It was safe to say that none of the spectators expected of Yumi to emerge victorious from her second battle.
Most people had thought she would have easily lost against the all rounder that was Tokoyami Fumikage, but the redhead completely shattered their expectations as she advanced to the semi finals. She, a general ed student who hadn't drawn that much attention to herself in the sea of heroes in the making, up until the tournaments was now the talk of the stadium.
And Yumi figured that the whole of class A thought so, too, with how they greeted her when she returned to their section.
"Akano-san," They all looked her over. There weren't any major scratches on her and she didn't look hurt at all.
"Ne, ne, what?! What was that just now?!" Ashido, still grasping onto the adrenaline from watching the redhead's match, described in fascinated awe how amazing it was that she was able to maneuver out of Dark Shadow's swift attacks with her own impressive power.
It was different this time around from when she beat Aoyama because Tokoyami was acknowledged to be one of the strongest in his class, while Aoyama ranked just below the middle.
"That was so amazing, Yu-chan!" Ochako gushed with a bright beaming grin, as well, watching the strings of congratulations being released from her classmates.
"That was a pretty heated fight, it made my blood boil just from watching it!" Kirishima said, flashing his razor-sharp teeth at her in a grin and raising up a 'manly' fist in remark. His enthusiasm, however, was also lined with a thin sheet of veiled anxiety deep down since he knew that he was up against her in the semifinals.
"Congratulations, Akano-san." Yaoyorozu said with a wavering taint to her voice, pursing her lips once she finished speaking. Watching the girl from the general department known as Akano Yumi defeat the opponent she struggled to a pathetic extent with, only added to her feelings of inadequacy. She, a recommended student should have shown her worth during this event, but she failed everyone including herself.
"That was an outstanding performance."
Caught by surprise at the foreign class's words of encouragement, Yumi could only humbly nod her at them as she muttered an assertive, "Thank you."
She said nothing further because seeing that with Tokoyami following behind her, any bragging of her victory would be zealous.
"You were a formidable opponent." Said the raven-headed male with a polite tone, gracefully having come to terms with his defeat.
With a small smile, Akano replied. "Likewise."
Once the two began to make their ways to their seats, a chatter commenced amongst the class A students.
"Still, I really thought Tokoyami would win." Sero said louder than he intended to, and he was sure that Akano was close enough to hear him.
"Not me." Kaminari shook his head boisterously, imagining that sparkles were radiating off of his as he attempted to charm the red-haired girl with a lie. "Tokoyami may seem invincible, but I knew you'd win all along, Akano-chan!"
"Your pants are catching on fire, Kaminari-chan." Tsuyu bluntly said, coolly pointing out that the blonde was lying and that he even went at far as saying he would 'comfort' the redhead after she'd lose.
Yumi didn't mind the talk concerning her match though as she sat next to Uraraka and Midoriya. Iida being missing because his match against Bakugou was starting.
As much as people gushed in shock at her display of abilities, Yumi had to admit that she was the most surprised. Not at what she could do, but the fact that she'd finally jumped through that mental block and finally used her 'cursed' powers, on someone nonetheless.
'I really did it...'
And just like sea foam in the waves, all of her doubts had faded into oblivion.
It was funny, really. All these years, she'd been holding herself back out of guilt and fear, but it was actually her taking her own advice that she'd ironically given to Todoroki that had given her that one last push to overcome her doubts and try to accept her broken self as is.
"It was a well fought match!" Ochako commented with sparkling admiration for her friend as she looked her over. And Yumi, dragged out of her pondering, hummed in response. "Mm, it really was."
"I was on the edge of my seat the whole time though..." Added Uraraka with a relieved sigh.
The redhead took a second to notice that the two were fashioned in bandages after their matches, Midoriya's being far more aggressive due to his self harming Quirk. They even had patches of gauze stuck on the same cheeks, which she found quite amusing.
"Akano-san, I didn't know you hid such an amazing Quirk." Midoriya said in a calm voice, but the expression of incredibility didn't fade from his face. He had no answers as to why Akano was so incredibly powerful, far outclassing Tokoyami's strong Quirk, but he settled for her drawn out answer.
"It's not like it was my intention to hide it, I was just..." Yumi paused, her lower lip twitching before she shook her head. "Nevermind that- Ah, I see that you have matching bandages." She remarked with raised eyebrows. "That's kinda cute."
At her words, both Izuku's and Ochako's faces reddened considerably and they flailed their arms around as the boy sputtered out nonsense, trying to hide his face as his tongue stumbled over his teeth. Their exaggerated reactions only fueling the red haired telepath's amusement, and then she noted when Uraraka snapped out of her embarrassment once Present Mic's announcement was made.
"Iida-kun's match is starting!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together. The brunette was rooting for her bespectacled friend, especially after she'd lost to Bakugou in her first and last match, but she knew that the latter was a tough one to beat.
Uraraka's agitated state drew Akano's attention to the tournament stage, watching as Iida and Bakugou entered it while the blazing flames of the torches ignited at its corners.
Yumi came to know that Iida's insane speed was his strongest points, and if he played it like he did during the cavalry battle, he may just have a chance at intercepting Bakugou before any major attack was drawn out. Bakugou Katsuki was in no way weak or easy to defeat, but that just goes to show the raw capability that Iida had.
However, nothing with Bakugou was simple either, she came to conclude after watching his brutal match with Uraraka.
"Good luck, Iida-kun!" Both Midoriya and Uraraka encouraged in unison.
"Start!"
*
"Iida-kun..." Midoriya regretfully mumbled as he and his peers watched the battle's disappointing end.
Bakugou's dominating form was looming over the defeated Iida who inhaled sharply, back pressed against the cold cemented floors as he watched the threatening sparks igniting at the blonde's open palm.
"Iida-kun is immobilized! Bakugou-kun wins!
By no means was Iida weak during this match, in fact he'd showcased some of his finest moves yet. And he even further applied his Ricproburst to his combat style, going as far as to landing a pretty heavy hit on his opponent who was still processing everything under the pressure of his overwhelming speed. The bespectacled male had even devised a solid plan that would allow him to rise on top; it was to use his Ricproburst to quickly immobilize Bakugou and drag him out of bounds before the ten second limit would kick in. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he was still outperformed by Bakugou.
The ash blonde was still able to fight on equal grounds with the speedster even while under the effects of his accelerated speed. He had used his bombastic eruption to quickly evade attacks at the last second, waiting and analyzing at that short amount of time just before Iida's engines stalled and he was unable to move. And then it was an easy win for Bakugou.
What was impressive though, was that Bakugou didn't even know of Iida's special move until just now -since he'd only performed it in the cavalry battle against Midoriya and his team- and he still managed to counter it with a calm demeanor. And at that notion, Yumi's ginger brow twitched in realization that she'd underestimated the ash blonde boy...
"Iida, don't mind!" Kaminari shouted out to his bespectacled classmate to alleviate his mood, but he was quickly smacked at the back of his head by Mina. "Hey, don't get our class rep all depressed!"
"People shouted that out to me when I lost." Sero added in, frowning.
"My point exactly." She replied.
"With those vicious attacks, Bakugou advances to the third round!" Present Mic announced as the big screen flashed with the final two match-ups before the final round. "And that completes the final four!"
Everyone watched the screen and a few pairs of eyes immediately darted towards Akano, the others to the other redhead that was Kirishima Eijirou. The two were part of the final four- it was down to Todoroki vs. Bakugou and Akano vs. Kirishima.
The crowd was impressed with the lineup; not just because Akano was the only girl of the four finalists, but because she was the only one not belonging to the hero course or even class A to be exact. Those last two fights were to determine who would be competing in the finals, and although people had been looking forward to the Todoroki vs Bakugou match since the beginning, Yumi's latest display had somehow risen her to the top of the metaphorical food chain, in an abrupt fashion. Even now, there was still talk of her and her Quirk that hyped them even further for her next match.
Yumi remained quiet, a neutral expression on her face whilst her upcoming opponent only revealed his razor-sharp teeth in an excited smirk. She could only wonder how her parents must be feeling right now; probably overwhelmed with happiness and pride, clutching each other's hands for dear life so they wouldn't reach out for the phone to call and distract her.
While Kirishima got up, it was her que to prepare to leave, as well. But Yumi stopped for a moment when she heard Ochako speaking to her once more.
"It's really amazing that you've made it this far, Yu-chan..." Her words were genuine, not a hint of jealousy in place as she smiled softly at her taller friend. Just seeing Yumi's face up on that screen right next to Kirishima's, Bakugou's and even Todoroki's made her seem a thousand times more astounding.
"This far, huh?" The redhead replied and Ochako was taken by surprise by the nature of her amused grin that took place on her lips. "I'll be sure to win in this festival." She exclaimed just before standing up, a hand flying to briskly brush her candy-apple colored hair.
Yumi soon made her way out of the seating area, leaving the brunette with slightly widened eyes.
*
"The first match of the semifinals! It's one between our two redheads!"After the two contestants made their big entrances and got on the tournament stage, the crowds couldn't help but cheer wildly.
"From class C of the general studies -but don't be fooled, she cleared her two previous battles with ease! Akano Yumi!" As soon as those words left the Master of Ceremonies' mouth, the shouts of encouragement from the spectators got even louder, psyched after the girl's earlier performance. "And from 1-A, a boy whose resolve is as hard as his Quirk, Kirishima Eijirou!"
Kirishima stood proudly still, but Yumi could see through his tough facade and knew that he sustained real damage after his two previous fights. Her bright green eyes observed him from head to toe, her mind already crafting a simple plan as she quickly browsed through his head.
With a quick perk of her ginger brow, Yumi realized that she didn't even need her telepathy in this fight, since she'd already come to an understanding of the fellow redhead. He had a direct personality that showed through his tenacious and upfront fighting style.
"Let's do our best to make it a thrilling fight!" Kirishima loudly exclaimed, cutting through Akano's thoughts as she saw him pump his fist and grin boyishly at her.
She would have returned the friendly gesture if she hadn't heard the thought that ran across his mind when they first stepped onto the stage. Instead, she just smirked in reply.
"'I'm gonna end this real quick', is what you're thinking, right?" There was a playful note in Yumi's voice that reached her eyes, and it seemed to startle her opponent as he blinked owlishly a few times. And if she was being honest, the girl herself was surprised at her own competitive attitude, too. "As you wish."
It wasn't just confidence coursing through her, but a newfound sense of thrill that she had thought was long gone from her existence. Unfortunately, she didn't have much time to ponder on it once Present Mic yelled for them to start.
"As expected of Kirishima, he wastes no time in attacking!"
With a heated battle cry, Kirishima lunged towards Akano, quickly hardening his face, fist and torso as he advanced towards her.
'Just as I suspected...' Instead of panicking or even moving from her spot, Yumi watched him run head-on with no plan in mind, and so she waited until he was only a few paces away from her before she extended her hand in front of her in an almost dramatic fashion.
Seeing this, Eijirou's eyes flew open before he abruptly stopped. 'This is bad!' Doubt began creeping in and his eyebrows pinched, his face showing his nerves. But before he could retract backwards, the hardened boy was met by a vicious, unseen force that knocked him back.
"Here it come! Akano immediately counters with her weird Quirk!" Witnesses and spectators stared intensely, bracing themselves of what they were sure was to come.
Akano released a soft sigh as she swung her right hand towards the re-approaching figure, launching another wave of a concussive-like energy at him.
The boy cursed under his breath, and the impact threw his body back several feet, but he blocked most of the attack from his face with his hardened arms. He clenched his fists once more before jumping up and sprinting towards her.
Kirishima was yet again so close to touching the red haired girl to attack her with his Quirk, but her reflexes and actions were so quick that she immediately sent another invisible force to propel him back once more. And he stopped himself from tumbling further away, but he was already trying again.
'Too slow!' Yumi swept her arm at the incoming boy once more after he relentlessly got up after every one of her psionic attacks to try again. This time, however she didn't push him back with her telekinesis, but instead enveloped all of her energy stealthily around him before using it to lift Eijirou's body, leaving him with no means of resistance, and tossed his body speedily across the tournament stage.
Kirishima then landed meters away from the out of bounds line with a loud thud, his tough body digging into the cement from the impact as he coughed a big gulp of air.
And thus, Akano Yumi was ensured yet another quick win.
Without even moving.
"K-Kirishima-kun's out of bounds! Akano-san wins!" People would've paid closer attention and been confused at Midnight's uncharacteristic stammer if it weren't for their undying immersion at the outcome of the fight.
"WOAH!"
"She won again!"
Letting her right arm fall by her side, Yumi had to bite the inside of her cheek to prevent a wide smile from forming, knowing that if she did, it would be inconsiderate to her defeated opponent. But the satisfied glint that danced in her eyes were beyond her to conceal.
"Akano earns another impressive win! Now one of our two finalists has been set!" Present Mic cheered, enthralled by the young girl's graceful win. However, the dark haired hero sitting beside him in the booth was deadly silent, sullenly mulling over Akano's stats and her performance. '... Why hasn't she used it before?' It was so obvious that her telekinesis was versatile and gave her an edge in this tournament, heck it even would've helped her score very highly in the hero entrance exam. 'So why now of all time?' Aizawa's bloodshot eyes narrowed analytically at Yumi from afar, seeing her walking towards Kirishima to help him up to his feet.
"Seriously what is up with her, she's too much of a tough opponent..." Sero whined with a childish frown, he and his colleagues were watching intently from their section. Denki was too busy cursing at Kirishima from afar as he saw the beautiful Akano hold his hand and help him up from his wedged state in the cemented floors. The former had a silent blush on his cheeks as he thanked her for help.
"Especially with that teleke-what-not! She's virtually impossible to beat." Ashido Mina added to Sero's remark, sighing boisterously at the end and her loud voice drew more of class A's attention on the conversation, some even violently nodding in agreement.
Meanwhile, Present Mic was getting ready to announce the next match with great enthusiasm. Todoroki and Bakugou both came to be well-known for their superior skill to those of their age, so the battle between them could accurately be described as battle of the elites. Bakugou and Todoroki may have been polar opposites, but when it came to attack strength and advanced technique, they were considered to be the best in their class.
And at Present Mic's loud announcement, the result for the finals was clear. Whether it was Todoroki or Bakugou, the winner would be up against Akano Yumi for the first-place medal.
"So she'll be in the top three no matter what..." Jiro muttered.
"Has there ever been a non-hero student who'd made it this far before?"
"But it makes you wonder, though, why someone like her didn't make it into the hero department..." Tsuyu reasoned, bringing a thought finger to rest against her chin.
What she said made a lot of sense, and it prompted the majority of her classmates to wonder the same thing. Akano Yumi, someone who was at the top of their game, giving perfection a whole new meaning. Her movements were calculated and executed swiftly and flawlessly. Why wasn't she in the hero course?
However, their curiosity increased even more when Uraraka Ochako gave a timid answer.
"Yu-chan didn't apply from the beginning..."
Hagakure was the first to give a rebuttal, voicing out all of their surprise. "Ehh?! Why? Even though she's so strong..."
"For real?" Sato Rikido asked.
Midoriya, was quiet throughout the chatter, jotting down on his notebook the downsides of close-range stricted Quirks like Kirishima's versus ones like Akano's with more long-range moves. But his eyes went wide for a second there and he gasped after hearing Uraraka speak. 'That's true... Akano-san said something like that before.'
Giving a subversive smile, Ochako rubbed the back of her head, and spoke with a tint of nervousness, not knowing if it was alright to share what her friend had told her. She didn't talk that much and gave off so few reactions to people. It was as if she was meant to be admired from afar. "To be honest, Yu-chan never really told me why. I always wondered, though, because I really wanted to end up in the same class with her."
To Ochako, it always seemed that Yumi wanted to fade into the crowds, that every bit of attention she unintentionally drew to herself was displeasing to her. "But..." She began, her smile widening.
"Now, Yu-chan seems different." As she recalled Yumi's expression and technique, she could tell that they were brimming with spirit. Her face was was screaming 'I'm here!'
"Like she's having fun."
*
Closed off in a small, cluttered room, Shigaraki Tomura watched U.A.'s sports festival with a look of abhorrence. It was the end of the first semifinal round. At the beginning, he had been paying special attention to one person throughout the festival; Midoriya Izuku, the brat with a similar power to All Might, who was the face of the nonsense that is justice and the Symbol of Peace for this superpowered world.
"Watch carefully and prepare, Shigaraki Tomura," A low voice behind him had said to him during the Midoriya vs Todoroki battle. "They may become obstacles to you one day.""That's a load of crap," Shigaraki had spat, his hands coming up to scratch at his neck.
But now, after watching this far, there was some other one that started bugging him.
"What is it with this brat?"
With venom building up at the tip of his tongue, he started to scratch his neck more obsessively as he uttered at the television screen. And the serene translucent green eyes that belonged to Akano Yumi were seemingly staring back at him.
"Heh... Not bad." All For One spoke once more, a smirk playing out in the tone of his voice.
"I want it."