**Ground Beta - Fifth Floor**
The temperature plummeted the moment Tsubaki stepped into the room. Frost crept across the walls in spreading patterns, and each breath emerged as thick vapor. The high-frequency whine from Momo's emitters created an unsettling backdrop that made it hard to think straight.
Dark Shadow writhed above Tokoyami like a living nightmare, its clawed hands flexing eagerly. "Finally! A real fight!"
Tokoyami's eyes locked onto Tsubaki. "I won't let you pass, Todoroki."
"I know," Tsubaki replied simply.
Dark Shadow lunged.
Tsubaki's response was immediate—his right hand came up and ice exploded from his palm. Not a massive wall like his brother would create, but a sharp, angled barrier that rose in an instant. Dark Shadow's claws struck it with tremendous force. The ice cracked but held, and Tsubaki was already moving.
He slid left, his hand trailing along a pillar. Ice spread where he touched, coating the concrete in a thin, slick layer that only he could navigate safely.
Behind him, through the doorway, Yaoyorozu's footsteps echoed as she made for the stairs.
"Not happening!" Dark Shadow split its attention, one massive claw sweeping toward the doorway.
Tsubaki's left hand shot forward. A spear of ice erupted from the floor directly in Dark Shadow's path—thin, precise, positioned perfectly. The shadow entity's claw struck it and recoiled with a hiss.
"Your fight is with me," Tsubaki said, and there was something cold and absolute in his voice.
"Fine by me!" Dark Shadow roared, lunging again with both claws.
---
**Monitoring Room**
"Holy crap!" Kaminari nearly fell out of his chair. "Did you see how fast that ice came up?!"
"He's not trying to overpower Dark Shadow," Midoriya muttered, his eyes tracking every movement despite his pain in his arm. "He's controlling the space—making Dark Shadow come to him on his terms!"
"Look at how he moves!" Kirishima leaned forward. "It's his skating on that ice!"
"He's controlling his environment," Shoto said quietly, his jaw tight. Shoto stared at the screen, his jaw tight. He'd never actually seen Tsubaki fight another person before he always trained alone.
But watching him now...
"Ribbit, he's using his ice to control and limit dark shadow, Todoroki-san rely is amazing," Asui observed, her finger on her chin.
Bakugo's scowl deepened as he watched Tsubaki systematically control the engagement. This was the guy he lost to in the entrance exam and he even beat him in the test on the first day. Bakugo leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. "Tch. He's fast, I'll give him that. But fancy moves won't help him against someone who can just blow his ice up." Bakugo stated he had no plans of just letting Tsubaki think he's the best.
"Young Todoroki is demonstrating excellent spatial control!" All Might announced, though his analytical eye was tracking something else—the almost mechanical efficiency of Tsubaki's movements. "He's not trying to defeat his opponent quickly—he's controlling the entire engagement!"
---
**Fifth Floor**
Dark Shadow came again, both claws extended. Tsubaki ducked behind a pillar as the shadow entity's strike shattered concrete. He touched the ground as he rolled, and ice spread in a wide sheet, making the footing treacherous for anyone but him.
"Stand still!" Dark Shadow snarled.
"No," Tsubaki replied simply.
He moved between the pillars like water, each touch leaving ice behind—on surfaces, on the floor, on the walls. He was creating a three-dimensional network of frozen terrain that gave him infinite options while limiting Dark Shadow's approach angles.
"You're pretty fast," Tsubaki observed, his breath controlled despite the exertion. "But speed doesn't matter if you can't land a hit."
"Then I'll just hit everything!" Dark Shadow roared, suddenly expanding larger. Both claws came down in a massive hammer blow that would have pulverized concrete.
Tsubaki's hands came together. Ice erupted from the floor in a curved shield—thicker this time, reinforced with multiple layers. Dark Shadow's strike hit like a battering ram. The ice cracked, splintered, then shattered—but Tsubaki had already used those precious seconds to put another pillar between them.
His hand touched the pillar and ice spiraled up its length in patterns.
"What are you doing?" Tokoyami called out, eyes narrowing. The room was getting colder by the second, and ice was spreading across multiple surfaces like a creeping disease.
Tsubaki looked up at the ceiling, then at Tokoyami, his expression unreadable. "Making sure you stay right here."
He jumped, using the iced pillar to swing himself up onto a metal support beam. His hand touched the ceiling and ice spread outward in branching patterns like frozen lightning.
"He's taking the high ground!" Tokoyami realized.
Icicles began forming along the ceiling—dozens of them, all pointed down like a frozen gauntlet. They weren't massive, but they didn't need to be. They just needed to be everywhere, creating a zone of control that limited movement.
"This is getting annoying!" Dark Shadow looked up warily.
Tsubaki dropped a cluster of icicles. They fell like frozen rain, forcing Dark Shadow to pull back and Tokoyami to take cover behind a pillar. The moment they moved defensively, Tsubaki created more ice—on additional pillars, on the walls, building a network that gave him complete environmental dominance.
"He's not trying to win," Tokoyami realized, his tactical mind analyzing the pattern. "He's pinning us down. Keeping us from pursuing Yaoyorozu!"
"Then let's break through everything!" Dark Shadow expanded even larger, filling nearly a third of the room. "If we can't dodge, we'll just smash it all!"
The shadow entity surged forward like a tsunami, both claws extended in a devastating wide attack that would demolish ice and pillars alike.
Tsubaki's eyes narrowed. This was the moment. His gauntlets glowed brighter as he dropped from the beam, both hands forward. Ice erupted in response—not a single wall but multiple intersecting barriers that formed a designed to dissipate force rather than block it directly.
CRASH!
The collision was catastrophic. Ice shattered explosively. Dark Shadow roared. The floor cracked from the impact.
When the mist cleared, Tsubaki stood on the other side, breathing harder but still controlled, still dominant. His lattice had been destroyed, but it had done its job—arrested Dark Shadow's momentum and bought critical seconds.
More importantly, he'd kept Tokoyami exactly where he needed him.
"You're strong, Tokoyami," Tsubaki acknowledged. "But this was never about beating you in a straight fight. It was about making sure you couldn't interfere."
"Then—" Tokoyami started.
"WEAPON SECURED!" All Might's voice boomed through the building. "HERO TEAM WINS!"
"What?!" Dark Shadow deflated slightly. "Already?!"
Tokoyami sighed, recalling Dark Shadow fully. "We were outmaneuvered. Well played, Todoroki-san."
Tsubaki dropped down from the beam, landing in a crouch. He stood slowly, rubbing his arms. The room was freezing now, even for him. "You pushed me harder than I expected. That expansion technique was impressive."
"And your environmental control is formidable," Tokoyami replied with a slight smile.
---
** Seconds Before**
Momo burst through the stairwell door into thick fog. The acoustic emitters were still blaring, creating an almost physical pressure in the air.
Shoji stood before the weapon, his multiple arms spread wide. Even with his ears pressed against his head from the sound, he'd positioned himself perfectly to block the objective.
"Yaoyorozu-san," he said, his voice strained but calm. "I can still see you."
"I know, Shoji-san!" Momo pulled three small spheres from her belt—more smoke grenades. "I'm really sorry about this!"
She threw them. They exploded with soft whumpf sounds, and suddenly the fog became so thick it was like being underwater.
Shoji's silhouette disappeared completely.
Momo moved quickly, pulling out a collapsible staff she'd created earlier. She also grabbed something else—a jacket she'd stuffed with cushioning material and attached to a small wheeled mechanism.
She wound it up, aimed it toward where Shoji was standing, and released it. The makeshift decoy rolled forward, the jacket rustling.
Through the fog, she heard Shoji move. "There!"
His multiple arms grabbed at the decoy. There was a moment of confusion—
Momo circled around the opposite side, moving as quietly as possible. Her hand reached out—
Her fingers touched the cold metal of the weapon.
"WEAPON SECURED!" All Might's voice boomed through the building. "HERO TEAM WINS!"
---
**Monitoring room**
When the four students emerged from the building, the watching class erupted in applause.
"THAT WAS AMAZING!" Hagakure's gloves waved enthusiastically.
"Yaoyorozu-san, that decoy trick was genius!" Midoriya called out.
Momo blushed, smiling. "Thank you! Though Todoroki-san deserves most of the credit—his environmental setup made everything possible."
"We worked well together," Tsubaki said simply. He noticed his brother watching him with an unreadable expression.
Shoji rubbed one of his ears carefully. "I'll be hearing that sound in my nightmares. Very effective strategy."
"Sorry again about that," Momo said sheepishly.
"Don't be. We're here to learn." Shoji managed a smile despite his discomfort.
All Might stepped forward, his presence commanding attention. "EXCELLENT WORK, ALL FOUR OF YOU! That was a masterclass in both offensive strategy and defensive resilience!"
---
"Now then!" All Might pulled up footage on the monitors. "Let's discuss what made this match so interesting!"
The screen showed Tsubaki creating his ice constructs. "Young Todoroki adapted his fighting style to the environment! Rather than creating large-scale barriers, he used the pillars and ceiling to multiply his effectiveness!"
"Plus he kept Tokoyami-san totally occupied," Kaminari added. "Like, dude couldn't even think about going after Yaoyorozu!"
"Exactly, Young Kaminari! Splitting the enemy team and controlling their options—that's advanced tactics!" All Might beamed.
The footage shifted to Momo's approach on the sixth floor. "And Young Yaoyorozu showed exceptional creativity under pressure! She didn't just rely on the sensory disruption—she created a physical decoy to ensure success!"
"But what could we have done differently?" Tokoyami asked seriously.
All Might's expression became thoughtful. "Hmm! Well, you and Young Shoji were separated by floors, which made communication difficult. In the future, consider whether splitting up is always the best strategy, even when defending!"
Shoji nodded, absorbing the feedback.
"Also," All Might continued, "Young Tokoyami, you were cautious about committing to full attacks because of Young Todoroki's icicles. But sometimes, taking calculated risks is necessary! If you'd pressed harder early on, before the ice buildup became too extensive, you might have disrupted their timing!"
"I understand. Thank you, All Might-sensei."
As the analysis continued, Tsubaki stood with his arms crossed, his breathing normal. His armor's cooling systems were still venting cold air in small wisps.
Momo approached him, still smiling. "That was incredible teamwork, Todoroki-san! I hope we get partnered together again sometime."
"You executed your part flawlessly," Tsubaki replied. "Your adaptability is your greatest strength."
Across the group, Shoto continued watching his brother. They'd lived in the same house their entire lives, but there training was different and it showed.
As the group talked Bakugo stared at Tsubaki and clenched his fists 'He had a decisive victory while I lost to Deku of all people.' Bakugo raged in his head. The thing that ate at him the most was that he didn't know if him and Todoroki fought if he'd win...
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Author's note
It's a longer one but hope you enjoyed I decided to have more characters speak than in my previous chapters. I'm still learning so tell me if you like it or not.
And for people that don't like that I'm just following cannon that's only for now I do plan to change somethings.