Chapter 78: Ten million points for me.
At that moment, Ezaki Kitazawa had already reached the final obstacle.
"Alright! The first group has made it to the last challenge, and right in front of them is a massive minefield. If you look closely, you can spot where the mines are buried, so use your eyes and feet wisely!"
"By the way, these mines are competition-grade. They're not very powerful, but their explosions and noise are top-tier!" Present Mic explained as the final challenge began.
But Ezaki Kita didn't care at all. To him, this was just like the previous obstacles.
Just as he was about to step forward—
*Whoosh!*
A layer of ice suddenly spread across the ground.
Right after that, Todoroki Shoto and Bakugo Katsuki caught up.
"Don't think you can win that easily! We're still here!" Todoroki said firmly.
"Half-and-half, for once, you're right." Bakugo sneered.
Ezaki Kitazawa paused for a moment before saying, "Huh? This is kinda weird. One's hot-tempered, and the other's all cold and serious—how did you two end up working together?"
It was a strange sight. Bakugo was as stubborn as a mule and never liked teaming up with anyone. Unless it was for training or an exercise where cooperation was required, it was almost impossible for him to work with others.
The more Ezaki thought about it, the more impressed he felt with himself. He had actually made this impossible duo work together.
"The others are catching up. I'm not wasting time with you two. See you at the finish line!" Ezaki smiled and waved at them before stepping forward.
But at that exact moment, Todoroki stomped his foot, sending a freezing chill across the ground, rapidly icing over the area.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Before Ezaki could react, a series of explosions erupted across the minefield, from where he had been standing all the way to the finish line.
Todoroki and Bakugo's eyes widened in shock, sweat forming on their faces.
"He moved in an instant, just like before." Todoroki Shoto said with a serious expression.
"Damn it, I can't even see his movements! It's only been a little over a week—what the hell did he go through?" Bakugo Katsuki gritted his teeth.
A week ago, Ezaki Kitazawa's movements were fast, but at least they were still visible to the naked eye. But now, they couldn't see them at all.
"Did he jump straight over? No… he must've walked across. Otherwise, the landmines wouldn't have gone off. That means… his speed completely ignored the mines!"
"Incredible! No wonder he got into the school as the top recommended student—this dark horse just blitzed through the final obstacle of the race in the blink of an eye!" Present Mic explained excitedly.
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire crowd erupted into cheers.
"Damn it… damn it!" Bakugo Katsuki growled before using his Explosion Quirk to launch himself forward at high speed.
Todoroki Shoto didn't hesitate either—if he couldn't stop Ezaki Kitazawa from taking first place, at the very least, he couldn't afford to fall behind.
"And the first person to return to the stadium is… Ezaki Kitazawa!" Present Mic announced loudly.
The stadium roared with applause.
Before long, the other competitors started arriving one after another.
"The first event of the first-year competition has finally ended! Now, let's take a look at the final results!" Midnight shouted.
Right after she spoke, a virtual screen appeared behind her, displaying the rankings.
Ezaki Kitazawa—1st place.
Bakugo Katsuki—2nd place.
Todoroki Shoto—3rd place.
"The top 42 contestants have made it through the preliminaries! Although some of you may feel disappointed, don't lose heart—there are still other opportunities to show off your skills! Now, it's time to move on to the main event!"
"So, what will the second event be?" Midnight swung her whip, and the virtual screen began spinning.
A few moments later, three bold words appeared—**Cavalry Battle.**
"A cavalry battle? This isn't really my strong suit…" Kaminari Denki frowned.
"This isn't an individual event? Then how does it work?" Asui Tsuyu muttered, tapping her chin.
"If it's not solo, that's great! And if we get to pick our own teams, then teaming up with Ezaki Kitazawa would be an instant win!" Mineta said, already imagining his victory.
"You're right! Just like in training last time, it'd be an easy win." Kaminari Denki grinned.
"In this event, each contestant will receive a point value based on their ranking in the previous event, and they must form teams of two to four members."
"Alright, everyone, settle down! I'll now explain the rules of the battle."
"The points start at five for the last-place contestant, then increase by five per rank—10, 15, and so on. And as for first place… they'll be worth a total of **10 million points!**"
As soon as Midnight finished speaking, everyone—except for Class 1-A and a few others who already knew Ezaki Kitazawa's strength—looked completely fired up.
"10 million?!"
"That means… if you take down the first-place rider, no matter your previous ranking, you'll instantly jump to the top!"
"Tsk tsk tsk! This is really tempting!"
"No doubt about it. This is a battle where the higher your rank, the more likely you are to be attacked. A brutal fight where the weak challenge the strong," Midnight said with a cold laugh.
"That's true. If you take down the first-place rider, no matter what your previous ranking was, you'll instantly jump to the top. But… where is Ezaki Kitazawa?" Kirishima Eijiro muttered while scratching the back of his head.
"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't hesitate, but Ezaki Kitazawa… I think I'll pass. I'll just go after someone else," Kaminari Denki said with a resigned look.
Soon, most of Class A reached the same conclusion—Ezaki Kitazawa was not someone they wanted to mess with.
Even the stubborn Bakugo Katsuki knew that going after Ezaki Kitazawa would likely cost him his chance to advance. So, for the sake of strategy, he decided to let it go.
—
---------------------------------------
You can read 10 chapters ahead on patre on
patr eon.com/JYouyi