Class 1-A's Comeback

Explosions echoed in quick succession.

It was a familiar sound.

Before long, the roar of the audience swallowed it.

Yuto narrowed his eyes. "Looks like Bakugo is losing his temper too."

Neito Monoma sat on the ground, battered and breathing hard. Three teams had been eliminated by Yuto in a single counterattack, and bitterness twisted through him.

"Looks like I underestimated you after all, Yuto," he said with a strained smile. "I thought that if I'mbushed Bakugo, copied his Quirk, and waited until you and Todoroki wore each other down, I could step in and take the match."

He closed his eyes for a moment.

"I wanted to prove Class 1-B was the strongest. But even a perfect plan can fail when it runs into you."

After a pause, he added, "I'm frustrated, but you're stronger than I'm. Still, giving up is not my style. I'll keep improving and become a better hero than you."

Medical staff reached him and prepared to carry him away.

As they placed Monoma on a stretcher, he looked reluctant to leave.

"Yuto, if the finals come down to you against Bakugo or Todoroki, don't lose. I'll challenge you again. Until then, don't lose."

Yuto smiled faintly. "I won't. But Class 1-A is the strongest, and I'll keep protecting everything it stands for."

"Damn you."

Monoma was carried off toward the infirmary.

"Don't lose! I'll be back!"

Yuto did not dislike Monoma.

Monoma fought for his class. In that sense, was Yuto any different?

They simply stood on different sides.

There was even a small amount of mutual respect between them.

Monoma would likely become an excellent hero someday. Loyalty, class pride, and careful strategy were qualities Yuto valued.

"Neito Monoma has strong class pride, thinks carefully in battle, and is loyal," Yuto murmured. "He would be someone worth working with in the future, perhaps even someone he could recruit into his future agency."

Mei leaned in at once. "What about me? My babies are adorable. If you plan to build a hero agency, you have to consider me. With the way you do things, you are going to get incredible attention. My babies will shine, and major support companies will finally notice them."

Yuto nodded slightly. Mei was direct, eccentric, and a genius inventor. She was exactly the kind of support specialist an agency would need. His team continued moving.

For a while, however, they found no more opponents.

Only three minutes and four seconds remained in the Cavalry Battle.

Present Mic's voice rang out. "This match has been amazing! Monoma and Yuto's rivalry was unexpectedly moving. Monoma fought to the end for Class 1-B, even at the cost of his own advancement. Yuto kept Class 1-A's pride alive. Neither side was wrong. The stronger fighter won."

He paused, then continued. "Even so, Class 1-B currently has two teams with points, while Class 1-A only has Yuto's team. From a class perspective, they are losing to Class 1-B."

Aizawa shook his head. "You're underestimating Yuto. His influence on Class 1-A is greater than you think. If the others heard what he said earlier and learned that he defeated Monoma, they won't sit still."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The students of Class 1-A see Yuto as someone to catch up to. Inside that class, he gives them something to chase."

"Isn't that a little dramatic? There's only a minute and a half left. Class 1-B is still in the Hero Course. Can two teams really lose everything that fast?"

"Call it a hunch," Aizawa said. "Yuto will push them."

In the audience, the discussion continued. "Even if Yuto wins, Class 1-B has two teams advancing, while Class 1-A only has his team. Overall, his class still loses."

"That's not completely fair. Todoroki's team lost points because of a mistake. Otherwise, they would have advanced too."

"Competitions care about results, not excuses."

"Right. If they are really strong, they can still take points before time runs out."

"There's barely more than a minute left. That's hard."

Several spectators looked disappointed. "I came all this way to see if the famous Class 1-A was really that amazing."

"Same. Aside from Yuto, I'm disappointed."

At the same time, the scattered Class 1-A students had gathered.

When they heard what Yuto had said, heat surged through them.

When they learned that Yuto had defeated Monoma, excitement followed, but so did competitiveness.

Tokoyami's voice was dark and steady. "We're fighters too. We're also members of Class 1-A. Protecting our class is not only Yuto's responsibility. It's ours."

Kirishima clenched his fists. "Yuto is right. Class 1-A is the strongest. We can't leave all the cool moments to him."

Mina waved a fist. "Yuto-chan is seriously cool. No, I can't just stand here. I need to prove our class is the strongest too."

Iida chopped the air with his hand. "I'm still frustrated. I want to keep moving forward. I still want to challenge Yuto. Next time, I won't lose."

"Then what are we standing around for?" someone shouted. "Start the comeback! We can't let people look down on Class 1-A. Yuto does not get to keep all the spotlight!"

Everyone roared together. Yuto's presence had lit a fire under them.

With that anger and pride burning in their chests, Class 1-A began its comeback.

Only fifty seconds remained in the Cavalry Battle.

Just when the audience thought everything was about to end, shouts rose from every direction.

Several teams rushed out at once, charging toward Class 1-B's remaining teams as if they were ready for a final battle. The crowd gasped.

What was happening now?

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