DudeMik

Round 3: Corner Rest

Added 2025-07-30 16:00:00 +0000 UTC

The second round had ended, but it didn’t feel like relief. Only silence broken by the sound of heavy, uneven breathing as the fighters staggered back to their corners. Midnight began doing some struts, revving up the crowd with excitement. The cheers of the crowd were demanding they see more. Ochaco slumped onto her stool, her ribs rising and falling rapidly beneath the damp sheen of her sweaty skin. Tsuyu was immediately at her side, voice calm but clipped. “Don’t let her bait you. You’re faster. Let her burn out.” She spoke while tugging out Ochaco’s mouthguard, which came free with a slick pop, followed by a thick strand of spit that clung and fell. Ochaco barely registered it. Her hand was already at her side, a bruise growing near her nipple — a dull ache now turning into something sharp. Across the ring, Toga stood rather than sat, eyes locked on her opponent. No coach. No guidance. Just her own fury for company. She flexed her jaw, rolling her shoulder slowly as if the tension was something she could stretch away. One glove still resting against her side, she never blinked, watching Ochaco with a stare that felt too long and far too personal. Tsuyu kept talking — something about breathing, footwork, movement — but Ochaco wasn’t hearing much. Toga formed a wicked smile, and pointed a gloved fist right at Ochaco. "You’re mine next round.", Toga mouthed while flashing a crazed look. The pounding in her chest drowned everything out. Her heart thudded in her ears, in her fingertips, behind her eyes. Her vision still trembled faintly at the edges, like an aftershock. The ring felt hotter than it had before. Both fighters glistened under the overhead lights — not with glamour, but with the brutal polish of effort. Sweat ran in rivulets down their arms, soaked into their gear, and pooled in the curve of their backs and behind their knees. Their muscles tensed and relaxed rhythmically, just barely keeping the exhaustion at bay. Ochaco didn’t flinch, but she didn’t smile either. She spat to the side, wiped her brow with her forearm, and nodded silently to Tsuyu. The third round of the bell is coming...