"When the going gets tough,

put one foot out,

and then another,

and then just one more...

Keep going forward, no matter what.

Never. Give. Up."

-Unknown

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Approximately 25 minutes ago:

"It's the eighth and final match of the first round! He was kinda famous in middle school, Bakugo Katsuki from the hero course! Versus - the one I'm actually rooting for - Ochako Uraraka from the Hero Course!"

Abruptly, Bakugo stood his ground and pointed at her.

"Hey, round face. I don't care if you're a girl, or if you have anxiety disorders, or whatever it is. I don't intend on holding back, and if you don't withdraw now, you won't be getting away with just an ouch. I'm going to win this whole thing."

Uraraka stared down at her opponent a mere few feet away from her. She hadn't really expected to fight him in the first round, but she wasn't going to back down just because it was him. Nor if he is just spouted some intimidating words. It didn't matter how i-intimating he was, or how p-powerful his explosions are-

"Remember, your greatest weapon is your adaptability. As long as you keep calm and think, you'll be fine. No matter how powerful or ridiculous the opponent's power seems, the person wielding it is only a human. Not a god. I am aware that it's hard to be conscious of that in the heat of combat, but you need to remember. They're just a bunch of high schoolers, anyway."

Her tightened shoulders loosened considerably and her stressed-out mental state relaxed. She was not rigid, but ready.

It was the optimal state for combat. It was optimal for adaption.

(People never realized that they were two sides of the same coin.)

'I don't think he realizes that we are high schoolers ourselves... But... I think I'm okay now.'

"Eighth match, start!"

She drew her prized sledgehammer (one she privately named sleddgy-tan) and assumed a defensive stance. If it was before, she probably would have just charged in, but the results of her training with Allen had shown that it wasn't the best idea. If she moved too much, it would only add to nausea that she would experience, and burn threw her stamina faster. It was better to counterattack in the flaws leftover from the opponent's own attacks.

She wasn't a one-trick pony anymore. She had more methods of fighting back.

Her personality wasn't really suited to being aggressive, anyway, at least according to some teen magazine. Hey, she wasn't going to make Allen tell her everything. She could do some research too! Refocusing on the charging figure of Bakugo, she lunged (not really all that well done, she would have to work on that one more...) into the one blind spot that he had. His back.

(She slightly wondered how Allen knew this but didn't bother thinking about it in favor of getting behind Bakugo as fast as possible.

She would regret taking the time not to think later.)

"...Huh?"

Except, it didn't work.

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The blond teen smoothly switched from his large right swing to a midair flip from the momentum of the blast.

Only for his left hand to spray out a large explosion.

"Don't think that it will work on me twice. I'm not dumb enough to not make countermeasures to something that I know has bested me once. You must have seen me suffer at the hands of Iz, that villain at USJ, didn't you? Must have thought you could pull a fast one, eh?"

The smoke cleared and revealed a slightly quivering Uraraka. She had been pushed back a couple of meters, she had some slight burns, and her ears were ringing from the stinging bite of the sound, but she was still standing. She was still capable of fighting.

She was still alive.

'The concussive force is really strong... The only reason it didn't affect me more was that my hammer took some of the force for me. Not to mention the sheer heat... His quirk really is suitable for combat. But, I'm not such a pushover that one little blast will do me in, Bakugo!'

Faintly, Bakugo muttered to himself:

"It's not enough yet... I can't let my guard down. If she can get in one hit with that hammer of hers, or if I let her touch me... The match will end immediately. I'll just focus on outputting more knockback and send her flying out of bounds. That way I don't have to get close."

Like waking up from a dream, the audience roared out loud, filling the stadium with their cheers. Each and every one of the audience members was animated with excitement, chattering loudly with their neighbors next to them. It was the same in the hero section, each one stunned with disbelief at the rapid escalation of events. Still, there was always an exception to every rule. In the corner of their section, Allen stood seated with rapid attention, not at the state of his little student, but at the explosion-wielding teen.

'...Something about him is different. He acknowledges his weaknesses and then strives to fix them? That flip wasn't some spur-of-the-moment deal, it had a practiced fluidity to it... He's no longer the same as his middle school self, huh? Can someone, even someone like him, change that simply? Can he actually put his ego down to die? ...If so, then I was underestimating him, and his determination to win.'

He traced his eyes along the skyline, following the trails airplanes had etched into the sky, allowing the sound to drone outside of his attention. A tornado could have passed by at that moment, or a fire could have broken out, and he wouldn't have noticed.

'My image of victory, huh? If you weren't that much, you wouldn't be worthy to receive my revenge, Kacchan. I'm glad."

He allowed himself a small laugh, and sure enough, it was drowned out by the sounds surrounding him.

'Although, I'm not all that sure that I'm worthy enough to dispense it anymore.'

"Ladies and Gentleman, that was one surprising turn of events! Bakugo has turned Uraraka's trap against her in a stunning display of reflexes! Yet, this is only the beginning. Both fighters are primed and ready for round two!"

Like a self-fulfilling prophecy, Present Mic's words came true. Except, it wasn't just for a measly two rounds. Bakugo sent out explosions with incredible power and speed, only to be thwarted with a flip or a thrown-up tile. Uraraka slammed down with all of the force her multi-ton hammer could bring out, only to be avoided by Bakugo with a freak explosion. Soon, both of them were reduced to walking sweat producers, seeing as they were almost drowning in it.

'This... This isn't good. I can only lift the hammer two more times, and that's without any unexpected expenditures. I feel really sick, and I don't have my costume either... I'll just lose if I don't come up with something soon! I've tried so hard, I-I can't mess up now-'

'The game's not over until it's over. No matter how desperate the situation is, there is always a chance. And I assure you, it will come.'

"...You just need to keep your eyes open, and your mind calm."

And so, Uraraka opened her eyes. And she realized something very, very vital. That Bakugo Katsuki was as exhausted as she was. Then she saw more and more. She saw her own condition, and how to take advantage of her own weakness. And so, with a look of surprise, Uraraka Ochako let her hand twitch and she let her hammer fall to the ground.

For she knew something. Normal people would have let up at that point, would have felt sorry for the girl all covered up burns and bruises. But Bakugo Katsuki didn't see her as a girl, he saw her as an opponent. And when one opponent saw their other falter, their first reaction wasn't to help them up... but to win.

So when Bakugo blew a stream of explosions her way, Uraraka smiled. She used one of her last ounces of power to remove gravity's restrictions on herself. The resulting increase in speed was enough to catch Bakugo off-guard. If this was the beginning of their match, he would have been able to avoid it. Counterattack, even.

But this wasn't the same Bakugo at the beginning.

It was a simple straight hook. Clearly telegraphed, almost like a walking martial arts manual. He could see it, she could see it, the whole entire audience could see it. But seeing it didn't mean anything if you weren't able to avoid it.

Sometimes, simplicity was the best answer to a question.

Flesh hit flesh, as one final knockout punch was thrown to the cheek of Bakugo. Uraraka felt like she was watching in slow motion as her fist warped the surface of Bakugo's cheek, sending sweat and spit flying in the air. She caught his eyes and saw the same unwillingness, and stubbornness that lived within her own. It was almost heartbreaking to watch them fade out of focus. To watch him hit the ground.

But more than that, she felt an exhilaration from the depths of her core that she had never quite felt before in her entire life.

"Bakugo's out of commission! Uraraka advances to the second round!"