Midnight raised her whip high and snapped it against the ground.
CRACK!
The sound ripped through the stadium like thunder, cutting straight through the cheers and chatter. Instantly, the noise died down, thousands of eyes snapping back to the stage.
With a playful, dangerous smile, Midnight rested the whip against her shoulder.
"Before we announce the second event," she purred, "let me explain how this round works."
She paced slowly as she spoke, heels clicking rhythmically.
"Points will be assigned to each of you based on your ranking in the obstacle race. The higher you placed…" her smile widened, "…the higher your points."
She paused deliberately.
"And the juicier your target becomes."
Behind her, the massive scoreboard flared to life. Names scrolled downward, numbers materializing beside them in glowing text. A ripple of murmurs spread through the stadium as spectators leaned forward, anticipation thick in the air.
"First place," Midnight continued, her gaze flicking unmistakably toward Izuku, "will be worth—"
She let the silence stretch.
"—ten million points."
The stadium gasped.
A massive golden 10,000,000 blazed next to Izuku Midoriya's name, so absurdly large it looked fake. The difference was brutal—Todoroki sat at two thousand points. Bakugo at fifteen hundred. Everyone else trailed far behind.
Izuku's number dwarfed them all.
Every single student turned to look at him. Eyes sharpened. Calculations began. Even a few from Class 1-A shifted uncomfortably.
Izuku, meanwhile, just smiled faintly, hands sliding into his pockets like none of it mattered.
'Nice' he thought calmly.
Up in the booth, Present Mic burst into laughter, practically vibrating with excitement.
"OH-HO-HO! THAT'S RIGHT, FOLKS!" he boomed. "WHOEVER CAN TAKE MIDORIYA'S HEADBAND IN THE CAVALRY BATTLE WILL BASICALLY PUNCH THEIR TICKET STRAIGHT TO THE FINALS!"
The whispers exploded immediately.
"If we gang up on him, we'll crush him."
"No way I'm letting Class A hog the spotlight again."
"He's dead meat."
"Tch… ten million? He's wearing a bullseye."
Katsuki cracked his knuckles loudly, glare locked onto Izuku like a predator scenting blood. "Don't get cocky, Deku," Katsuki snarled. "That ten million's mine."
Nearby, Shoto Todoroki simply crossed his arms. His expression remained calm, but his eyes sharpened with focus.
"This changes nothing," he said coolly. "I'll take him down myself."
From across the stadium, loud, obnoxious laughter rang out. Neito Monoma pointed dramatically in Izuku's direction, nearly falling over himself.
"FINALLY!" he crowed. "Our chance to humiliate Class A once and for all!"
Dozens of glares pressed in on Izuku from every side. He tilted his head slightly, lips curling into a knowing smirk.
'Keep dreaming.'
Midnight snapped her whip again, reclaiming the attention effortlessly.
"Alright, before you all tear each other apart," she said smoothly, "let's talk about the next event."
She grinned.
"The Cavalry Battle."
The stadium erupted again.
Present Mic leaned so far forward over his desk it looked like he might fall. "THAT'S RIGHT, EVERYONE! HERE'S THE RUNDOWN!"
Screens flashed with diagrams and rules as he spoke.
"Students will form teams of two to four! Each team will have one rider wearing a headband containing points equal to their ranking from the obstacle race!"
Images of headbands appeared—numbers glowing brightly.
"And the goal?" Present Mic roared. "STEAL AS MANY POINTS AS YOU CAN BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT!"
Izuku's 10,000,000-point headband pulsed on the screen like a beacon.
"Y-You're kidding…" Mina Ashido muttered, staring upward.
"Ten… million?!" Ochaco Uraraka squeaked, clutching her head.
"Ribbit. That means every single team will target him first," Tsuyu Asui said calmly.
"Yeah," Kyoka Jiro added, eyes flicking toward Izuku. "He's basically the jackpot."
Izuku leaned back on his heels, completely relaxed.
"Guess I should be flattered."
"FLATTERED?!" Denki Kaminari yelped. "They're gonna come at you like a zombie apocalypse!"
"Not my problem," Izuku replied smoothly. "That's their mistake."
Katsuki slammed his palm against the wall, sparks snapping violently.
"DON'T GET COCKY, DEKU!"
Izuku didn't even turn his head. "This guy is a broken record"
That only made Katsuki's fury spike higher.
Nearby, Shoto quietly adjusted his glove, eyes never leaving Izuku—already running scenarios, angles, and counters in his head.
Midnight clapped her hands together sharply, smiling like a cat watching mice scatter.
"Now then," she said, "teams may be formed freely. Choose wisely—because alliances will make or break you here."
She lifted one finger.
"You have fifteen minutes to decide." The timer began to count down.
And instantly—
Chaos broke loose.
Students surged toward one another in a frenzy of hurried whispers and frantic negotiations. Voices overlapped as alliances formed and shattered in seconds. Some begged outright. Others tried bargaining with confidence they didn't quite feel.
"I've got good mobility—pick me!"
"My quirk's perfect for defense!"
"We can outnumber him if we coordinate!"
Across the field, Class B moved fast, their intentions painfully obvious. Groups clustered tightly, eyes constantly flicking toward Class 1-A—and more specifically, toward one person.
Izuku Midoriya.
Monoma barked orders like a general, dragging teammates into formation while pointing dramatically in Izuku's direction.
"Everything revolves around him! If we take Midoriya down, we win—simple math!"
Other classes weren't subtle either. Heads leaned together. Fingers pointed. Plans formed and reformed.
Everyone's strategy orbited around a single, unavoidable truth:
Ten million points.
One headband.
One target.
And that target?
Stood perfectly still.
Izuku remained where he was, hands tucked casually into his pockets, posture relaxed as if this were a lunch break instead of a battlefield. Around him, the storm of movement surged and collided—but he didn't move an inch.
His calm grin stood out more than any power display had so far.
To the girls nearby, it was… unsettling.
Mina crossed her arms, eyes darting between the swarming students and Izuku.
"He's way too chill about this…"
Ochaco chewed on her lip, worry and admiration mixing in her gaze.
"They're all coming for him at once…"
Tsuyu tilted her head slightly, studying him.
"Ribbit. He looks like he's waiting."
Momo watched quietly, hands clasped, her thoughts racing. That smile of his wasn't arrogance—it was certainty. And somehow, that made it more frightening.
Izuku glanced around at the chaos, eyes sharp but amused.
'This'll be fun,' he thought.
'Wonder who's brave enough to join me.'
The timer ticked down.
Ten million points glittered on the screen above him like a crown—and the war to claim it had already begun.
TO BE CONTINUED