By the time Y/N had returned back to where her class had been sitting, the majority of the second round had finished and the third round was about to begin.
"Soma-san! You've finally returned!" Eager in her footing, Sakura had bounced over to the other representative as her eyes glowed a bright blue shade. The h/c haired girl provided a simple smile as she paused in her steps, noting a few other gazes had turned over in her direction. Her hand went to cradle her arm in a comforting motion, e/c eyes remaining unfazed despite her obvious displeasure in becoming the newly attracted spectacle. "Just what were you thinking during your watch with Todoroki-san? Even though you had said you didn't care about winning, you still went and pulled off a stunt like that. Are you insane?"
"Come on, Sakura-chan, give class rep a break already!" A cat girl leaned back, her hands gripping onto the railing in order to stop her from fully toppling over onto the ground. A lazy grin stretched upon her face, eyes gleaming attentively between the two other girls. Hanako, the female reminded herself, as Sakura turned around on her heel with a frazzled expression. "It isn't her fault she's like, insanely strong. Didn't she beat up All Might or something?" Her tail curled, forming a small heart shape while her grin became more unhinged, showing a shining set of sharp teeth. "Make sure to beat up the other class A kids, alright? We're all counting on you to win for us all."
"The story is getting even more deluded?" the reincarnator gawked as a shiver ran through her body, an unnerving disturbance growing inside of her. Just how powerful were rumors? The pink-haired girl simply shook her head with a sigh, her glasses slightly sliding down the bridge of her nose during the action. "I apologize for worrying you earlier, Sakura-san. I would have returned after I had been released from the infirmary but I had some business to attend to. I hope you'll forgive me."
"It's no trouble at all!" Sakura responded back with a little too much energy, spinning back around on her heels as both of her hands went in front of her chest. A nervous grin grew on her face as her eyes spun around, never lasting on a place for more than a few seconds before they moved once again. Her cheeks brimmed a bright matching shade of pink to her hair. "I'm just glad you're alright! To think, you actually beat one of the top students in the hero course!"
"You should have seen her. She was on the edge of her seat," Hamamoto laughed out from where he had been sitting, shortly blowing a piece of hair out of his face a moment after. His arms were crossed over one another, supporting his head and he laid on them. "We were getting ready to bring her over to the infirmary."
"I-I was not!" the class representative shot back quickly. The monochrome-haired boy raised a brow suspiciously, the air of amusement present in his actions. "I was just worried! That's all!" Y/N could only hold back a short laugh as the argument devolved into a mess of words, the cat-girl and deer-boy relentless as they continued to mercilessly tease the flaming red representative. Their interest was quickly lost in favor of teasing, the female feeling an air of relief pass through her as she made her way over to one of the open seats. She slid in silently, not missing the stare Shinso had given her as she sat beside him.
"You feeling alright now?" He looked at her, considerate with his tone. He gained a nod in response, the female settling down rather efficiently despite the disruptions surrounding them. "You're pretty popular with the kids from the hero courses. Can't believe you even managed to get away from them. They were clinging pretty hard to you earlier. Well, if you ever need help dealing with them just let me know. It's not like they notice boundaries or anything."
A single hum escaped from her as her lips pursed, hands silently sliding over one another on the top of her lap. "They're very straightforward with their feelings, aren't they?"
He simply hummed in response, a passive look on his face as he looked down at the arena with little interest. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for your next match? You'll be going first again so you don't have as much time to prepare as everyone else does." She blinked, mulling over his words as purple eyes slightly glanced at her from the side. "The class will be pretty disappointed if you lose now so do your best, alright?"
"They're all looking to me to bring them home victory today, huh?" Her hand clenched a bit as her head moved down, avoiding his gaze in favor of paying attention to whatever was on the ground. Given that she had been attempting to mentally prepare herself for the events to come in the next few minutes, she had not taken much time to consider the feelings of her classmates. It was rare for someone outside the hero course to make it this far, let alone someone who lacked a quirk. Unlike her, who had little desire to make it this far in the first place, these had been people who had spent their entire lives dreaming of being in the hero course only to have their dreams crushed months previously. Their only chances at shining and showing the world their potentially all ripped away the moment the obstacle course had finished. It would be unfair to say she understood how they felt, considering she was not originally from this world. But the feelings of their loss and effort still tainted the air. A frown passed through her lips, her eyes closing a bit. "Shinso, am I selfish?"
"What makes you say that?" Genuine confusion seemed to lace his tone as she heard ruffling, the male probably turning his head to look down at her. "You got something on your mind?"
"I suppose I still have some conflicting feelings about everything that has happened so far," she responded effortlessly. "I'm sure everyone is looking at me to do my best today and to take home first place." A single shake, followed by a soft laugh. "Even though I'm carrying all of their feelings, I can't help but feel like I am undeserving of such a thing. It's not like I'm as powerful as some of the other students or carry the same weight as them, I'm just some girl from general studies who got lucky enough to even make it this far. No matter how much I want to say I'm trying my best, I know I could never give the same amount of effort as someone who's been trying to be a hero their entire life."
"Am I...selfish for changing my decision?" She winced at her choice of words, slightly scratching at her cheek. "I know it may be a little late to be saying this, but I don't want to give up now since I've made it this far. Midoriya, Sumi-chan, Monoma-kun, even you...You've all worked so hard to get me to this point. Even when I thought I wouldn't make it this far, you all believed in me. And to that, I don't want your efforts to go to waste."
A moment of silence passed between the two of them, the female fidgeting nervously in place. But despite her discomfort, she knew the male was likely taking the time to consider her words and give her a proper response. "Being a hero has always been my dream since I was a kid," he slowly started. A blink, her head moving to look up at him as he turned his attention back to the arena. "But no matter how much I tried, people always told me that it was impossible. That I couldn't become a hero because my quirk was too villainous." A passing look of disdain came through his eyes, brows furrowing. "After a while, I sort of began to believe what they were saying. It wasn't like someone like me could get into the hero course anyway. My quirk isn't built for fighting like everyone else's is. I was so desperate to get into the hero course though and prove to everyone that I could become a hero." He sighed a bit. "Of course, I still am. Even though I lost today, I'm not going to give up on my dream. It doesn't matter how long it takes, I'm not going to just give up on it because some guy from the hero course beat me today."
"If you feel obligated to win the tournament today because of us, don't. Our decisions shouldn't impact yours. You feel selfish because everyone is relying on you to carry their feelings and you don't understand them, right? Then take the time to consider what this tournament means to us. It's not just me that wants to become a hero, everyone in general studies does." E/c eyes glanced to the side a bit, looking around herself. "Because we didn't meet the criteria of what U.A wanted, we were all placed into this class together. General studies is where you'll find the most desperate people. These are the people who will work the hardest to achieve their dreams and won't allow anything to stop them. Unless you understand the feeling behind that sort of hopelessness, then you can't carry their feelings."
"Hopelessness..." she repeated under her breath, frowning. Her hand clenched again as she looked down once more. Shinso hummed from her side in acknowledgment.
"You're a good person but you let people influence you too much. You're never going to make it far if you just keep doing things for other people. You might feel guilty, but you need to be selfish if you really want to win. What matters is what you want, not what they want. Ignore the world for a second, Soma, and focus on yourself," he said. The pressure around them seemed to intensify as he maneuvered himself, forcing the female to turn her body to look over at him. It sent chills down her spine how focused he appeared within that moment, purple eyes sticking to her very soul. "What do you want?"
"What I want." The words left her mouth before she could stop them, head blanking out for a second. Her throat caught on the saliva, causing a gulp as she hesitantly met his gaze. Although her mouth wanted to move, to reassure him that she could confidently say she was doing this of her volition, nothing came out. As much as wanted to answer him, her brain just wouldn't cooperate.
What did she want?
Thinking through things carefully, the answer to that question should have been simple. She wanted things to go the way they were supposed to. She wanted this world to follow the plot like it should have, wanting everything to just go right for a change. She wanted to go back home, back to her normal life where everything was perfectly simple as it should have been from the start. But no matter how hard, how desperately she tried or fought, everything had been far from normal. A huge slap to the face, a testament to her efforts resulting in absolutely nothing despite how hard she tried to keep her composure. How cruel to remain stagnant while the world remained turning, she knew that to be true. And yet, she knew deep down in her heart she would never be able to fully change that part of herself. She was god's pawn, unable to do anything unless the pieces moved in accordance. Who was she to pretend to be someone important?
"What do I want? Obviously, I want..." She attempted to speak once more but similar to before, her throat closed up on her. An air of frustration passed through her as she struggled to speak, her hand running through her hair harshly as her brows furrowed. Her head stuttered, nothing coming forth no matter how much she tried. "...Obviously I want to do good for you all."
"Really?" The male looked unconvinced as he looked at her before sighing. "Is that really what you want?"
"What else would I want?"
"Then say it to me straight then." His hands went down on her shoulders before she could move, holding her in place. Although he remained seated in his position, the closeness between the two of them caused her some discomfort. "Tell me you felt absolutely nothing back there and I'll drop this topic."
"I felt absolutely no-" Her voice stopped before she could finish the sentence, face going blank. A moment of silence passed as she continued to try and find her voice, ultimately nothing but passing air coming forth. "Huh," she let out, face still devoid of any semblance of emotion. "I can't say it."
"Of course, you can't." The boy released her shoulders with a pat, a small smirk of amusement coming forth. She frowned at him, although, it was much more of a small pout than anything. "You were having fun out there, weren't you? That thrill is what everyone else felt when they were watching you. It's what makes you want to win."
"I didn't want to win though."
"I'm not really good with this sort of stuff," Shinso admitted as his hand went to rub the back of his neck. "But I think you shouldn't put yourself down too much. You're a lot better than you're giving yourself credit for, vice rep. They might be in the hero course but there's no one better than you when it comes down to understanding how other people work. You just gotta push yourself a little more. Just trust yourself."
"Shinso..." she mouthed out, staring at him dumbfounded. A small smile graced her lips as a snort passed through, her hand immediately going to cover it. "No, thank you. I'll give it my all in the next round so please wait for me."
"Wasn't planning on missing it."
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"Alright, everyone! We're back for the third round!" Present Mic shouted from the announcer box, a roar of cheers coming forth. The chair he was sitting in leaned dangerously to the side as he moved, causing the black-haired teacher to move out of the way. "On this side, we have the defending champion of all the first matches! It's Soma Masami! Versus--" With a hit, he was sent flying to the other side. "The only student who made it from class B, Monoma Neito!"
"No hard feelings but I'll be taking the win today, Soma," the blond grinned cheekily as he leaned over slightly with both of his arms extended outwards. Periwinkle eyes glowed dangerously as he looked at her, almost mockingly. "Try not to push yourself too hard. After all, it's only natural we're in different leagues from one another."
The h/c haired girl stood on the other end as the fires blazed higher, face completely neutral as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The white cloth that was wrapped around her neck held a certain weight as she tugged at it with her hands. Mustering up all the courage she could, the female turned her body to the side, pointing a finger at the boy with a glare. "I'm afraid the ones who will be taking the victory today are class C. But you're more than welcome to try and steal it from me."
"Oh? What's this? I thought I heard something strange from this little general studies student! Is she perhaps getting a little cocky? But you haven't even made it to the finals yet!" He grinned broadly, throwing his body back with a laugh. "Well, then! Don't hold back on my account! Just don't be disappointed when I beat you and make it to the next round!"
The female couldn't help but wince a bit as the crowd appeared to grow antsier with their passing words of banter, barely able to maintain her composure under the wave of attention. But that was all in the fun of it, wasn't it? At the end of the day, part of this festival was dedicated to being prime entertainment for the public. And currently, she was the underdog who had managed to amass a decently sized amount of attention. Well, at least the blond seemed more than content to eat up their words and applause, spinning around a bowing a few times much to her dismay.
"Are you ready?" The announcing hero dragged their attention back to their present match upon his call, the two students facing one another. "Ready--" She took another deep breath, not losing her focus. Despite his previous demeanor, the boy had clearly gone on the defense as soon as the call to battle had begun. He took his stance, placing one foot behind another and moving his hands back beside himself. His head tilted to the side a bit in amusement, eyelids masking the upper half of his eyes. Her hands tugged at the weapon placed around her neck once more, feeling it unveil a bit and fall down her shoulders.
"--START!"
Remembrance is key. Her body spun around a bit as she wrapped her hands tightly around the white cloth, dragging it forth. Using her own weight, she threw it forward and toward the other male who dodged it fairly easily. He jumped to the side with resembled practice, keeping his body out of arms way and taking the moment to drag his foot behind him on the concrete. The female glared as she ran forward in the momentary distraction, bringing the cloth back to herself once more and charging straight forward. There was little she could do standing around, seeing as most of her attacks were reliant on her own strength which she had little of. At least by using her own body's momentum, she could temporarily increase the impact of her attacks. Rearing her arm back, she drove a punch forward that he caught with his own hand with little effort. "You're using the same gear from the entrance exam, hm?" he hummed out with a smile as she hissed.
Wasting no time, she latched onto his hand much to his apparent amusement, and spun them both around. The weight of his body dug into her but she refused to relent, throwing herself into his back and sending them straight to the ground. He grunted, taking a step forward before breaking away and jumping back once more. Another punch came in his direction from the other side, this time unprepared as it matched his lower jaw. His feet slid back as the crowd cried out in cheers again, his smile becoming slightly strained. "How violent," he spit out, wiping his mouth. She stood a little away from him, keeping her hands restrained to her support gear.
"Isn't that your gear?" Present Mic gawked out, watching the two of them as they had a stare-down. The black-haired male beside him slouched in his seat a bit, looking to the side.
"It's a replica," he noted. The blond hero jerked his head back, pointing at his friend in an attempt to get him to continue his explanation. The underground hero could only sigh, a passing look of exasperation coming forth. His hands dug around before pushing a piece of paper forward. "Hatsume Mei, one of the earlier contestants from the support course. She used her match during the first round as a way to show off her inventions and allied herself with Soma Masami. Though..." His face grew dark as he stared down at the two contestants. "I'm not sure how my gear became a part of this."
"Seems like Eraserhead's really popular with the first years!"
"Don't make up things."
Y/N catapulted herself forward once more, the support gear following her. Spinning her body around, he pushed her leg up before forcing it back down toward the other male. He let out an audible click of the tongue as he used his arms to block the attack, quickly wrapping his hands around her ankle and pulling her closer. She went airborne for a few seconds before landing a few feet away from him, rolling across the ground. She managed to stop herself but barely had enough time to defend herself as Monoma threw himself quite unexpectantly at her. Using her legs once more, she pressed them against his chest before he could grab her and held him back.
Although their movements seemed to be in sync with one another, the underlying tone of danger grew with each passing second she remained on the ground. Her eyes narrowed at the uncomforting grin that laced his face, the undeniable feeling that something was going to happen if she didn't move within the next few seconds growing ever more steadily. His hand reeled back before rushing forward-
H/c hair whipped around her face as she dropped onto the ground, allowing gravity to dig into her back. Using her legs, she managed to find a holding position under the boy's stomach. A momentary look of surprise sprung forth on his face as he hand missed her, the female not wasting more time as she pressed harshly against him. By pushing all the force into her legs, she somehow was able to push him off herself and over her body. A dull thud was heard behind her followed shortly by a groan which she took no delight in. The teenager quickly used the opportunity to reposition herself into a more favorable position. Now standing upright, she was able to properly grab at the support gear around her neck but clearly not quickly enough as her arm was tugged to the side with a jerking force. A hiss escaped her mouth as she dug her fingers into his hand, dragging him along with her as she circled him.
"That's no good. In terms of strength, I clearly have you outmatched!" he laughed out, following her movements. Y/N grimaced at his words as he pushed his face closer to her own, meeting her at eye level. "It would be rude for me to not use my quirk, don't you think? I'm not one to play unfairly unlike my fellow peers though. So I'll give you a fair chance to beat me. Five minutes. That should be how long I have. If you can manage to avoid me for that amount of time, then I would have no choice but to play by your rules then."
Monoma Neito had always been one to rile up his opponents. On the fair chance he did manage to get under their skin, they would be less cautious toward his advances. However, Y/N was not in fact the average opponent. Closing her eyes and clenching her teeth, she allowed her head to drop before dragging it back. He grunted at the action as it connected with his face, allowing her to relapse of attention she ever so desperately needed. Her heel spun, both hands moving to shove him away from herself. A huff of air passed forth as she blew the hair out of her eye, tugging at the support gear around her neck once more. There was a lack of understanding she held when it came to the underground hero's fighting style, one that was essential to the basics of its functions. Still, her hands gripped onto it with full confidence that she would be able to manage so long as she could keep out of his range.
The blond held his nose, shaking his head. Specks of red seeped through his fingers and colored the tip of his nose, expression full of nothing more than frustration. Despite being attacked twice in the same spot, he was fairly quick to rebound. He spared not a single effort as he broke into a leap, throwing his hand back. The air seemed to fizzle a bit as his veins became more transparent, her eyes narrowing. A certain amount of gracefulness lined his movements as he neared her, closing the gap between them within a single instance that stole her breath away. She narrowly made it to the side, the tips of her hair gracing the tips of his fingers and sending him into a skid as he forcibly spun his body right back around. Arms blocked her face from a punch sent directly to her face before the feeling of something connecting with her ankle sent her back down with a loud thud. It burned her knuckles, staining them red as the skin slightly tore. She couldn't help but yelp as he used his hands to hold down her own hands, pinning her against the cold concrete. Twisting her hands around, she sent a kick at his side that resulted in a short grunt coming out.
E/c eyes glanced to the side hesitantly, the large screen staring the two of them down. Three minutes. Newfound determination aligned her veins, the sudden urge of strength providing guiding hands as she pushed against his hold. Her body trembled deeply as she fought against him, twisting and turning in every direction she could go. For a few seconds, it seemed that he had the upper hand. But somehow, by some sort of lick of faith, she was able to successfully break his hold using the capture gear to her favor. Her fingers tore into his skin as she bit down hard against her lower lip, awkwardly settling into a crouching position. She was sure she would have fallen over by now if it wasn't for the cutting board supporting her weight, the male grinning sinisterly from above her. Her legs shook as she took her chance, repositioning them against the ground and forcing her weight onto them. She shoved against him harshly, using the momentum to drag her body back up and his further from her own.
Despite her attempts, he refused to relent in his pursuit. His hands moved around before meeting her elbows as did hers with his. The two forces met one another head-on, both staring deep into the ground as their legs slid across the ground. Taking two steps to the right, Monoma took two steps to the left. Taking two steps to the left, Monoma took two steps to the right. Damn persistence. Scowling, she attempted to use her leg to kick his side but was met with his own slamming down on her feet. Painfully.
"You're not...very good at this, are you?" he huffed out in a slight pant, exhaustion evident. His hands refused to release her from their current predicament, forcing the two of them to spin around slowly as she tried to break free of their bindings. "Well, I can't say I was expecting very much from you, to begin with. I'm not as simple-minded as those in class A."
The female yelped as she used the support gear to defend herself from an incoming punch, his hands entangled in the white banner. Unsimilar to before, he drove his hands downward and forced her to stumble. She grimaced as she now found herself on the receiving end of the weapon, the male quickly turning her around and using the gear to drag her closer. Her teeth clenched as she dug a foot into the ground and crouched, releasing the weapon. With no person to hold down the other side, Monoma clicked his tongue and jumped back once more lest he lose his composure. Fingers fumbled to catch the gear as it fell around her shoulders again, the female tugging at it in reassurance. Digging her foot into the ground once more, she broke into a sprint. The sound of clicking shoes followed behind her, the male quickly following suit.
As he grew closer, she came to a halt in hopes of throwing him off. However, he met her movements with practiced ease. His hand was thrown out once more, attempting to grab at her, but somehow she managed to dodge this time around. Her own hands fell back before throwing the gear at him again, catching his leg this time around as he jumped back. She drove, pushing the fabric to the side with a jerk. His body followed, the male unexpectedly landing on his feet. It wasn't enough for her. Using her own body as she turned herself to face the other side, she pulled on the fabric once again. He landed on his bottom, allowing the female to drag him along with her. She pulled desperately as her legs carried her, forcing the two of them into another spin which she had been unholily prepared for. But she would face the repercussions later.
He slid across the ground, bits of concrete carrying in the crevices of his pants. In terms of strength, she had little to none. She knew well for a fact that her only astounding trait was her refusal to give up despite how troublesome a situation appeared to be and to believe she had the upper hand, something she clenched onto with all her might and refused to give up once it appeared. It was that bit of optimism that drove her to want to try what she knew was impossible at times, what seemed to go against the rational portion of her brain. And yet still did she find herself clinging onto the support gear she had received earlier and running her friend's body against the ground.
It was clear that the blond wasn't going to give up any time soon. She had to give him credit where it was due, he was exceptional when it came to meeting her movements. Perhaps it was his need to prove his own worth, but an underlying sense of pessimism did little to hide his own greed for the grand title. He was determined not for himself, but for the unspoken promise he had made with his class when he had suggested they hold a joint quirk training session in the first place. But in the end, Monoma was only a person. And humans had weaknesses, one of which she was more than willing to exploit for her own selfish gain.
"I'm sorry," she offered, silently already saying her prayers as she reeled her leg back. He looked at her in slight confusion as he slid to a stop, momentarily stunned as the world slowed down. Just as quickly as it had been brought back did it come forth, straight between his legs.
Whatever he had been expecting, it had definitely not been that. A loud ding was heard as she stumbled back, startled at the sudden loss of feeling in her arms. The blond fell to the ground in a matter of seconds, a loud gasp of air being emitted behind clenched teeth. She grimaced as she looked down at him, resolution slightly crumbling at the sight of her friend's poor state, but not enough to waver her. Slinging the weapon around, she managed to catch the upper portion of his body in the bindings. Her leg twirled as she dragged him to the side, causing him to grimace as the sudden gust of wind slapped against his face. His legs scrapped the ground intensely for those few seconds before he found himself being dragged toward her body. With closed eyes, she tightly held on to the bindings and pressed her leg against his stomach. A quick kick that sent him falling back as the white cloth was released, the male barely having any moment to recover as his head fell against the colorless arena.
Was it vulgar? Quite possibly. Then again, she wasn't exactly the most moral person here. The h/c haired girl spared him enough decency to allow him to get back up, the male muttering curses through his clenched teeth. He glared at her, huffing as his hands held onto his knees in a bent-over position. "Tch," he let out. His nose wasn't the only thing red anymore as something akin to a fire glowed intensely behind him. It was perhaps not the brightest decision to aim for her friend's manhood in such a manner, she was now realizing. He extended his hand to the side, attempting to light something but when nothing happened, his scowl only grew much to her relief. It went back to his side just as quietly as it had been brought up, a defensive manner.
"Are you trying to immobilize me? How quaint," he laughed out through the subsiding pain. "I'm afraid you'll have to try better than that to get me out though. I'm not one to lie down so easily."
"I'm glad we're on the same page," she responded back, licking at her lip a bit. By some form of a miracle, she had managed to bide her time long enough for his warning to pass over. That did little to lower her guard, the female assuredly keeping an eye on each of his words, but it did help ease the tension ever so slightly. She had to wonder why he had even been so open about such a thing in the first place considering they were supposedly going against one another but there was little complaint from her part about his decision. The white cloth felt heavy against her shoulders. While it was useful, it was clear she was getting nowhere with this pace. She needed to take the initiative before he could. With a huff, her legs broke into once again another sprint.
His smile was bright, blond hair swaying as he sidestepped. Her hands tugged at the neck of her jacket as her body turned, meeting his jump back with one move forward. Throwing herself, she managed to gain a grip on his shoulder and catch one of his hands in her own grasp. His teeth ground against each other as he pushed her face with his hand, sending it back. Her legs remained firmly implanted into the ground, her hand trembling as she carried her weight. Using her other hand, she unceremoniously grabbed at his hair and tugged, pulling him in the other direction. A grunt came forth from him as he stepped to the side, somehow keeping with her despite his discomfort.
She could feel his breathing from above, the sound carrying as well with her own. E/c eyes squinted a bit as she stared at the blue sky above her, forcing herself to move despite the stinging pain pronounced within her legs. The h/c haired girl shouted as she jumped, angling her body directly into his. He went crashing into the ground with a grunt as she landed on top of him. Sparring no time, she slammed his hands down with the capture gear around her neck. Her lips were strained into neutrality as she huffed, barely able to contain her own breathing anymore.
With Todoroki, she had been able to rely on Hatsume's support gear for mobility. Here with Monoma, she had to become reliant on her own resources. Her stamina was far below the average margin, instead being more focused on the initial boost one had at the beginning. In a battle solely reliant on hand combat prowess, she was far from the model example. Still, her refusal to give the boy in front of her a win drove her to drag herself further than her limits; she wouldn't allow him to win.
That didn't change the fact it still hurt like hell.
"Give...up-!" She grit her teeth as she slammed against his hands once again, the male choking out a cough. His skin was turning red from where the capture gear was tied, pale palms revealing several forming skin-deep lines. She could feel the way his body shook with anticipation, the mocking expression from earlier turning to one more deranged. His legs began to slowly move from the side, pushing against her waist. Her face morphed into a grimace as she stood her ground, forcing his hands deeper into the pavement. To move her own legs would be foolish as the moment she did, she would lose her ground. But considering his refusal, she was going to need to either get better at knocking other people out within the next few minutes or find a way to drag him out of the ring.
The world spun as she was thrown off, the capture gear falling from her grasp. The h/c haired girl gasped, feeling the air temporarily leaving her body, before extending her hand and licking the white cloth. She grasped onto it with all her strength, pulling with her rolling body. Monoma, who had been in the middle of attempting to situate himself back up into a standing position, was suddenly met with a thrust as he was awkwardly sprung to the side. His hands, still deeply entangled within the confines, led him with his movements as she continued rolling. Within a few seconds, she managed to stop herself. He went flying at her, sending a kick directly to her waist which she blocked using the cloth. As his leg flew back, she took the chance to spin herself around. He fell once more with a resounding thud.
Roaring to life, she huddled over with a hiss. Her legs trembled as she shot up, nearly tripping over but still somehow managing to keep her balance. A race to the finish. Y/N held onto the capture gear with dear life as she began running, dragging the male behind her as if he was nothing more them cargo. Each step that she took hurt, burning in the soles of her shoes, yet it did little to stop her pursuit toward the white lines that boxed them in. It seemed he realized what her intentions were after a few seconds, the male harshly struggling against his bindings. She was mere moments away from the line before she found herself forced to a halt, the male grounding himself.
A curse left her mouth as she leaned over, forcing her arms to pull more than they ever had before. The male was just as relentless, digging his feet into the ground and creating a scraping noise as he tried to get back up. The two of them knew that whatever movements they chose within the few next seconds would impact who won the match. The blond, glaring off to the side and to the crowd, use the last of his stamina to pull himself back up. He threw back his hand, attempting to grab at her blazer and to throw her out of the ring in an act of revenge. The crowd stung her ears as she could feel the brushing pass of air, each tick bringing him ever so much closer. But she was not one to leave things up to fate.
The moment his hand brushed against the back of her hair, she closed her eyes and stepped to the side. The male's eyes widened as he found himself falling forward and past her previous position. His fingers clenched against the bindings around his hand, the ground closer until it was mere centimeters away from his face. He heaved, eyes filled with mania as he stared down at the ground and felt those white bindings struggling just to support his weight. She remained just as frozen as he had been, standing just a shadow behind him with both of her hands supporting the cloth. Her chest heaved as she panted, her head lowered as sweat poured down her face. "H-How's that..." she slowly laughed out in a wheeze, lowering her face. Her right eye squinted, the left wide and unseeing as she panted. "-for my resolution?"
It was escapable, taking a moment to step back and analyze the situation. And she knew that for a fact going by how numb her arms felt. But in the eyes of the crowd, it had been an astounding accomplished feat that could only be described as victorious. All sound was baited save for between the two, passing airs of silence as they both took in the moment. One with their face held high and the other lowered. The festival was one that allowed others to show off, a chance for them to finally gain the attention they so rightfully deserved. And in a battle of pure divisive will, one had managed to pull out stronger than the other.
Both stood, mere centimeters away from the white line.
"How sad. To think, you managed to hold me off for this long," he chuckled lowly, closing his eyes. A small smile landed on his face as he heaved a hard breath. The cloth fell with eloquent grace, her hands stinging with terrible sores as she wobbled on her feet. There was no harshness to his actions as he moved himself back up, wheezing a bit. Despite her best efforts, there was no denying the differences in their abilities. "You did well today."
"Sorry, everyone...Looks like I'm not good at this," she huffed out with a cough, already feeling her legs giving out. Gravity seemed to shift as the ground grew closer to her face, her vision becoming slightly more blurry than it had been previously. Before she could fully reach the ground, however, she could feel a pair of hands grabbing her arms. It was a lot more peaceful than she had expected as she closed her eyes, her head going blank. Blackness overtook all her senses.
With a resounding thump, Soma Masami fell out of bounds.
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LMAO SHE FUCKING LOST AFTER THAT DECLARATION WHAT A FUCKING LOSER GET FUCKED Y/N PON PON PON YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS SHIT