Got it! The heroes need to defend the objective until the villains surrender or are incapacitated. Here's the rewritten Chapter 17, with a stronger fight sequence and Kairo's perspective highlighting Izuku's strategy and growth.
The aftermath of Kairo's battle still lingered in the air—Todoroki's ice and Kenta's shattered debris marking the battlefield. But as All Might called for the next match, the attention shifted.
Kairo crossed his arms, watching as the display screen revealed the next competitors.
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Matchup: Izuku & Uraraka (Heroes) vs. Bakugo & Iida (Villains)
Kairo's eyes narrowed. This is going to be intense.
Bakugo's sheer power and aggression made him one of the most dangerous opponents in their class. Iida's speed and tactical thinking gave him the ability to pressure and control a battlefield. Together, they were a fearsome combination.
On the other side stood Izuku—the strategist. The boy with unmatched analytical ability, who had no choice but to compensate for his lack of control over his Quirk with intelligence. Then there was Uraraka, whose seemingly simple Quirk had the potential for devastating battlefield manipulation.
The siren blared. The match began.
There was no hesitation. The moment the match started, Bakugo launched himself forward with a thunderous explosion, cutting through the distance like a missile.
"DEKU!!!" His voice echoed across the training ground, raw and unfiltered.
Kairo's eyes narrowed. As expected. Bakugo doesn't hold back.
Izuku didn't panic.
Instead, he shifted his stance, calculating the exact moment Bakugo would reach him.
BOOM!
The explosion erupted just as Izuku stepped back, barely avoiding a direct hit. The sheer force of the blast sent him skidding backward, but he remained standing.
He's baiting Bakugo in.
Bakugo lunged again, his gauntlet crackling. He was relentless, his movements sharp and explosive. But Izuku was watching—every muscle twitch, every subtle shift in weight.
While Bakugo kept Izuku occupied, Iida dashed toward the objective—a fake nuclear device placed in the center of the battlefield.
Uraraka saw the danger immediately.
If Iida reaches the objective, it's over.
She pressed her fingers against the ground—activating her Quirk. The concrete beneath Iida suddenly lost weight, throwing off his balance mid-sprint. His incredible speed now worked against him, causing him to stumble forward awkwardly.
"Tch!" Iida gritted his teeth, adjusting his footing, but the delay was all Uraraka needed.
She flipped forward, using her momentum to launch herself at him, aiming to tag him and send him floating.
But Iida was fast—even with his balance disrupted, he managed to sidestep her, his engines roaring as he pivoted toward the objective once more.
Kairo smirked. Midoriya's been analyzing Bakugo this whole time.
Izuku had figured it out.
Bakugo had a predictable attack pattern—explosive bursts followed by aerial strikes. Each time, he committed fully to his movements. And Izuku had been waiting for the right moment.
As Bakugo launched himself forward again—
Izuku sidestepped.
But this time, he didn't retreat.
Instead, he threw a feint with his left hand, forcing Bakugo to react. The split-second hesitation was enough—Izuku's real attack followed immediately after.
His right arm lashed out—grabbing Bakugo's wrist.
Before Bakugo could react, Izuku used Bakugo's own momentum against him, twisting and slamming him into the ground.
The impact sent a shockwave through the training ground.
Bakugo gasped, his breath momentarily knocked out of him.
Kairo's eyes widened slightly. That was… clean.
But Bakugo wasn't done. He roared, blasting himself off the ground immediately, his palms igniting in another explosion.
Izuku was already moving—not running, but leading him away from the objective.
He wasn't fighting to win.
He was fighting to buy time.
Iida, now recovered, sprinted toward the objective at full power.
Uraraka knew she couldn't stop him alone.
So she made a bold move.
Instead of attacking Iida, she threw herself onto the objective, touching it and making it weightless.
The large structure lifted off the ground, floating just out of Iida's reach.
"What?!" Iida skidded to a halt, eyes widening.
Uraraka panted, but grinned. "Now you can't touch it."
Kairo let out a low chuckle. That's actually genius.
Iida had no way to reach the objective without flying capabilities. Meanwhile, Izuku was still forcing Bakugo into a prolonged fight, keeping him away from assisting Iida.
"Damn it!!!" Bakugo yelled, frustrated beyond words. He blasted forward again—
But this time, Izuku was ready.
He ducked under Bakugo's strike, countering with a precise kick to the ribs that sent Bakugo staggering back.
And then—Izuku stood his ground.
Kairo's golden eyes narrowed.
Izuku's stance… his gaze…
This wasn't the same Izuku from before.
"I won't lose!" Izuku shouted, his voice carrying through the battlefield. "I won't run away anymore!"
For the first time, Bakugo hesitated.
And that was it.
"Time's up!" All Might's voice boomed. "Heroes win!"
Silence.
Bakugo stood still, fists clenched, his breathing heavy. The frustration in his expression was unmistakable.
Iida adjusted his glasses, nodding in understanding. "We were outmaneuvered. Well played, Midoriya, Uraraka."
Izuku collapsed to one knee, exhausted but smiling.
Kairo crossed his arms, his golden eyes studying the battlefield one last time.
This wasn't just a win.
This was a declaration.
Izuku Midoriya was not weak.
And Kairo knew—this was only the beginning.