Present Mic: "We've officially reached the third stage, everybodyyyyy!! Didn't think we'd get here this fast, huh?!"
The booming announcement echoed through the speakers, drawing every eye toward the main arena.
Midoriya looked different now.More composed.More focused.He had gained greater control over his power.10% of One for All flowed through his body—stable and seamless, no signs of the damage it used to bring.
He wasn't running for his own victory.He ran to answer All Might's request.To let the world see—that he...
Izuku: "...has made it this far."
Todoroki and Bakugo surged forward at the front as well.Tension intensified as the three clashed in a relentless head-to-head, none of them willing to back down.
Bakugo: "Outta the way, Deku!!"Midoriya: "Sorry, Kacchan! I can't stop now!!!"Todoroki: "Tch… That old man's watching."He grit his teeth and pushed ice harder beneath his feet.
Present Mic: "Hooooly craaaap! The front line's on fire out here! Yo, Aizawa! What the hell did you teach these kids?!"
All Might: You've done well, young Midoriya… At last, you've shown me… that you're truly 'here.'And I owe it to young Kazuma too—for pushing him this far…
Aizawa said nothing.He simply smirked slightly at the corner of his lips.Even he hadn't expected his class to be this… insane.
BOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!
A deafening explosion erupted from the rear.The blast was powerful enough to whip everyone's head around simultaneously.
All they could see was a rising plume of smoke—And the body of someone being launched into the air by the explosion beneath him.
Jirou: "That's…!!"Sero: "They've completely lost it…"Kaminari & Mineta: "BOSS!!!!"Tooru: "Butterfly!!"Momo & Mina: "RYOU!!!!"
They could hardly believe their eyes.That guy…Used the mines scattered on the field to launch himself upward—So high, no one else would dare attempt it.
A few moments earlier…
Ryoujin: Huff… huff… dammit… Everyone else is almost at the finish line already… And me—I just got here…
Ryoujin gritted his teeth, glaring around in frustration.
One hand gripped the side of his bleeding head.A trail of blood ran down his temple.
Ryoujin: Why is it every single damn time—I always end up with a busted head before the real fight even starts…
He let out a sharp breath, slumped for a moment—Then forced himself upright.
There was only one word blazing in his head now:
Ryoujin: Shit… Time to make something happen.
No matter how tired, how out of breath—He remembered.He remembered what that loudmouth Ibara yelled into the mic more clearly than anyone else's lesson—
"Minefield."
Ryoujin furrowed his brow and wiped the blood from his temple.It stung—but he was used to it.It wasn't enough to stop him now.
As for the rest of the noise?Screw it.That voice was too damn annoying anyway…
He grumbled inside his head, clearly irritated.He hated Present Mic's high-pitched screech.Sounded like a fish vendor in the marketplace with a mic just to be obnoxious.
Ryoujin tightened his uniform, exhaled forcefully.
Ryoujin: Minefield, huh…Ryoujin: Guess that means… I've got a new toy to play with.
And he grinned.A wild, unhinged smile of someone ready to blow up everything in their path.His eyes burned with madness and determination.
He scooped up as many mines around him as he could—Preparing to launch himself into the sky.
Soon, he leapt into the air, bracing himself with his makeshift coffin shield.Click!A hiss from the trigger system activated—And then…
BOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!
CUT TO PRESENT—
BOOOOMMMM!!!A thunderous explosion shook the entire stadium, the ground trembling as if a mini-earthquake had just struck.Dust and smoke clouded the air—Until a lone figure burst out of the haze.
He was riding on top of his Butterfly Coffin, balancing like a mad surfer on a board made for war.
Ryoujin laughed.A crazed, unhinged kind of laugh.
Ryoujin: "Hahahaha!! This is SO FREAKING INSANE!!!"
His laughter echoed across the open sky.Then, he raised his Butterfly Gun, aiming directly at the trio battling at the front line.
Ryoujin: "FIRST PLACE IS MINE, YOU HEAR ME?! MINE!!!"
He shouted—pulling the trigger without a care in the world.Butterfly bullets rained down like a furious storm.
Bakugo swerved mid-sprint, cursing loud:Bakugo: "Tch! Freakin' BUTTERFLY MANIAC!!"
Midoriya: "Kazuma-kun!!"He dove off the path, narrowly dodging the spray of shots.
Todoroki: "This isn't the time to be fighting each other…"He gritted his teeth and summoned a massive wave of ice to cover the path ahead, dodging traps and speeding forward.
And in that wild moment of chaos—Kazuma began to fall from the sky.The trio had almost caught up.They were right on him—
But his mind…reacted like a wolf's instinct.
Ryoujin: "EAT THIS BOMB, BASTARDS!!!"
He screamed—And swung open the coffin lid.
Inside were several landmines—All of them handpicked and salvaged from the minefield earlier.
And now?He detonated all of them at once.
BOOOOOOMMMM!!!
The blast launched him forward in a straight line—As if firing a human bullet with real freaking explosions.But...
Slight miscalculation—He slammed face-first into the ground.And slid—
All the way to the finish line.
SKRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!!
The scraping sound echoed like nails on a chalkboard.The entire crowd collectively winced.
Random spectator: "OUCH!!! If that was me, I'd be FACELESS by now!!"
Present Mic:"AND THE FIRST PLACE FOR ROUND ONE GOES TO…RYOUJIN KAZUMAAAAAA!!!"
The crowd erupted in absolute chaos.
"KAZUMA!!!""THAT WAS INSANE!!""WHO EVEN DOES THAT?!?!"
But Ryoujin…His head was still buried in the ground.Teachers Midnight and Cementoss had to dig him out themselves—both of them laughing uncontrollably.
"This is… first place?""Why the hell is he like this?! Hahahaha!!"
One by one, the others crossed the finish line.Meanwhile, Kazuma sat down with the rest of Class 1-A, finally taking a breather.His body was covered in scrapes, bruises, and bandages—But he was still grinning from ear to ear, chugging three water bottles back-to-back.
Ryoujin:"Hahhh… Shit… At least I'm not dead…"
He muttered under his breath, his head so bandaged up he could barely see.
A large screen flickered to life—revealing the current rankings.
1 Ryoujin Kazuma
2 Izuku Midoriya
3 Shoto Todoroki
4 Katsuki Bakugo
5 Ibara Shiozaki
6 Jurota Shishida
7 Tenya Iida
8 Fumikage Tokoyami
9 Hanta Sero
10 Eijiro Kirishima
11 Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
12 Mashirao Ojiro
13 Yosetsu Awase
14 Tsuyu Asui
15 Mezo Shoji
16 Rikido Sato
17 Ochako Uraraka
18 Momo Yaoyorozu
19 Minoru Mineta
20 Mina Ashido
21 Kyoka Jiro...Down to—
42 Mei Hatsume
Yuga Aoyama was disqualified.Apparently, he overused his quirk and… well… crapped himself off to the side.(Rip. Truly a glamorous exit.)
As the break came to an end, the students lined up once again—this time with nervous excitement dancing in their eyes.Everyone now knew their rank.But before the tension could turn suffocating—
Midnight's sultry voice echoed across the stadium, paired with her ever-dangerous smile.
Midnight: "Alright, let's get right to it!It's time to draw for the next round of the competition!"
The screen flashed—Spinning options...
Midnight: "The next event is… CAVALRY BATTLE!!"
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.Some looked thrilled.Some looked like they just ate a lemon.
As for Ryoujin…
Ryoujin (thinking):"Cavalry battle…? Oh, no. I'm screwed."
He groaned internally.It wasn't even just a normal cavalry battle either.Knowing UA—it was probably going to be hell with extra spice.
Midnight began explaining the rules, point system, and team setup.Then came the point distribution—From last place to first.
Midnight: "Rank 42 will begin with 5 points… and counting up…"
She dragged it out dramatically until—
Midnight: "And the top scorer will receive…TEN MILLION POINTS!!!"
The stadium exploded into chaos.Every head turned in unison toward Ryoujin Kazuma.
The boy with a literal 10 MILLION POINTS target on his back.
Ryoujin just chuckled, casually brushing his bangs aside and flashing his trademark grin.
Ryoujin:"Stare too long and you might fall for me~"
He winked, eyeing the crowd of potential threats swarming in.Everyone wanted a piece of that juicy, golden score.
Time to choose teams.Ryoujin had a feeling no one would dare team up with him…
But oh, how wrong he was.
People began to close in like vultures to fresh meat.He stayed calm—he already had a plan.
Ryoujin:"Mo-chan! Mina-chan! Team up with me, will you?"
He flashed a charming smile at the two girls he had in mind.
But…
Momo:"Sorry, Ryou…"
She walked straight into Todoroki's team, which also had Iida and Kaminari—a solid, high-power team.
Momo:"I want to beat you. I'm really sorry."
Ryoujin didn't flinch. He simply smiled and said, just loud enough for the whole stadium to hear—
Ryoujin:"Do your best… my beloved."
Momo's cheeks flushed, barely visible—but her teammates turned to glare at Ryoujin like he was a jester in a circus.
He then turned to his next choice—Mina.But she was already claimed as well—on Bakugo's team, along with Kirishima and Sero.
Mina:"Sorry, Ryou…"She gave him a sheepish smile.
Ryoujin:"…No worries."He sighed quietly.
Plan A had failed.But that was fine.
Time to shift to Plan B.
Ryoujin: "Plan B—Operation: ARMORED WAR CHARIOT!"
He declared boldly, pointing dramatically at his next chosen teammates.
Ryoujin: "You! You! And YOU! Join me—if you want to take first place!"
His new elite squad?
Minoru Mineta – the world-famous grape gremlin.
Mezo Shoji – the terrifying muscle octopus with a soft inner kitten.
Toru Hagakure – the one and only invisible wonder girl.
These were… his secret weapons.
A wide, unhinged grin spread across his face.In his head, there was only one word left—
Ryoujin: "It's time to have some FUN!"
He stood tall and proud, a mad gleam in his eyes."Not bad…" he muttered to himself, practically glowing with chaotic energy.
Then, without warning, he stepped forward like he was on stage at the Hero Awards—striking a pose so over-the-top it would make Present Mic weep tears of joy.
Ryoujin:"Shoji! The miraculous squid of muscle might!"He pointed at him as if announcing the arrival of a legendary warrior.
Ryoujin:"You'll be our mighty steed! Carry the whole team on your back, and use all your arms to secure us in every direction!With the glorious grip of your octo-hands—may the gods bless us all!"
Shoji just shook his head. "That sounds… weirdly worded."
Ryoujin:"And YOU! Mineta!The almighty grapehead of questionable morals!"
He spun mid-air and pointed at Mineta with the flair of a circus ringmaster.
Ryoujin:"Your mission is simple—BOMB the battlefield with your sticky balls!And I mean THROW ONLY! No weird dodging games, got it?!"
"YES BOSS!!!" Mineta shouted, nervous and hyped all at once.
Ryoujin:"And you, Toru! The world-renowned invisible goddess!"
He turned to her with a hand trembling from pure excitement.
Ryoujin:"You'll be our mobile flashbang! I'm assigning you a brand-new move right now—'Cloaked Radiant Burst'—anyone who dares look at you will be BLINDED by glory!Isn't that badass?!"
"I'll do my best, Butterfly-kun!"Toru waved cheerfully… or at least, her glove did.
"And finally—our dashing team leader!"He struck a pose so dramatic it could shatter the sky if cameras had anime effects.Thunder cracked. Light exploded behind him. Fireworks? Maybe. It didn't matter.
Ryoujin:"Sniper of the shadows! Commander of chaos! Handsome devil of devastation—me!I'll call the shots… and snipe from the rear!"
Once all teams were ready, the countdown began.
10...He cracked his neck and settled into position.Shoji tightened his grip.Mineta rolled a sticky ball in his palm.Tooru… took off her clothes.
5
Ryojin:"Remember our opening plan."Kazuma's team all recalled his words at the same time.
4
Ryojin:"If this works—"
3
Ryojin:"We'll take first place for sure."
2
Everyone on the field:"We need that ten million!!"A thunderous cry echoed in everyone's head.
1
Ryojin:"Come at me, you damn bastards!!!"He roared across the stadium, just as Midnight's voice followed up on cue—
Midnight:"Begin!!!"
In an instant, every team rushed toward the ten-million-point target like starving wolves.
Ryojin:"Shoji! Now!!"
Shoji quickly spread his arms. Tooru—completely invisible, thanks to being unclothed—sprang off his back, blending perfectly with the light. And then she unleashed her special move:
Tooru:"Colorflash Bomb!!!"
A blinding flash exploded across the field, leaving everyone around temporarily dazzled.
Ryojin lunged forward and caught Tooru in time, pressing her close against Shoji's back to keep her from falling.
"Mineta!!" he shouted.
"On it, boss!!!"Mineta replied, just as his back collided with Kazuma's.The two of them unleashed their quirks on surrounding enemies like a raging storm.
Sticky balls flew out in every direction from Mineta, while Ryojin fired precision shots like a marksman on caffeine.
In just a few seconds, the ground beneath them began to cave slightly from the widespread impact.
Shoji's legs got stuck in the cratered floor as he struggled to pull free.Ryojin and Mineta, meanwhile, kept up their relentless assault.
Dozens of quirks came rushing at them—but none hit.Ryojin's suppression fire was accurate enough to intercept every single one.
Vines whipped in from multiple directions—Ryojin shot them down effortlessly, like a seasoned hunter.
Mineta didn't waste the moment. He hurled a ball straight at the incoming Bakugo.
And there he was...Bakugo had just stepped into the field. His face was a storm of fury and focus.His eyes locked onto one thing—ten million points.
"Hah! How's that, you explosive freak?!"A silver-haired teen burst into the scene, charging forward like a runaway tank.
"Tch… This isn't gonna work. Time for Plan B."Ryojin muttered, before grabbing the ten-million headband and hurling it toward Bakugo with all his might.
"Catch!!!"he yelled.
Bakugo caught it perfectly, his expression turning smug and triumphant.Exactly as Kazuma planned.
Bakugo sprinted back to his team.They celebrated briefly—until someone shouted:
"The ten million points are over there!!"
Every eye immediately turned to Bakugo.
He looked back—only to see Kazuma smirking like a mastermind pulling the strings.
Ryojin:"What now, you spiky grenade porcupine?"Ryojin threw him a mocking glare—complete with a double middle finger.
"Tch! Come at me then, extras!!!"Bakugo roared, launching explosive blasts at everyone charging toward him.
With enemy teams suddenly shifting their focus, Kazuma's squad finally got a brief moment of respite
Bakugo had just been outplayed—
Todoroki snatched the ten-million-point headband right off him, catching him dead in the middle of a blinding flashbang—a light bomb crafted and thrown by Momo herself.
Bakugo nearly collapsed from the blast, staggering backward in the middle of the arena.Luckily, one of his teammates rushed in just in time to catch him before he hit the ground.
But the one thing they couldn't save—was the headband.
The ten-million-point headband had been stolen… right before his eyes.
From Class B's side, cheers and jeers erupted, fueled by pure satisfaction at seeing the explosive king brought down.
???: "Hah! That's all you've got?! Or are your boom-boom days over, you walking firecracker!?"
Bakugo clenched his teeth so hard it sounded like his jaw might snap.His eyes burned with fury—hot enough to incinerate the entire stadium.
But it didn't matter.The points were gone.
And right now, the only thing he wanted… was to annihilate the one who mocked him.
Meanwhile, in the center of the battlefield, Todoroki and Midoriya were locked in a silent stare-down, standing across from each other.
No words.No smiles.Only pure tension—an understanding exchanged only through their eyes.
This wasn't just a fight.It was a duel of conviction.A battle of hearts, to see who would rise above the other.
The clock ticked down—less than three minutes remaining.
Suddenly—
Iida's voice roared across the field.
Tenya:"Reciproburst!!!"
With a burst of jet-powered speed, he launched Todoroki's team out of danger—barely escaping Midoriya's assault in the nick of time.
Dust exploded around them.Winds howled in their wake.For a moment, it felt like the world itself stood still—just to let them escape.
When they looked back, the enemies were already far behind.
They smiled.
"We made it..."
Or at least… they thought they had.
"Whew... It's over," Kaminari exhaled, glancing at the icy wall Todoroki had erected to separate them from the chaos of the arena.
"Seems like... we might've won," Momo sighed in relief, offering a faint smile to her teammates.
"At least I didn't
Todoroki didn't ge
A soft thud echoed—barely audible—Something had just landed on Iida's shoulder.
Like a wild cat falling from the
Everyone froze.
Time.Stopped.
Todoroki whipped his head around toward the sound—And his eyes widened as they met a face he knew far too well.
Standing atop Ii
Kazuma.
Ryojin:"Who said anything about victory?"
He spoke casually, with a wide grin—one that teetered on the edge of madness.
No one knew how he got there.But around his face, frost clung to his hair and skin.
And behind him—two ice picks strapped to his back.No one knew where he got those either.
Not even Todoroki, who had crafted the towering wall of ice with his own hands, imagined someone would scale it from above.
But he did.
Before anyone could react—
WHAM!Ryojin slammed his forehead into Todoroki's.
And just like that—chaos erupted.
A brutal brawl began right atop Todoroki's team.He threw wild punches at the three boys.But when it came to the girls… he handed them MiniHearts™ instead.
(Whatever that meant, no one questioned it. It was Kazuma.)
He got punched in return—but he laughed through the pain.Like a lunatic who'd fallen in love with combat itself.
And then—He snatched the ten-million-point headband.
No hesitation.He wore it proudly.
Todoroki lunged to grab it back—But Ryojin bit his hand like a rabid dog.
Ice began to melt…
Everyone in the arena had turned to stare.
All eyes were now locked onto the one team that still had a headband on.Everyone—students, teachers, spectators—stood in stunned silence.
They couldn't believe what they were seeing.A student from the Hero Course, fighting like a wild dog…But the "dog" was Ryojin Kazuma—and he was fighting alone.
And then—
Midnight:"TIME'S UP!!!"
The audience exploded with deafening cheers and gasps.
"Unbelievable! I can't believe Kazuma stole the ten million points back in the final second!!"Present Mic's voice thundered through the speakers like a bolt of lightning.
The stadium shook with wild applause and roars of disbelief.
Every eye was now on the one man who never played by the rules.
Ryojin let out a mad, triumphant laugh.He raised his head to the sky, grinning like a victor who had clawed his way out of hell.
Then—he raised the headband high above his head.
Ryojin:"Tch... How 'bout that?"
A low, ominous chuckle slipped out from him as the scoreboard locked in the final results.
Kazuma stood tall in the center of the battlefield, lifting the ten-million-point headband high for all to see, bathed in the spotlight and the crowd's thunderous roar.
Ryojin:"Didn't expect a lunatic like me… to come out on top, huh?"
His tone was casual—almost careless—But the icy smirk at the corner of his lips spoke volumes as he walked back toward his team.
Kazuma's teammates erupted with cheers, celebrating like a world champion had been reborn in their friend.
On the other side—Bakugo's team stood with arms crossed, clearly not amused, even though they technically made it through.
Bakugo clenched his fists so tightly that smoke hissed from both palms, frustration radiating from his every breath.
Bakugo:"That damn bastard…"
Midoriya's team managed small, tired smiles.Tokoyami was still catching his breath from the last-second scramble.
Midoriya:"We… made it."He said softly, before looking up at Team Kazuma with wide eyes—equal parts awe and disbelief.
As for Todoroki's team—
They stood in silence.Todoroki's face was hard, unreadable.His fists clenched white. Sweat dripped down his temple, while a faint layer of ice crept along his shoes.
He'd been sure—absolutely sure—they had it.
But the ten million points had been snatched away…
"Next round…" he muttered.
The rest of the teams wore similar looks of defeat.Some dropped to their knees.Others stood frozen, glaring at the result board with clenched jaws and heavy hearts.
And finally—
Team Shinso… was out.
The purple-haired boy sat quietly in a corner of the arena, surrounded by spent smoke grenades and scattered impact balls still glowing faintly from the last clash.
Footsteps approached.
Kazuma stood over him, hands on his hips, looking at Shinso like he was staring at his own reflection.
Ryojin:"Sorry 'bout that, you sad-eyed freak."
Shinso raised an eyebrow.
Ryojin:"Guess my bullets were a bit too fast, huh? Eh… we'll get to know each other better after this event's over. Every time I see your face, I think of Aizawa. I like that."
Shinso glanced up to meet his eyes—but said nothing.
Kazuma turned without waiting for a reply, walking away toward his cheering teammates.
"Next round… one-on-one,"he murmured under his breath, eyes lifting to the bright sky above.