"Look at her go!" Present Mic commented. "When did 15-year-olds begin moving like that?!"

"Two months of Hand-to-Hand Combat Exercises," Erasure Head joined in. "Everyone has learned when to switch between using their Quirks and depending on their physical abilities."

Momo's staff blurred her way through Fumikage's Shadow Beast, parrying his constant barrages.

Ever since Dust Hero: Sand had given her pointers, she had been working on her staff skills, taking them to the next level.

These skills came extremely handy in situations like this, when her opponent preferred physical confrontation and didn't give her time to Create something unique.

However, Momo had underestimated Shadow Beast's strength.

Every claw that hacked at her rocked her to the bones, despite parrying it using the staff. Not to mention, no matter how much he hit the beast, it just didn't work on it.

Momo even considered creating shields. Then, she could try to approach Fumikage slowly, keeping the Shadow Beast in check.

The moment that thought came to her mind, though, she buried it.

It wouldn't work, she knew.

Now, she was losing her breath.

Shadow Beast hacked downward and — the staff broke in half. Again.

Momo twisted her body, dodging the claws, simultaneously creating another staff. It was something she had learned while fighting against Luke.

Moreover, a staff was easy to create, unlike a complex item, like a gun.

Even if she created a gun, it would pose problems of its own.

No. The only way she could win was if she could somehow go past the shadow beast…

Shadow Beast is Fumikage's balls!

Momo frowned as Nyx's words rang in her mind. She slipped. And Shadow Beast's claw landed on her, throwing her away.

By the time Momo came to a stop after rolling for a few meters, her entire back was burning with pain.

She lifted her head and saw Fumikage running toward her… the Shadow Beast becoming bigger in her eyes.

Bigger in her eyes… Momo's eyes widened like saucers, suddenly.

At the same moment, Nyx's vulgar words resonated with the words in her mind.

Even if she didn't want to take the help of Nyx's words, Momo couldn't control her reasoning any longer.

She clearly remembered All Might's Combat Exercise.

She also remembered seeing Fumikage on the screen, fighting using the Shadow Beast.

That Shadow Beast… within the building used for the Exercise… was way bigger than this one.

Momo had fought against Fumikage in the second stage of the Sports Festival, too. In the Cavalry Battle, Fumikage was Midoriya's Horse, the Shadow Beast acting as their vanguard.

Why didn't Fumikage make the beast as big as on the day of the Combat Exercise?

The moment Momo asked herself the question, she already knew the answer.

A rod-like protrusion appeared on her arm as she used her Quirk — Creation.

"That won't work," Fumikage warned. "Give up…"

To Fumikage and Shadow Beast's horror, Momo hadn't created another staff, but a bomb.

Pulling the trigger, she threw the Stun Grenade between her and the towering Shadow Beast, closing her eyes.

Bang!

It lasted only for a moment. But it was bright. Too bright — for someone like Shadow Beast, who was weak against light.

By the time Fumikage's eyes gained vision, the edge of a knife was pressing against his throat, Momo eying him with tired eyes.

On Luke's shoulder, hearing the crowd go wild, Nyx grinned.

…

As Eijiro with Hardening Quirk and Tetsutetsu with Steel Quirk battled it out in the arena, Midoriya offered his notes on Bakugo to Uraraka, with Tenya standing next to them.

Uraraka looked at Deku's notebook, but ultimately shook her head.

"Everyone… Everyone has been giving their all," Uraraka said, smiling, remembering Toru, Mina, Momo… "It's time for me to take that step, too, Deku. I am going to prove to everyone — to you — that I can fight, too!"

"Uraraka…" Midoriya lowered his notebook.

"Hehe!" Uraraka gave him a thumbs-up. "Just watch me."

…

"Flashy moves won't help you, Round Face," Bakugo said, standing opposite Uraraka. "If you think you can fight like that birdshit Fanboy, then think again.

"Give up now. You will not be walking with just an ouch later."

"Never!" Uraraka stared Bakugo down, making him grin.

All I need is one touch, Uraraka thought, rushing toward Bakugo the moment the battle started. Just one touch.

With her Quirk, the moment she touched Bakugo, she could make him float, sending him to the sky, effectively winning the battle.

Unfortunately, the same lessons that were improving all students' physical abilities, Bakugo was attending them, too.

In the last few months, he had taken his insanely fast reflexes to a new height.

It didn't come as a surprise that Bakugo kept blasting Uraraka away in the next few minutes, no matter how much she tried to take advantage of the smoke, using different strategies.

In only a few minutes, Bakugo had brought Uraraka to her knees.

Surprisingly, right after Aizawa put down all the boos against Bakugo, something changed.

The audience found the sky filled with stones that Uraraka had used her Quirk on, while getting blasted away by Bakugo.

Then the stones rained down, Uraraka charging toward Bakugo.

However, just as she was about to touch him, Bakugo lifted his palm and — blasted thousands of stones into dust instantly.

Silence.

Uraraka, thrown away by the last, stood up, shaking.

She didn't want to give up. Not now. When she was so close.

But the moment she took another step, her body gave up against her wishes, and she passed out.

…

"Let's pull ourselves together, audience!"Present Mic commented. "First round is over! Let's move to the second round right after a short break!!"

The break didn't last more than 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, Eijiro and Tetsutetsu fought a tie-break as their battle had ended in a draw.

Eijiro won the arm wrestling, advancing to round two as well.

And, soon, it was time for the first match of the second round.

"It is here!" Present Mic shouted. "The match you have been waiting for!

"From Hero Course, Class 1-A, we have — Luke and Nyx versus Midoriya!!!"

****************

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