The brief silence after the Obstacle Race was quickly replaced by the roaring cheers of the crowd. I took several deep breaths, trying to calm my burning lungs and still the trembling in my legs. Fourth place. Considering I was essentially fighting with my bare hands, it was a much better result than I had hoped for. I had proven that I could compete. But as I looked at the expressions of the three in front of me—Midoriya's burning determination, Todoroki's cold disappointment, and Bakugo's pure rage—I knew that the real test hadn't even begun.
"Give it up for our finalists!" Midnight's voice echoed through the stadium. After a short break, we all reassembled in the middle of the field. "The first round may be over, but don't relax yet! The real fight starts now! Let's see the next event!"
The giant screen behind her spun again, and the words that appeared made the crowd cheer even louder: CAVALRY BATTLE.
"The rules are simple!" Midnight explained, cracking her whip. "You'll form teams of two to four people and create a 'cavalry' formation! Each participant has been assigned points based on their rank in the first round. Your team will have the total points of all its members, and each 'rider' will wear a headband with that total! The goal is to snatch headbands from other teams while protecting your own! Snatched headbands must remain above the neck! Even if your team loses its headband, you're not out! The battle will last for fifteen minutes!"
It was a game of strategy, teamwork, and betrayal. I analyzed it instantly. Choosing the right teammates was everything.
"And now, for the points!" Midnight continued with a sly grin. "Points are assigned starting from five for 42nd place, ten for 41st, and so on! But for first place..." She paused for dramatic effect, and a giant spotlight suddenly shone on Izuku Midoriya, who immediately went pale. "His point value... is TEN MILLION POINTS!"
The entire stadium went silent for a moment, processing the absurd number. Then, I felt it. The atmosphere changed. Every single gaze on that field—from Class 1-A, 1-B, and all the other courses—morphed into a predatory stare. Everyone was looking at Midoriya, no longer as an inspiring winner, but as the ultimate prey, a walking treasure chest.
'Cruel,' I thought to myself. 'They didn't just give him a victory; they gave him a curse. This is a test designed to crush those at the top.'
"You have fifteen minutes to form your teams! Start!"
Chaos began. As I expected, students immediately swarmed around Todoroki and Bakugo, trying to join the teams most likely to win. On the other hand, Midoriya was shunned like the plague. Teaming up with him meant becoming a target for everyone in the arena. I myself felt a few hesitant glances in my direction. As fourth place, I had a reasonably high point value. I was an attractive, but not impossible, target.
I didn't waste any time. I immediately walked over to where Toru's uniform was floating nervously. "Toru," I said in a calm voice. "You're with me, right?"
"Of course!" she replied without hesitation, her voice filled with relief. "I was afraid no one would pick me since they can't see me!"
"That's your greatest strength," I countered. "We're going to need it."
Two people. We needed at least one more to be a sturdy 'horse' and maybe another for offense. My eyes scanned the crowd, bypassing the panicking students. I needed someone smart, strong, and not easily intimidated by chaos. My eyes landed on Fumikage Tokoyami. He was standing alone, arms crossed, looking calm and unaffected by the surrounding frenzy. Dark Shadow hovered over his shoulder, its yellow eyes warily scanning the area. He was the perfect choice.
I approached him. "Tokoyami," I greeted.
He turned, his bird-like eyes fixing on me. "Tatsumi. Fourth place. You're looking for team members." It wasn't a question, but a statement.
"I need Dark Shadow," I said bluntly.
"Many do," he replied in his deep, calm voice. "Why should I choose you?"
I looked him straight in the eye. "Because everyone is going to make the same mistake: they'll go straight for Midoriya. The arena around him will become a bloodbath between Todoroki's team and Bakugo's team. That chaos will be the ultimate diversion. In the midst of that noise, the calmest and most efficient team will win." I paused, letting my logic sink in. "Dark Shadow is the best mid-range offense and defense. Hagakure's Quirk is the best for espionage and sabotage. And I will be the brain guiding you. Our plan isn't to hunt the ten million points from the start. Our plan is to survive, avoid the main battle, and become a hunter that preys on the other careless hunters. We'll pick up points from the teams too focused on the main prize."
Tokoyami was silent for a moment, processing my strategy. I could see Dark Shadow murmuring in agreement on his shoulder. Finally, he nodded. "A strategy born from the shadows. That is a path I can accept. I'm in."
Our team was formed: Me as the rider, Tokoyami as the front horse and our main bastion, and Toru as the rear horse and our secret weapon. We decided against a fourth member, as it would only make us a larger, easier target. A lean, efficient three-person team. Across the field, I saw the main teams had taken shape. Todoroki had recruited Iida, Kaminari, and, as I expected, Momo. A powerhouse team with speed, area-of-effect power, and limitless utility. Bakugo, after being initially rejected by Kirishima, had finally formed a team with Kirishima, Sero, and Ashido. A hyper-aggressive team.
"TIME'S UP!" Midnight roared. "ALL TEAMS, TAKE YOUR POSITIONS!"
The battle began. As I had predicted, several teams immediately shot toward Midoriya, whose team was now fortified by Uraraka, Hatsume Mei from the support course, and, surprisingly, Tokoyami from my failed plan—wait, no. On Midoriya's team, the person taking Tokoyami's canonical spot was... ah, right. Tokoyami was on my team. That meant Midoriya had to find someone else. 'This is my first significant divergence,' I thought.
"Focus, Tatsumi-kun!" Tokoyami's voice from below snapped me out of it. "They're coming."
"We're not engaging," I commanded calmly. "Move to the perimeter. Keep our distance. Toru, do your thing."
"On it!" Toru whispered from behind. Nimbly, she slipped off her shoes and gloves, becoming completely invisible, and snuck away from our formation.
Our strategy worked beautifully. While most of the arena devolved into a chaotic battlefield around Midoriya's team, we patrolled the outskirts like sharks waiting for blood. A few weaker teams tried their luck attacking us. "Dark Shadow!" was the only command I needed to give. The shadow creature would shoot out, parrying their attacks with ease. While they were distracted, the invisible Toru would sneak up from behind and swiftly snatch their headbands before returning to our formation. It was a clean and efficient heist. We collected three low-value headbands this way without ever getting into a real fight.
In the commentary booth, Present Mic was baffled. "WHAT'S TEAM TATSUMI DOING?! THEY'RE LIKE GHOSTS, APPEARING, TAKING POINTS, AND VANISHING! THEY'RE NOT GETTING ANYWHERE NEAR THE MAIN FIGHT!"
"They're being smart," Aizawa replied in his typical monotone. "They're avoiding the apex predators and preying on the weak. It's the most rational strategy to ensure they advance to the next round. Tatsumi isn't fighting to win the cavalry battle; he's fighting to win the whole festival."
Of course, our luck couldn't last forever. As we were patrolling, we were suddenly cut off by a team from Class 1-B, led by an orange-haired girl I recognized as Itsuka Kendo. Her team was solid and well-coordinated.
"We've been watching your strategy, Class 1-A!" Kendo declared. "You're not running anymore!"
Her team attacked in unison. "Tokoyami, defend!" I ordered. Dark Shadow shot out, morphing into a giant shadow shield to block their combined assault. The impact was significant, forcing us back a step. This was our first real fight. "Toru, look for an opening!"
While Dark Shadow was busy holding off the main assault, one of Kendo's teammates, a boy with a steel Quirk, tried to flank us. I saw him coming. I couldn't let Tokoyami handle everything. I leaned far out to the side, breaking my 'rider' formation, and aimed a powerful kick at the side of his head. It was a risky move, leaving me off-balance, but it worked. The blow, amplified by my physical training, was enough to send him staggering back.
Just then, the time announcement echoed. "ONE MINUTE REMAINING!"
The chaos in the center of the arena peaked. Team Todoroki, with Iida's explosive Recipro Burst, had managed to snatch the ten-million-point headband from Midoriya. Bakugo, enraged, immediately attacked Todoroki. Midoriya, desperately determined, was preparing a final counterattack. The top three teams were destroying each other.
And in the midst of that chaos, I saw it. My opportunity. A team from the general course, which had managed to survive until now, was distracted by the clash of titans. They were too focused on the main prize, forgetting about the predators hiding in the shadows.
"Tokoyami, left now! Push us past Kendo's team!" I commanded. Tokoyami, without question, understood. Dark Shadow unleashed a powerful wave of shadow energy, pushing Kendo's team back a few steps and creating an opening for us. "Toru, distract them!"
Toru quickly threw one of her shoes toward the general course team. It was a ridiculous diversion, but it worked. They glanced at the floating shoe for a split second, confused. It was enough.
I leaned out from Tokoyami's back, my arm outstretched. Time seemed to slow down. With a motion I had practiced over and over in my mind, my fingers snatched the headband from the shocked rider's neck.
BUZZ!
The final buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the Cavalry Battle.
I straightened up, breathing heavily, holding the newly acquired headband. We had done it. We didn't get the ten million points, but we had collected enough to comfortably qualify for the final round. I looked down at my teammates. Tokoyami gave me a respectful nod, Dark Shadow murmuring in agreement. I couldn't see Toru, but I could feel her excitement as she quickly slipped her shoes and gloves back on.
We hadn't won with overwhelming power. We won with strategy, trust, and teamwork. As I looked out at the chaotic aftermath of the top teams' battle, I felt a sense of satisfaction. I may not have been able to awaken my dragon, but today, I had proven that a cunning strategist could be just as dangerous. The final round awaited.