The sight of the medical team carrying Yanagi away sent a ripple of shock and calculation through the remaining contestants. An elimination wasn't just a loss for one team; it was a stark reminder that individual performance could mean survival, even if your team stumbled. But for Souta Todoroki, the gap in his brother's defense was pure, unadulterated opportunity.
Like an azure comet, Souta descended upon Team Shoto's compromised position. The air around him shimmered with heat, the roar of his flames a distinct sound amidst the general chaos.
"Incoming! It's the Souta!" Kaminari yelled, hastily reinforcing the existing sections of the fence. His earlier bravado was tempered with caution after Yanagi's accident. "He's heading straight for the gap!"
Momo spun around, her expression hardening with resolve even as she continued creating replacement components. She hadn't finished patching the hole left by the destroyed rods.
Before Souta could even reach the gap, Shoto moved to intercept. His feet glided on a self-made path of ice, positioning himself directly between his brother and their vulnerable flag. "Souta," Shoto stated, his voice devoid of warmth, colder than the air around him. "You go no further."
Instantly, a massive wall of jagged ice erupted from the ground, thick and imposing, blocking Souta's path.
Souta didn't even slow down. A wide, predatory grin split his face. "Big walls just mean a bigger entrance, little brother!" He cranked up his flames, enveloping himself in a searing vortex. Instead of hitting the wall, he flew straight at it, his hands outstretched, projecting concentrated jets of fire like cutting torches. The thick ice hissed, steamed, and melted away before him, turning solid defense into clouds of vapor. He burst through the rapidly dissolving wall, flames licking the air around him.
Shoto reacted instantly, stomping his foot. A glacier surged forward, attempting to engulf Souta, while sharp spikes of ice erupted from the ground, aiming to impale him. Souta danced through the air with fiery grace, using bursts of flame from his hands and feet to dodge, weave, and propel himself around the glacial attacks. Where ice threatened to trap him, a focused blast of heat vaporized it. It was a dazzling, dangerous ballet of orange fire against crystalline blue ice.
"Kaminari, keep the fence stable!" Momo ordered, rapidly creating a large, insulated shield from her arm and positioning it desperately in the gap Yanagi's elimination had created. She couldn't fully close it yet, but she could make a barrier. Simultaneously, a small cannon formed on her other arm, firing hardened projectiles at Souta, trying to disrupt his flight.
Kaminari, gritting his teeth, fired a controlled bolt of lightning towards Souta. "Watch it!" Souta laughed, executing a barrel roll in mid-air, the lightning bolt zipping harmlessly past him. "Don't want to fry your own teammate, Denki!" Kaminari flinched, reminded again of the risk.
Across the arena, the spectacular clash of fire and ice drew eyes. Bakugo, having finally fought his way back to deposit two hard-won mini-flags, witnessed the towering ice structures and brilliant flares. "THOSE DAMN ICYHOT BASTARDS!" he snarled, explosions popping in his palms. "THINK YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE FUN?! I'LL SHOW YOU BOTH!" Kirishima quickly put a hardened hand on his shoulder. "Focus, Bakugo! Defend our flag first! Let them wear each other out!" For once, Bakugo seemed to hesitate, torn between his rage and the logic of the game.
Back at the Todoroki duel, Shoto unleashed another massive wave of ice, trying to pin Souta against the arena wall. Souta met it head-on, creating a shield of pure flame that caused the ice to sublimate directly into steam on contact, shrouding the area momentarily. Using the steam cloud as cover and boosted by another flicker of Full Cowling's orange lightning for sheer speed, Souta shot downwards, skimming the ground and heading directly for the flag behind Momo's makeshift shield.
"He's going for it!" Kaminari shouted.
Momo reinforced her shield, bracing for impact.
Shoto, reacting with incredible speed, slammed both hands onto the ground. Not a wall this time, but a cage – thick, rapidly growing pillars of ice erupted in a circle around the flag, aiming to enclose it completely, trapping Souta if he got inside, or blocking him if he didn't.
Souta was already inside the closing circle. He saw the pillars rising, saw Momo guarding the flag just meters away. With a final, explosive burst of flame propelling him forward, he stretched out his hand, fingers reaching for the cloth of Team Shoto's main flag, just as the ice pillars slammed shut with the resonant boom of colliding glaciers.
BOOM!
The heavy thud of the ice pillars crashing together echoed across the arena, momentarily silencing the crowd. Inside the newly formed ice dome, the world turned into a chaotic swirl of intense blue light and hissing steam. Souta's flames, now a brilliant, fierce azure, raged against the confines, the sheer heat causing the inner surface of the ice cage to instantly vaporize.
His outstretched fingers brushed the coarse fabric of Team Shoto's main flag. Victory – and his brother's disqualification – was a fraction of a second away.
But Momo Yaoyorozu was there. No time for complex cannons or shields now. With a cry of determination, she shoved the heavy, insulated shield she'd been holding directly into Souta's path while simultaneously throwing her body weight against the flagpole, pushing it just out of his reach. She grit her teeth against the wave of heat radiating from Souta's blue inferno, her uniform steaming slightly.
"GET AWAY FROM IT!" she yelled, defiance burning in her eyes.
Outside the dome, Shoto slammed his palms flat against the translucent ice. He couldn't see clearly through the swirling steam and azure glare, but he poured frigid energy into his creation, attempting to reinforce it, thicken it, and flash-freeze everything inside. Frost spiderwebbed rapidly across the dome's exterior, and glistening ice crystals began to form inside, sharp and deadly, encroaching on the small space despite the overwhelming heat.
Souta felt the temperature plummeting rapidly around the edges, saw the encroaching ice crystals forming near Momo and the flag. Trapped. He'd be frozen solid if he stayed. Aborting the flag grab was instant. With a guttural roar, he didn't try to melt a way out – he detonated. An omnidirectional pulse of raw, blue thermal energy exploded outwards from his body. It wasn't just heat; it carried concussive force.
CRACK-BOOM!
The ice dome, stressed by the sudden internal pressure and thermal shock, couldn't hold. It didn't shatter completely, but large sections blew outwards in jagged chunks. Souta used the explosive force and the cloud of steam and ice shards as cover, rocketing himself backwards out of the collapsing structure just as Shoto's freezing wave fully permeated the space where he'd been standing.
He landed lightly on the balls of his feet several meters away, his breathing slightly heavier, the intense blue flames swirling around him settling back into a controlled, burning aura. Momo stood protectively in the jagged ruins of the ice cage, shielding the flag, her knuckles white, hair slightly singed, but her stance unwavering. Kaminari stared, wide-eyed, his hand still sparking near the intact section of the fence. Shoto lowered his hands, surveying the ruined dome, his breath misting heavily in the air, expression grimly set.
The flag was safe. But their defense was now a wreck, and precious time had bled away in the confrontation. Less than four minutes remained.
"CAN YOU BELIEVE IT, FOLKS?!" Present Mic screamed, finding his voice again. "SOUTA TODOROKI BREACHED THE ICE FORTRESS! HE HAD HIS HANDS ON THE PRIZE! BUT MOMO YAOYOROZU WITH THE CLUTCH DEFENSE, AND SHOTO TODOROKI NEARLY TRAPPED HIM IN A TOMB OF ICE! WHAT A BROTHERLY BRAWL!"
Midnight purred into her mic, "My, my... the tension is palpable. Team Shoto defended, yes, but look at the state of their base... and Souta-kun is still burning bright. With so little time left, this could still go anywhere..."
Souta met Shoto's icy gaze across the ruined defenses. Neither spoke, but the challenge was clear. This wasn't over. Souta glanced at the flag, then back at his brother and the determined figures of Momo and Kaminari. Taking the flag now, through that wreckage and concentrated defense, would be costly.
Perhaps... perhaps the 'small advantage' wasn't about taking Shoto's flag himself after all. A flicker of calculation crossed his face before being replaced by his usual confident smirk.
With a final, almost mocking salute, Souta turned and blasted off again, blue flames propelling him not back towards his own base, but directly towards the group of Tetsutetsu who had been attacking Shoto's team just now.
On his way, Souta couldn't help but look back for a second and shout some well meant advice to his brother and his team, "Shoto, next time, use everything you have, otherwise I'll beat you black and blue. And Yaoyorozu, I like that spirit and initiative, but don't ever do that again! If I didn't held back that much, I would've burned you to a crisp."
These revelations came over the two, as if someone would've poured them a bucket of cold water directly over their heads. Shoto tightened his fist and looked at his left hand. Momo just stood still for a moment, registering that she actually could've died just now.
Souta's words were just loud enough to be heard in the stands. Maybe as a kind of message. Maybe as a kind bragging. No one knew for sure, but there were sure as hell people in the stands that had some reactions to these words.
Toya continued to laugh historically, with Fuyumi and Natsuo facepalming next to him.
Endeavor looked on with his usual scowl, but in his eyes, there was… thoughtfulness?
As for Mirko? She couldn't even sit in her seat no more. Ryukyu had to physically hold her friend back. The only thing anyone would see right now, when looking towards the well-known rabbit hero, would be a look one would only expect from wild animals.
A complete and utter feral expression. And her eyes? They held a glint in them, as if looking at something she wanted to possess. By any means.
"Maybe it wasn't that good of a decision to bring her here…"