Chapter 50: Cavalry Battle (Part 1)
"Alright everyone, are you ready? The team-up period is over!" At Midnight's command, everyone froze. A grim determination filled their eyes, because... the real battle was about to begin.
A pair of light blue pants rubbed against Yoshikage Kira's back. A headband, marked with their point value, floated bizarrely in the air above them. A cheerful voice spoke from thin air. "Kira-kun! I really didn't expect you to pick me as the rider! I've been off-screen for so many chapters, you know!"
"That's probably because your invisible nature makes you hard to notice..." Kyoka Jiro, with half of Hagakure's invisible butt sitting on her shoulder, said with a sigh.
After being rejected, Kira had found Kyoka Jiro and Toru Hagakure to be his teammates. Hagakure had eagerly volunteered to be a "front horse leg," suggesting Kira sit on her shoulders as the rider.
Although Hagakure was strong, the thought of sitting on an invisible person, looking like he was just creepily floating in mid-air, sent a shiver down Kira's spine, and he had flatly refused the proposal.
In the end, it was decided that Hagakure would be the rider. Kira would be the front support, holding her invisible feet. Ibara Shiozaki and Kyoka Jiro would flank her on the left and right.
"Don't worry, Kira-kun! Just like in the combat simulation before, I'll bring you victory!" Although he couldn't see her, Kira could feel Hagakure's hand on his shoulder. At the same time, he felt something press down on his head.
Before the match started, Hagakure had brazenly taken off her clothes. Though no one could see it, she was now standing naked in front of tens of thousands of people.
If the purpose of clothing is to conceal the body, then for Hagakure, who was already invisible, wearing clothes was simply a matter of personal preference and practicality.
Now, for the sake of victory, to make herself a truly unseeable target, Hagakure had resolutely stripped down, becoming an idol for perverts everywhere!
They're all strong opponents... Kira scanned the surrounding teams, his heart growing heavy. He had no idea if his own hastily-assembled squad could come out on top.
Team Todoroki: Denki Kaminari, Momo Yaoyorozu, Tenya Iida.
Team Bakugo: Mina Ashido, Eijiro Kirishima, Hanta Sero.
Team Midoriya: Ochaco Uraraka, Mei Hatsume, Fumikage Tokoyami.
"Alright, it looks like all the teams are formed! I'm not going to ask a stupid question like 'are you ready'!?" At this point, Midnight had already left the stage. All the students were standing on the edge of a large, square field, forming a circle. Each "horse" was spaced apart, warily eyeing the others.
From the commentary booth, Present Mic shouted, "LET'S ALL COUNT DOWN TOGETHER FOR THIS BRUTAL, CHAOTIC BRAWL!"
Three different pairs of hands rested on Kira. He glanced back, intending to offer a few words of encouragement, but he saw that Hagakure was faceless, Jiro was expressionless, and Ibara's head was bowed so he couldn't see her face. The words he had wanted to say turned into a simple, "Good luck, everyone!"
Toru Hagakure waved her invisible hand in the air. Kyoka Jiro nodded at Kira. Ibara Shiozaki gently patted his hand.
"Let's do our best!" the three of them said in unison.
"...3, 2, 1, BATTLE START!"
There was only one target: the ten million points.
The moment the battle began, nearly every team charged in the direction of Team Midoriya, simultaneously closing the distance and cutting off his escape routes.
"Your ten million points are mine!" Several teams from Class 1-B were the first to target Midoriya. If they could just get his points, they would be guaranteed a spot in the next round.
Toru Hagakure shouted, "Midoriya-kun is in danger! Kira-kun, aren't we going to help!?"
Although Kira was also moving in Midoriya's direction, his first priority was ensuring there was no one around who posed a threat to them. "He can take care of himself," he replied nonchalantly. "Or... are you still thinking about grabbing that ten million?"
"Hehe..." Hagakure had indeed been one of the ones shouting about the ten million, but Kira had persuaded her otherwise.
Based on past years, about 30% of the participants—meaning four or five teams—would advance from this round. Team Kira had himself in fifth place and Ibara in sixth. Their starting score was second only to Team Midoriya and Team Todoroki, putting them in third place overall, already in a qualifying position.
Their strategy was actually similar to Midoriya's: protect their own points while trying to steal others'. Right now, everyone's attention was on Midoriya. The moment they concluded that his points were unobtainable, they would turn their attention to the other high-ranking teams—namely, the one that looked like a soft target, Team Kira.
If they also went after Midoriya's points, they would likely get caught in an encirclement, turning from predators into prey. After thinking it over, Hagakure had understood. Jiro had nodded in agreement, and Ibara's silence was her consent.
Among the pursuing teams, Juzo Honenuki was the first to unleash his Quirk. A swamp-like shadow instantly enveloped the ground beneath Team Midoriya, restricting the movements of Uraraka, Tokoyami, and the others.
Present Mic screamed, "WHOA! WHAT'S THIS!? TEAM MIDORIYA IS INSTANTLY AT A DISADVANTAGE! COULD THE TEN MILLION POINTS BE LOST THIS EASILY!?"
Of course, it wouldn't be that easy.
"Hatsume! Uraraka! Heads down!" Midoriya yelled. He pressed a red button in his hand, and to everyone's astonishment, the backpack on his back shot out flames, instantly freeing them from the swamp and launching them into the sky.
Toru Hagakure shouted indignantly, "That's cheating! They're using some kind of high-tech item! How is anyone supposed to catch them now? If they just stay in the air, the match is over!"
"Hagakure, first of all, they're not breaking any rules," Kira explained. "As you can see, that jetpack is a single-person device. They wouldn't be able to fly if Uraraka hadn't used her 'Zero Gravity' on all of them. And choosing Tokoyami as the front support was a good move. He can attack and defend at the same time, which is perfect for their current situation."
Kira saw the confident gleam in Midoriya's eyes and smiled. "Nice one, Midoriya."
"Kira-kun, stop praising Midoriya! I think we might be in trouble!"
Just as Kira had predicted, the moment Team Midoriya was no longer an easy target, the other teams started to eye them.
"Tch. So they can fly..." Tetsutetsu spat on the ground and shot a threatening look at Team Kira. "You were acting pretty cocky earlier. Now let's see what you've got!"
Seeing his fierce glare, Toru Hagakure said defiantly, "Bring it on, you tin man! I'll be the one to protect Kira's points!"
The two teams faced off, staring daggers at each other. But neither side moved. A gust of wind blew a tumbleweed between them, like a standoff between two cowboys in a duel, each waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
The audience held their breath, waiting for the epic showdown. Ten seconds passed. Twenty seconds passed. Then, a "DIE!" was heard from somewhere, and both riders let out a battle cry. The front supports of both teams charged forward, then swerved, and in perfect unison, ran in opposite directions, rapidly retreating from the battlefield.
At that moment, the dust settled. The spot where they had been standing was now empty.
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