My Hero Automata

Chapter 43: Finals (Set 4)

Summary: The final set of matches for the finals!

Chapter 43: Finals (Set 4)

As the previous matches wound down Sato and Sero, along with Shoji and Hagakure, had been called to their own preparation areas. It was only when said announcement came from the speakers, instead of their professor, that everyone realized Midnight had vanished. That puzzled everyone for only a moment, before Momo pointed out that Midnight had been with the other instructors on the platform at the start. Moreover, the numbers of professors vs students only added up if Midnight was one of their opponents. That got winces of sympathy from the remaining students, even as the new pairs headed of. Given that her students had already learned the hard way not to underestimate their professor, her inclusion didn't exactly fill the two new pairs with confidence, both sets privately hoping the other had to deal with her. Izumi, of course, had a shrewd idea at this point, being almost certain who her own team would face.

"The other pair is likely to face Ingenium, and I don't think he'd handle Sato's power armor all that well. That makes it likely Midnight will be up against Sato and Sero."

Several people blinked at that, working through the remaining heroes. It was Mina that got there first.

"Wait! You think they'll put Miruko up against you in the 3 vs 2?" She paused, then actually grinned. "Actually, that makes sense! You a Momo are the only people that could actually fight her!"

Momo and Izumi both winced at that remark. Mina wasn't wrong, exactly, but neither of them had actually done much more than force Miruko to break a sweat in their training sessions with her. And even that small victory had only come after she'd started to correct their forms somewhat. Mineta, of course, hadn't even come close. Though she also hadn't sparred with him so much as given him gruff pointers on three-dimensional movement...and occasionally causally punted him into a wall when he'd lost control and perved on her. He was, understandably, a bit pale as he worked through the logic himself after Mina's assessment.

"No! I don't want to die! Even if it would be to the glorious...rabbit thighs!"

Well, at least he'd very thoroughly learned not to call her a bunny. That was...progress? Speaking of their situation though, as everyone else turned their attention to the matches that were just starting, Izumi sighed and brought Momo with her to stand next to the little pervert. As her guess proved to be correct, with Ingenium zooming it to clothesline Hagakure, undoubtably using extra vision modes his helmet allowed him, she cleared her throat. Given who he was and who they were, it wasn't exactly hard to capture Mineta's attention. Thankfully, he was also still freaking out a little bit, so he actually listened instead of eye-fucking them.

"Well, time to face the music. We need a plan for facing both Miruko and Nejire at the same time. Given what I know of Nejire, we're probably going to have to think outside the box a bit, like Bakugo but without the collateral damage."

Even as Izumi laid out a few ideas, opening the floor for the other two to workshop them with her, the rest of the class watched as their occasionally-terrifying teacher knocked out Sato in the first two minutes of his and Sero's match with her. For all the things Mei had included in the power armor Sato used so well...a way to filter air hadn't been one of them. Midnight had neatly demonstrated that while his Power Armor made him extremely strong and decently fast, he wasn't all that agile. Anyone with a non-violent disabling Quirk and higher agility than him could take him out as he was. Sero lasted quite a bit longer, but found himself in a fight where someone else had better control over the same type of combat he used. Midnight was much better with her whips than he was with his tape, and despite a valiant effort focused on keeping her away from the civilian bots...he was taken out at the ten minute mark. Making their team's effort a failure.