NOVEL NEXT Chapter 78: 78: Free for All Battle
A/N: Double chap, again.
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The moment the whistle blew, the field descended into pandemonium. Dozens of quirks lit up the battlefield in a dazzling display of power and creativity.
True to his word, Bakugo wasted no time, launching himself into the fray with explosive bursts.
He targeted the nearest cluster of students, blasting them into the air and out of bounds.
"You extras don't stand a chance!" he roared, his trademark maniacal grin plastered on his face.
Meanwhile, Todoroki employed a more measured approach. He froze entire sections of the battlefield, forcing his opponents into narrow corridors where he could control the flow of combat.
His fire side flared occasionally, keeping more persistent challengers like Kirishima at bay.
Mina and Jiro teamed up, combining Mina's acid with Jiro's sonic attacks to create an effective area denial strategy. "We'll stick together for now," Mina said, grinning as she sprayed a slippery acid path to trip up charging opponents.
From the shadows, Tokoyami unleashed his quirk with precision, using Dark Shadow to sweep enemies off their feet and into the elimination zone.
His deep voice echoed as he shouted commands to his companion.
In a corner of the battlefield, Mineta gleefully tossed his sticky spheres everywhere, creating chaos as opponents found themselves trapped.
"This is my moment!" he declared, though most students simply avoided him altogether.
Aiden, as expected, took a unique approach. Rather than diving into the chaos, he strolled leisurely across the battlefield, seemingly unbothered by the attacks flying around him.
"Come on, Aiden! Fight me already!" Bakugo shouted, launching an explosion directly at him.
Aiden sidestepped with exaggerated ease, conjuring a golden umbrella to shield himself from the debris.
"Why so aggressive, Kacchan? You'll wrinkle that pretty face of yours."
"Don't call me that!" Bakugo bellowed, charging at him again.
With a wave of his hand, Aiden created a cartoonish banana peel under Bakugo's feet. The explosion-user skidded and fell, his curses drowned out by the crowd's laughter.
"See? Much more fun when we lighten up," Aiden quipped before turning his attention to another group of students.
In a corner of the battlefield, the two hardening quirk users went head-to-head in a brutal clash. Their fists collided with deafening clangs, neither gaining the upper hand.
"This is manly!"
Kirishima declared, grinning despite the strain.
Ochaco floated high above the chaos, using her quirk to send large debris crashing down onto unsuspecting opponents.
Her cheerful demeanor masked her sharp focus as she carefully chose her targets.
Tenya darted through the battlefield with blinding speed, using his engines to disarm traps and push opponents out of bounds.
"Efficiency is key!" he declared, narrowly avoiding one of Mei's turrets.
In the VIP booth, the royal and imperial families watched with great interest.
"Your son certainly knows how to put on a show," Hiroshi remarked to Maximilian, gesturing to the screen where Aiden was seen conjuring a comically oversized slingshot to launch a pile of foam boulders at a group of students.
Maximilian nodded, though his expression remained stoic. "He does enjoy the theatrics."
Eleanor, on the other hand, was beaming. "That's my boy! Look at him go!"
Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "He's not even taking it seriously. Shouldn't he be focusing more on strategy?"
"Why choose one when you can do both?" Eleanor replied, winking.
As the battle raged on, students were eliminated one by one:
Mina and Jiro were cornered by Todoroki, who used his ice to trap them before gently pushing them out of bounds.
Kaminari accidentally short-circuited himself again, earning a facepalm from Jiro.
Bakugo finally managed to eliminate Rikido Sato after a heated clash, though he looked disappointed.
"Took too long," he muttered.
As the number of contestants dwindled, Aiden decided it was time to make his mark. Spotting a group of students attempting to gang up on him, he smirked.
"Alright, let's make this interesting," he said, snapping his fingers.
In an instant, the ground around him turned into a trampoline, sending his attackers bouncing helplessly into the air. He conjured a giant net to catch them, gently placing them out of bounds.
"That's enough playtime for now," he said, dusting off his hands.
As the dust settled, Midnight's voice rang out. "What an incredible display! We're down to the final 50 contestants. But don't relax just yet—there's more chaos to come in round 2!"
The crowd roared in anticipation as the remaining students regrouped, readying themselves for the next phase of the free-for-all. Aiden stood at the center, his grin never faltering as he glanced around at his opponents.
"Round two, anyone?" he said, his eyes glinting with excitement.
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The battlefield buzzed with energy as the remaining 50 students caught their breath and prepared for the next stage of the survival battle. Midnight, as always, seemed to delight in the chaos.
"And we're back, folks! The first part of this battle was just the appetizer. Now it's time for the main course! Who will prove their mettle and secure their spot in the finals? Let's find out!"
The crowd roared as the jumbotron flickered, showing the remaining participants. This included students from Classes 1-A and 1-B, as well as a few surprises from the General Studies and Support Departments.
The whistle blew again, and the battlefield erupted into even more chaos.
The students of Class 1-B, often overshadowed by their more boisterous peers in 1-A, came out swinging.
Tetsutestu barreled through the field, his steely exterior making him nearly impervious to attacks. He clashed with Iida in a high-speed skirmish, the two trading blows as the ground beneath them cracked from the force.
Kendo used her quirk, Big Fist, to clear her immediate surroundings, swatting aside smaller projectiles and opponents alike.
Monoma Neito, ever the opportunist, activated his quirk and began mimicking Todoroki's ice powers after managing to brush against him.
"See how it's done, 1-A!" he taunted, forming an ice barrier to block a barrage of attacks.
"Show-offs," Bakugo growled, blasting his way through an ice wall Monoma had erected. "You're all extras!"
Surprisingly, some of the General Studies students proved to be formidable opponents.
Hitoshi Shinsou, armed with his Brainwashing quirk and a quick wit, used the confusion of the battle to his advantage. He tricked several students into responding to his taunts, taking control of them and steering them out of bounds.
"Who's that guy?" one spectator asked, pointing to the screen.
"A General Studies kid?" another replied. "Maybe he should be in the Hero Course!"
Shinsou smirked as he watched his rivals stumble out of bounds. "One step closer," he muttered, already planning his next move.
The Support Department students weren't to be underestimated either.
Mei Hatsume gleefully activated a series of gadgets she'd planted around the field. Drones zipped through the air, pelting opponents with harmless but annoying projectiles, while spring-loaded platforms sent unsuspecting students flying out of bounds.
"It's not about strength," Mei declared, adjusting her goggles as she maneuvered a remote control. "It's about innovation!"
A support student named Yosuke wielded a contraption that fired sticky foam, effectively immobilizing a cluster of students.
"Gotcha!" he said triumphantly, only to be knocked out by a stray ice blast from Todoroki moments later.
Todoroki and Tokoyami faced off in a battle of elemental control versus shadow mastery.
Dark Shadow surged forward, trying to envelop Todoroki in darkness, but the ice user created a barrier to block the attack.
"You're strong, Todoroki," Tokoyami admitted, his eyes narrowing, "but Dark Shadow and I won't back down."
"Then show me what you've got," Todoroki replied, switching to fire to force Tokoyami into retreat.
Ochaco found herself up against Kendo, the latter's large fists making it difficult for her to close the distance.
"You're quick, but I've got range!" Kendo declared, swiping at Ochaco.
Ochaco countered by floating a pile of debris and launching it toward Kendo. The impact knocked the taller girl off-balance, but she managed to recover, grinning. "Not bad!"
Iida sped through the battlefield, disarming traps left and right. Mei, watching from a safe vantage point, shouted down at him.
"Hey, you're ruining my showcase!" she said, launching a net projectile.
Iida dodged effortlessly. "This isn't a tech demo—it's a competition!" he replied, managing to trap one of her drones in a trench.
True to form, Aiden approached the battle with his usual flair.
Spotting a group of students trying to gang up on him, he materialised a huge cannon and shoved them all into it. A few seconds later, they were blasted out of bounds
"Thanks for flying Air Aiden!" he called, saluting as they shot out of bounds.
Shinsou, watching from a distance, sighed. "Why is everything he does so ridiculous?"
Aiden caught sight of Mei's drones and snapped his fingers. A cartoon-style vacuum cleaner appeared in his hands, sucking up the projectiles mid-air.
"I'll take that, thank you," he said, tipping an imaginary hat to Mei, who looked both annoyed and impressed.
As the battle neared its conclusion, the number of contestants dwindled rapidly.
Bakugo and Todoroki clashed, their powerful quirks lighting up the battlefield as explosions and fire clashed with ice. Tokoyami and Shinsou formed a brief alliance, working together to take down Tetsutetsu, but the steel-clad student refused to go down without a fight.
As the dust settled, Midnight raised her whip again. "And that's it! We have our final contestants!"
The scoreboard displayed the names of the top 40 students who would advance to the semi-finals. Aiden, Todoroki, Bakugo, and Tokoyami were among them, as were a few unexpected contenders like Shinsou and Kendo.
The crowd roared in approval, their excitement building for the next stage of the festival.
"Let's hear it for these incredible students!" Midnight shouted, her voice barely audible over the cheers.
Aiden, still in the center of the field, grinned and gave an exaggerated bow, much to the delight of the audience.
"On to the semi-finals!" he said, already plotting his next move.
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