Iida, Uraraka, Tsuyu, and Mineta stepped out of the infirmary together, the air around them heavy with unease.

  Uraraka’s voice cracked a little as she asked, "Recovery Girl said she had to do surgery... were his injuries really that bad?" Her gaze stayed low, each step soft, almost reluctant.

  Tsuyu gave her a sidelong look, unblinking. "Uraraka, Midoriya used his Quirk recklessly. Even if he had won, he probably wouldn't be able to participate in the next match." Her tone was flat, more factual than harsh, but there was no gentleness in it either.

  Beside them, Iida adjusted his glasses with a crisp motion. "Midoriya should really find a way to use his Quirk without such repercussions. It's not practical." The statement hung in the hallway for a moment, untouched.

  Silence took over again. Their footsteps echoed faintly through the long corridor, empty now except for them, the shadows of passing clouds dragging across the windows. No one had the energy to fill the quiet. Even Mineta stayed subdued.

  Eventually, Tsuyu spoke up. "Iida, shouldn't you be preparing for your match?"

  He paused, blinking once, as if reminded. "I've already fueled up. And the stadium reparations will likely take some time. I'd prefer to spend this moment with my friends."

  It wasn’t much, but the words carried warmth. Both girls genuinely smiled at that.

  "I know I shouldn't really be the one asking," Uraraka began, hesitating as she scratched her cheek, "but... Iida, what's going to be your strategy in this match?"

  That made him stop. His arms folded, and he turned slightly toward her. "I'm not sure I can really strategize here. I don't know Reibach that well, nor the full extent of her Quirk." A pause, brief but thoughtful. "Uraraka, you're quite close with her, aren’t you? Has she ever explained her Quirk in detail?"

  Uraraka stopped walking too, thoughtful. She tapped a finger to her chin. "Well, I do try to hang out with her a lot... but I can’t say I’ve really seen her use it outside of the few training sessions we’ve done. And she explained it to us that one time, I guess."

  Tsuyu had drifted slightly ahead, hands folded behind her back, but her voice came steady. "Even if she did explain it, she was being vague. If you think about it, Robinn is really secretive."

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  "She’s just a reserved person," Uraraka said, tone edging with light defensiveness. "I don’t think she was trying to be vague. It’s just that her Quirk, transforming into any material, it’s too broad to fully explain in one go. It's not like she could list all of them."

  Iida nodded, eyes narrowed in thought. "Even if we knew every material she could currently use, I’ve noticed she’s particularly fond of air. At least, that’s been her most common approach in the last two events." He extended a hand, closing it around empty space. "I can’t really think of a direct counter to that."

  "But she can't see or attack you when she’s air, right?" Tsuyu interjected. "And it drains her stamina. She can’t stay invisible forever."

  Uraraka hesitated. Something about this line of thinking made her uncomfortable, like she was giving away something that wasn't hers. She thought about Robinn, about the odd way she observed people, the quiet sarcasm, the slow cracks in the armor. It felt... disloyal.

  But she spoke anyway.

  "The solution is speed." She said it quietly, eyes downcast. "Robinn told me she needs two to three seconds to fully transform. And Iida, you're really fast... couldn’t you just push her out of the arena before she finishes?"

  The moment landed. Iida straightened. “My Recipro Burst…” he murmured, then tamped down the enthusiasm, almost guiltily. "But... couldn’t she just transform part of her body to avoid a full push? From what I’ve observed, the less of her she transforms, the faster the shift."

  "Then push all of her," Tsuyu said bluntly. "Don’t target a single point. Force her to fully transform. That should give you the time window."

  Both Uraraka and Iida turned to her in sync.

  "That could work!" Uraraka said, a bit too eagerly.

  Apparently satisfied, they resumed walking. But Tsuyu wasn’t convinced. Her eyes stayed narrowed as they walked, mind turning over the plan, poking at the flaws. Before she could say anything more, Present Mic’s voice thundered across the PA.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, the next match will begin shortly!"

  Iida jolted a bit, startled from thought. "Well I should head off to my entrance tunnel. Thank you for your help!" He offered a rigid bow before sprinting off, stiff and fast like a missile.

  The girls reached the stands a few minutes later. The stadium still buzzed from the last fight’s aftermath. Iida was already down there, five minutes early, standing at the ready like a statue.

  They slipped into the seats beside Kirishima, who was, unfortunately for Uraraka, sitting right next to Bakugo. She didn’t dare glance in his direction. The whole row felt on edge. Those who’d lost sat sullen and quiet. Even the victors were mostly the silent types, Todoroki, Bakugo, Tokoyami. Only Mina and Kirishima had retained any sparkle, her gesturing animatedly as she described how hard she'd punched Aoyama. He looked more embarrassed than injured.

  But the overall mood? Off. Off enough that even Uraraka, normally a mood buffer, didn’t try to fix it.