The awkward moment passed, and the students gradually filed back into the stadium.
Their reactions were as varied as they were spontaneous.
Uraraka bounded over to Midoriya and exclaimed, "Deku! That was amazing!"
"With my Quirk, I thought I’d fall behind... I’m still not quite there yet! I, I..."
Midoriya twisted uncomfortably as Uraraka closed in, while Iida, still berating himself, stood right beside them. Although they had grown closer over time, the proximity still felt too intimate for someone as self-conscious as him.
Half-hiding his face, he listened to Uraraka’s praise and assessed himself with a cool detachment. "I just got lucky," he thought. "I happened to make use of an opportunity I’d been waiting for. It wasn’t something I brought out on a whim—if I’m being honest, it was a lucky punch. The real test starts now!"
Meanwhile, the rest of the students had returned to their spots. As before the start of the event, Midnight stepped up to announce the rankings to the students gathered by class.
"The first stage for the first-years is over, and with it, the first event. Now, let’s see the results."
Leading the results was Kirishima, the undisputed first-place finisher, followed by Midoriya, Todoroki, and Bakugo in second, third, and fourth, respectively, their names and faces filling the screen one after the other.
The familiar face of Shiozaki appeared in fifth, after which the display compactly listed the remaining rankings.
Midnight’s voice continued, speaking directly to the attentive students. "The top forty-two will advance from the preliminaries. For those who didn’t make the cut, don’t worry—a stage to showcase your skills still awaits. And from here on out, it’s the main event! The press is going to be fired up! So give it everything you’ve got!"
As everyone steeled themselves, the roulette spun on the screen once again, just as it had before the first event.
"Alright, then! The second event is here! What is it? Well, I already know—look, it’s up already. Here it is!"
Without lingering, the roulette stopped on the words "cavalry battle."
Kaminari frowned. "Cavalry battle? Ah, so I'm screwed," he muttered.
"It isn’t an individual match, though," another student remarked. "How does it even work? Ribbit, ribbit."
Addressing the flurry of questions, Midnight explained, "Participants will form teams of two to four to create their own cavalry units. The basic rules mirror a typical cavalry battle with one twist: based on the results of the sprint, each of you has been allocated points."
As her words sank in, the students speculated on how the event would unfold. "So it’s like the point system in the entrance exam. That’s simple enough!" one called out.
"In other words, each team’s total points will depend on how you combine those individual points!" another added.
"Ah!"
"You guys are stealing my lines while I’m still talking!" Midnight snapped, prompting the students to quiet down so she could continue.
"Right, and the points awarded increase by five from the last place upward—forty-second gets five points, forty-first gets ten, and the first-place finisher takes home... ten million points!"
A collective gasp swept through the crowd—everyone except Kirishima.
When all eyes suddenly turned to him, he merely shrugged and said with a bored expression, "What?"
Just as Kirishima was convinced that being the best meant accepting the inevitable spotlight, Midnight interjected, "That’s right. The higher your rank, the more you’re targeted—it’s survival of the fittest!"
"Hm. Interesting. Although I've never really been anyone’s boss, that's something to consider," one student mused.
"The higher you aim, the more hardships you'll face. As long as you're at U.A., you'll hear that again and again. This is PLUS ULTRA! Congratulations to Kirishima Eijiro, the top qualifier—ten million points in his possession!"
To Kirishima, whether it was ten million or a hundred million didn’t particularly matter. In his eyes, being the best wasn’t just about ranking first—it was a position of infinite value, a prize every student strived for. In that light, he couldn’t help but appreciate the slowly emerging glints of ambition in his peers.
"Now then! Let me explain the cavalry battle rules. You have fifteen minutes. The combined points of your team become your cavalry’s total, and the rider wears a headband displaying that number. Until time’s up, you’ll steal headbands from each other to determine who holds the advantage. Any stolen headband must be worn around the neck only. The more you steal, the harder it is to manage. And importantly, even if your headband is taken or your cavalry falls apart, you're not automatically out!"
"So that means..."
"It means that all forty-two of you can remain on the field, divided into roughly ten to twelve cavalry units," she clarified.
"Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have others steal your points so you can... move around more freely?"
"That’s tricky if you don’t know how the team points are distributed, Mina," another voice remarked.
As the students exchanged their thoughts on the rules, Midnight continued, "During the match, you’re allowed to activate your Quirks in this brutal brawl! But remember—it’s still a cavalry battle. Any attack aimed solely at shattering another unit will earn you a red card and immediate disqualification!"
Kirishima cocked his head, pondering. Attacks that were malicious could be hard to define, but he understood the intent: to discourage deliberately injuring the riders.
"Alright, everyone! You now have fifteen minutes for team negotiations!"
With Midnight’s announcement echoing, the students dispersed to form their teams. Standing still, Kirishima fell into deep thought.
Ashido sidled up to him and quipped, "Hey, Eijiro, what are you doing? Since you're first, are you just going to chill while everyone else comes running to you?"
"Mina? Well, that too, but I’m seriously considering my options," Kirishima replied.
"Consider what? There’s nothing you should be worried about, right?"
"Think about it, Mina. If I’m the rider, no one would dare steal my headband. Absolutely no way," he argued.
"Yeah, that’s true," Mina agreed.
While the two conversed, several other students edged closer. Many wanted to align themselves with Kirishima, who had the air of someone who wouldn’t accept defeat easily—even attracting students from other classes.
Then Kirishima’s voice rang out, "But there's a problem: I'm over 120 kilos right now."
"Huh? Really?" someone asked, surprised.
"Yeah. I fluctuate between 123 and 126, but the point is—the rider is supposed to climb on someone’s arms, right?"
"Right," came the reply.
"Can the people playing horse really support my weight for fifteen minutes, all while moving vigorously?"
For a brief moment, the chatter around him ceased as everyone, including Ashido, absorbed his words.
Kirishima’s concern was valid—if three people tried to share the load, simple math dictated that each would have to bear over forty kilos. And doing that continuously for fifteen minutes?
The students looked uncertain, and Kirishima sighed as he watched them scatter.
"I knew it would go this way," he muttered.
"So what are you going to do?" someone asked.
"What else? Looks like I’m the one who has to be the horse," he replied with a dismissive snort.
Clicking his tongue, Kirishima approached Bakugo, who had been standing silently.
"Hey, you're popular too, huh?"
"Hah? What’s with you, beanpole?" Bakugo retorted.
"Team up with me—I’ll be the strongest horse you could ask for."
"What? Why... Ah, I get it. You're too heavy," Bakugo admitted with a wry smile.
"I like how quickly you caught on. Saves me from going on and on," Kirishima replied.
After a brief moment of thought, Bakugo bared his fangs in a grin. "Fine, you bastard. Today’s the day I get to use you as my horse. I did want to snag that ten million, but I can save that for the next round."
"Well, looks like the day has come for me to carry you around too. I don’t know if we’ll face each other in the next round, but do your best," Kirishima shot back.
As their dramatic negotiation concluded, a break room at U.A. buzzed with commentary on the Sports Festival. Pro heroes, gathered around a TV, discussed the event.
"This U.A. Sports Festival isn’t just about the hero mindset—it’s a simulation of the survival competition you face once you enter hero society. When that first-place kid was talking, I thought it was nonsense, but watching the event, every word rings true," a burly man remarked, releasing a cloud of cigarette smoke.
"Huh?" queried Mount Lady.
"With so many hero agencies, sometimes you have to push others aside just to make a name for yourself. That was the first event," the man explained.
"Hahaha. That’s really heartbreaking," Mount Lady chuckled.
"You little... you were laughing when I said that!" he snapped.
As she gave an awkward laugh, Shishida, standing nearby, bristled at memories of past mishaps.
The man continued, "At the same time, even if you’re competitors, there are plenty of situations where cooperation is key."
"Ah... That's just like the cavalry battle. Your victory isn’t yours alone—it’s also your teammates’ victory. You have to consider compatibility, your partners’ Quirks, and work together," another voice added.
"Right—think of it as working with your sidekicks, or joint Quirk training with other agencies," the man continued.
"So this is the survival method that the pros take for granted…and now the kids are experiencing it for themselves," someone observed.
Before long, the team formation negotiation time came to an end. As students regrouped with their newly formed teams, a blonde boy quietly addressed his teammates, "Everyone here is focused solely on Class A. Why is that? And just as Tetsutetsu said, those Class A kids are going wild. It’s almost as if the only difference between us is that they’ve fought villains. Let’s show them why we in Class B were content with being in the middle and lower ranks during the preliminaries. Let’s make them feel it, deep down."
Kirishima turned toward the irritating voice. The handsome speaker’s plan was something Kirishima found puzzling. Class A, Class B—what did it all matter? After all, there could only be one best.
Even if the world was full of people, some things were simply beyond compromise. Regardless of his internal musings, the match soon slid into the waiting phase before the official start.
Twelve cavalry units took their positions, and the broadcast announcing the start of the event reverberated through the stadium.
"After fifteen minutes of team formation and strategy, twelve cavalry units are lined up on the field! Now then—let’s hear the battle cry! U.A.’s fierce clashes, where sweat and blood mingle, begin now! Raise the signal fire!"
"Blood, my ass—looks like all we’ll see are nosebleeds," muttered one student.
"If you’ve got a problem with that, then go wild. Just remember: breaking up a cavalry unit is forbidden. So why don’t you just knock out all the riders, beanpole?"
"Would you really want me to do that?"
"Of course not. Just zip it and do your job as the horse. I’ll take the points."
"We don’t really need the points right now, but… whatever. Do what you want. Since when did you become known for being so saintly?"
While Bakugo and Kirishima exchanged heated words, the match kicked off.
"Alright! Let’s go! Brutal battle royale! Countdown! Three! Two! One! Start!"
At last, the battle commenced. Kirishima scanned the charging students and raised his foot high. "This is going to shake things up a bit. Everyone, keep your balance!"
"What?"
He slammed his foot down, and though it was hardly larger than a human foot—barely thirty centimeters—its impact split the ground beneath.
A massive shockwave fanned out before them. The cavalry staggered as riders struggled to maintain their footing, and in the chaos, a swamp-like patch surged in a straight line toward Bakugo’s unit from the team carrying Tetsutetsu.
With a grin, Kirishima called out, "Well, Bakugo, you’re not planning on just riding along, are you? Get moving. If you don’t want that, maybe I’ll just knock everyone out myself!"
"Ha! Watch and learn, beanpole!" Bakugo retorted, as his hand shot out near Kirishima’s ear.
In an instant, Bakugo unleashed a massive explosion. The recoil propelled all four members of the cavalry out of the swamp onto solid ground.
"You’re loud," one teammate grumbled.
"If you want to win, you have to put up with this noise!" another shot back.
"Hm. I could just do everything myself..." someone began, only to be cut off.
"Are you going to keep spouting nonsense?"
"Why don’t you two just stop bickering?"
"They’re not really fighting—it’s just how Eijiro and Bakugo talk," observed Sero.
"Is it because they’re that close?" another queried.
From the edge of the battlefield, Bakugo’s unit had pulled back a bit to observe the unfolding chaos. While some cavalry units continued charging, most had already plunged into close-quarters melees with nearby opponents. With the top spot secured by ten million points, the remaining twelve positions—outside the elite four—could be won without fixating on that number.
Rather than confronting Kirishima’s overwhelming strength or Bakugo’s solid abilities head-on, many teams opted to target what they considered easier prey in pursuit of points.
"Look at this—only two minutes in and it's total chaos! Headbands are falling left and right! Chasing second to fourth place instead of the ten million isn’t a bad strategy!"
Once a brief lull emerged, Bakugo leaped toward Midoriya, who was airborne, evading an attack. With explosions erupting from both hands, he roared, "Quit messing around, you damn bastard!"
Dark Shadow intercepted the massive blast emanating from Bakugo’s palm, cushioning its impact. The recoil sent Bakugo stumbling, only for Sero to grab him with some tape.
When Present Mic questioned the validity of Bakugo’s solo maneuver, Midnight swiftly ruled, "He fell off the cavalry—technically he’s okay! Had he touched the ground, he would’ve been disqualified!"
Amid a brief dispute, Kirishima and Bakugo traded barbs. "I told you to do what you wanted, but you really went your own way. We don’t need to be overly aggressive right now," Kirishima remarked.
"So you’re just going to keep running away? If you were the rider, that might work—but you can’t be the rider. You have to keep moving, keep attacking, just in case!" Bakugo shot back.
"Hm. I can’t deny that," Kirishima conceded, "but that still doesn’t explain why you charged at Midoriya. You practically dove in to hit him."
"Hmph. It was a tactical decision! I went for the idiot who got careless mid-air," Bakugo boasted.
"You know, your left eye twitches when you lie. That’s a dead giveaway," Kirishima teased.
"What?" Bakugo retorted, hurriedly touching the skin below his left eye as Kirishima snorted in amusement.
"Liar. Now, more importantly, something’s coming," Kirishima warned.
"What’s coming... damn it!" Bakugo barked.
"You’re so simple, Class A," Kirishima teased.
"What the hell did you just say, you bastard!" Bakugo shouted.
Just then, a bright blond boy slipped past from behind and snatched Bakugo’s headband away. Watching the headband flutter in the boy’s hand, Kirishima grinned.
This was exactly what made the melee so entertaining.
The relentless cavalry battle surged into its second phase.
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