Chapter 36: Volcanic Team
The blinding morning sunlight washed over the pristine grass of the U.A. stadium. The colossal digital scoreboard towering above the stands flickered, displaying the official rankings of the grueling obstacle race. At the very top, printed in bold, undeniable letters, was a single name.
1. SAKAZUKI
Standing on the central podium, the R-Rated Hero, Midnight, cracked her whip through the air. The sharp sound echoed across the silent arena, commanding the absolute attention of the remaining students and the tens of thousands of spectators watching from the edges of their seats.
"The preliminary round is over, and the real test of survival begins now!" Midnight announced, her voice echoing through the massive speakers. "The second event of the U.A. Sports Festival is... a Cavalry Battle!"
A murmur of anticipation rippled through the tired students. Midnight gestured gracefully to the screen behind her, explaining the rules with theatrical flair. The students were to form teams of two to four members. One person would act as the rider, wearing a headband displaying the team's total point value, while the others would act as the horses.
"The point values are assigned from the bottom up," Midnight explained, a sly smile curving her lips. "The student in forty-second place is worth five points. Forty-first is worth ten, and so on. However..."
The stadium grew incredibly quiet. The tension in the air became thick enough to cut with a knife.
"...the point value assigned to the student who took first place," Midnight paused, pointing her whip directly at the tall, broad-shouldered teenager standing quietly in the center of the field. "Is exactly... ten million points!"
The sheer magnitude of the number crashed over the stadium. Ten million. A golden ticket. A guaranteed passage to the final round for anyone who could snatch that single piece of fabric.
In a normal situation, the student standing at the top would instantly become the ultimate prey. They would be looked at with hungry, greedy eyes by every competitor on the field. But the atmosphere that settled over the U.A. students was completely different.
When the competitors turned their heads to look at Sakazuki, they did not see a walking treasure chest. They saw the terrifying crimson flash that had melted the tunnel. They saw the devastating heat that had effortlessly carved through solid steel.
Ten million points... Kaminari swallowed hard, a drop of cold sweat rolling down his cheek. But... can we even approach him?
If we get too close, we might actually get incinerated, Sero thought, taking a subconscious step backward.
Sakazuki did not flinch under the weight of a hundred staring eyes. He did not tremble, nor did he look around nervously. He stood firmly in his place, his dark eyes locked straight ahead on Midnight and the digital board. His imposing posture did not shift a single inch. Instead, a dense, suffocating aura of absolute, unyielding determination radiated from his muscular frame. The heavy crown of ten million points meant absolutely nothing compared to the crushing weight of the medical bills sitting on his kitchen table. He was a mountain, entirely unfazed by the storm brewing around him.
"You have fifteen minutes to negotiate and form your teams!" Midnight declared cheerfully. "Let the team-building begin!"
The countdown timer flashed on the screen, and the chaotic scramble immediately commenced.
Sakazuki stood alone for a moment, analyzing his tactical situation. He possessed a very dense, muscular physique. While not impossibly heavy, his athletic mass required a sturdy foundation to carry him without losing speed. More importantly, he had a severe elemental disadvantage in a team setting. If he acted as the rider and was forced to unleash his magma to defend his headband, the sheer ambient heat would severely burn the students acting as his horses.
As the crowd of students naturally parted to avoid him, a jagged, confident voice broke the isolation.
"Hey! Sakazuki!"
Eijiro Kirishima marched directly up to the magma user, slamming his hardened fists together with a sharp, metallic clack. A fierce, fearless grin stretched across his face. "If you unleash that heat while riding on someone's shoulders, a normal person would tap out from the burns alone. Good thing I'm not normal! My Hardening can withstand your weight and your temperature! Let's team up!"
Sakazuki looked down at the red-haired boy. It was a highly practical, courageous offer. "I accept. Your durability will be a reliable shield."
"Hold on a second, U.A.!" a loud, brash voice echoed from the side.
Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, the fierce representative from Class 1-B, aggressively stomped over. He crossed his arms, his skin shimmering with a dull, metallic sheen. "Iron and steel don't melt that easily either! I'm jumping in on this!"
Sakazuki raised an eyebrow, his stern expression softening into a look of genuine curiosity. He looked at the silver-haired student. "I thought you intensely disliked me. I assumed you would be my enemy today, especially after you boldly declared a challenge against my class earlier this week."
Tetsutetsu scoffed, a wild, combative grin spreading across his face. "Do not get it twisted! This is just the team-building phase. I can beat you to a pulp in the very next stage! But right now, teaming up with the strongest guy here is the smartest way to advance!"
Sakazuki actually smiled. It was a faint, fleeting smirk, but it carried a profound respect for the boy's brazen audacity. "Very well. Iron and steel will form the vanguard."
"I will provide the rear guard and the foundation," a deep, muffled voice spoke from behind them.
Mezo Shoji stepped forward, his tall frame and multiple replicated arms offering an unparalleled level of physical stability. "My physical strength can easily support your mass, Sakazuki. And with my replicated eyes and ears, I can monitor our blind spots in all directions. Nobody will sneak up on us."
The formation was complete. Kirishima and Tetsutetsu at the front flanks, Shoji anchoring the rear. It was a mobile, heat-resistant bunker. The Volcanic Fortress was ready.
Across the grassy field, the other factions were finalizing their ranks.
Shoto Todoroki stood at the helm of an elite, highly calculated cavalry. Tenya Iida, Momo Yaoyorozu, and Denki Kaminari flanked him. Todoroki's mismatched eyes were cold and sharp, locked entirely on the red headband resting in Sakazuki's hands.
A few yards away, Katsuki Bakugo was furiously shouting at Eijiro Kirishima's usual friends, aggressively dragging Mina Ashido and Hanta Sero into his own explosive, highly offensive formation. His red eyes burned with a singular, violent need to reclaim his lost pride.
Elsewhere, Izuku Midoriya, whose point value had dropped significantly after finishing behind the vanguard, stood with Ochaco Uraraka, Fumikage Tokoyami, and Mei Hatsume. Midoriya was muttering rapidly, carefully plotting a strategy to survive the impending chaos and snatch points from the shadows.
But the most cunning gaze on the field belonged to Neito Monoma from Class 1-B.
Monoma sat elegantly atop his own perfectly balanced team. Itsuka Kendo provided martial arts defense, Ibara Shiozaki offered absolute crowd control with her vines, and Kosei Tsuburaba was ready to deploy his Solid Air to create invisible shields and platforms. Monoma watched the Class 1-A heavyweights preparing to tear each other apart. A dark, highly calculating smirk stretched across his face. Let the arrogant favorites fight over the ten million; he was ready to exploit their blind spots.
The loud, piercing buzzer echoed through the stadium, signaling the end of the negotiation period.
Sakazuki wrapped the thin white headband around his forehead. The bright red numbers—10,000,000—sat boldly above his dark eyes. He climbed onto the sturdy shoulders of his three teammates. Kirishima and Tetsutetsu braced their hardened arms, entirely unbothered by his weight, while Shoji locked him securely in place from behind.
Sakazuki looked out over the sea of competitors. Every single team in the arena had suddenly turned their bodies to face him. The hesitation was gone, replaced by the desperate, adrenaline-fueled hunger for the ultimate prize.
On the central stage, Midnight raised her right arm high into the air. The crowd drew a collective, breathless gasp.
She swung her whip down violently.
"START!"