Chapter 11: End of Round 1 and Start of Round 2!
With Denji's Arrogant Mode still on and active things for Class A-1 were made a bit more difficult.
It took multiple threats and a good amount of Sero's tape to get the brunet to sit still without complaining too much about how boring the rest of the round one fights were.
The fight between Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu seemed to bore him to the point of him looking around for something better to watch. The next one involved Tetsutetsu and Kirishima, although that only interested him for around two minutes before he was complaining. He did find it funny that they managed to knock each other out.
Now it was time for the final fight between Uraraka and Bakugou.
Thinking that it was just going to be a one-sided slaughter he started looking around once more.
"Hey, stop being such a mega idiot."
Feeling the nitrogen-filled punch connect with his arm, Denji turned back to the arena to see both fighters standing in front of each other.
"In some ways, I'm most worried about this next one."
"Honestly, I don't wanna watch."
Denji took a glance next to him to give a blank stare at both Jirou and Tsuyu.
He said nothing and just listened to Present Mic start up once again.
"For the last matchup of the first round... The boy who's been somewhat famous since middle school! But that face ain't the face of a kid on the straight and narrow! Bakugou Katsuki of the Heroics Department! Verses! The kid I'll be rooting for! Uraraka Ochako, of Heroics as well!"
This did not seem much like a fight to the students in Class A-1. To most it was certainly like seeing a sheltered pet going against a wild animal. It would not end well and the winner was already decided before the match could begin.
Even so, it brought some curiosity to see what exactly would happen in the match. The two fighters were in the same class, so they stood on equal footing when it came to knowing about their opponent.
That meant there was a chance the pet could actually fight against the animal.
"What was the counter-strategy you came up with for her against Bakugou?"
"Oh, that! It's really not all that brilliant or anything..." Midoriya looked down as he continued speaking to Iida. "It's just, Kacchan is undeniably strong...! And in close-quarters brawl, he's got almost no opening to speak of. And if you factor in the mobility his Quirk gives him, he's even stronger. That being said, while it's true he has maneuverability in midair as well... If she can cause him to float, she can gain the initiative from there."
"START!"
"She needs to strike fast!"
Uraraka ran forward without any hesitation.
As she had been told before, Bakugou swung his right arm. It was the move he always started out with, so she saw it coming from the beginning. The issue...
"BWAAH!"
She could not react in time to dodge or defend against the attack.
Although she knew that would happen as well.
Continuing to move quickly and with purpose, Uraraka took off her jersey to make it float a bit above the ground. She made her way through the smoke while keeping an eye on her opponent.
Her distraction worked.
Seeing that it worked, she jumped behind Bakugou, hand ready to touch his back.
"Wow, she made her jersey float as a decoy! Yoooo, she musta done that on the fly!"
Even with a small trick like that working, she was not in the clear yet.
Bakugou quickly turned around to let out a blast that pushed her back, sending her sliding on the ground.
He ran up to her just as she got her bearings.
"Too slow!"
.
Explosions filled the arena where the two fighters were. One after the other, they did not stop.
But neither did she.
Uraraka Ochako continued to get up after each explosion.
"She's pressing on her charge without a moment's rest, but... Seeing this..."
The two fighting ignored what was being said. Whether it was from the announcers or from the crowd, they both ignored it in favor of focusing on each other. It was pointless to hear pointless things said by those who did not understand exactly what was going on.
What currently mattered to them was the fight going on right then and there.
The winner would move on and the loser would not make it passed round one.
That simple fact was what kept the two of them in the arena and fighting. Neither one of them was going to let up and neither one one them was going to back down.
Then it happened...
"Who just said he's toying with her?"
Someone had said such a thing. Such a thing said had been heard by the announcers. One of the announcers was the teacher of the two currently fighting.
And he would not stand for such a thing being said.
"You a pro? How many years? If you said that in your right mind, then there's no meaning for you to keep watching. Do us all a favor and go home. In fact, you ought to keep watching the match at a career turnover site. He clearly recognizes the strength of an opponent who's reached this far and is on guard as a result. It's because he's doing everything in his power to win that he's refusing to let his guard down or stay his hand."
The smoke started to clear as the two fighting stared at each other.
The animal looked at the pet with irritation.
The pet looked at the animal with determination befitting an animal.
"Thank you, Bakugou-kun... Thank you for not letting your guard down."
Uraraka put her fingers together as a bit of talking could be heard from the stands once more. Once again, the two ignored the crowd and instead focused on each other.
Everyone looked up and noticed something amazing happen. The reason, even to those who did not hear the explanation, was clear as to why she did not quite.
Multiple pieces of cement from the arena rained down on the arena with a good amount of force.
This was her trump card!
With this, she would win!
Or so she had thought.
"...!?"
In one large explosion, every piece that had been sent raining down on the arena was gone or scattered about. Her trump card had been played and beatened so easily.
"He must be content with himself with that explosive showing! He took Uraraka's secret strategem and unreservedly crushed it!"
That was it. That was her absolute limit.
She could not do much now that her trump card was beatened so easily.
She would lose.
"!"
But she would not lose without giving it more of a fight!
Her fighting spirit shone brightly in the arena. Even after everything she had just been through, after each failed attack, she would continue on with the fight! Right to the end!
At least, that was what she wanted.
With only one step forward, Uraraka fell to the ground.
.
Seeing the girl on the ground, Midnight made her way over to the student and placed a hand on her.
She looked up and made her announcement.
"Uraraka is unable to move. Bakugou advances to the next round!"
The outcome was what most thought it would be. How that outcome came about was what they paid more attention too.
Seeing Uraraka try so hard was far more amazing than seeing her actually lose. The determination she had was worthy of praise.
Even so, the boy who was still in his Arrogant Mode simply watched as the girl from his class was carried off on a stretcher. He thought nothing of it.
It was certainly commendable for her to try so hard. It certainly helped her image when it came to the heroes watching.
At the same time, it also gave those same heroes an idea as to now Bakugou was as well. Both sides certainly did get something out if this fight.
Although that didn't mean much to the boy who was still in his Arrogant Mode.
"Oh, poor Uraraka... Uhh, oh, yeah. Bakugou breaks past the first round."
"If you're gonna do it, do it right..."
"All right. Now that I've collected myself-"
"Aren't you suppose to be impartial..."
"The first round is now over! We'll get right back to it after a short break!"
Shaking his head at the two commentating teachers, Denji looked over to see Bakugou walk up to them.
The ones in the front row were the ones who started talking to the explosive boy. As expected, he was as bad tempered as ever with his classmates. Although, he also seemed to have said something rather respectable about his opponent.
.
The whole place was on a small break before the next round started, but that didn't meant here was another battle not going on.
Down below an arm wrestling match was going on between Kirishima and Tetsutetsu. With their match being an undecided one, this arm wrestling match was how they were going to decide on who would be going to the next round.
Both were giving it their all, but, in the end, Kirishima was the one who had won.
"And with this, we have all our contenders for the second round! Speaking of which... Shall we begin shortly!?"
Both Kirishima and Tetsutetsu shook hands like the real ken they were. The respect was certainly there, and coming from both of them.
.
Saiai let out a sigh.
She had been dealing with Arrogant Mode Denji since his fight had finished. The moment when his next fight was going to come up, she would be extremely happy.
He'll at least get some of that damn electricity out of his system. Hopefully he'll mega calm down after that.
With that thought in mind, she looked over at the remaining fighters. There was her and Denji, Iida, Bakugou, Tokoyami, Kirishima, and the two who had just left to start the second round. All of them were strong in their own right, so even she was a bit on edge.
If she managed to beat Iida then she would have to face off against the winner of the upcoming match. Then that would be a tough battle on its own.
Even so, that was what made it even better for her. It was a chance to really go out and fight. To show how well she can do against such opponents.
"This next fight should be good."
That single sentence dragged her out of her thoughts.
She turned to Denji to see him looking down as the two competitors walked onto the arena.
Both Midoriya and Todoriki stood there, ready to win.
They both knew that certain people were watching them. That gave them both different kinds if motivations to win. They both had something to prove, so losing was most certainly not an option for them.
"Both of these competitors have win top marks in this festival so far! But there's only room for one of these greats in the ring! It's... Midoriya verses Todoriki!"
This was the first match of the second round.
And so...
"BEGIN!"
Without any signal, they started for each other.
Todoriki was quicker and let out a wave of ice.
It wasn't as large a wave as the first round, but it was definitely enough to be called a wave.
The ice was pushed back by a brutal hit from the posing side, but at the cost of a finger.
Three times.
This kind of attack and block happened three times. By that point it was obvious what was going on.
A battle of attrition.
If Midoriya was able to stall out until Todoriki was low on energy, or when an opening appeared, he would have a better chance of getting a solid attack in. For now, though, he would wait awhile.
Once that fact was out, it was easier for the dual-Quirk user to counter.
He continued to launch waves of ice. His counter was a simple one. If each time he attacked, Midoriya would counter, then he just had to attack until there were no more fingers to use as an attack.
Once he saw that his opponent had no more fingers on his right hand to use, Todoriki started to run forward. The ice he used spread out in front of him while going for another attack.
Knowing what was coming next he leaped into the air as his ice was pushed back once again.
Now he was above Midoriya.
He used all his weight to try and smash his opponent down. It didn't work, although it did catch the other off guard and made him jump back.
So out a moment of rest, he let out even more ice. From so close up it would no doubt hit.
.
An attack if that scale from up close means that there was a limited number of options for him to use. All his fingers from his right hand had been used up. That only left his left.
That was exactly what he used.
Midoriya used his whole left arm to blast away the ice being fired at him. It blew the wind and ice away while also pushing Todoriki back.
The cost was a heavy one.
"Only defending and dodging? It's taking a toll on you."
As his opponent spoke, Midoriya noticed something odd going on with him. It was something that he wouldn't have noticed if he wasn't standing right in front of the other.
"Sorry for all of this. I appreciate it, though, Midoriya. Thanks to you... He doesn't look too happy."
The name of that person didn't need to be said out loud. It was the person that Todoriki disliked and the person that had spoken to him before the match. The #2 hero - Endeavor.
"With both hands destroyed, you can't fight anymore. Let's end this."
"Todoriki continues his relentless assault! Could this next ice attack win it all!?"
There was no way.
There was no way that Midoriya thought the next attack would be the last one in this fight. He would not lose like that after this.
He made sure that would be known.
"Who says I'm done!?"
Lifting his right arm he let out a powerful attack. It had pushed Todoriki back. So much so that he had to use his ice to stop himself from being ousted out of the ring. This also served to mess up his finger even more.
Even so...
"You're shivering... Todoriki-kun. Quirks are still just physical abilities. You must have a limit to how much of that cold you can bear! But then... You could always use your left side to thaw yourself out, right?"
The look Midoriya was giving was one that showed there was no chance of him giving up. He was determined not to lose to someone like todoroki; someone who would give it his all just for some reason like annoying someone else.
That proof was right here.
"Everyone's...giving it their all! To win... To achieve their goals... To make it to the top! And you're gonna win with half your power!? I still...haven't put a scratch on you!"
Even with his fingers broken...
Even with little chance of winning...
Even though he lost both his arms...
Midoriya showed absolutely no sign of giving in to this opponent.
"GIVE ME EVERYTHING YOU GOT! COME AT ME!"
Fights are the bane of my existence...
Sorry it's short. I'm just trying to get back at this. That is all.
