"You have fifteen minutes to form teams!" Midnight announced. "Choose wisely!"
Immediately, Arthur found himself at the center of a recruitment storm.
"Himura!" Yaoyorozu arrived first, her analytical mind already working. "Your second-place finish gives us 195 points. Combined with my creation quirk for support items, we'd have excellent synergy."
"No way!" Ashido pushed in, grinning. "Arthur, me and the girls already talked about it! We want you as our rider!"
"Actually," Kaminari sidled up, "I was thinking we could do an all-offense team? You, me, Bakugo, just blast through everyone?"
"I'm not teaming with you extras," Bakugo snarled from across the arena, already assembling his own group.
Arthur held up a hand, cutting off the competing offers. His mind was calculating, running through combinations and strategies.
Yaoyorozu offers versatility and planning. Ashido's group would be mobile and unpredictable. Kaminari's idea is suicide. I need speed, defense, and offense balanced.
"Iida," Arthur called out. "You available?"
The speedster's head snapped up from where he'd been approached by another team. "Himura? You want me on your team?"
"Your speed is the best mobility option here. We'd be impossible to pin down."
"I..." Iida's engines revved unconsciously. "Yes! I accept! It would be an honor!"
One down. Need two more. Defense and offense.
Arthur scanned the arena. Tokoyami was already with Todoroki's team, he could see them forming up. Bakugo had claimed Kirishima, Sero, and Ashido. Midoriya was desperately trying to convince anyone to join him with limited success.
Then Arthur's eyes landed on Kaminari and Yaoyorozu, still waiting nearby.
"Yaoyorozu, Kaminari. You're with us."
"REALLY?" Kaminari's face lit up. "I thought you'd go with someone cooler!"
"Your quirk has range and power. Yaoyorozu can create insulation so you don't fry your brain and our team simultaneously. It's a solid combination."
"Oh." Kaminari blinked. "That's actually smart."
"I can create the necessary equipment," Yaoyorozu confirmed, already mentally designing. "Insulated suits, grounding rods, potentially even a capture net or restraints."
"Perfect." Arthur looked at his team. "Iida, you're the horse. Yaoyorozu and Kaminari on sides for stability and support fire. I'm rider and primary offense."
"A balanced approach," Yaoyorozu approved. "What's our target priority?"
Arthur glanced across the field. Todoroki's team had formed up, ice user with Tokoyami, Yaoyorozu, and Kaminari. Bakugo's team was pure aggression. Midoriya had somehow convinced Uraraka, Tokoyami, and Hatsume from support to join him.
And every single team was eyeing that ten million point headband like starving wolves.
"We play defensive first," Arthur decided. "Let the pack tear into Midoriya's team. Protect our points, pick off weaker teams, then move on the ten million when the field is chaotic."
"That's cold," Kaminari said.
"That's smart," Yaoyorozu countered. "We'd be fools to dive into that melee immediately."
"Teams, take your positions!" Midnight's whip cracked. "Three minutes on the clock! Steal headbands, protect your own! Top four teams advance! BEGIN!"
The arena erupted into chaos.
Just as Arthur predicted, every team charged Midoriya. The ten million points were too tempting, too valuable. Even teams that should have been targeting easier prey went straight for the top.
"Move!" Arthur commanded, and Iida's engines roared to life.
They shot forward, but angled away from the main scrum. A team from Class 1-B tried to intercept them, seeing an opportunity.
"Kaminari!"
"On it!" Electricity arced out, forcing the opposing team to scatter or risk electrocution. Yaoyorozu had created rubber insulation that protected their own team while Kaminari unleashed his quirk freely.
Arthur manifested his energy blade, reached out and snagged their headband as they passed.
"205 points acquired!" Present Mic's commentary boomed. "Team Himura playing it smart, picking off isolated targets!"
"Keep moving, Iida! Don't let anyone establish positioning on us!"
"Understood!"
They were a blur of motion, Iida's speed making them nearly impossible to catch. When teams got close, Kaminari's electricity kept them at bay. When ranged attacks came in, Arthur's blade deflected or Yaoyorozu created instant shields.
This is working. We're accumulating points without major engagement.
Then Arthur saw Todoroki's team move on Midoriya, and his Instinct screamed warning.
"Iida, angle left! Now!"
"But that takes us toward—"
"DO IT!"
They swerved just as a massive wave of ice erupted from Todoroki's position, freezing the ground, the air, everything within range. Teams were caught mid-movement, trapped in ice sculptures.
Midoriya's team escaped using Hatsume's support gear, rocketing into the air. But Todoroki's ice had caught at least five other teams.
"That's insane!" Kaminari yelped. "He just took out a third of the competition!"
"Stay mobile," Arthur ordered. "We can't let him box us in."
They continued their hit-and-run strategy, but the field was narrowing. Teams were either frozen, eliminated, or clustering for safety. The chaos was resolving into clear threats.
Bakugo's team was pure aggression, blasting anyone who got close. They'd accumulated a decent point total through sheer intimidation.
Todoroki's team was methodical, using ice to control space and pick off isolated teams.
Midoriya's team was still somehow surviving, Hatsume's gear and Uraraka's zero gravity keeping them mobile despite everyone targeting them.
And Arthur's team had quietly become third in total points through consistent theft.
"One minute remaining!" Midnight announced.
Time to commit.
"Iida, head for Bakugo's team."
"WHAT?" all three of his teammates said simultaneously.
"Bakugo's focused on Midoriya. If we hit him from his blind side while he's engaged, we can steal his band and have enough points to guarantee advancement."
"That's really risky," Yaoyorozu said.
"It's necessary. Trust me."
Iida's engines went into overdrive, and they shot across the field. Bakugo was in the middle of blasting toward Midoriya, completely focused on the ten million, when Arthur's team struck from the side.
"WHAT THE—" Bakugo started.
Arthur's blade flashed out, lightning-fast, and snagged the headband from Kirishima's head.
"HIMURA!" Bakugo's roar was apoplectic. "GET BACK HERE!"
"Keep moving, Iida!"
But Bakugo wasn't going to let it go. His team turned, started pursuit, explosions propelling them forward.
Faster than expected. He's using everything.
"Kaminari! Full discharge behind us!"
"But I'll fry my brain!"
"DO IT!"
Kaminari unleashed his quirk at maximum output, electricity arcing across the entire field. Bakugo's team had to dodge, lost momentum, and Kaminari's eyes went vacant.
"Wheeey," he said intelligently.
"Yaoyorozu, secure him," Arthur ordered. "Iida, evasive pattern delta!"
"We don't have a pattern delta!"
"Then make one up!"
They zigzagged across the field, Bakugo in pursuit, and ahead of them Todoroki was making his final move on Midoriya.
Ice erupted in a massive wave, but at the last second, something strange happened. Midoriya grabbed Todoroki's headband, but the ice user's team managed to snag the ten million simultaneously.
"TIME!" Midnight's whip cracked. "The cavalry battle is OVER!"
Everyone froze, breathing hard, teams checking their headbands desperately.
"Let's see the results!" Present Mic announced. "In FIRST PLACE, with ten million and five hundred points... TEAM TODOROKI!"
Todoroki's expression was cold satisfaction.
"SECOND PLACE! Team Himura with eight hundred and twenty points!"
Arthur allowed himself a small smile. The gamble on Bakugo's headband had paid off.
"THIRD PLACE! Team Bakugo, seven hundred points!"
"WHAT?!" Bakugo was already screaming. "HOW DID WE PLACE THIRD?!"
"And in FOURTH PLACE!" Present Mic's voice carried surprise. "Team Midoriya! Six hundred and five points! They held onto a high-value band!"
Midoriya collapsed on his team's shoulders, looking shocked he'd survived.
"Those four teams advance to the FINALS!" Midnight announced. "Everyone else, thank you for your participation!"
Groans and protests erupted from eliminated teams. Arthur saw Monoma from 1-B looking murderous, having been caught in Todoroki's ice. Shinso from general studies stood alone, his team having been eliminated early, expression unreadable.
He'll be back, Arthur thought. That kind of determination doesn't quit after one failure.
"Dude!" Kirishima jogged over, Bakugo stalking behind him still fuming. "That was a dirty move!"
"Strategic move," Arthur corrected, dismounting from Iida's shoulders. "You were engaged with another target. I capitalized."
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU," Bakugo announced calmly. "Not now. Not today. But at some point in the future, I'm going to murder you."
"Looking forward to it."
"You two are weird," Kirishima said. "That's not how normal people talk."
Yaoyorozu was already helping Kaminari recover, the electrical user still making random sounds. Iida looked exhausted but satisfied.
"We did it," Yaoyorozu said. "Second place. Advancing to finals."
"Thanks to your insulation equipment," Arthur acknowledged. "Without that, Kaminari would have knocked us out along with the enemy."
"Wheeey," Kaminari agreed.
"We have a one-hour break before the finals!" Midnight announced. "Eat, rest, prepare! When we return, you'll face each other in ONE-ON-ONE COMBAT! The world is watching!"
The crowd roared approval.
Arthur looked at the other finalists. Todoroki, still radiating cold confidence. Bakugo, already planning his revenge. Midoriya, somehow having survived against all odds. And all their teammates, each one capable, each one dangerous.
Tournament finals. Just like the old days. Except this time, I'm not a king proving my right to rule. I'm a student proving I can be a hero.
"Hey," Midoriya approached hesitantly. "That was amazing teamwork. Your team moved like you'd been training together for months."
"It's called coordination."
"Could you... maybe teach me sometime? How to read combat situations like that?"
Arthur studied the green-haired boy. Midoriya had raw power but no refinement, determination but no direction. He was dangerous and vulnerable in equal measure.
Like every young knight who thought courage was enough.
"After the festival," Arthur said. "We'll talk about tactical training."
"Really?" Midoriya's face lit up. "Thank you! I'll, I'll take notes and, "
"Midoriya. Go rest. Save the analysis for later."
"Right! Yes! Sorry!"
As Midoriya scurried off, Todoroki appeared.
"The finals," he said quietly. "If we face each other."
"No holding back?" Arthur guessed.
"No holding back," Todoroki confirmed. "I need to know where I stand."
"Then I'll show you."
They stood there for a moment, two rivals acknowledging the coming conflict, then Todoroki walked away.
Arthur found a quiet corner of the prep area, pulled out a water bottle, and assessed himself. Energy expenditure moderate. No injuries. Blade manifestation had been clean and efficient throughout.
I'm ready for the finals. The question is whether my opponents are ready for what I can do when I'm not holding back.
His phone buzzed. Class group chat.
Kirishima: "WE'RE ALL IN THE FINALS! CLASS 1-A DOMINATION!"
Ashido: "except half of us got eliminated in the cavalry battle"
Kirishima: "IRRELEVANT! WE'RE STILL DOMINATING!"
Kaminari: "i'm alive. barely. everything hurts."
Jirou: "that's what you get for full discharge, idiot"
Kaminari: "worth it though. we placed second!"
Bakugo: "HIMURA I'M COMING FOR YOU"
Sero: "he's been saying that for ten minutes straight"
Himura: "I'm aware. Looking forward to it."
Yaoyorozu: "Everyone should eat and rest. The finals will be demanding."
Todoroki: "See you all in the arena."
Arthur set his phone aside and closed his eyes with a smile.
Advanced chapters on patreon.com/keyblast