MHA: Sand Sand Fruit

Listening to Akira's casual command of "Drive," Yaoyorozu and the others couldn't help but stiffen their expressions.

"You really treat us like horses, don't you?" Kaminari grumbled with a twitching smile.

Akira smirked. "Do you think I, Kitagawa Akira, am that kind of person?"

Kaminari, Yaoyorozu, and Hatsume Mei exchanged knowing glances before nodding in unison.

"Absolutely."

"I think all we need is to borrow Midnight-sensei's whip," Yaoyorozu quipped with a raised eyebrow.

Kaminari joined in, chuckling, "Yeah, just crack that whip, and we'll really feel like we're in a rodeo."

Akira rolled his eyes, feigning exasperation. "Alright, alright, enough jokes. Focus. We've got a game to win."

Despite the banter, the field's atmosphere was already chaotic. Less than two minutes into the match, the center of the stadium was a battlefield, with teams scrambling for headbands left and right. However, no one dared to approach Akira's team.

It wasn't surprising—though their team ranked third, Akira's presence alone was a deterrent. His reputation as a wild card made most teams avoid them entirely.

"We're not exactly popular, are we?" Yaoyorozu remarked, her tone wry.

Akira shrugged, unconcerned. "That's fine by me. Let them duke it out. We'll just swoop in later and pick up the pieces. Saves us the trouble."

After a moment of thought, Kaminari and Yaoyorozu nodded in agreement. Hatsume, however, seemed more focused on observing the chaos with a gleam of excitement in her eyes.

Meanwhile, the announcer Present Mic's voice boomed across the stadium.

"Less than two minutes in, and it's already a battlefield out there! Look at that action, folks! Headbands are flying, and alliances are breaking apart!"

Bakugo's team, however, was facing their own set of challenges.

"Kirishima, we're going for first place! Let's get in there!" Bakugo growled, his fiery determination evident.

"But… it's chaos in there! We might lose our own headband if we're not careful!" Kirishima hesitated, clearly worried.

"We're not backing down! That's what makes it fun!" Bakugo retorted with a wild grin, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Uh, sure, but… maybe we should be more careful? There's someone scarier behind us, you know." Jiro interjected, glancing nervously toward Akira's team.

Bakugo paused for a moment, his grin faltering as he turned to look at Akira.

But before he could process his next move, disaster struck.

A sudden tug on Bakugo's head made him freeze. His score-marked headband had been snatched clean off.

"Too slow, Class A!"

The culprit? Monoma Neito from Class B, who stood a few meters away, twirling Bakugo's headband smugly.

Bakugo's face contorted with fury, veins bulging on his forehead. "What did you say, you little punk?! Give that back, or I'll blow you to pieces!"

Monoma's smirk widened as he twirled the headband mockingly.

"Typical Class A arrogance. You're so obsessed with temporary rankings that you've completely missed the bigger picture," Monoma sneered.

"What was that?!" Bakugo roared, his anger reaching a boiling point.

Monoma ignored the outburst, speaking with an air of superiority.

"From the first event, I observed everything—analyzing quirks, strategies, and personalities. Unlike you, we in Class B understand that true victory isn't about a single moment. It's about preparation and control."

He held up the headband triumphantly. "And now, with this, I've taken my first step toward that control."

Bakugo's team stared in disbelief, with Kirishima muttering, "Is this guy for real?"

But Monoma wasn't done. His smirk turned more devious.

"Your impulsiveness, your lack of strategy… it's why Class A always falls short. You're nothing more than a carrot on a stick, chasing after meaningless glory."

Big mistake.

Bakugo's fists clenched, his entire body trembling with rage. He didn't just feel insulted—he felt mocked.

"Kirishima… change of plans," Bakugo growled, his voice dangerously low.

Kirishima gulped. "Uh, what's the plan?"

Bakugo's eyes burned with fury as he pointed directly at Monoma.

"I'm going to kill him."