Bloodthirst | BNHA x Vampire!Reader

31. strategizing

You were proud of Izuku for placing first on the obstacle race. He more than deserved it, and he'd achieved victory even without relying on One For All, which was that much more impressive. All Might had told him to make big impact, to show the world that he was here, and in that respect, he had certainly succeeded.

It just sucked that his win had turned out to be such a double-edged sword.

"The time limit for this stage is fifteen minutes," Midnight carried on. "Up until time runs out, you'll all be fighting to steal as many of each other's headbands as you possibly can. The headband must be worn by the rider at all times, and you're not allowed to equip it on any area besides your neck. So, don't even think of trying to hide it someplace funny."

Damn. There goes my plan of stuffing it down my pants.

"And most importantly," Midnight hummed, "You should note that even if you lose your headband, you're still not out of the game! Keep fighting until the very end to steal headbands back and secure those points! Quirks are of course allowed, and you can use them to your advantage, but if you deliberately attack a group with the malicious intent of breaking them apart, that's a red card, and you'll be instantly disqualified. Now, then! If there are no questions, I'll give you fifteen minutes to form your teams. Good luck!"

Based on your understanding, certain teams were worth a whole lot more points than others, which meant that securing their headbands would yield a much bigger payoff. But in Izuku's case, he was worth ten million points all by himself, so the combined total really didn't matter. It was more important to form a solid team, with people that could adequately support him and keep his headband from being stolen.

"[N-Name]," Izuku swallowed. "Sorry, I... I didn't realize things would turn out like this. It sounds like everyone's going to be targeting me, so I'd understand if you wanted to join another team instead."

You frowned. "What? No way. I want to team up with you. You're my best friend. I don't care how many people are going to be out to get you. I'll kick their butts the moment they try to get close."

Not that it came as a shock, but in two seconds flat, Izuku was already crying.

"Thank you," he sobbed, clinging to your arm and shaking it back and forth. "I-I really thought you would back out the second you heard about the point system. Thank you for sticking with me, even when the odds are stacked against us..."

"Silly Izuku." You ruffled his curly hair and smiled. "Always such a crybaby. I don't scare easily. It'll take a lot more than something like that to give me cold feet."

He returned your smile, a bit shakily, then hurried to get a hold of himself. "Right. Actually, this is great. For the other two members of our team, I was thinking we should recruit Iida and Uraraka. Their Quirks have really good synergy. Uraraka can use her Quirk to make us float, and Iida's so fast that our mobility will be unmatched! Plus, you're really strong physically, so I think you'd make a great rider for our team."

"Huh?" you blinked. "You want me to be the rider?"

"Yeah! You've got great reflexes, which is perfect for this kind of match-up. Although I realize it's probably a lot of pressure, having to carry that ten-million-point headband. I'm sorry for always relying on you so much. It's not too late if you decide to change your mind..."

As if. It was the exact opposite. You relied on him, and it had been that way ever since you'd first come to this world.

Izuku was your savior. Your lifeline.

You'd be damned if you didn't support him every chance you got.

"Like I said," you grinned. "I don't scare easily."