Kaminari immediately backed away, creating distance. Smart—he knew Hancock excelled in close combat.

  "Sorry about this, Hancock!" he called out, his hands crackling with electricity. "I'm gonna have to go all out!"

  Hancock said nothing, her eyes tracking his movements. She enhanced her legs slightly, ready to dodge.

  Kaminari thrust both hands forward. "INDISCRIMINATE SHOCK: 1.3 MILLION VOLTS!"

  Electricity exploded from his body in all directions, filling the arena with deadly current. The crowd gasped as the attack lit up the stadium like a lightning storm.

  But Hancock was already moving.

  She'd anticipated this—his opening move would be his strongest, trying to end the fight immediately. She leaped high, using her enhanced leg strength to clear the electrical field, flipping gracefully through the air.

  The electricity crackled beneath her, dissipating as Kaminari's charge ran out.

  She landed on the far side of the arena just as Kaminari slumped forward, giving a thumbs up with a dopey expression.

  "Whey..." he mumbled, his brain clearly fried from the discharge.

  Too easy, Hancock thought, but she didn't let her guard down. She approached carefully, watching for any sign of recovery.

  Kaminari stumbled toward her, still in his "whey" mode, completely defenseless.

  The crowd was laughing, but Hancock felt no satisfaction in this. He'd burned himself out in one attack, leaving himself vulnerable. It was over.

  She could end it now. Push him out of bounds. Claim an easy victory.

  But something Bakugo had said echoed in her mind: That's the most respectful thing I can do.

  Fighting someone at their best. Not taking advantage of their weakness, but proving you were stronger even when they gave everything they had.

  Hancock stopped a few feet from Kaminari and waited.

  "WHAT'S THIS?!" Present Mic's voice boomed. "HANCOCK ISN'T FINISHING HIM! SHE'S WAITING!"

  The crowd murmured in confusion. In the competitor section, she could feel multiple sets of eyes on her.

  Thirty seconds passed. Then a minute.

  Kaminari's eyes began to clear. He shook his head, awareness returning slowly.

  "Wha... what happened? Did I win?"

  "No," Hancock said calmly. "But you're recovered now. Fight me properly."

  Kaminari's eyes widened. "You... you waited for me?"

  "I don't want a victory against a defenseless opponent. I want to prove I'm stronger than you at your best."

  For a moment, Kaminari just stared at her. Then a genuine smile crossed his face. "That's... actually really cool of you, Hancock. Okay! Round two!"

  He charged forward, electricity crackling around his body in smaller, more controlled bursts this time. He'd learned—no more massive discharges. Quick, targeted strikes.

  He thrust his hand toward her. A bolt of electricity shot out.

  Hancock sidestepped, her enhanced reflexes giving her the speed she needed. She closed the distance between them rapidly.

  Kaminari tried to touch her directly, his hand sparking with current. If he made contact, the electricity would flow through her.

  But Hancock had spent weeks training with Bakugo, dodging his explosive attacks. Kaminari's movements were slower, more telegraphed.

  She caught his wrist—careful to grip where the current wasn't flowing—and activated her emotional manipulation Quirk.

  Calm. She pushed a wave of pure calm into him.

  Kaminari's aggressive stance melted. His eyes went soft, peaceful. The electricity around his body faded.

  "Whoa..." he said dreamily. "I feel... really chill right now..."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Hancock released his wrist and delivered a Perfume Femur kick to his midsection—controlled, precise, just enough force to send him sliding backward toward the boundary line.

  He stumbled, caught himself at the edge, then looked down at his feet touching the white line.

  "Oh. I'm out, aren't I?"

  "Yes."

  "KAMINARI IS OUT OF BOUNDS! HANCOCK ADVANCES TO THE SECOND ROUND!"

  The crowd erupted in applause. Kaminari walked back toward her, rubbing his stomach where she'd kicked him.

  "That was awesome," he said sincerely. "Thanks for waiting for me to recover. And that calm feeling thing? That was your Quirk, right? Super effective."

  "You fought well," Hancock said, and she meant it. "Your control improved significantly in the second phase."

  "Yeah? Thanks!" He grinned. "Good luck in the next round!"

  They walked off the arena together. As Hancock entered the corridor, she found Bakugo waiting, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

  "You waited for him to recover," he said. It wasn't a question.

  "Yes."

  "Why?"

  Hancock met his gaze. "Because you were right. Fighting someone at their best—that's respect. That's what proves you're truly stronger."

  Something flickered in Bakugo's eyes. Pride, maybe. Or approval.

  "Good," he said simply. Then, quieter: "You used your emotional manipulation. I saw."

  "It was necessary."

  "It was smart." He pushed off the wall. "You're getting better at using your full arsenal. Keep it up."

  He started to walk past her toward the prep room for his own match, then paused.

  "You did good out there, Empress."

  And then he was gone, leaving Hancock alone in the corridor with a warmth spreading through her chest that had nothing to do with her Quirk.

  Back in the competitor section, Hancock sat down to watch the final match of the first round: Uraraka versus Bakugo.

  The atmosphere was tense. Everyone knew this would be interesting.

  Uraraka walked into the arena with determination written across her face. No fear, despite facing the second-ranked student.

  Bakugo entered opposite her, his expression serious and focused.

  "BEGIN!"

  Uraraka immediately charged forward, low to the ground. Bakugo blasted the floor in front of her, creating smoke and debris.

  But Uraraka kept coming, weaving through the smoke. Her hands reached for him.

  Bakugo dodged, creating distance with a controlled explosion. "You're gonna have to do better than that, Round-Face!"

  What followed was a battle of attrition. Uraraka kept pressing forward, dodging and weaving through Bakugo's explosions. Every time he blasted the ground, she used the debris and smoke as cover.

  She's planning something, Hancock realized. All that debris she's dodging through...

  The arena floor was littered with broken concrete from Bakugo's attacks. And Uraraka had been touching pieces as she moved, making them weightless.

  "SHE'S USING HIS OWN ATTACKS!" Present Mic shouted. "WHAT A STRATEGY!"

  Suddenly, Uraraka raised her hands. "RELEASE!"

  All the debris she'd been collecting—hundreds of chunks of concrete—came crashing down toward Bakugo from above like a meteor shower.

  The crowd gasped. Hancock leaned forward, her heart in her throat.

  But Bakugo saw it coming. He planted his feet and aimed both hands upward.

  "AP SHOT: AUTO-CANNON!"

  A barrage of concentrated explosions shot upward, destroying the falling debris before it could reach him. The force created a massive dust cloud that engulfed the entire arena.

  When it cleared, Uraraka was charging through the smoke one final time, her hand outstretched.

  But she was exhausted. Her movements were sluggish.

  Bakugo caught her wrist—gently, Hancock noticed—and held it away from him.

  "You gave it everything," he said, loud enough for her to hear but not the microphones. "That's damn respectable. But this is over."

  He released her wrist and placed his palm near her shoulder, the threat of an explosion clear.

  Uraraka swayed on her feet, completely out of energy, then collapsed.

  "URARAKA IS DOWN! BAKUGO ADVANCES!"

  But the crowd was silent. Not cheering. Just... silent.

  Then, someone booed.

  "WHAT KIND OF HERO BEATS UP A GIRL LIKE THAT?!"

  "HE WENT TOO HARD ON HER!"

  "THAT WAS EXCESSIVE!"

  More voices joined in, criticizing Bakugo for not holding back against Uraraka.

  Hancock's hands clenched into fists. Fools. They didn't understand.

  Bakugo had fought Uraraka with everything he had because that was the greatest respect he could give her. He'd recognized her strength, her strategy, her determination—and he'd honored that by not patronizing her with a halfhearted fight.

  In the arena, Bakugo's shoulders were tense. He was being booed for doing exactly what a hero should do—taking his opponent seriously regardless of who they were.

  The medical team rushed out to collect Uraraka. As Bakugo walked off the field, his expression was dark, angry.

  When he returned to the competitor section, the other students were quiet. Some looked uncomfortable. Others sympathetic.

  Bakugo sat down heavily in his usual seat next to Hancock, his jaw tight.

  "Bakugo—" Kirishima started.

  "Don't," Bakugo cut him off. "I don't wanna hear it."

  Silence fell over their group.

  Hancock stood up.

  Everyone looked at her.

  She walked over to where Bakugo sat and, without a word, placed her hand on his shoulder.

  He looked up at her, surprised.

  "You fought honorably," she said clearly, loud enough for their nearby classmates to hear. "You treated Uraraka as an equal. That's what she deserved. Anyone who criticizes you for that is a fool who understands nothing about what it means to respect your opponent."

  Bakugo stared at her, something vulnerable flickering in his eyes before he looked away.

  "Whatever. I don't care what they think."

  But his shoulders relaxed slightly under her hand.

  Hancock sat back down beside him. After a moment, she felt his hand brush against hers where it rested on the armrest between them.

  Not holding. Just... touching. The barest contact.

  Neither of them pulled away.

  "ATTENTION COMPETITORS!" Midnight's voice rang out. "WE'LL TAKE A SHORT BREAK BEFORE THE SECOND ROUND! THE MATCHUPS ARE: MIDORIYA VERSUS TODOROKI, IIDA VERSUS ASHIDO, TOKOYAMI VERSUS KIRISHIMA, AND HANCOCK VERSUS BAKUGO!"

  Hancock's breath caught.

  She would be fighting Bakugo.

  They both turned to look at each other at the same time.

  "So," Bakugo said, a fierce grin spreading across his face despite the lingering anger from the crowd's reaction. "You and me. Finally."

  "Finally," Hancock echoed.

  "I'm gonna make you use everything you've got, Empress. No holding back. No hesitation."

  "I expect nothing less."

  Their hands were still touching on the armrest. His fingers shifted, curling slightly around hers.

  "May the best fighter win," he said.

  "Indeed."

  But neither of them let go.

  Not yet.