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"Go Dark Shadow!"
"On it!" Dark Shadow yelled as he emerged out of Tokoyami and headed straight for Mina.
"Eh!?" Mina frantically threw balls of acid at Dark Shadow, not even knowing if it would affect the sentient figure.
"Swerve! Swerve!" Dark Shadow shouted as he moved out of the way of the incoming projectiles.
He then used his own body to slam right into Mina's side, sending the girl back.
"See ya!"
"Ah!" Mina was sent flying back before landing on her butt just over the out of bounds line.
"Ashido is out of bounds! Tokoyami wins!" Midnight shouted as she raised her whip.
"He won in an instant too!?" Mineta exclaimed.
"Tokoyami's Dark Shadow is amazing." Tsu remarked.
Izuku watched as the next battle ended nearly as quickly as it started, as Tokoyami's Dark Shadow quirk easily avoided Mina's acid and knocked her out.
Mina got up visibly frustrated, but when she saw Izuku staring down at her, she put on a fake smile and quickly ran off.
"I would go to cheer her up, but there's only the fight between Kacchan and Kirishima left before the semi-final rounds start."
He looked down in deep thought about his upcoming battle. The battle that Izuku considered even more important than the struggle to win the entire sports festival.
His long-awaited fight against Enso.
Izuku raised up his right arm in front of himself, mentally comparing the power and training he had against Enso's experienced self.
He clenched his hand into a fist as he thought about how Enso's Brute Style Barrier.
"I'm able to use about 10% of One For All just fine during this festival. Quite the upgrade compared to the 5% I've been using before. But Enso's Brute Style was able to take hits from that Nomu at USJ I've heard, but my strength isn't up to that..."
And that led Izuku to one thought.
"It won't be enough…"
Ochako heard him mumbled and turned to him. "What?"
"10% won't be enough..." Izuku mumbled again.
Momo turned to him too. "What was that, Izuku?"
Izuku stood up in his seat.
"My battle is next after this, so... I'm gonna go use the restroom and get ready."
He turned and started walking off.
"Wait, Deku!" Ochako called after him.
Izuku turned back. "Yeah?"
Ochako smiled at him. "Good luck. I know you can do it."
Momo smiled as well, "I believe you can beat him as well, Izuku."
The boy couldn't help but smile at that.
"Thank you. I'll make sure to win!" He then left.
When he disappeared from sight, Ochako turned to Momo with a somewhat concerned expression, "Do you think he's nervous?"
Momo sighed. "I know he is... He's going up against Enso after all. He may even be just using this moment to get himself ready."
"Heh, I wouldn't be surprised if he was."
"You think he might go even farther than he did against Todoroki to fight against Enso? Kero?" Tsu asked from behind them.
Ochako's mind instinctively flashed back to the moment Izuku had swung his entire arm to combat Todoroki's flames, breaking it in the process.
She firmly held her gym pants.
"I really hope not..."
Momo thought about the same thing, cringing as she thought of Izuku breaking his limbs.
She glanced to the right at Enso standing up, looking threatening as he also thought about his next match.
"How far is Izuku willing to go against him?" Momo could only ponder on the future.
"I'm gonna have to be faster than Iida's maximum speed if I even hope to match up against Enso. But the most I could use of One For All without breaking my bones is about 25% of my power. Using that much power at one time will put a strain on my body quickly, so I won't be able to hold that much power for too long. The most I could last is a few minutes, but then again, a few minutes could be all I need to be able to get Enso out of the arena. I don't necessarily have to 'beat' him."
Izuku mumbled a storm away, getting many odd looks by students passing by as he headed for the restrooms. He didn't necessarily have to use it, he just needed to be by himself for a moment to collect his thoughts.
"He has four different styles, three of them as dangerous as each other, and the fourth..."
He shivered when he thought about Enso's last style, the 'Reaper Of Worlds.'
"It's going to be more than dangerous if I somehow corner him to a point where he's force to use it... I haven't even seen it in actual action yet..."
As Izuku got near the boy's restroom door, the girl's one opened up, with a familiar short purple-haired girl walking out.
Izuku looked up and was slightly startled to see her there, not expecting her to come out of nowhere. But also not expecting to see her still wearing the cheerleading outfit.
"H-Hey Jiro!" Izuku awkwardly waved at her.
"Hm?"
Jiro turned her head to the boy. But the moment she saw who it was, she recoiled back with an immediate blush forming.
"D-Deku!?" Jiro exclaimed, remembering that she was still wearing her cheerleading outfit. "Th-This is-!"
As she tried covered herself while backing up, and the back of her head slammed into the door of the restroom she just left. She then crouched down and held the back of her head in pain.
"Ow… Ow…"
"Are you alright?!" Izuku rushed over and crouched down to her level while using his hand to feel the back of her head. "That looked like it hurt."
Jiro opened her eyes and saw Izuku's face inches from her own. The rest of her face immediately turned to bright red, and her mouth became agape.
Izuku didn't get a clue.
"Your face is all red! Do you have a fever!?" He placed his hand on her forehead now.
Now with skin contact, Jiro steamed.
"I-I'm fine!" She shouted, suddenly shooting back up to her feet.
However, because Izuku was crouched down right in front of her and the sudden jump back to her feet, Jiro's skirt flipped up as Izuku looked up at her.
It was only a glimpse, but with a mind like Izuku's, he'll remember everything he sees, even if he doesn't want to.
And right now, he saw pink.
Izuku's eyes enlarged, his mouth became agape, and his skin tone matched Jiro's in a second.
Jiro instantly realized her mistake and slammed her skirt down in vain to cover below, a complete look of embarrassment washing over her face.
"Y-You... You-!"
Izuku shot up and backed up until his back was pressing against the wall. He covered his eyes with both of his hands and could feel his body warming up.
"I-I'm sorry! It was out of my control! I didn't mean to see!"
"You're not even gonna deny that you saw this time!?" Jiro shouted back, hands firmly on her skirt in pure embarrassment.
"L-L-Last time I denied seeing it, you just called me out!" Izuku frantically said.
Jiro's head looked down with shadows covering her eyes and slightly trembling.
"Why me?... Why does this happen to me?..." Her voice whimpered.
Izuku thought she was gonna cry, "P-Please don't be sad! I'll do anything to make you feel better!" He said while flailing his arms.
Hearing him say 'anything,' Jiro rose her head back up, looking slightly curious.
"Anything?"
"I-I mean… If it helps you out… But not anything dangerous, please." Izuku answered.
Despite Jiro being embarrassed, she still had a mischievous thought, "I know how to get back at him!"
"Since you saw me, then now I get to look at you!"
"Eh?! Wh-What's that supposed to-!?"
All of a sudden, Jiro grabbed Izuku and pulled him right into the girl's restroom that she had just left.
"Jiro!?" Izuku cried out in disbelief.
"Shut it! There's no one here right now!" She dragged him into the farthest stalls and locked the door.
"J-J-Jiro, I-I shouldn't be here!" Izuku pleaded in a whispering scream, head entirely red and covering his face.
"Quiet!" Jiro put both of her hands on Izuku's shoulders and shoved him against the stall door, silencing him and staring downward at his chest.
Izuku was shivering behind belief at this point.
"N-Nani?! Nani!? What's happening to me!? Why did Jiro drag me into the girl's restroom!? Why did she suddenly push me against the door!? What's gonna happen to me!?"
Despite Jiro leading Izuku in the restroom so forcefully, the girl was freaking out just as much as him, staring at his chest.
"I didn't think this through! I wanted to look at his chest to get back at him, but I'm getting nervous!"
Izuku noticed how nervous she was and tried to talk.
"J-J-Jiro?"
Her hands gripped tightly on Izuku's shirt.
"I-I'm just getting even!"
She put her hands under Izuku's shirt.
Izuku's eyes enlarged, and he grabbed the girl's wrists.
"What are you-!?" He was cut off by Jiro moving her earlobes right in front of his eyes and lifting her head up with a menacing glare.
"Shut it."
The boy shivered and looked away, releasing the girl's wrists out of fear.
Jiro then turned her attention back to Izuku's shirt, slightly pulling it up and giving herself a view of the boy's six-pack.
She froze for a moment upon seeing them, blushing mad as she stared with a completely mesmerizing gaze.
"So... They are real..."
"She thought they were fake!?" Izuku thought with a blank expression.
Jiro then proceeded to feel Izuku's abs and chest with her hands, making the poor boy winced and whimper as he wondered what was going on. He turned his head away with his cheeks flushed and trying not to shake too much.
At one point, Jiro looked up at Izuku's embarrassing state.
"His reaction is... kinda cute…" She thought, mesmerized that the boy was making such an adorable face.
They suddenly heard the restroom door open.
"Man, this festival sure is something so far!"
"Yeah, there are so many cool people!"
Jiro and Izuku both turned white in shock.
"Oh no!"
Jiro instinctively pulled Izuku away from the stall door and forced him in the back of the stall, trying to get the boy's feet away from being seen under the stall door.
She then instinctively pressed herself against him, trying to keep him there to hide.
"J-Jiro!?" Izuku whispered the lowest he could.
"Shhh! Shut up! If we get caught, then we're done for!" Jiro shushed him back in a whisper.
Izuku gulped down air and nodded in agreement.
The two stayed close together in awkward silence. Izuku was getting more nervous by the second with a girl pressing up against him, and Jiro was getting equally nervous by how close she was against the boy's hard chest. She still had her hands under Izuku's shirt but didn't dare move them, worrying that she or he would make a sound.
"SO CLOSE!" Both screamed in their heads.
"Hey, what do you think about the guy that beat Todoroki?" One of the girls asked as she started washing her hands.
Izuku and Jiro both froze, listening intently.
"You mean that Midoriya guy? Well... He's so hot! I mean, did you see those pecks he had!? I wanna get crushed between them..." The other girl answered.
"WHAT THE HELL!?" Jiro and Izuku both thought, but Izuku's whole body reddened in addition to hearing this.
"You're kind of a pervert, you know that?..." Girl A said in almost a disgusted voice.
"Oh, come on, you know you really liked them too! I bet that was why you brought him up right now!" Girl B pointed out.
Izuku and Jiro heard some fidgeting movements from the first girl. "H-Hey! I wasn't gonna talk about that! I was just gonna ask if... you think he's got a girlfriend?"
Izuku and Jiro blinked. "Eh?"
"Hmm... It's hard to believe that someone with that kind of hot body and cute (even if a little plain) face is taken. I bet he's dating one of those girls in his class!"
"In Class 1-A? I'm sure that he can end up with any girl he wants in his class. But which one though?"
Izuku started sweating nervously, and Jiro had her head staring down in interest.
"Hm... Let me think." Girl B said.
Jiro pointed her earlobes curiously in the voice's direction.
Girl B suddenly exclaimed, "I feel like he would choose that black-haired beauty, Momo Yaoyorozu! Guys all like big boobs, you know, and she's loaded with them! Makes me kind of jealous..."
Izuku started sweating harder, and Jiro looked down at her own chest, feeling very irritated.
"Huh? You can't really say that all guys like boobs, you know?" The other girl rebutted.
"What, you think he's an ass kind of guy? Then I think he'd go with Uraraka then! Have you seen her? She's thick!"
Jiro turned her head back and looked down at her behind, shadows over her eyes.
"But there's also that frog girl, Tsuyu! I'm sure that long tongue and those muscled legs of hers can really appeal to him too!"
"Is she letting this get to her?! I hope she doesn't go lash out at them!" Izuku thought in panic.
"You can't just assume him as a guy that dates a girl for looks!" Girl A spoke.
"Ooooo! I get you! If we're going by that, then he might like either acid pinky girl Ashido or the invisible girl Hagakure! Both of them are really energetic and cheerful all the time! I'm sure he'd have 'fun' times with them.
"Fun times?" Izuku wondered with a question mark over his head.
"In the end, you just keep thinking of dirty things, don't you?" Girl A sighed again. "Now, you're going to say something about Jiro, too, aren't you?"
Izuku was still shaking nervously, hoping that nothing would give their spot away. Jiro, on the other hand, had her interest peaked and she couldn't help but wonder the girl would say anything about her.
But instead...
"Who?"
Jiro turned black and white in shock.
"Uh oh!" Izuku thought.
"Eh? You know, the short-haired purple girl with those stretchy earlobes of hers? How do you know all of the Class A girls but her?"
The other girl had to think for a moment before she realized.
"Oh, her. I guess I forgot about her because I didn't think she was interesting."
Izuku could basically see an arrow comedically striking the back of Jiro's head as her head pointed down.
"That's rude!" Girl A responded.
"I mean, I guess she can use those weird earlobes of her for a new twist on stimulation..." Girl B said as if she was in thought.
"Stimulation?" Izuku deadpanned.
"But other than that, I mean... Her ass isn't really big, her boobs are kind of small, and she doesn't look like she'd be fun to hang around. An 'emo,' I guess I would say. She's not cute."
Three more arrows stuck Jiro, the girl visibly moving as if she was in pain in each strike.
"J-Jiro?" Izuku whispered very low, worried for the girl.
Jiro now visibly held Izuku's shirt tightly with her hands and hung her head down shaking.
Izuku recalled the insecurities Jiro had spoken to him about before.
"Poor girl! I have to do something to make her feel better..."
"That's so rude!" The other girl responded to her rough friend.
"What? You aren't exactly disagreeing with me."
"Well, I mean..."
Jiro's earlobes shined and she was gritting her teeth, with her ears and face turning red.
Izuku formed a sad and sympathetic look at her.
"She's letting what they say get to her..."
He felt just how discouraged the girl was, he felt the lack of confidence from her because of others.
After all, he was the same for so long.
He was continuously told for so long that he could never become a hero from being quirkless, he was always told those things by everyone in his childhood.
Because of something he lacked, which was a quirk, others judged him for it.
And now, because of Jiro supposedly lacking the bigger bodies like the other students, people judged her as not that attractive.
Izuku hated that, but he couldn't just march of the stall to confront those girls on what they were saying.
So he did the next best thing.
Jiro felt two arms wrap around her and a head placed onto her shoulder, making her raise her own head up in shock.
"Wha-What are you doing!?" Jiro said in a whisper, almost shouting from the shock.
"Don't listen to them, Jiro..." Izuku just whispered back, closing his eyes and holding her.
"Wha-Wha-!?" Jiro was still processing that the timid Deku was hugging her.
"Those two don't know you... If they did, then they would actually know how amazing you are. You're talented, hardworking, and care so much about others... Not to mention that you really have a c... c-cute side when you get embarrassed." He whispered gently.
Jiro didn't know why, but the way Izuku whispered that just made her heart clench up.
"Y-You're just-"
"I'm not saying it just to be nice. Of course, I know these things from the time we've interacted with one another... You told me yourself that you played several different instruments, there aren't many people that have talent like that. You work so hard during our regular classes and hero training, even if you're at a disadvantage. And I-I understand just how you are from... w-well... th-that time during lunch..."
Jiro tensed up, her skin thoroughly flushing red. "Wh-Why is he like this!?"
The girl had to admit that these words from the boy made her feel better. But his sudden close contact in an enclosed space was too nerve-wracking for her.
"Kirishima is unconscious, Bakugo wins!" Midnight's voice echoed from afar.
"Eh!? Let's go! Midoriya's fight is next!" The energetic girl said.
"Alright!" The other agreed.
Izuku and Jiro heard the two girls run out of the restroom as Present Mic's voice echoed.
"With that vicious carpet-bombing, Bakugo advances to the next round! And that completes our finals four semi-finalists! Izuku Midoriya, Enso Ureshi, Fumikage Tokoyami, and Katsuki Bakugo! We'll take an itty-bitty break to let them our finalists get ready, but then it's off to the excitement!"
That snapped Jiro and Izuku back out of their moment, with Jiro freaking out.
"G-Good luck on your next battle!" She pushed Izuku aside and basically bashed the stall door open, covering her steaming face as she rushed out of the restroom.
"EHHH!? Wait! At least let me know if anyone is coming!" Izuku called out to her.
But the girl already left the restroom.
Izuku started waterfalling sweat comedically.
"This might be a problem..."
~{Finalist Preparation Room}~
Enso was currently laid down on his back on top of the table, hair sprawled out, and eyes gazing directly upward as he kept to his thoughts.
"Next is my fight with Izuku..."
He crossed his arms over his chest.
"He's grown so much ever since I first met him... If he actually beats me here, then he may be strong enough to hold his own against..."
An image of a towering figure of his past flashed through his mind.
"Him..."
Enso sat up and folded his right knee, placing an arm over it.
"Depending on how Izuku does in this battle, I may be ready to tell him about that insane monster..."
He got off the table and started stretching his arms.
"I wonder what kind of strategy he'll have against me. He was able to consecutively use 10% of One For All fine, but he clearly showed that he's willing to use 100% of power at any moment just to win."
He recalled Izuku breaking his own finger to get back the ten million points. He remembered Izuku breaking his arm and finger again in order to get Todoroki out of bounds.
"If I push him too far, then he might try breaking his arms again, or..."
Enso recalled the obstacle course race, where Izuku had swiped his hand at him and created black flames. He recalled Izuku's battle against Todoroki, where for a moment, black aura surrounded him, and his emerald eyes were replaced with crimson red.
"Ikari may come out again... But how much of it will Izuku actually use consciously?"
He sighed, going to the door of the room and leaving to face off against his student.
"Izuku... A part of me hopes that you don't go too far..."
~{Meanwhile}~
"I can't believe I managed to get out!"
Izuku breathed in relief as he hurriedly walked down the hall, intending on heading for the arena entrance to finally go off against his friend and mentor. He was still shaken up from his encounter with Jiro, but right now, he had to focus and calm himself down.
Through specific means of movement and a perfectly timed dash fast enough to pass by anyone without them seeing who he was, Izuku managed to get out of the girl's restroom without getting caught. Although, he did scare two girls as he left the restroom.
"Why was Jiro even still wearing her cheerleader outfit in the first place?"
Izuku shook his head to ignore this question and put on a determined expression as marched through halls, only thinking about the battle ahead.
"This is it... What I've been working up to this point for. This is going to be more than just difficult, this will be as if I'm going up against a professional hero. Enso just that kind of power and experience. I... I have to go all out." Izuku muttered, unaware of an approaching student.
"Midori!"
"Eh?" Izuku turned around and saw Mina running towards him. "Mina?"
The girl stopped in front of the boy, then awkwardly scratching the back of her hair with an awkward smile.
"I guess I couldn't keep my promise to face off against you later on, I guess I wasn't as great as I thought..." She chuckled forcefully, sounding clearly sad. She managed to maintain her smile as she stared at Izuku. "But, I came to wish you good luck with your battle!"
Izuku could tell that Mina was discouraged about herself for losing her battle to Tokoyami, so he smiled at her.
"Thank you, Mina, but don't sell yourself short. You were amazing at the festival, and I'm sure many pros are already choosing to scout you."
That seemed to work in cheering the girl up, as Mina now formed a natural grin on her face, although with a small, lilac blush.
"Aw, thanks, Midori. You always know just what to say." She said while rubbing her own arm shyly. "So... this is finally the fight you've been waiting for?"
Izuku formed a serious expression on his face and looked down into his palm.
"Yeah... I'm finally facing off against Enso."
"Ah, two close friends finally settling their strength. How manly." Mina giggled.
She noticed that Izuku still kept his serious expression, despite her Kirishima-like joke.
"Hey... Are you nervous?" She asked him.
Izuku sighed.
"Well, it doesn't feel like I'm nervous, I would say that it's more like... I feel like I'm prepared."
"So, you're pumped up?" Mina asked.
"Yeah..." Izuku smiled. "I think it's that."
"Well, I'll be cheering for you. I'm sure we all will." Mina smiled.
"Really? Does no one like Enso?" Izuku deadpanned.
"Not exactly what I meant." Mina said with an awkward smile. "I was thinking about all the girls in our class..."
"But be sure to win! Then after you beat either Bakugo or Tokoyami in the finals, we could finally go out on that date!" Mina said with visible excitement.
Izuku shivered and looked shocked. "R-Right..."
Mina pouted, "Don't tell me you forgot?"
Izuku flailed his arms, "N-No! I didn't forget! What I did forget was that... If I do win this fight, then I'll face either Tokoyami or... Kacchan."
Mina just kept her pout and tapped Izuku on the head.
"You can beat him, Midori! Don't even think for a second that you can't!"
"E-Eh?" Izuku was surprised by how mad she seemed to get.
Mina repeatedly poked his forehead with both of her fingers.
"You keep worrying about how you'll do compared to Bakugo! He's him, and you're you! Don't you remember how you did against him during our first hero training lesson? You were amazing!"
"B-But that wasn't me, I lost control-!"
"No, not that moment! Before that happened! You were like some Bruce Lee with all those fighting moves!" Mina then started throwing a couple of air punches. "You acted like such a cool hero! So after you beat Enso here, you're gonna show that Bakugo that you're better than him! That he can't hurt you anymore!"
Izuku could feel the truth behind her words and smiled determinedly.
"Yeah... If I can beat Enso, then surely I can beat Kacchan."
Seeing him start to show that confidence of his, Mina grinned again.
"There's the face of a winner! Now get out there and show the world your stuff!"
Izuku pumped his hand in a fist.
"I will."
"And here's something for good luck!" Mina rushed over to Izuku and pecked him on the cheek.
"M-Mina!?" Izuku shouted, completely baffled.
Mina backed up with her arms behind her and with another grin.
"Better get going! Your match is gonna start, I'll see you after the battle Midori!" She then turned around and cheerfully ran down the hall, leaving a dumbfounded Izuku rubbing his cheek.
While running, Mina felt giddy and blushed.
"Heh, I actually kissed him, even if just on the cheek. He looked so embarrassed, I wonder... what would happen if I did the real thing?"
Izuku was frozen for nearly half a minute, processing what Mina did and steaming as he kept recalling the physical contact.
"Sh-She really enjoys teasing me too much... Doesn't she?"
He gulped down air but then focused on the matter at hand.
"I gotta get going..." He headed for the stairs, making his way towards the bottom floor for the arena.
But as he got to the first step down, he saw someone currently coming up.
Izuku stopped in place as he saw a pair of angry red eyes staring up at him.
Bakugo.
"Deku..." The angry red-eyed teen muttered in visible irritation, just coming back after his fight with Kirishima.
Izuku backed up from the stairs and waved nervously, "H-Hi Kacchan. D-Don't mind me, I-I-I'm just heading over for my fight!" He mustered.
Bakugo made it to the top of the stairs with his hands in his pockets, glaring at Izuku with a slightly pressing gaze.
"I-I'll just be going now!" Izuku tried to quickly pass Bakugo and to the stairs, but the explosive boy stopped him by grabbing his arm, making Izuku flinch.
"Hold on a fucking minute Deku..."
Y-Yes!?" Izuku sweated.
"When the hell did you learn to bring out that other damn power of yours?"
"Huh? I-I don't follow." Izuku responded.
Bakugo's grip on his arm got tighter, "Don't fucking play dumb with me, Deku, you know what I mean! During your battle against half-n-half bastard, you brought out that shit power of your again! That was way too convenient! Not only that..."
Bakugo gritted his teeth.
"How do you have two quirks?"
"Eh?" Izuku's eyes lit up with worry and fear. "T-Two?"
Izuku tried to back up away from his bully, but Bakugo kept hold of him and followed him to the point where Izuku's back was against the wall.
"Why...? Why is it that you, a quirkless nobody, somehow ended up having two quirks? You said that one was given to you, but how did you learn to use the other? Why do you have another?"
"So he really did take what I said seriously! He remembers what I told him that day after school... B-But, I'm not even sure if Ikari is actually my quirk, otherwise, why didn't it manifest when I was four then?"
Izuku gulped down air nervously.
"I… I only have one quirk Kacchan... I-I know that it's... 'confusing' with its different properties, but I got one, whether you like it or not."
"Bullshit." Bakugo said in a menacing growl. "Both of those quirks of yours don't look similar in any way! They're just too different for them to be the same damn quirk of yours!"
Izuku was feeling his arm starting to hurt, as Bakugo's grip was getting too tight.
"K-Kacchan, that hurts." Izuku whimpered, slightly scared to do anything.
"You're supposed to be a worthless bug, a quirkless nobody that I'm easily far superior to. And yet..."
Izuku winced as he felt Bakugo's hand starting to heat up, indicating that he was using his quirk.
"K-Kacchan, please!" He cried.
"Yet all of this happened. You're here, you beat me in that damn race, you got first place in the cavalry battle, it pisses me off so much! But I'm gonna prove to everyone just how worthless you are!"
"Stop!"
Bakugo's eyes lit up at that change of voice.
"What the-?!"
Suddenly, a blast of dark energy came from Izuku with such force that Bakugo was sent flying back and slammed against the wall.
"Ngh!" He fell to the ground with a loud thud, a visible crack on the wall appearing where he was just launched.
He felt his anger build up and used his arm to push himself up from the ground, getting back to his feet with his eyes dilating.
"WHAT THE FUCK DEKU!?" he screamed as he glanced at Izuku.
But he froze for a moment when he saw the boy with his head and arms down, but with a black aura surrounding him as he heavily breathed.
Bakugo was pissed.
"You bastard, you're gonna regret that! I'm gonna kick your ass!"
Izuku just kept breathing heaving, with visible black breath even emitting from his mouth.
"Hey? Are you ignoring me?!" Bakugo marched over and reached his right hand out to him. "You little-!"
Before he could touch him, Bakugo saw his right arm suddenly gone.
His eyes widened, and he immediately used his left hand to blast himself away from Izuku until his back his the wall. Upon landing, he used his left hand to reach for his right shoulder in an effort to stop any bleeding.
Only to discover that his right arm was still there.
Bakugo was sweating now.
"What the fuck was that?! An illusion!?"
Bakugo felt a chill as he glanced back at Izuku's aura once more, narrowing his eyes with his teeth clenched together.
He could feel an intimidating presence coming off the boy, but he wasn't even looking at him.
"No... This feeling..."
Bakugo slowly stood back up.
"He was threatening me..." He realized.
Bakugo held his arms out in a battle-ready position, getting ready for whatever was to come.
"If this nerd thinks that he could just threaten me like that, he's got another thing coming."
But before Bakugo could make a move, he saw visible movement come from Izuku.
"Nngh!" Izuku's hand went to his head, and he got to his knees while clenching his teeth, visibly in pain.
Bakugo remained still in his fighting position with a confused stared, "What is going on?"
Izuku grunted and yelled in pain, shaking his head side to side.
"No... more..."
Bakugo's eyes widened. "His lips weren't moving when he said that!"
The black aura around Izuku suddenly disappeared.
"Ugh… My head…" Bakugo heard the boy say in a normal voice now.
Izuku glanced back up at Bakugo, with his emerald green eyes, looking as if he had a hangover.
"Kacchan? What happened?"
Bakugo formed just a suspicious expression as he lowered his fighting stance.
"Deku… What were you doing just now?"
"What? What was I doing? Weren't you the one keeping hold of me?" Izuku grumbled as he wobbly got back up to his feet. "What did you do?... My head hurts all over..."
Bakugo just kept staring as he realized.
"He doesn't have control over it..."
He put his hands in his pockets and proceeded to walk away.
"Wha-? Kacchan? Where are you going?" Izuku asked in a newfound confusion that Bakugo was simply leaving now.
"None of your business Deku..." Bakugo growled as he walked away.
Izuku watched as he left, tilting his head curiously. "Why did he suddenly leave?"
He then turned and started walking down the stairs, wondering what had happened.
Bakugo was in his thoughts as he walked, feeling as if he made a few discoveries.
"He doesn't have any control over that power of his..."
He turned a corner.
"Yet he basically threatened me with my arm and spoke... So which one is it?"
He stopped as he thought about it.
"What the hell is wrong with you Deku?"
When Mina got back to her seat, she visibly gave off a flowery aroma, one that her best friend Hagakure noticed.
"For someone who lost immediately against Tokoyami, you sure look happy." She pointed out.
Mina plopped herself down right next to Hagakure, still smiling.
"I met up with Midori before he went off for his fight. He really is a charmer... Cheering me up because I lost."
"What did he even say?" Hagakure asked.
"Reassuring words. The type that he would usually say." Mina said with a loving smile.
"I've never seen her like this..." Hagakure thought, "She said she didn't like him at first, said that she wasn't interested in him. So I thought I could..."
Hakagure sighed, "Whatever... That was before..."
"He seemed pretty nervous, so I helped cheer him up too." Mina giggled.
That giggle hinted something to Hagakure. "Oh? How?"
Mina looked down at her lap as she recalled the moment with a small laugh.
"I kissed him on the cheek..."
"Eh!?" Hagakure uttered out in shock.
In front of them, Momo and Ochako had their backs to Mina but flinched the moment they heard that.
Mina noticed them and pouted.
"It's not nice to listen to other people's conversations, you know?"
Ochako and Momo looked back with small blushes on their faces from thinking that Mina kissed Izuku on the cheek.
Mina narrowed her eyes at them and pointed her finger at them.
"Look, I know you both have a thing for Midori."
Ochako's face turned beet red, and her eyes shot down, but Momo looked slightly calmer despite the visible blush on her face.
"You shouldn't just assume things." The black-haired beauty said.
"I mean, it's pretty obvious, though..." Hagakure sweatdropped.
"Well, if you don't, then good! I'm already calling dibs on him." Mina declared with a wave of her hand.
Momo and Ochako both got triggered.
"You can't call dibs on a person!" Ochako yelled.
"We've known him longer than you have!" Momo added.
Mina crossed her arms, "What's with you guys ganging up on me? Only one of you can have him, you know, so why are you both working together?"
Momo and Ochako both blushed and got quiet, looking down as they thought about it. Even they were all good friends, even if all of them were close, Izuku was only one person.
"In the end... who'll end up with him? What'll happen to the others that like him?" They both thought.
They both turned their heads to each other and sat silently in their seats, staying quiet and thinking about that question in their thoughts.
"Looks like I brought them back to reality…" Mina thought as she sat back in her seat, just as equally sad to think about making any of her friends sad too.
Izuku stood in the middle of the dark entrance tunnel of the arena, staring into the light in the distance. Both of his hands were tightened into fists as he prepared himself for what would be one of the most impactful challenges of his hero career.
"Young Midoirya!"
Izuku looked back and saw Toshinori waving to him as he neared.
"All Might?"
"How are you feeling this time?" The number one hero asked his successor as he stopped in front of him.
Izuku chuckled nervously, "Well..." He rose his right arm up to reveal that it was slightly shaking. "Even though I'm sure I feel ready, my body doesn't seem to agree."
Toshinori laughed, "You'll do fine! After all you've done up until now, I'm confident in your ability to fight young Enso as well!"
"Yeah, but I'm worried if just using 10% of One For All would be enough to beat him..." Izuku mumbled.
Toshinori poked a finger at him, "You don't have to rely completely on One For All, young Midoriya."
"Eh?" Izuku looked up at him.
"Heroes can be strong even without using their quirks. In fact, I believe that should be the case for many heroes. They need to be able to fight in different ways in the event that something happens where they can't use their quirk."
Toshinori pulled up his shirt to reveal his large scar, "Me, I'm only as strong and able to save so many people just because of my quirk. Without it, I would be some skinny man with pro-hero knowledge, but unable to apply it to save someone because of the state of my body."
Toshinori then stuck his hands out to Izuku with a small smile, "But you... You're strong even without your quirk. Both you and Enso are martial artists, and both of you are quick thinkers that can hold their own without using your powers. The true Pros are always looking for people with talent without their quirks as well. After all, if you don't react fast enough, you can't save anyone at the moment, if you aren't clever enough, then you can't get out of bleak situations, and if you aren't courageous enough... then you'll hesitate, potentially letting someone in need out there fall victim."
Izuku stared in a mesmerized manner.
Toshinori steamed up and grew to his muscular size, holding his fist out to Izuku.
"What I'm trying to say... Is that use your head! Use everything you have, not just your quirk! I'm sure that young Enso will do the same! Go out there and continue to tell the world that... 'I Am Here'!"
Izuku smiled determinedly.
"I'll make you proud, All Might!"
All Might just let out his echoing heroic laugh. "I'm already proud of you my boy" He patted his shoulder. "Now get out there and show them, no... show young Enso what you can do!"
Izuku held his hand into a fist and smiled. "Will do."
The contenting boy turned and faced the light of the stadium, taking a deep breath before taking steps towards his fate.
~{At the same time}~
Enso walked into his side of the dark tunnel that led into the arena, rotating his arms with his usual cold expression.
It was finally time, time for the most crucial battle regarding his student. Time to see just how far he's progressed with all of his training.
His footsteps echoed in the long corridor, his glimmering red eyes emitting a red glow in the darkness as he headed for the light ahead.
"Enso-kun, a moment."
Hearing that name addressed to him, Enso's eye twitched, but it wasn't the sound of a chef that said that it was the sound of an abomination.
He looked back and saw Principal Nezu walking to him with his hands behind his back and a cheerful smile.
"Why are you calling me that?" Enso crouched down to his level.
"I heard Lunch Rush call you that and thought that it had such a nice ring to it. I didn't know you two were close." Nezu chuckled.
"...Why are you here?" Enso asked him.
Nezu went up to him and use a paw to pat Enso's head, "Now, now, I came to wish you luck."
"Shouldn't you be doing that to the successor that is Izuku?" Enso responded, not even paying mind to the principal patting him.
"That's for All Might. I'm technically the one responsible for you after all, just as he is responsible for Midoriya."
"I'm pretty sure that all the staff should be responsible for every student." Enso pointed out.
"You know what I mean." Nezu responded.
Enso removed Nezu's palm from his head and stood back up to his feet, staring down at the principal.
"So... You want me to beat Izuku?"
"No, I want you to give the world your Plus Ultra." Nezu chuckled.
"..."
Enso turned his back to the principal and started marching down the tunnel. "I suppose I should..."
Nezu grinned, "This is the battle he's really going to take seriously."
The four pots in the corners of the arena erupted with flames.
"Finally, we're off to the first match of the semi-finals! Are you guys ready!?" Present Mic shouted, excited himself for the upcoming battle.
The two competitors walked out of both entrances in the arena.
Izuku walked out into the light, keeping his head forward with the most focused expression he's ever had before.
Enso came out with a simple emotionless look, keeping his head forward too as the crowd cheered for both sides.
Mina stood up from her seat and waved at Izuku.
"Midori! You can win!"
Ochako stood up and joined her. "Go, Deku!"
On the other side of the arena, Lunch Rush energetically waved his flags, "Go Enso-kun! I like Midoriya, but I'm rooting for you!"
"You can do it, Midori!" Hagakure called out.
Momo looked slightly worried but still smiled down at Izuku.
"I hope Midoriya-chan wins." Tsu mumbled with a finger on her chin.
Jiro just turned red when she saw Izuku, remembering the restroom incident earlier. She had changed out of her cheerleading uniform and hoped that Izuku would never ask her why she kept wearing it in the first place.
But thinking about that incident also made her feel slightly happy, remembering the nice things he said to her.
"Win... You idiot..." The girl mumbled.
Mineta and Kaminari had blank looks on their faces, noticing every single girl's reactions.
"We really need to talk to Midoriya for advice."
"Good luck Midoriya! Show him your stuff!" Kendo cheered from her class.
"Kendo!? How could you cheer for him!?" Monoma exclaimed in shock.
In the back of the audience, Mei grinned and put on her goggles, giggling madly as she zoomed in on Izuku.
Shinso narrowed his eyes down at Enso, still think about the final words the boy said before knocking him out.
Everyone was anxious.
"Whoa, look Kamui. Those two are finally against each other." Death Arms said to his fellow pro hero while eating a hotdog.
Kamui looked up at the giant screen and saw Enso and Izuku walking to the arena.
"Both have shown superior abilities compared to all of the other students... But I'm still not sure that I would want to invite him..."
"You're still saying that?" Mount Lady asked while holding a bag of popcorn. "Lighten up. That edgy boy has already proven himself more than enough. If you don't invite him, then I might."
Kamui didn't pay any mind to her and crossed his arms, staring up at the screen.
"Let's see how this turns out..."
Dabi set his television to record the battle using his remote, laying back comfortably on the couch with his eyes focused on the screen.
"I wonder what'll happen..."
Toga, on the other hand, played with a knife in her hand while grinning madly, her yellow eyes shining menacingly in an unhealthy interest to Izuku.
"I really do hope that I see more... Show me more... Midoriya..." She giggled.
Dabi sweatdropped.
"Tomura, pay very close attention to this battle. I have no doubt that the peak of both their abilities will truly shine in this battle." The static voice on Shigaraki's computer spoke.
"Tch... I don't want to Sensei..." Shigaraki whined.
"Don't say that, Tomura. You have to learn more about your opponent... And you'll learn much more about them soon enough." The voice chuckled.
"Something... feels off about Sensei. I've never seen him get this... 'invested' before..."
Inko's house was basically flooded at this point with tears, the woman herself underwater with it.
"Izuuuuukuuuuuuuu!" Inko shouted in a comedic watery voice.
Both of them stepped onto the arena.
Both kept walking until they were a few feet away, staring at one another in silence.
"I'm sure many of you have been waiting for this matchup to come! Well, now it's here!"
The crowd cheered with their hands up.
"On one side, the hero course student that made quite the impression on everyone so far! The one who won in the first two games and just keeps on winning! It's Izuku Midoriya!"
Izuku rotated his shoulder.
"On the other side, also in the hero course, the one that got second place in the race but then kept moving on with no problem at all! It's Enso Ureshi!"
Enso moved some of his long hair from his face.
"Who will end the other's streak? Who will move on to the final round!? Who is gonna break their arm again?! Let's find out!"
Ignoring that last question directed at him, Izuku just kept his eyes on Enso.
"So... We're finally are…" Enso said to him.
Izuku couldn't help but form a small smile from being reminded of how far he had come.
"Yeah... We both got to this point like we thought we would."
"But now, one of us has to lose..." Enso opened his hands and moved his foot forward, slowly getting into a fighting position.
Izuku's serious look returned as he balled his hands into fists. He got into his own fighting stance.
"That's not going to be me! I'm going to keep my promise and beat you! I'm going to show you just how much stronger I've gotten!"
Enso narrowed his eyes, "I know how much stronger you've gotten, I trained you after all."
"Then I'll just prove that I'm strong enough to beat you right here, right now!"
"Hold on to your seats!"
Izuku's body lit up with One For All.
Enso's body lit up with a yellow aura.
"LET'S ROCK!"
Both dash at each in blinding speeds, meeting directly in the center of the arena.
And they clashed.