The stadium's roar hadn't faded since the Cavalry Battle ended. If anything, it got louder, heavier, feeding on itself like fire stoked by wind.
The top sixteen stood center stage. Us. The survivors. The ones who'd fought tooth and nail for headbands and points and came out alive.
Midnight cracked her whip for silence. "Ladies and gentlemen! It's time for the main event—the One-on-One Tournament!"
The crowd detonated in cheers.
Present Mic bellowed into his mic, "Sixteen enter! One leaves the champion! Let's see the bracket!"
A massive screen lit up, names shuffling like a slot machine before snapping into place. My eyes scanned it fast.
Match One: Izuku Midoriya vs. Hitoshi Shinso.
Match Two: Shoto Todoroki vs. Hanta Sero.
Match Three: Katsuki Bakugo vs. Fumikage Tokoyami.
Match Four: Renji Sato vs. Mina Ashido.
The rest blurred for now. My gaze lingered on my own slot. Mina.
I liked Mina. Bright, goofy, kind. Facing her felt wrong. But this was the Festival. Holding back wasn't just disrespectful—it was suicide.
A whisper from the Morpher pulsed at my wrist.
[Directive: Test New Group Technique "Sentai Vault."]
Figures. The Grid didn't care about my feelings. It cared about growth.
The first match set the tone. Shinso baited Midoriya with words sharp enough to cut steel, and for a terrifying moment, Izuku froze like a puppet on strings. The crowd murmured, confused. But then—the one-for-all lightning snapped across his skin. His fist hammered the ground, breaking Shinso's hold, and he charged like a bullet.
When he sent Shinso flying out of bounds, the stadium erupted. Midoriya's chest heaved, but his eyes—his eyes were fire.
[Assist Node Resonance: Midoriya Izuku — 24%]
The Grid hummed approval.
Todoroki crushed Sero under a glacier in five seconds flat. Bakugo and Tokoyami clashed in fire and shadow, ending in a violent explosion that nearly blew the stage apart. Bakugo won by sheer ferocity, though even he looked unsettled by Dark Shadow's power.
And then… it was my turn.
Mina was already bouncing on her feet when I climbed the stairs. She waved, grinning ear to ear. "Yo, Dino-boy! Guess it's just us!"
I chuckled, rolling my shoulders. "Don't hold back, Ashido. I know you won't."
"Damn right!" She shot me a thumbs-up, then slid into a low stance, acid already dripping from her palms, sizzling against the floor.
The crowd roared as Midnight raised her arm. "Match Four… BEGIN!"
Mina sprinted first, hurling acid globs that hissed across the stage. I tapped my Morpher.
"Blue—Azure Torrent!"
Water armor flared. A shield wave blasted forward, dousing acid before it reached me, steam rising. Mina used the cover, darting in fast. Her footwork was slick, fast, unpredictable.
She slid low, spraying acid at my boots. My HUD blinked warnings. I leapt, switching mid-air.
"Yellow—Volt Striker!"
Electricity snapped across my limbs. I hit the ground in a blur, tonfa sparking. Mina juked, her reflexes sharp, but I clipped her shoulder with a buzz strike. She hissed but spun, flinging more acid in a spray.
The crowd went wild. "Ashido's got moves!" "That Ranger kid's switching forms like crazy!"
Mina grinned through the burn. "Nice hit. But I'm just warming up!"
Her acid thickened, bubbling purple-black—corrosive mode. The floor smoked where it landed.
"Noted." I slid back, switching again.
"Green—Hunter's Fang!"
The bow materialized. I drew, loosing a volley of three arrows that split mid-air. Mina dodged two, but the third clipped her thigh, energy bursting harmlessly but knocking her momentum off.
She grit her teeth, sweat pouring. "Not bad, Renji. But can you handle this?"
She slammed both palms to the ground. Acid spread in a wave, sizzling across the arena floor like molten lava.
The crowd gasped. "She's covering the field!"
I didn't have the luxury of hesitation. My Morpher pulsed.
[Tri-Link Technique Adaptation Available: Solo Vault]
My lips curved. "Perfect."
I slammed my palm down. "Sentai Vault!"
The Morpher discharged, summoning a crimson energy plate under my boots. It blasted upward like a springboard, launching me into the air as the acid surged below.
Gasps rippled through the crowd as I soared. Mina looked up, stunned.
I switched mid-flight. "Red—Crimson Vanguard!"
The sword blazed into being. My HUD painted an arc, guiding the strike.
"Mina!" I shouted. "This'll hurt—so give up if you don't want it to land!"
Her grin didn't falter. "Do your worst, Ranger!"
Damn it, she was tougher than people gave her credit for.
I roared, blade igniting. "Crimson Overdrive—Impact Slash!"
The sword slammed down in a shockwave of red energy, cutting a trench across the stage. Mina dove clear, rolling to the edge, acid sizzling out mid-throw. She stumbled, smoke rising from her shoes.
The dust cleared. My sword was planted in the floor, steam curling from the crack. Mina stood shaky at the edge, breathing hard, but smiling through the pain.
Midnight's whip cracked. "Winner—Renji Sato!"
The crowd exploded. Cheers, chants, half of them demanding I summon the dino again.
I demorphed slowly, armor peeling away, chest heaving. I walked over, offered Mina a hand.
She took it with a grin. "Guess dinosaurs stomp pink aliens, huh?"
I smirked. "Nah. You almost had me. You're fast, unpredictable. If you'd pushed harder earlier, I'd be toast."
She laughed, limping off with the medics. "Next time, Ranger. Next time."
I returned to the waiting room, sweat still cooling on my skin. Bakugo leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes burning.
"Tch. Cute tricks," he sneered. "But tricks won't save you when it's me across the stage."
"Good thing I've got more than tricks." I smirked. "I've got a system."
His palms popped with sparks. "Then I'll blow your system to hell."
Before I could answer, Todoroki entered, calm as ice, his gaze brushing over me like frostbite. "Sato. Your power. I'll be testing it soon."
Two monsters. Two rivals. Both watching me.
And somewhere in the stands, I knew Shigaraki was watching too, scratching his neck raw, whispering my name like a curse.
The Morpher pulsed once, faint but sure.
[System Directive: Rivalry Detected. Sync Potential Rising.]
I exhaled, flexing my hand. "Fine. Let them come."
The tournament wasn't just about winning. It was about proving—
That a Ranger belonged in this world.