『The time remaining for the Cavalry Battle is almost up!! The fight for survival is reaching a fever pitch!! I mean, Midoriya is way too strong despite being surrounded! Is she literally invincible in this event?!』
I ignored Mic's shouting and kept my eyes on the field. His words were both right and wrong. While the nature of this event was technically advantageous for Nico Midoriya, it was also a double-edged sword that turned her into the primary target for everyone else.
Her "Pull" Quirk allowed her to snatch headbands from a distance. The activation was invisible to the naked eye and required almost no telegraphing. Furthermore, her pulling strength was powerful enough to lift a human off the ground. In terms of offensive utility for this specific game, she was unrivaled. No one else had a Quirk more perfectly suited for this.
On the other hand, the more headbands she gathered, the more she needed a way to defend them—or at least an equivalent means of escape. This was a risk that would weigh more heavily toward the end of the match. Currently, Nico was surrounded by point-starved teams, primarily from Class B.
Through a combination of Ochaco's Quirk and Hatsume's support gear, she had managed to stay out of reach, but both of those advantages had just been neutralized. To most observers, her chances of winning looked slim.
Or so they thought.
"...Hey, Eraser Head. It might be late to ask, but why the hell is she in remedial classes if she can pull off stunts like this? The kid is clearly smart."
"There are different kinds of intelligence, Mic."
Aizawa kept his gaze fixed on Nico. Even though her team's mobility had been crippled, she was still holding her own against multiple horses. Using Ojiro's tail as a pivot point, she moved across the tops of the horses with total freedom, preventing any rival rider from even touching her arm. Not only that, but she was actively countering attacks aimed at her "horse" and even found the time to snatch more headbands from her attackers.
Ojiro was doing well to move his tail and maintain balance to match her, and Ochaco was following up with her Quirk to support Nico's reckless movements, but Nico herself was the one truly running the show.
Her combat sense was exceptional, but it was her cold-blooded calm—the way she could accurately strike the enemies she needed to eliminate even in total chaos—that was truly eye-catching. Her survival at the USJ wasn't a fluke or a stroke of luck; it was pure skill.
However...
"Mic, how much time is left?"
"Whoa, sudden question! Uh, let's see... less than three minutes."
"Three minutes..."
Aizawa didn't think Nico could maintain that level of exertion for three more minutes. Regardless of her talent, she was still a student, and her stamina wasn't infinite. Furthermore, she had already used her Quirk at maximum output multiple times. If things continued as they were, she would burn out and have her headbands stolen before the final buzzer.
If things continued as they were.
"There's no way you didn't see this coming," Aizawa muttered. "So, what's your move?"
『WHOA! AND BAKUGO TAKES FLIGHT!!』
I shifted my focus back to Bakugo's team just as he launched himself from his horse to snatch Todoroki's headband. The points he grabbed weren't the top prize, though. Somehow, the ten-million-point headband was no longer on Bakugo's forehead; looking at the scoreboard, the scores for Team Bakugo and Team Todoroki had completely swapped.
Bakugo's reckless charge was likely a desperate attempt to reclaim what had been stolen.
Suddenly, a massive cheer erupted from the crowd.
I looked away from Bakugo and saw her. My biggest problem student, Nico Midoriya.
"So... that was her plan from the start."
Suspended from a wire attached to Ojiro's tail, Nico was now floating freely in the air. Other students tried to hit her with long-range attacks, but she maneuvered through the sky with her jetpack, making every shot miss.
I looked over at Midnight; she seemed torn on whether or not to call it a foul.
It made sense. She had already permitted Bakugo's aerial movement. She had deemed it a "technical maneuver" because his feet hadn't touched the ground. Nico, being the spiteful girl she was, had made sure to stay "connected" to her horse via the wire. Since Midnight had already set the precedent with Bakugo, it was almost impossible for her to rule this as a disqualification.
In this situation, the obvious solution was to attack the "horse" acting as her base, but the rules strictly forbade malicious attacks intended to collapse the horse formation. In other words, they couldn't just knock Ojiro and the others over to force Nico out.
The sheer level of preparation suggested this wasn't an impromptu idea. She had waited for someone else to break the ice so it would be easier to force the judges to accept her own strategy.
It was right on the edge of a foul.
The gear, the Quirk usage, and the rules themselves—none of it was technically an infraction. She was using Midnight's own ruling as a shield. Since the rulebook didn't explicitly state how long a rider could be separated from their horse, Nico's strategy was perfectly legitimate.
"Seriously, though..."
A storm of boos erupted from the stadium. It was natural; seeing a fight like this was bound to draw resentment. But Nico didn't seem bothered in the slightest. Whether she was just that obsessed with winning or simply wasn't thinking at all, the result was the same. The match was effectively over.
"Mic, the time."
"Hm? Oh, we're almost at the one-minute mark! I'm gonna start the countdown. You joining in, Mummy-man?!"
"Do it yourself."
"Man, you're no fun! Alright, let's go!! Wait—WHOA!! What is that?!"
Instead of a countdown, Mic let out a shout of pure shock.
I followed his gaze to see Team Midoriya's horse, which had been stationary until now, suddenly start sprinting. Ochaco had kicked off the metal boots that were anchoring her to the ground.
"...That absolute idiot!"
I honestly couldn't tell if she was just messing around or being serious. But one thing was certain: she was a colossal moron.
***
"Nico!! Are you really doing this?! We'll pass the qualifiers in second place even if we just stay here!" Ojiro yelled from below.
I was currently taking a stroll through the sky, dodging various projectiles. Logically, Ojiro was right. But this was a festival! It's no fun if you just stay curled up in a ball. Winning was the goal, sure, but that was a separate issue from having a good time.
"Duh! It would be such a waste to just watch from the sidelines when things are getting this good! I'm going in to stir the pot, baby!"
"I will never understand your thought process!" Ojiro cried.
From high above, I looked down at the two horses below. In the middle of a vortex of ice and explosions sat the final headband. According to the scoreboard, only three teams still had points: mine, Kacchan's, and Peppermint's.
I had taken all the others. Every single one.
One Class B guy had foolishly tried to copy my Quirk, so I showed him the difference in our skill levels by snatching his headband and then punching him until he blacked out. There was another guy who looked like he had a "brooding main character" vibe, but I took his points without hesitation too. For some reason, he even had the Grape-head's points, which was a nice bonus. He said something to me, but I didn't see a reason to care, so I ignored him.
"Nico! We're almost in range!" Ochaco shouted.
"Keep going! Don't stop until I give the signal!"
"Right! Got it! Everyone, push!!"
The team's speed increased.
"Second-Place Girl! How's the fuel in the jetpack?! As long as the needle isn't in the red, I can guarantee one last burst at maximum output!" Hatsume yelled.
I checked the gauge on my chest. It was hovering right between yellow and red.
"It's in the orange zone!"
"That should be enough for one last blast! Go for it!!"
"Aye-aye, Captain!"
With my final boost confirmed, I checked the clock on the screen. Less than thirty seconds left. I signaled Ojiro to get ready.
"Hatsume! How do I trigger the foot thing again?!" Ojiro asked.
"Just stomp down as hard as you can! Let's see those spikes!!"
The moment Ojiro stomped, metal spikes from his boots drove deep into the stadium floor, anchoring the horse firmly. On that signal, everyone grabbed Ojiro's tail to support the weight.
"Nico! Give us the word! We're gonna pull as hard as we can!!" Ochaco shouted.
"I'm launching you at maximum thrust! Show those corporate bigwigs the majesty of my adorable baby!!" Hatsume added.
"Leave the rest to us! Since you're going anyway, take everything they've got, Midoriya!!"
Supported by my team's cheers, I slammed the switch in my hand. It was time for the final gamble of the Cavalry Battle.
"Nico Midoriya—launching!!"
***
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