CHAPTER 12:

BITTERSWEET VICTORY

We never had the term Pyrrhic victory on Nosgoth, merely using the term hollow victory. I feel that the Earth term is a richer one, based as it is in the history of this world. During the Pyrrhic Wars, Pyrrhus of Epirus, a Greek king and leader of a vast army, fought the Romans in a series of battles. During one, the Battle of Asculum, Pyrrhus prevailed against the Roman forces, but at great cost to his own army. When commended on his victory, he was said to remark that another such victory would ruin him.

Thus it was with Tenya Iida. He would go on to win the UA Sports Festival, but even then, he knew a shadow hung over him. Stain had attacked his brother, Tensei Iida, a good and honourable man whom we met before, and left him, we would discover, as a cripple. It soured what should have been the sweet fruits of victory.

In addition, Izuku felt the same way, albeit for differing reasons. I believe it was due to his lack of self-esteem, and so did others. But he had those who would support him, friends and family and trusted figures…

Izuku could hardly believe it. Even getting second place in the UA Sports Festival…well, he had to admit, he wasn't expecting to get this far. Then again, in truth, all he wanted to do was win against Bakugou. Anything else was a bonus.

And yet, here he was, on the winners' podium, standing next to Tenya. Despite his anguish at his brother's fate, Tenya fought well against Himiko (who was on the third place stand of the podium, Bakugou pointedly refusing to join them) and Izuku. He fought against them fast, despite his distraction, and Izuku felt no shame whatsoever at losing to him. Hell, even Himiko looked bemused at being on the podium.

Izuku was driven from his thoughts when he heard a familiar roar. "I AM HERE, WITH THE MEDALS!" bellowed All Might, leaping down from the stadium roof, where he had presumably been waiting.

Izuku watched on as All Might draped the bronze medal around Himiko's neck. "Let this be a validation of your ability and your conviction, Young Toga," he said quietly. "You said it yourself. It doesn't matter what Quirk you have, but what you have in your heart and mind that counts. If anyone ever believes otherwise, remember how far you have come this day. Even with as many disadvantages as you had, you came far."

"…Thanks, All Might," Himiko said, her golden eyes glistening.

Then, All Might came over to Izuku, and draped the silver medal around his neck. "Young Midoriya…I don't think I need to say anything more than congratulations, and keep up the good work. As you demonstrated, versatility is a strength in of itself, as is intelligence. But never forget your true strength: your heart."

"…Thank you, All Might," Izuku said, ensuring he didn't blurt out All Might's real name.

The burly Pro-Hero nodded, before going over to Tenya. "Young Iida…they told me what happened to your brother. That you persevered despite this shows your own strength. Sometimes, the hardest part of a Pro-Hero's work is pushing on, even when all seems lost. Never think you do not deserve it. Winning under these circumstances means you more than deserve this."

"…I wish I could say the same, sir," Tenya said quietly and solemnly.

"Think of it this way: if your brother learns that you won in spite of this, the morale boost might help him recover sooner," All Might said quietly. "He knows you care about him, just as he cares for you. I'm sorry I don't have many more words to say."

Tenya didn't reply, merely nodding half-heartedly. And with that, All Might turned to the other gathered students, and the audience. "You see before you the winners of the UA Sports Festival First Years, but this is not all there is to it! Everybody here has the potential to be standing up here! Anyone who believes otherwise is blind! Competition and encouragement, the fertiliser needed to turn the seeds of today into the Pro-Heroes of the future! Everyone say it with me….PLUS ULTRA!"

The slogan of UA was echoed by most of those around the arena. Izuku, however, felt almost numb. He supposed he would realise the full implications in time, but for now, he felt almost like a sleepwalker, drifting through this as if he was in a dream.

He wasn't sure whether he wanted to wake up…

As they walked back towards their classrooms, Himiko's own thoughts were similar to her beloved's. However, she was not so out of it that she didn't notice when a tall man beckoned to her as they were leaving the stadium, his features vaguely familiar. Himiko made her excuses and carefully approached the man, ready to flee if need be.

"Do not mistake me, Himiko Toga," spoke a familiar voice as they moved enough out of view of the others. "I mean you no harm."

"Oh, really? Older guy lures a teenaged girl away? You're either a really ballsy rapist to do it in UA, or you have something else in mind," Himiko snarked.

"It's the latter," the man said, his coldly handsome features looking at Himiko, looking vaguely familiar. "I'm sure that if my true identity was exposed, there would be a great clamour. But I wished to meet you once more." With that, he removed what was a disguise spell, revealing the inhuman features of Kain.

Himiko blinked, then scowled. "…What do you want?"

"Janos told me you already know of our relation, Himiko. I wished merely to check on your progress, and I must say, it was superlative, for someone who is not a vampire," Kain said.

"…That's it? No desire to get to know me better? No requests to join you? No apologies for not being there in my life?" Himiko snarled.

"Would you have accepted them?" Kain asked. "In any case, your path and my own seem divergent. I am a Villain, and you seem set on becoming a Hero. I merely came to see your progress, and to offer you what scant encouragement I can. You and Midoriya, the bearer of the Soul Reaver…you work well together. I wish you both well."

As he turned to leave, Himiko sneered. "And what, is that it, Dad? After all I went through, trying to accept my own Quirk, the curse you inflicted on me, and then learning you were my father…do you think I would leave it at that? What am I, just an accident to you because they didn't have fucking condoms in that medieval world you came from?!"

"Of course not, Himiko. But now is not the time for such things. Like I said, our paths diverge, and while they may yet meet once more, you have other concerns. Even if our paths differ, I am proud of you, regardless. Besides, even accidents can be happy ones. Such is the nature of serendipity. Grow stronger. Become something you can be proud of being, Himiko Toga. Prove my legacy will be more than just a bloodstained path of violence." And with that, Kain dissolved into a flurry of bats…

Tenya didn't stick around after the ceremony, leaving UA as soon as he could. Meanwhile, Aizawa announced that there would be a two day break for everyone who participated, to allow time for the offers for Pro-Hero internships to be compiled, as well as to give the students time to rest and recover from their battles. Izuku resolved to talk to Tenya as soon as possible. Hell, Raziel was insisting on it.

Even as class was dismissed, Izuku still sat there, peering at the silver medal. Now that everything was said and done, with the excitement and adrenaline leeching from his system, he felt…unfulfilled. It wasn't until Ochako called for his attention that he was broken from his reverie. "Izuku, are you okay?" the gravity manipulator asked. Tokoyami and Tsuyu were also nearby.

"Yeah, sorry," Izuku said.

Aizawa, who was looking on, remarked, "I would have thought you would be in a hurry to enjoy your break, Midoriya."

"Normally, I would be, but…Mr Aizawa, is it worth it? Is winning…no, participating in that at all worth it?"

The other students looked bemused, but Aizawa, oddly enough, nodded. "The UA Sports Festival? It depends, really. The UA Sports Festival is a necessary evil as you know. It's how newcomers to the Pro-Hero scene can make themselves known, gain opportunities that they need in the Pro-Hero world. You know as well as I do how competitive it is. So is it worth it to advance your future career? Yes."

"But that's not all there is to it, is there, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked, tilting her head.

"Indeed, Asui," Aizawa said. "One problem with the UA Sports Festival is that any Villain with half a brain would watch it, to gather intelligence on upcoming Pro-Heroes. That's one problem Midoriya has doubtlessly noticed. But on a more personal note…Midoriya is feeling…well, disappointment is not the right word. You don't feel like you earned your victory, Midoriya, do you?"

Izuku shook his head. "Not quite. I mean, I know I worked hard, and second place is a pretty big achievement, but…I don't think that was a good measure of my…of our potentials as Pro-Heroes. It's just how well we can use our Quirks to compete. And we're performing for the public, like we're in a circus. It's not really to better ourselves, is it?"

"You're not wholly wrong," Aizawa said. "Many parts of how the UA Sports Festival works is wholly irrational. And your victory was partly due to luck, particularly in the tournament phase. One different matchup, and you would not have earned that silver medal. You also held back while fighting Hatsume and Todoroki, especially the former. But…you're not wholly correct, either. You did earn your victory, Midoriya. To believe otherwise is irrational. I was impressed with the speed with which you took out Bakugou. You may not feel like you have earned that medal, but you deserve it. So too did Iida and Toga. Not only that, but All Might was correct. Every one of you had the potential to be on that podium. Otherwise, you would not be in this class. That is not a hollow platitude. Midoriya, look at me."

Izuku looked up and met Aizawa's tired, bloodshot gaze. The teacher's look was solemn. "You're not the only one who struggled with self-esteem issues during his time here. I'm sure many here in this class have them. I had them myself. And don't forget, your actions in the USJ may have…no, did save lives. While it's good that you did not let your victory go to your head, it's not a bad thing to enjoy it while you can. Otherwise, you'll have more regrets later. In any case, Iida has more cause to feel this way. Grief can impact us in many ways."

"…Did you feel the same way when Loud Cloud died, sir?"

Aizawa stilled, before he shrugged. "I have no insight into Iida's mind, so I can't say. But…I felt devastated. I'm surprised you know that, Midoriya."

"I did my homework on you, sir, to better understand you, especially after you brought up that a friend of yours died in the line of duty. I'm sorry if…"

"No. It's a matter of public record, and Oboro has been dead for years now," Aizawa said quietly, no rebuke in his tone, just a quiet sorrow. "He's a reminder, something all of you should take to heart."

"And what is that?" Tokoyami asked.

"That Pro-Hero work is in deadly earnest, and I mean deadly," Aizawa said. "You already had a glimpse of that during the USJ invasion, and you were fortunate enough that nobody died that day, unless you count the Nomu. But make no mistake, that is a reality of being a Pro-Hero. Most Villains are petty criminals by comparison to the League of Villains, but there are those who won't hesitate to kill, either yourself or others, or else inflict all sorts of depravities on you. Knowing that, you still wish to be Pro-Heroes?"

"Yes," Tsuyu said bluntly. "The USJ was scary, but…I knew what the Villains would be like. I want to be a Pro-Hero to keep people safe, ribbit. I did my homework on what it was like before I applied for UA, but I still want to do it."

Ochako nodded. "I agree with Tsuyu. I want to help others, and if I don't, who will?"

"I agree wholeheartedly with my peers. I wished to turn my shroud of darkness into a beacon of hope, a difficult and oxymoronic task to be sure, but one I can take pride in," Tokoyami said.

"Good answers. Somewhat idealistic, but good all the same," Aizawa noted. "In any case, Midoriya, take this victory for what it is. Enjoy your break, you'll need it for what's to come…"

While Himiko wasn't exactly exuberant, she wasn't quite as self-effacing as Izuku, and she couldn't help the disbelieving smile on her face. True, she was the only member of Class 1-B to get a place, and Hitoshi had the shit beaten out of him by Bakagou, and she wasn't sure she liked being at the centre of a crush of attention until Kan and Itsuka called for order. And yet, here she was.

Third place in the UA Sports Festival. For her younger self, before she met Izuku and Janos, when she remembered her parents' horror at what she was doing to that bird, it would have been an impossible dream, like climbing Mount Everest completely naked. Becoming a Pro-Hero was furthest from her mind. Finding acceptance was more what she wanted.

And yet, here she was. Not only being accepted, despite her Quirk, but on the road to becoming a Pro-Hero. And she got third place at the UA Sports Festival.

A lot of it was luck, really, she knew. When it came to the tournament part, she was lucky that she faced Ochako, and then Yaoyorozu. If she faced someone with a stronger Quirk, something that could overwhelm her with sheer brute force, she wouldn't have gotten this. As it was, Tenya, despite being distracted by what happened to his brother (she was told about it by the boy himself after their match), kicked her out of bounds swiftly.

And yet, through her training, she managed to achieve this as well. Not just being accepted into UA, or participating in the Sports Festival, but getting third place overall. One would think that just getting the bronze medal would be grounds for disappointment, but Himiko wasn't an idiot. There were 20 students to a class, and First Year, counting the Support, General and Business studies classes, had 11 classes overall. Out of 220 students, she had come out in the Top 3. She had personally beaten Momo Yaoyorozu, a girl from a well-established Pro-Hero family. A hard-won fight, to be sure, but she won all the same.

Of course, it wasn't like she liked being at the centre of attention either. The attention she got from the rest of her classmates was intense, and she was grateful her teacher and Itsuka quietened them down. Monoma was certainly beaming with pride, almost as if he was the one who had won, but she recognised a genuine gratitude for her efforts in him.

Still, once Kan had dismissed the class, she stayed behind with Hitoshi, with Itsuka and Ibara staying too, while their teacher looked on. "Look, you don't need to baby me, I'm okay," Hitoshi said. "Recovery Girl does good work, and I'll be seeing a doctor she recommended tomorrow anyway, just in case."

"Hitoshi, you can't blame me for getting worried," Himiko said. "Bakagou went all Clockwork Orange on your rear."

"I'm surprised a girl your age has read such a work," Kan observed. "Or did someone let you watch the film?"

"The book, obviously," Himiko said. "I heard about it from Spinner, decided to read it. Pretty hard to follow with the Nadsat terms, but…well, it was a nasty story, but a good book. Apparently Kubrick sexed things up for the film. Not sure I want to watch it yet."

"Himiko, I'll be fine. Besides, the fact that Bakugou didn't make it into the top three's revenge enough for me, especially with Izuku having curbstomped him," Hitoshi said, the purple-haired teen smirking.

"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall," Ibara intoned. "Proverbs, Book 16, Chapter 18. Bakugou should take note from this experience."

"He doesn't have the capacity," Himiko sneered.

"Maybe, but would he seek revenge?" Itsuka asked.

"…I dunno," Himiko admitted. "Bakagou isn't stupid, like I told you. His biggest dream is to become a Pro-Hero, and while he toed the line today, he won't do anything to jeopardise that dream. Still…one day, he might just decide to do it anyway. He thinks Izuku is a Villain who shouldn't have been let into UA, never mind Hitoshi and me."

Kan nodded, and moved over to them. "That, of course, is utter rubbish. I'm sure you have heard it time and again, but I will reiterate this: a Quirk does not automatically designate you Hero or Villain. Rather, it's the use of that Quirk that makes you such. True, certain Quirks can incline one towards one path or the other, either because of the effects a Quirk has on the psyche, or whether it deforms the body, or whether it can be easily abused. But both of you are clear refutations of that, as am I. I faced many of the same challenges as you did, as my Quirk aroused disgust and horror in many. But I persevered, and I am sure both of you will do the same. Both of you have made me proud, and indeed, so too have the rest of your class. It may have been a poor showing compared to what I desired, but…even so, it was a good showing all the same, and I am still pleased by the outcome. But, we will strive harder to do better. That is the meaning of Plus Ultra, to go further beyond. Remember that. And enjoy your well-earned break."

Himiko smiled in acknowledgement. Still, she wondered how her family would view this. And she wondered whether she even cared anymore. They hadn't believed in her. But she had people who did now. And they were what mattered…

CHAPTER 12 ANNOTATIONS:

The UA Sports Festival has come to an end. Yes, I know, I didn't write out the last couple of matches, but still…writing action scenes isn't my forte. Just some nice character scenes.

Originally, I had Tenya and some of Izuku's friends learn about the Soul Reaver, and have Raziel and Janos try to dissuade Iida on taking his revenge. But as I brought up before, some of the revelations about the Hylden would come too soon, so I thought I'd change things a little. So, instead, I had the scenes where Izuku, Himiko and Hitoshi have little discussions with their classmates.

Review-answering time! Thanks for enjoying how Izuku stopped Bakugou. This version of Izuku is more of a pragmatist than his canon counterpart, so if he really needs to stop an opponent, he'll try to do so swiftly. Keep in mind, Izuku didn't confront Bakugou during the Battle Trials, so Bakugou doesn't know about Izuku paying attention to his opening attack. Izuku doesn't brag about his victory either, so Bakugou might make the mistake of doing it again in another confrontation.

RonaldM40196867: Hmm, what do I like most? It's hard to choose, but I suppose it boils down to two things. Firstly, it's a relatively realistic look at what society would be like with superheroes without getting bogged down into the same dark and edgy deconstructions that are the likes of Watchmen, The Boys, Worm, and so on. Secondly, some of his more questionable decisions aside, Izuku Midoriya is one of a rare breed: a shounen manga protagonist who is actually intelligent. Edward Elric, Yugi Mutou, and Ichigo Kurosaki are amongst the few in amongst it, especially in a genre infested with the likes of Son Goku, Naruto, Monkey D Luffy, and so on.

WearyCurmudgeon: After careful consideration, I decided you were right, and edited out Bakugou outing Izuku as a killer. However, his killing of the muggers in self-defence is a matter of public record, and it's Izuku absorbing their Quirks that is under a gag order.

As for your strategies on how he can stop Iida, there may not be a portal in the right place for Izuku to ambush Iida. Telekinesis also mostly works on larger objects, people-sized (I've never seen Kain or Raziel use it on smaller objects in the games, unless it's to activate a switch or something from afar). And Izuku was mostly focused on thinking up ways to deal with Bakugou and Todoroki. He needs a bit more time to think, and Tenya, who wanted to finish the battle quickly so he could see his brother, isn't going to give him the chance. And TBH, I wanted to give Tenya the win, even with the logic I gave in the previous chapter. Tenya is one of the paragons of the series once he gets over a rough patch or two, and I felt this would make a nice change…

No numbered annotations this time.