My Hero Academia Symbol of Hope (DC x MHA)

Match 3

Back at Ground Gamma, Shoto's sudden sneeze echoed awkwardly across the zone, drawing a quick glance from Tenya.

"Are you okay, Todoroki?" Tenya asked, concerned. "Did you catch a cold?"

Shoto wiped his nose, already resetting his focus. "Probably not. I'm not that fragile."

Before Tenya could say more, the match commenced. Team 1-A—Shoto, Tenya, Mashirao, and Mezo—charged toward their opponents. As the distance closed, they split up into pairs, aiming to maximize coverage and unpredictability.

On Class 1-B's side, Tetsutetsu barreled forward like an unstoppable tank, knocking down pipes and metal plating with pure brute force.

"This'll draw 'em out!" he roared with a grin.

Pony Tsunotori floated above, frowning slightly. "You're being too obvious. That's not going to work on them..."

But Juzo Honenuki didn't seem worried. He had quietly been placing his hands on surfaces as they moved. "It's okay. I'm betting 1-A is going to try something straightforward. They've got Todoroki—they'll come in hard and fast."

And just as he finished saying it, Shoto struck—a colossal wave of ice surged out and exploded into a massive wall that swallowed Class B's position whole, freezing nearly everything in a jagged, gleaming cage.

Outside the arena, gasps erupted.

"Whoa! He just iced the whole damn area!" Kaminari gawked.

"Seriously, how is that even fair?!" Mineta whined, slumping against the railing.

Ochako leaned forward, eyes following the aftermath. "His control's gotten a lot better. He's not wasting energy now—he's targeting things with precision."

Inside the icy prison, Class B was momentarily stunned, each member frozen in place or trapped in thick barriers. Juzo clenched his jaw, frustration mounting.

"They used the ice to force us to stay still... We need to break out or we're done!"

Hidden among the pipes and shadowed walkways, Tenya and Mashirao nodded to each other.

"Now's our moment," Tenya declared, "Let's end this quickly!"

He activated Recipro Burst, his engines screaming to life as he blitzed through the twisted metal jungle like a missile.

But just as he neared the frozen trap, his feet suddenly dipped into something slick.

"What—?!"

The ice was softening—becoming slushy underfoot.

"WELCOME TO THE SMASH ZONE!!" Tetsutetsu roared as he burst through the melting barricade, fists raised, steam rising from the water-logged battlefield.

Juzo had done it—he'd used his Softening Quirk on the ice, neutralizing their trap. Cracks formed around the frozen walls, and with one heavy punch from Tetsutetsu, huge chunks shattered apart. Pony launched herself upward while wielding metal debris with her horns, and Sen Kaibara spun his arms into a drill motion to slice through what remained.

Tenya skidded to a halt, Mashirao landing beside him as the tide of the battle reversed.

"They're free!" Tenya called out, gritting his teeth. "Get ready—this just turned into a head-on fight!"

Shoto narrowed his eyes from his perch. "We're not letting them take control."

The second half of the match was about to begin—and it was clear both teams were going all out.

Mashirao's instincts told him to fall back the moment he saw the plan collapse, but his retreat was cut short when his foot slipped over a section of pipe—too smooth, too soft. Juzo's earlier prep work had sabotaged the terrain, and now it betrayed Mashirao.