembers her words, blushes faintly "...never mind.
Uraraka: pouts a little "Mmm... weird."
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Midnight: [swinging her whip dramatically] "The first game of the first-years is finally over! Now... let's take a look at the results!"
The big screen flashes on, one by one displaying the rankings:
1st: Izuku Midoriya
2nd: Hwang Hae-Sil
3rd: Shoto Todoroki
4th: Katsuki Bakugo
5th: Ibara Shiozaki
6th: Juzo Honenuki
7th: Tenya Iida
8th: Fumikage Tokoyami
9th: Hanta Sero
10th: Eijiro Kirishima
11th: Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
The list scrolls on until the very bottom, showing Yuga Aoyama at 42nd place. The camera lingers on Class 1-A, who make up most of the top ranks.
Midnight: "The top forty-two have made it through to the next round! To those who didn't make it—don't worry! We've prepared plenty of other chances for you to shine. But from here on out..." [her eyes glitter] "...the real competition begins. And the press cavalry will be all over it, so give it your all!"
Another screen lowers dramatically behind her.
Midnight: "Now then... let's reveal the second game! What could it be, what could it be?" [she teases, pausing for suspense] "I just said it, and here it is!"
The words light up on the screen:
CAVALRY BATTLE
Midnight: "That's right! It's a cavalry battle! Participants can form teams of two to four as they wish. It's basically the same as a regular cavalry battle, but with one little twist..."
Hae-Sil's brows knit together. Her thoughts race.
Hae-Sil (thinking): A cavalry battle...? I suck at this. I hate teamwork. Two to four people minimum, huh? [she glances around] I don't know anyone here except that broccoli boy... and Bakugo... and Todoroki. No way I'm teaming up with either of those two. But will Midoriya even accept me? Ugh... this is so complicated.
Meanwhile, Uraraka and Mina whisper to each other just a few feet away.
Uraraka: [murmuring] "So basically... each team's total points depend on who's in it, right?"
Mina: [nodding, thumb up] "Yeah! I see!"
Midnight: [snapping her whip with a loud crack] "HEY! You two! Don't talk while I'm explaining!"
Both Uraraka and Mina flinch.
Midnight: "Yes that's right, points are assigned based on the results of the last game! They go up by five, starting from the bottom. So 42nd place gets 5 points, 41st gets 10 points, and..." [she grins wickedly] "...the point value for first place is—ten million!"
Gasps ripple through the stadium. Hae-Sil's eyes widen as she looks instinctively at Midoriya, standing just a few feet ahead of her. All around them, students stare at him with sharp, calculating eyes.
Students (thinking):
"Ten million, huh?"
"In other words... if you take down the first-place team—"
"You can stand at the top no matter where you started!"
Midnight: "That's right! It's survival of the fittest, with a chance for those at the bottom to overthrow the top!"
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TO BE CONTINUED!