I hope everyone is doing alright during these tough times. This whole quarantine has my schedule messed up, and adjusting to online classes is a bigger pain. Not to mention I have to use my laptop because I'm not home as of now. Hope this chapter makes your day a little better and please take care and stay healthy.
Chapter 11
The Hell Matches
"Nervous?" Darby asked, sitting down next to Kachidoki in the bleachers. He looked rather tense, and one could tell due to how much he would touch his hair.
"Me? Please, what do you take me for, Nishikawi? My opponent might be strong, but don't forget it's me who we're talking about here." He said with a confident smirk."Besides, class 1-B is already finished. Had Ojiro and that one kid from 1-B not withdrawn from the competition, this wouldn't even be happening."
"You're overconfident, Kachidoki." Tokoyami chimed in from a few seats apart."Tetsutetsu seems to have a formidable Quirk, according to Kirishima himself, similar to his."
"Not to mention he seems..awfully pissed off at you, dude." Kaminari whispered to him."What did you even do to the guy?"
"Why would I even waste my efforts in doing something to him?" He drawled, hands behind his back.
"Well, he seemed upset that you were getting close to that orange-haired girl." Mina pointed out before grinning."Oho! Could it be that he's jealous and wants to settle this in a duel with you? That's so dreamy! I've never seen two guys fighting over a girl!"
"Really? Kendo-san?" Darby said in shock."I mean, I knew you guys were an item, but damn. You work fast. I suppose you two being childhood friends just make things easier, huh?"
"Put a sucket in it, would you? Midoriya's fight is about to start." He grumbled, lowering his head."Besides, I'm still having that problem, remember? It's not easy to make that kind of decision."
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Darby quirked a brow in confusion.
"Oh, right. You weren't there that day." He waved his hand, going back to focusing on the current fight going on."Don't worry about it."
"Ah, come on. We're friends right?" Darby said with a cheeky smile."Surely you can tell me this problem of yours."
After watching Midoriya falling into Shinso's mind control and noticing his classmates paying attention to it, he sighed and leaned closer to Darby.
"You see, I...sort of have a crush on another girl other than Itsuka. Don't give me that shit-eating grin, by the way." He scowled upon seeing Darby's expression."If I even told Mineta about this, it's a giving I would tell you too."
"So, is she cute? I mean, Kendo-san is pretty cute and if you're having second thoughts about it, then I imagine this girl must be ultra-cute."
"Can you stop messing around?" He shot him an annoyed glare."Yes, she is cute. But that's beside the point. It's just...I don't know. It feels weird. I've known them both since I was a little kid but I met them under different circumstances. Now after all this time, I thought I would never see Itsuka again, but lord and behold, she goes to the same school as me. And we're literally next door to each other."
"I imagine that this oth-" Darby's voice was cut off after everyone began cheering for Midoriya after he miraculously turned the tables on Shinso and manhandled him."I imagine this girl must also come to this school? What class is she in?"
"She's older than us, that's all I can say. But never mind that, I'll figure something out."
"Dude, are you sure you're not trying to get yourself a harem?" Darby laughed before receiving a punch in the arm.
"God, no. I would never dream of that." He shook his head."I could never do something to either of them. If I ever meet my soulmate, I would love them no matter what. And no one else."
"Amen to that, brother. Screw the harems." Darby froze up after he felt Mineta glaring at him dangerously."Cut it out!"
"You never say that again! A harem is anything a man could ever desire!" He ranted on."Feeling multiple boobs in your hands is something only the best of the best can accompl-"
"Pervert." Jiro spat once she hit him with one of her jacks."You are a good guy, Nishikawi. Don't let people like Mineta and Kaminari taint you with their pervertedness."
"What did I do?!" Kaminari seemed offended by was ignored.
Now, it was Aoyama's turn to battle Todoroki, and everyone was, understandably, on edge.
"Aoyama, I think you should just give up." Kachidoki bluntly said."No way in hell you can beat someone like Todoroki. You'll get eaten alive other there."
"I appreciate your concern for me, monsieur, but this is a challenge I must take!" He proudly stated, walking out of the resting area. What followed next was next to unfair. Aoyama shot his Naval Laser as much as he could but Todoroki just dodged anything he threw at him. He muttered something under his breath before freezing the blonde, rendering him immobilized.
"At least he tried." Sero stammered, feeling a chill running down his spine."Wouldn't want to have been on his shoes."
"Yep." Everyone said simultaneously.
"Who knows, maybe you really are the only one that can take Todoroki on." Kaminari snickered.
"THE HELL DO YOU MEAN THE ONLY ONE?! I'M RIGHT HERE!" Bakugo snapped, nearly grabbing Kaminari.
"No, no. Give Bakugo credit where it's due. Bastard's pretty strong." Kachidoki smirked, earning a scoff from Katsuki."In the meantime, it seems Todoroki has Midoriya on his sights rather than us."
"Yo, Nishikawi." Kaminaro waved at Darby."It's our turn to fight. We should probably go get ready."
"Oh? Right. I forgot that my fight was third." Darby got up and waved his classmates goodbye. As he began walking away, he felt as though someone was staring at him. He looked over his shoulder and realized Monoma was giving him a smug look.
"I truly wish you the very best in this fight. I'm sure you noticed the order of the brackets earlier. If we both win our matches, that means we will be facing each other soon enough."
"For that, we have to win first." Darby pointed out with a blank expression on his face.
"Hahaha! Now, that's a familiar look." Monoma mocked."You and Kodai have more in common than I thought. Oh well. See you in the second rounds, Romeo."
"Don't listen to his stupid remarks, Nishikawi." Kaminari walked back and placed a hand on his shoulder."Let's just go and show everyone what we from class 1-A can do."
"Kaminari..." Darby breathed before smiling back."Yeah. Sounds like a plan to me."
"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot." Kaminari went over to the wall and tried crossing to the other side."I wanted to talk to that cutie with the green hair over there!"
"M-me?" Shiozaki pointed at herself.
"Yeah! How about you and I go grab a bite together after this whole thing is over? My treat!"
"Dude, he's hitting on Shiozaki." Awase muttered with disdain.
"And looks like someone is not too happy about it." Rin looked over to his left and saw Hoshi fuming in rage."If you got something to say, go say it."
"Yeah...stop waiting for us to tell you stuf...and start acting on your own conditions..." Yasukage said as he ate another handful of popcorn.
"You guys think I should? Alright." Hoshi stood up and pointed at Kaminari."Motherfucker! You do not talk to Shiozaki like she's just a dunce girl who would fall for dumb guys like you! Now do yourself a favor and get on with your stupid match before I kick your fucking ass!"
"WHAT DID YOU SA-"
"Alright, alright. That's enough." Darby grabbed Denki by the collar of his shirt and pulled him away."They hate us enough as it is. Let's just go and get ready."
Hoshi took a deep breath and sat back down on his chair. He received praise from his classmates and even a round of applause from Monoma and Tetsutetsu.
"Thank you for...sticking up for me, Hoshi," Ibara said with a smile. This, however, was short-lived and he grimaced as he prepared for what was coming."But that's not an excuse to use such profanity! You know well it is a sin to curse other people like that."
"Sorry..." Hoshi lowered his head."I'll go confess my sins later today so...would you like to come with me? So we can give a little prayer and thank the Lord he gave us a chance at victory in this event?"
Ibara's mouth gaped slightly, not sure where that had come from. She shook her head, allowing a smile to grace her lips."I would love to, Hoshi."
"Was that their way of agreeing to go on a date?" Tetsutetse whispered to Yasukage, who simply shrugged.
Sports Festival Stadium, Noon, Arena
"NOW, INTRODUCING THE LUNATIC BOY THAT LIKES TO KISS THE GROUND WHENEVER HE CAN! YOU HAVE TO THROW THIS ONE HARD ENOUGH TO MAKE HIM FLY! FROM CLASS 1-A, DARBY NISHIKAWI!"
"Seriously? My ideas aren't that crazy." Darby grumbled as he went up to the arena.
"On the other side, also from clas 1-A! HE'S ELECTRIC AND IS NOT SCARED TO SHOCK EVERYONE WITH HIS WITS! ALSO A MAJOR PLAYER, DON'T THINK WE DIDN'T SEE YOU, BOY! I GIVE YOU DENKI KAMINARI!"
"Okay, now that wasn't cool." Kaminari's shoulder slumped."I was just trying to ask her out!"
Back in the bleachers, Midoriya got his notebook ready and was reading any notes he had on Darby and Denki.
"So, Midoriya, who do you think is going to win between those two?" Ojiro asked him curiously.
"It's hard to say for certain." Midoriya grumbled as he took another look at Darby's notes."Kaminari will probably try to end the match as quickly as possible. And knowing Nishikawi, he most certainly would want to act upon the action. It all comes down to-"
"They started!" Ochako's sudden yell cut Midoriya off.
"Let's make this a fun fight, Kaminari!" Darby said with a grin.
Kaminari grinned back before preparing himself for his attack."Sorry, Nishikawi! But I'll make this quick! Indiscriminate shock 1.3 Million Volts!" As he brought his hands down, a huge thunderstorm of actual thing went after Darby.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Darby got on his knees, manifesting his Black Spheres and phasing two through each palm and mending them into a bigger version of his Black Umbrella. The thunder impacted, but went right around the shield, leaving Darby unscathed.
"Huh?" Kaminari mumbled, already losing it.
With a loud battle cry, Darby began running close to the ground so his feet would get electrocuted and tackled Kaminari with his shield, pushing him off then arena before he could realize what was happening around him.
"And...that's it?!" Present Mic wondered aloud.
"Kaminari is out of bounds! The winner of this match is Darby!" Midnight rose her hand, announcing the end of the match.
The spectators began to cheer for Darby, prompting him to scratch the back of his neck."Jeez...I wasn't expecting that to actually work."
"Ah, so that's what you meant, Midoriya." Ojiro folded his arms, amazed at what he had seen.
"Yup. Darby's Black Spheres are really bizarre, to say the least. I wasn't expecting them not to be good conductors for electricity."
On class 1-B's side, Monoma was sitting leisurely in his chair, legs crossed."Not a bad show. He's certainly fast on his feet. You must be happy for him, Kodai."
Yui shot him a glare before turning back to smile at Darby. She knew her smile probably looked goofy, and some of her classmates might find it odd, but she didn't care.
"But you know, I am happy he won as well." Monoma interrupted her train of thought."
"Whatever do you mean?" Yanagi looked up from her phone along with Yasukage."I was informed about your mutual hate for Nishikawi. Wouldn't it be contradictory for you to cheer for his success?"
"Not really. I wanted him to win because I want to crush him myself." Monoma said sinisterly."All I have to do is beat that red-headed buffoon so I can get my promised match."
"Assuming you even get to defeat him." Setsuna scoffed, arms crossed under her chest.
"Actually, I gave him some good hints at how he should deal with him." Tetsutetsu said as he stood up, ready to depart to his match."Monoma is incredible at hand to hand combat. What he does next is entirely up to him. Against an enemy like that guy, it will take more than simple punches to defeat him."
"So, you two really are hell-bent in defeating your opponents." Hoshi commented, earning a nod from both of them."Well, as long as you guys take our class to the top, it should be okay, right, Rin?"
"Sure, whatever." Rin said absently."Your match is with that Kachidoki guy, right? Do you have any advice for him, Kendo?"
Itsuka flinched. She knew this was coming. She lowered her gaze, clenching her fists.
"Guys, come on! We shouldn't be doing this to her!" Pony cried out in attempts to defuse the situation.
"It's okay Pony!" Itsuka said with a forced smile."It's only fair. We are classmates after all. Well...Takashi...well, he-"
"Enough, Kendo." Tetsutetsu boomed."I don't need any help to take down Kachidoki. I'll beat him on my own accords." He began to walk away, leaving his classmates in total silence.
"So, what are you two doing?" Hoshi chuckled awkwardly at Reiko and Nagito.
"We are...watching a podcast...about people sharing their horror...stories..." Yasukage and Yanagi were now connected by two earphones, watching the screen of Yanagi's phone.
"Sounds interesting." He grinned, leaning closer to them."What's the one you're hearing about right now?"
"Well, we are currently hearing about a theory of why people wake from their slumber at 3 in the morning." Yanagi began explaining."You see, it could be due because someone is watching you. Human beings can tell when they are being observed. And who could be observing you that late at night?"
"Uh...I see.." His face was now completely blue, nearly passing out on his chair."Guess I'm not sleeping tonight..."
Sports Festival, Stadium, Hallways, Noon
Kachidoki was walking down to the prep room. He only needed to recharge his need a little bit, to make sure he was in top condition and had enough power to blast through his match. He was confident in his victory and cursed the fact that he couldn't have been the one to face off against Todoroki or even Bakugo. But soon that would change after he beat this kid from the other class.
"What a troublesome dilemma this is." He muttered under his breath. If what Ashido had said was true, then Tetsutetsu would be fighting with his heart, instead of his head. Or perhaps both but in the wrong way. Regardless, he had to climb the brackets to make it to the top and that bothered him. It was a lengthy subject and he preferred to be relaxing back at him but here he is.
"What's with that look on your face, son?" Noburo's voice boomed from behind Takashi. He looked over his shoulder, his father towering over him."You look deep in thought."
"No reason, father. Just thinking about my future matches. It's just time-consuming. But I guess it can't be helped."
"It's good to be confident, son, but do not forget that confidence can also be a hindrance to you in battle." Vermilion Ray walked up to his son and put a hand on his shoulder. Takashi shuddered in disgust and was waiting for the opportunity to disinfect his shoulder later on."You'll be facing powerful foes. But I expect you to overcome them with your power. You are above these people, Takashi. Go show them what the Kachidoki Family can do."
"Very well. I know what I must do." He walked out of his father's grasp and continued his way.
"That girl. Itsuka Kendo, was it? I see you both managed to reconnect after all these years." Noburo called out to Takashi.
Takashi stopped dead on his tracks, not daring to say a word.'It's because of YOU that we couldn't talk for all these years, scumbag!'
"I hope you are not getting too attached to her." Noburo's expression turned into a frown."You understand the family rules, do you not? Just because your grandfather is no longer with us doesn't mean the traditions are gone as well. And your uncle too."
Takashi clenched his fists tightly, his teeth gritting to the point where he thought they would fall off. He resumed his walking, ignoring the rest of whatever his father had to say to him.
Sports Festival, Stadium, Noon
"FROM THE HERO COURSE IN CLASS 1-A, THE LAID BACK KID WHO NEEDS TO PARTICIPATE MORE IN MY CLASS! THE FURIOUS MANIAC WITH A HAPPY TRIGGER, TAKASHI KACHIDOKI! AND ALSO FROM THE HERO COURSE! A HARD BODY WITH A SOFT HEART! FROM CLASS 1-B, TETSUTETSU TETSUTETSU!"
Both contestants stood in their respective place, eying one another.
"Are you ready?" Midnight asked them both, receiving a firm nod.
"BEGIN!"
"I must admit, I'm highly impressed by your confidence. Tetsutetsu, was it?" Takashi chuckled humorously."I'm sorry. I tend to forget the name of the nobodies. I'm sure you understand."
Tetsutetsu spat at the ground, hardening his fists in a similar matter to Kirishima but with the only difference being him turning into steel. He began running over to Kachidoki, who simply rose a hand in defense a fired a neon blast, causing a small explosion.
"See? Not a big del-What?" He observed in detail as Tetsutetsu had his arms crossed in front of him as he kept running."Tch! Persistent pest!" Takashi kept shooting neon balls, but Tetsutetsu kept tanking each attack with ease. Once Tetsutetsu reached his target, he delivered a powerful punch at Kachidoki's stomach, sending him crashing against the ground.
"TETSUTETSU TAKES THE FIRST MOVE! AND HE'S LITERALLY WALKING THROUGH KACHIDOKI'S ATTACKS!"
Next to him, Aizawa frowned upon seeing his student on the floor."You can do better than this, Kachidoki."
"Hahahaha! Did you see that, class 1-A?!" Monoma laughed aloud in his seat.
Kachidoki gritted his teeth, sitting up from his position."Lucky shot. But believe me, I won't let this go by just like that!"
"Stop talking and fight me, damn it!" Tetsutetsu turned off his Quirk and towered over Kachidoki.
"You think you're so tough that you're Quirk isn't worthy of me...don't mess with me!" Kachidoki dashed over to Tetsutetsu and delivered a right hook but was easily block by Tetsutetsu. He kneed him in the gut and grabbed him by his shirt. With a loud scream, Tetsutetsu threw him with strength alone to the ground. Takashi spat saliva after the impact and had little time to react to a punch flying over to his face. He activated his neon mantle and used its speed increase to move out of the way and jump back to his feet.
"Taking me seriously yet? You're not gonna beat me in hand to hand combat." Tetsutetsu mocked him.
Kachidoki was breathing hard, still recovering from the hard impact he had received. He gritted his teeth and activate his neon mantle once more, moving swiftly behind Tetsutetsu who was already hardened in steel. Kachidoki jumped high enough for his kick to connected against Tetsutetsu's neck, however, he quickly blocked it with both of his arms. Wasting no time, Tetsutetsu grabbed by the ankle and smashed him against the hard concrete, causing his mantle to dissipate.
"Damn you!" Kachidoki began fired multiple neon blasts at Tetsutetsu, but he withstood all of them and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt with both arms, throwing him away once more.
Class 1-A was both amazed and worried. Bakugo had an unreadable expression, but he didn't dare to say a word.
"Man, this is bad, isn't it?" Mineta stammered."Kachidoki is getting man-handled over there!"
"Yeah, and he's one of our strongest too..." Ashido was uncharacteristically concerned."If he loses..."
"Yes, but it's strange." Momo was rubbing her chin thoughtfully."Why is he still attempting in taking his foe in hand-to-hand combat when he knows he's completely outmatched?"
"That's Kachidoki for you." Darby grimaced at the sight of his friend on the floor."He's having one of his moments and is probably too damn stubborn to go all out against Tetsutetsu."It's no secret that his personality changes in battle. But I've never seen him like this before."
"If he does not get his shit together, he's going to lose," Kirishima commented, earning a nod from Darby.
"Normally, Kachidoki's relentless attacks would work on a regular opponent. But against someone like Tetsutetsu or Kirishima, this isn't as simple." Midoriya broke his silence with his usual muttering."His steel body is able to withstand his neon attacks and since he's able to do that, he can get close to Kachidoki in a matter of seconds, leaving him vulnerable."
"Makes sense." Ojiro nodded in agreement."I might not have seen him in action before besides at USJ, but I know he can do better than what he is right now."
"So, it's a matter of time before he goes serious." Iida adjusted his glasses.
"Either that, or he will be too late and be consumed by his arrogance," Tokoyami said somberly. His words were true and no one seemed to deny his claim. Darby turned back to his friend's fight. By now, Kachidoki and Tetsutetsu were trying to push each other, shoulder to shoulder.
"THEY'RE MAKING IT A CONTEST OF STRENGHT!" PRESENT MIC ANNOUNCED EXCITEDLY.
Tetsutetsu was shorter than Kachidoki by a bit, but the steel boy had more muscle mass, making him wider in comparison.
"When it comes to strength, I have you beat too!" Tetsutetsu activated his Quiek, his body covering him in steel. With a powerful push, he knocked Kachidoki off his feet, beating him in strength. He leaped over to his fallen opponent, deactivating his Quirk as he sat on his stomach.
Tetsutetsu yelled, announcing the beginning of his attack once his fist connected with Kachidoki's right cheek.
The neon user turned back to face him slowly with an expression of disbelief, blood running down his mouth."How fucking dar-"
Tetsutetsu silenced him with another punch to the face. This time, he kept going and going. Takashi couldn't even respond this such attacks. All he had left was to try and withstand them.
"And now, to put you to sleep!" Tetsutetsu hardened his right fist to deliver the finishing blow.
Kachidoki growled like a madman, putting both his hands behind his enemy's back and firing a potent neon blast that knocked him off his feet.
"That's it!" Kachidoki activated his neon mantle and began running in circles around Tetsutetsu, firing a barrage of neon blasts consistently.
"FINALLY, KACHIDOKI GOES ON THE OFFENSIVE!"
Kachidoki kept running in circles, not allowing his opponent to even move a muscle. He stopped for a second, quickly leaping into the air with his new boosted agility and began spinning in circles rapidly, gaining momentum. Tetsutetsu sighed in relief once he felt the attacks stopped, but noticed a shadow above him getting closer and closer. He barely had time to look up when a back kick connected against his skull, forcing him to his knees.
With a smirk, Takashi jumped back, calling back his neon mantle. He painfully kneeled down, rubbing his right leg."Even with my neon mantle, that still hurt me. I probably won't be able to move as fast anymore, but...it's over."
Tetsutetsu grumbled, moving his head with his hands away from the crater he had created after the impact."That was a nice attack. But don't underestimate me! That wasn't even close to finishing me off!"
"You're kidding me..." Kachidoki bit his lower lip."Am I really going to have to try? Only one thing to do now..." He pulled his arms back before swinging them forward, firing multiple balls of neon at his opponent.
"NEON STORM: RAPID FIRE!" Kachidoki cried out as he kept firing like a Gatling gun. The attacks produced a cloud of purple smoke that began covering the entire arena and was dangerously close in reaching the spectators.
"What is he doing?!" Jiro squinted her eyes in an attempt to see what was going on through the smoke.
"He's probably getting desperate." Kirishima responded."He hasn't dealt major damage to Tetsutetsu so far."
"So he'd rather waste away all his neon than fighting for real?" Tsuyu said, rubbing her chin with her finger.
'Come on, Kachidoki...' Momo frowned, clenching her hands together.
A powerful elbow broke Kachidoki from his concentration, sending him crashing against the floor yet again. He couldn't see his opponent through the smoke, and that was really freaking him out.
"With this smoke you made, you won't be able to see me! You're through!"
"No, but I can hear you, you moron!" Laying on his back, Kachidoki aimed his arms at the direction of the voice and fired two purple beams at his target.
"FULL POWER: DOUBLE X CANON!" Kachidoki roared as he unleashed even more power. Tetsutetsu could only scream away as his steel body began to break.
"I CAN'T MOVE!" He cried out, moving his legs frantically but could not touch the floor."He's going to push me away!" He screamed as he was almost thrown out of the stadium, only saved by Cementos creating a giant wall.
Tetsutetsu landed harshly on the floor, deactivating his Quirk.
"Tetsutetsu is out of bounds! The winner of this match is Takashi Kachidoki!" Midnight announced just before the crowd began cheering loudly.
"That boy is Vermillion Ray's son, isn't he?" A hero asked another.
"Yeah! He's the younger heir of the family!"
"He certainly packs a punch, much like his father and his sister. It's too bad he'll most likely go to his father's agency. I would have loved to have him as a sidekick."
But those words went empty to Takashi's ears. He was breathing heavily, eyes wide. He turned to where Tetsutetsy laid, unconscious. He began laughing uncontrollably, his eyes widened even more than before and they almost seemed as though they were going to pop out.
"See?! Hahahaha! I told you! You are nothing to me! Nothing!" Kachidoki laughed historically, his smirk becoming sadistic as he covered his eyes with his palm."Learn your place, scum!"
"Kachidoki!" He heard his name being called. He slowly removed his palm away from his eyes and looked over to where his friends were. They were cheering for him, most of them at least. His smirk quickly dissipated, his breathing slowly calming down and returning to normal. He shifted his gaze over to where his father was, shooting him a cocky grin.
"Do you see, father? Just as you wanted, I will be the best!" He laughed dryly as he made his way away from the arena, leaving the crowd to cheer after him.
Sports Festival, Bleachers, Noon
"Tch." Monoma clicked his tongue in annoyance."I can't believe Tetsutetsu was beaten by Kachidoki. It makes no sense."
"He might have stood a better chance than most in our class, but Kachidoki managed to hurt Tetsutetsu with those powerful attacks of his," Ibara observed.
"Yeah." Was the only thing Rin could say.
"You must be glad, Kendo." Kamakiri crossed his arms."You too, Shoda. Surely you wouldn't have lasted longer against that guy. No offense."
"I am glad he won. But I'm also glad Tetsutetsu gave it his all. Both of them fought admirably." Kendo closed her eyes, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone.
"Admirably?" Juzo looked genuinely flabbergasted.
"He literally was too egotistical to put any effort into that fight and was losing it after he kept getting bodied!" Hoshi exclaimed, earning a smack in the back of the head by Ibara.
"I...agreed..." Yasukage shared a quick glance with Reiko."Besides...did you guys see him...at the end...? He was acting...really strangely..."
"What could that be, I wonder?" Monoma rubbed his chin with his hand."Maybe he is a sore loser? Or perhaps there's something else going on, Kendo? You've known him longer than anyone else, so perhaps you know about his peculiar behavior."
"He..." Kendo was having troubled choosing her words. Truth be told, she had never seen Kachidoki act this way before. When she would beat him up during sparring, he would often just pout and get mad at her, but it was short-lived most of the time. This time, it was different. It was as if he was thriving over Tetsutetu's defeat. His laugh. His crazed laugh had scared her. Just what had happened to him?
"Hey, leave her alone, Monoma" Setsuna stood up, her face contorted in anger."I'm sick and tired of you constantly pushing this onto Kendo or Kodai! You have no right to manipulate their feelings like this!"
"I do apologize if it seems that way." Monoma waved his hand dismissively."Regardless, I must be prepared for my fight. I am..." Monoma stood up in front of his classmates, turning around with his hand covering his right upper face."...class 1-B's last hope!"
Sports Festiva, Class 1-A Bleachers, Noon
"You think Kachidoki is alright?" Momo sat next to Darby."I just...this is completely new. I've never seen him this way before."
"I hope he is." Darby glanced around the arena, noticing Monoma and Kirishima walking up to face each other."I'm sure he just got too much into the fight for his own good. And we both know how much he loves his pride. Besides, he told me he's having issues with his "love life". Maybe it's getting to him."
"Yes, he talked to me about that as well." Momo recalled."I suppose there's no use in keeping that a secret from you. He talked to me about his circumstances with both of the girls he mentioned. But he also mentioned some of his family affairs."
"Did it have to do with his brother and father?" He waited for her to nod before continuing."Figures. There's something really going on with him and his family. I'm going to go see if I can talk with his dad."
"You don't want to watch the match?" Momo said in surprise.
"I do, but I feel like I might not like the results, so I want to prolong that for as long as possible."
"What do you mean?" She cocked her head."Do you think that...Monoma can defeat Kirishima?"
"It's just a hunch, taking into consideration the skill Monoma showcased during the Cavalry Battle. But I could be wrong. Either way, one of our class has to settle things with him." Darby gave her a small smile before leaving.
Meanwhile, the fight was just about to begin. Kirishima had his usually grin on his face, while Monoma showcased his smug expression.
"Are you both ready?" Midnight inquired, earning a firm nod from both boys.
"BEGIN!"
"It's too bad I'm your opponent." Kirishima cracked his knuckles, hardening them afterward."I was hoping to see Nishikawi kicked your ass for what you did to us during the Cavalry Battle. But guess I'll just have to do it myself."
"Oh? You think you can beat me? You guys in class 1-A are all just full of yourselves, aren't you?" Monoma began taking a few steps back."That's not very "manly" of yours, now is it?"
"Alright, you're asking for it!" Kirishima sprinted towards Monoma, who had stopped walking backward and simply extended his hands. When Kirishima went for a right hook, Monoma diverted his fists, just how he had done with Bakugo. Immediately, he copied Kirishima's Quirk and hardened his body. With his enchanted strength, he grabbed Kirishima by the shirt and tossed him behind him with all his might. Due to Monoma having walked backward at the beginning, Kirishima had no room to avoid falling off the arena and landing on his face.
"Kirishima is out of bounds! The winner is Neito Monoma!"
"WHAT?!" Everyone from 1-A screamed in unison.
"No way! He took him out just like that?!" Kaminari stood up from his chair.
"That asshole...!" Bakugo couldn't hide his astonishment."He had it planned out since the beginning. Shitty hair just walked right into the lion's den and thanks to his Quirk, that guy managed to get a strength boost that was more than enough to throw him out from that angle he was at."
"But Kirishima just...lost..." Hagakure said with worry.
"I cannot believe this myself." Iida was done analyzing the fight. He turned to his classmates, his features softening."It can't be helped. As his classmates, we must support Kirishima. Whether he lost or not."
"Iida is right!" Uraraka tried to cheer her friends up."He might not have had a fighting chance, but he made it this far. When he comes back, we'll welcome him!"
Monoma walked up to Kirishima, who was laying on his back with his arm covering his eyes."That wasn't a bad show. It is too bad that I have experience fighting and was able to see your linear movements. Had you faced Tetsutetsu instead, you might have had a chance at victory. Normally, I would be a good sport and say good fight, but it wasn't even that." Monoma's emotionless expression slowly turned into a small smirk as he watched Kirishima's teeth trembling. With a small chuckle, he walked away from the arena.
"Damn it..." Kirishima muttered."I didn't even manage to land one blow...! I'm sorry, Nishikawi...but it looks like I failed in the end."
Sports Festival, Stadium, Hallways, Noon
Darby turned around, watching over his walked path."That's weird. Could have sworn someone said my name."
"Aniki! There you are!" Fujiwara power-walked over to Darby, dragging a familiar purple-hair boy with him.
"I said you don't need to drag me like this!" The boy who Darby identified as Shinso, the one who fought against Midoriya, removed Fujiwara's hand from his."Why are we here?"
"Darby-Aniki! I found this young man roaming in the hallways a few minutes ago and an idea clicked to me. After watching his fight, I learned of the incredible potential of his Quirk! Mind controlling would definitely help against the most atrocious villains! I want to become his sponsor."
"You keep saying that, but how can you sponsor me anyway?" Shinso quirked a brow in thought.
"I'm a future businessman, good sir! I will make sure to include you along with Aniki here and his girlfriend!"
"We are not dating."
"Regardless, I figured you could give us some advice, Aniki. You see, Shinso lost his match because he's not particularly efficient in hand-to-hand combat. We wanted to see if anyone could take him under his wing to further develop his skills and grow as a hero!"
"Ah, good idea. But allow me to introduce myself first." Darby walked up to Shinso and held his hand out."Darby Nishikawi. From the Hero Course."
Shinso looked from the palm to the owner and then back to the palm."What the hell." He muttered under his breath as he accepted the handshake."Hitoshi Shinso, from the General Studies Course. But I don't understand. Why would YOU want to help me? I talked smack about your class and even declared war on all of you. Furthermore, I used one of your classmates during the Calvary Battle."
"The whole war thing was a good call, in a way. Either if you hadn't done it, other people would have. Besides, we have too many wars amongst us as it is. Long story. As for the other part, you did what you could to make sure you made it far. No blaming you for that. Not to mention, you kind of remind me of me."
"How so?"
"We're both struggling with our Quirks." Darby activated his Black Spheres."You see, I can only manifest 4. And besides that, I'm not that great in hand-to-hand combat. My Quirk is pretty much useless and yet, I want to become a hero. I know it won't be easy, but I have to make do with what I have. And the same goes for you."
"For me? But...people think my Quirk is perfect for a villain. Being judged like that..."Shinso shook his head."I want to become a hero. I want to be the kind of hero I admire and I don't want my life to be shaped by the rumors of my Quirk."
"See, you have the right mentality. We have to stay true to ourselves and speak the truth through our actions. That is why I want to help you out, and if Fujiwara approves of you, then why not? Here, this my phone number. Text me after the Sports Festival is over and I'll hook you up."
"What do you have in mind?" Shinso inquired after finishing inputting Darby's info into his phone.
"I'll take with Aizawa-sensei. I'm sure he'll know what to do." Darby patted his shoulder."Trust me. With the help of someone as cool as him, you'll make it to the Hero Course in no time. Just as long as you don't take my place, though."
Shinso stifled a laugh, shaking his head."You are an odd guy, you know that?"
Darby shrugged, moving past them."Anyway, I have to go do something important. You guys finish whatever business or paperwork you have to do."
"Paperwork?" Shinso parroted before being hit in the stomach by a clipboard.
"You have to sign all these papers so we can begin our partnership! Let's make haste! Don't forget we have to look presentable for when we meet this sensei!"
"Give me a break..." Shinso sighed in exasperation.
