Blossoms of the Dark

XCVIII Shouto: Shark

Looks like she found a team after all ...

I watch Hanada-chan walk with the boy who was the start of the declarations of war chain.

While I was searching for suitable teammates, I had been keeping an eye on her. I wanted to remain faithful to our mutual declaration, so I intentionally did not seek her out, but seeing how no one had approached her as each minute went by worried me. It was understandable why no one was asking her to join, but at the same time, I wanted to shake each and every one of them and shout how much of an asset she was. Of all people, those of you from Class 1-A should have known that! As for the others, if only they had seen during training, they wouldn't demean her like this.

And she understood that, too. She had two choices, but both would have yielded low success rates. Either she could talk to the others and humiliate herself, or she could wait and pretend to be haughty. Given her prideful personality, she chose the latter. And I don't even blame her. If I were in her position, I would have done the same.

But now that she has a team, I turn to address mine.

"The reason I chose all of you is that I think this is the battle formation with the best balance," I say as I stare at each one of them. They're listening intently. Good. That's exactly what I need. "Kaminari, you're on the left. You'll send out some sparks to make sure the enemy never gets too close. Yaoyorozou, you're on the right. You'll be making us an insulator sheet, plus whatever defense and mobility you can provide. Iida, you're at the front with your engine power. You'll be our physical defense as well. Everyone got that?" They nod.

I look at the spectators, searching for a loathsome face, just as Iida comments, "And Todoroki, you can feint your attacks using either ice or heat, right?"

Found it. "No. While in combat, I'll never, ever, use my heat side." He came all dressed up today, face flames included. Though if his frown is anything to go by, he heard what I said, just as I wanted him to.

I know that earlier I didn't want to see him. I was too emotional at that time, and I didn't want to erupt in case I did see him. But now the fires of anger have died down, and all I feel are the fires of challenge and audacity. And I want him to feel the brunt of them. Here's what I think of your given gift, Dad dearest. You can shove it up where it hurts most for all I care.

Seconds before the cavalry battle begins, we take our positions, and I wrap the headband around my forehead. I don't need to explain who our target is. Everyone is facing him.

The bell rings.

The battle has begun.

My team and everyone else's teams swarm toward Midoriya, entrapping him in a circle that grows smaller and smaller by the second. But one student liquefies the dirt ground, trapping them to their knees. Iida, Kaminari, Yayorozou, and I push through, but at the last moment, Midoriya and his team break through the mud and launch themselves into the air. Tokoyami's Dark Shadow is out, blocking and fending attacks from all angles. I wait for them to land, but another team has got its sights on us.

We maneuver and combat them. It's certainly not an easy fight. The opponent is a team of four girls, the rider a girl with long, vivid orange hair. It's a series of attacks, blocks, and the occasional parry. The rider has some hand enlargement quirk, which she waves at my team like she's swapping flies.

With this behavior, both of us can protect our headbands, but neither of us can grab the other. We're at a deadlock. Without some change in our strategies, we cannot break it.

I give the thought a bit more consideration. We don't need to. I blast ice, which makes them stagger back, immediately enlarging the distance between us. "Come on, guys!" I encourage my team. "There are bigger fish in the sea!"