The shattered remains of the Zero Pointers littered the battlefield, but the race was far from over. Students who had managed to survive the first challenge wasted no time in pushing forward. The course stretched ahead, and the next obstacle loomed ever closer.
"THEY'VE CLEARED THE FIRST HURDLE, BUT THEY'D BETTER NOT CELEBRATE YET!" Present Mic's voice boomed across the stadium. "THE NEXT CHALLENGE IS EVEN DEADLIER!"
The giant screens flickered, revealing the upcoming terrain—a massive ravine spanning at least fifty meters across, with jagged cliffs lining both sides. The bottom of the chasm was shrouded in darkness, and deep within, ominous mechanical movements hinted at unseen dangers.
"AND HERE IT IS—THE RAVINE OF DOOM!" Present Mic announced with excitement. "IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT MAKING IT ACROSS, FOLKS! FALLING MEANS YOU'RE DONE!"
The camera zoomed in, revealing narrow steel beams crisscrossing the ravine, forming an unstable network of pathways. Some were stationary, while others swayed with the wind. To make matters worse, hovering drones armed with small cannons patrolled the area, ready to knock down anyone reckless enough to cross without a plan.
"THIS ONE'S GONNA TEST BALANCE, STRATEGY, AND SHEER GUTS!"
Todoroki and Bakugo: Ice and Explosions
Todoroki wasted no time. Raising his hand, he released an immense wave of ice, freezing the air itself and creating a solid bridge spanning the ravine. The sheer precision of his control allowed him to shape the ice in a structured pattern, preventing it from immediately collapsing under weight.
"A SMART MOVE FROM TODOROKI!" Present Mic cheered. "FREEZING HIS OWN PATH TO SAFETY!"
However, just as he took a step forward, a series of drones locked onto him. Their sensors glowed red before firing rapid energy blasts. Todoroki barely had time to react, erecting a last-second ice barrier that absorbed the attack.
"Looks like this isn't as simple as it seems," Aizawa commented, his eyes sharp. "The drones won't let them cross that easily."
Meanwhile, Bakugo opted for the most straightforward approach—brute force. He blasted himself into the air with explosions, soaring over the ravine. The hovering drones turned their cannons toward him, but he smirked.
"OUTTA MY WAY!" he bellowed, weaving through the fire with agile mid-air maneuvers. Each explosion from his palms propelled him higher, dodging every attack.
"AND BAKUGO TAKES TO THE SKIES! HE'S TURNING THIS INTO AN AERIAL DOGFIGHT!"
Midoriya's Strategy: Calculated Precision
Midoriya knew he couldn't rely on brute force. He scanned the situation, his mind racing. The beams were unstable, and the drones would attack anyone moving predictably. He needed a different approach.
With One For All at 8%, he sprinted forward and leaped onto the first beam. It wobbled dangerously, but he adapted his stance, distributing his weight carefully. Another jump, another beam. Each movement was precise, calculated.
"Midoriya's adapting!" All Might said proudly. "He's using agility and quick reflexes rather than overwhelming power!"
A drone fired at him mid-air. Reacting in a split second, Midoriya twisted, using a well-timed burst of energy to shift his trajectory, landing safely on another beam.
"HE'S GOT NERVES OF STEEL!" Present Mic yelled.
Xuanyu: Overwhelming Presence
And then there was Xuanyu.
Unlike the others, he didn't slow down. He reached the edge of the ravine and—without hesitation—jumped.
The audience gasped. Even the students faltered, watching in disbelief.
"IS HE—IS HE SERIOUS?!"
Gravity should have dragged him down. The chasm should have swallowed him whole. But instead—
Xuanyu walked on air.
Ripples of energy shimmered beneath his feet, each step defying the laws of physics. The World Origin Rune glowed faintly in his mind, his Gravity Rune adjusting the forces around him, stabilizing his motion.
"He's…" All Might's eyes widened. "He's manipulating gravity itself."
Xuanyu's focus remained unshaken. Drones locked onto him, unleashing a barrage of energy blasts. But he didn't dodge.
He simply raised his hand.
A faint pulse radiated outward, and the very air around him distorted. The incoming projectiles veered off course, spiraling away harmlessly. The drones malfunctioned, their systems overwhelmed by an unseen force.
"WHAT KIND OF ABILITY IS THAT?!" Present Mic was losing his mind. "HE JUST NULLIFIED EVERYTHING!"
Albedo, watching from the stands, smiled. "Of course," she murmured. "My master's power is absolute."
Xuanyu's foot touched the other side of the ravine. He hadn't even broken a sweat.
The Third Obstacle: The Minefield of Mayhem
With the Ravine of Doom behind them, the competitors barely had a moment to catch their breath before the next challenge appeared.
The stadium screens flickered, shifting to an aerial view of the course ahead. A vast, open stretch of land stretched before them, deceptively calm and unassuming—until the camera zoomed in, revealing countless circular patches embedded in the ground.
"THINK YOU CAN RELAX? THINK AGAIN!" Present Mic's voice boomed, hyping up the crowd. "WELCOME TO THE THIRD OBSTACLE: THE MINEFIELD OF MAYHEM!"
The students skidded to a stop as realization set in. The field was littered with pressure-sensitive mines, each packed with enough force to send a competitor flying. The path forward was unpredictable, requiring careful movement—or sheer recklessness.
"THIS ONE'S NOT JUST ABOUT SPEED, FOLKS!" Present Mic continued. "STEP WRONG, AND—BOOM! YOU'RE TAKING A DETOUR STRAIGHT INTO THE SKY!"
Todoroki: Ice Bridges Once More
Todoroki wasted no time. He raised his hand, sending a wave of ice cascading across the field. His plan was simple: freeze the ground and create a solid path, preventing the mines from triggering.
"Classic Todoroki," Shisui observed. "Minimize risk, maximize efficiency."
However, just as Todoroki stepped onto his icy path, the ground lurched. A few mines—buried beneath the surface—reacted to the sudden shift in weight, detonating in a chain reaction. The force shattered the ice, sending cracks racing along his frozen bridge.
"Tch," Todoroki clicked his tongue, leaping backward before the destruction could reach him. "Looks like this won't be as easy as I thought."
Bakugo: Brute Force as Always
Bakugo, on the other hand, saw the minefield as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. A wild grin stretched across his face.
"PERFECT!" he shouted, launching himself forward with an explosion.
He purposefully stomped on a mine.
BOOM!
The explosion launched him skyward, and he immediately fired another blast from his palms, chaining the momentum. Instead of avoiding the mines, he used them to propel himself forward.
"AND BAKUGO TURNS THE COURSE INTO HIS PERSONAL TRAMPOLINE!" Present Mic roared in excitement.
"Damn extra," Kaminari muttered as he watched in disbelief.
Midoriya: Tactical Adaptation
Midoriya, watching from a distance, quickly assessed the situation. He wasn't as reckless as Bakugo, nor as ice-dependent as Todoroki. He needed to be smart.
He took a deep breath. One For All: 8%.
With a burst of speed, he moved carefully but efficiently, stepping only on patches of dirt that seemed less disturbed. However, he soon realized something—Bakugo's detonations were unearthing even more mines, making the terrain even deadlier.
He needed an alternative.
His eyes darted across the battlefield—until he spotted a path of already triggered mines. The areas where explosions had already occurred were now safe zones.
"Aha!" His mind clicked.
He adjusted his approach, following the aftermath of Bakugo's destruction. By stepping only where explosions had already gone off, he weaved through the chaos with remarkable agility.
"He's using Bakugo's recklessness as his own path forward," All Might noted. "Smart!"
Kirishima and Kaminari: The Struggle
"Alright, man! We got this!" Kirishima grinned, activating his Hardening Quirk.
Kaminari, on the other hand, was sweating bullets. "Dude, I don't think my Quirk helps in this situation!"
"Just follow me!" Kirishima charged ahead.
Unfortunately, hardening didn't make him explosion-proof.
BOOM!
A mine detonated under his foot, sending him flying. He landed with a groan, but at least he was intact. Kaminari, meanwhile, let out a terrified yelp and started zigzagging randomly, trying to avoid everything.
"AAAHHHH, WHY IS THIS SO HARD?!"
"DENKI'S PANICKING!" Present Mic laughed. "CLASSIC!"
Xuanyu: The Calm Amidst the Storm
And then, there was Xuanyu.
Unlike the others, he didn't run, jump, or dodge.
He simply walked.
The instant his foot touched the minefield, a faint ripple of energy suppression spread outward. The air around him warped slightly as if the very laws of physics had been adjusted.
Aizawa leaned forward. "Is he… neutralizing the mines?"
The answer was clear. Every mine within a two-meter radius of Xuanyu refused to detonate.
"They're not reacting," All Might murmured in awe. "He's suppressing their activation."
"WHAT KIND OF BROKEN ABILITY IS THAT?!" Present Mic howled in disbelief.
The World Origin Rune pulsed faintly in Xuanyu's mind. He had activated the Suppression Rune, a function that allowed him to mute specific forces within a localized area. The mines simply ceased to function in his presence.
The crowd's cheers exploded as he casually strolled through the minefield, completely unharmed.
"HE'S JUST WALKING?! NO WAY!"
Albedo smirked from the stands. "This is merely natural for my master."
The Finish Line in Sight
Beyond the minefield, the final stretch of the obstacle course appeared. A vast, straight track leading to the finish line—with no tricks, no traps, just pure speed.
But the competition wasn't over yet. The fastest racers were closing in, and the battle for first place was far from decided.
Xuanyu glanced ahead, his eyes narrowing.
"It's time to finish this."
Suddenly Xuanyu smirked.