The Symbol of Peace and Justice
Chapter 18 – The Thrill of the Fight
When Present Mic declared him the victor, all the tension left Gohan's body and a relieved sigh slipped from his lips. He hated having to dial his focus up to extreme levels, as it required an awful lot of concentration, but damn if it wasn't useful. 'Thank you, Piccolo.'
Now that he could finally relax, Gohan paused to take in the audience's reaction, only to be met with stunned silence. Having expected as much, he mentally shrugged, and paying the thought no further heed, turned to the stairs and started towards them. Just as his foot touched the first step, a frantic voice from behind gave him pause.
"So that's it, then? You're just going to walk off and leave it at that?" Shinso seethed.
Grimacing inwardly, Gohan turned around and stared at the boy he'd just defeated. Shinso had gotten up from the grass and was leaning against the edge of the ring, a hateful glare marring his ghoulish face while his lower lip quivered.
"Am I that much of a joke to you that you won't even take me seriously? That you won't even give me the time of day? Huh?!" Shinso continued through gritted teeth, a tear now sliding down his cheek.
'You couldn't be more wrong,' Gohan thought, suppressing the urge to comfort the crying boy. 'I ended the fight as quick as I did because I was taking you seriously. Hell, I'm still taking you seriously, because your power scares the absolute shit out of me.'
"You damn hero course types think you're so cool with your flashy, powerful Quirks, but you don't know anything about what it means to struggle for the sake of your dream!" Shinso raged. "You don't know how demoralising it is to have people spit on your dream day after day after day, telling you your Quirk would be perfect for a villain instead of a hero! Or how much it hurts to finally make it to U.A., only to not even be able to take the damn entrance exam properly because your Quirk isn't suited for combat!"
Gohan's brow furrowed imperceptibly. 'That's an awful lot of assumptions you're making there, but you do you, man. Yeah, the system sucks; yeah, it's messed up; and yeah, I'm sorry about what you went through… but you're taking your anger out on the wrong people. If you really want to change things for the better, then maybe you should stop feeling sorry for yourself and actually make an effort to change them.'
Shinso barked out a sardonic laugh amid his sniffles. "Well, you know what? Screw you, and screw the hero course! I'll make my own way to the top, and when I do, I'll show all of you how wrong you were to look down on me!"
Having gotten well and truly fed up of Shinso's rambling, Gohan looked away and walked off the ring, not letting his mask slip even for a second. 'Good fucking luck.'
"Damn! That Son boy showed no mercy!" someone in the crowd commented.
"So cold…" another person added.
"I guess he's the favourite for a reason, huh?" a third voice suggested.
A fourth person gave their take. "That Shinso kid was completely out of his depth!"
Soon, a veritable smorgasbord of random musings melded together, assailing Gohan's disinterested ears as he strode along the grass.
"- feel bad for the kid."
"What an ass!"
"- shouldn't have mouthed off like that!"
"Look at how cool he is!"
"Badass…"
"How rude!"
"- way too shredded for a teenager."
"- seems like kind of a jerk."
Fortunately, they died down the moment he disappeared through the tunnel, its cold concrete walls doing an excellent job of drowning out what may as well have been white noise. As he set off for his class' box, he exhaled deeply and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Despite his annoyance at having himself and his classmates insulted, a part of him did feel genuinely sorry for Shinso. Unfortunately, the guy was a jerk, and while his grievances were legitimate, his handling of them was unacceptable and unheroic.
Should they ever meet outside the sports festival setting, Gohan would be happy to console Shinso, but as they were now, under the curious eyes of millions of people around the world… potentially pissing off someone with a power that deadly was way too big of a risk. He had way too much to lose.
Deciding not to dwell on those negative thoughts any longer, Gohan felt his features relax. With the colossal hurdle that was an angsty, mind-controlling teenager out of the way, he now had a match against Ashido to look forward to, which ought to be pretty fun. It was enough to draw a small quirk of his lip.
The rest of the walk towards Class 1-A's box was spent contemplating his upcoming bout, and by the time he reached his destination, he was pleasantly surprised to see everyone except Iida was present. Even Uraraka had shown up, along with the near-mummified duo of Sato and Kirishima, the latter of whom was strapped to his seat with so many rolls of tape it looked like he was wearing a straitjacket. 'The hell?'
He did make note of several approving glances as he walked to his seat, mainly from his male classmates, sans Bakugo and Todoroki. The volatile blond still looked like he thought everyone around him was lower than dirt, but his trademark glare lacked its usual amount of vitriol. The ice user, on the other hand, looked like he couldn't care less. From the female side, Ashido and Uraraka shot him beaming grins – the former adding a thumbs up – while Tsuyu and Yaoyorozu smiled kindly. Jiro, like Todoroki, appeared indifferent, and Hagakure was Hagakure.
Gohan also saw that his jacket was folded neatly on his chair, and raised a curious eyebrow towards a fully-clothed Ashido.
"I ran into Yaomomo in the halls and she made me some new clothes," she promptly answered, a light blush on her cheeks. "Thanks again for letting me borrow your jacket, by the way."
"No problem," he returned with a smile as he slipped on the jacket, and took a seat between his bandaged best friend and Midoriya.
"So that's why you weren't wearing your jacket. Here I was thinking you were trying to be alpha, showing off your muscles like that," Kaminari mused.
"Unlike you, Pikachu, Son doesn't need to try to be alpha," Sato boasted, much to the demi-Saiyan's embarrassment.
Kaminari looked aghast. "I-I don't need to try either! I radiate smoothness!"
"Is that why the only way for you to get any action is to team up with a perverted midget to try and trick girls into dressing like cheerleaders?" Sato countered.
Kaminari paled, and Jiro's eyes narrowed ominously.
"He's got you there, dude," Kirishima added.
"Why are you on his side? You two just spent like fifteen minutes beating the crap out of each other!" Kaminari whined.
"Aye, it was a good, manly fight," Kirishima agreed, much to the blond's confusion. "Much fun was had, many words were exchanged, and we both learned a hell of a lot."
"Hear, hear!" Sato added, toasting an invisible drink.
"You guys are fucking weirdoes," Kaminari grumbled.
"Congratulations on your win, Gohan. I wasn't expecting anything less," Tsuyu complimented. "Although I have to admit, I'm surprised you were so cold towards your opponent."
"I'm not," Sato interjected. "Did you hear the mad trash Shinso was talking before the match? Little dweeb had it coming."
"Agreed," Ashido added, crossing her arms for emphasis. "He's lucky he got taken out before I got to have a shot at him."
"Even so, Gohan doesn't seem like the kind of person to get worked up over petty taunts," Tsuyu remarked.
"Son was just following my advice," Ojiro revealed, much to the others' surprise. He grinned and reached over to clap Gohan on the shoulder. "Great job on that, by the way. I knew I could count on you to clean that guy's clock."
"Wait… are you saying Shinso was actually a threat?" Sato asked slowly, his disbelieving tone piquing the interest of their classmates, who looked equally sceptical.
Ojiro nodded, his cheerful expression evaporating. "Yeah, that guy's something else. He can mind control you with his Quirk."
"Mind control?!" Sero repeated, gobsmacked – a countenance shared by many in the box. Even Bakugo seemed somewhat rattled. "That's insane! It's like the perfect Quirk for a villain!"
"Yep," Ojiro agreed. "And all he needs to do to activate it is get you to talk to him. Pretty crazy, huh?"
"That's… damn, you weren't kidding; that's one freaky ass power!" Sato exclaimed.
"No wonder he has such a victim complex," Tsuyu pondered. "He mustn't have had many friends growing up."
"Well, ahh, I guess it's a good thing he's going to U.A. then, huh?" Ashido asked with a nervous chuckle.
"And it's a good thing he got Todoroki'd by Son," Kaminari added. "I mean, imagine if some angsty kid took con-"
"Would you care to elaborate on what you meant by that?" Todoroki requested, his brow furrowing dangerously.
Kaminari flinched at the frosty glare being sent his way, but to his credit, maintained eye contact with his heterochromic classmate. "Y-y'know! The whole 'beating your opponent as soon as the match begins' thing! B-but don't worry! Your win was still a lot flashier, with that big ass iceberg and…" He gulped at the sound of Jiro's gritted teeth, Yaoyorozu's downcast expression, and the icy chill in the air that sprung up out of nowhere. "I'll shut up now," he squeaked.
After a brief bout of awkwardness, regular conversation resumed, and Sato leaned closer to Gohan. "Did Shinso really freak you out that badly?" he whispered. "I mean, you're a planet-busting badass. Even if he did try something, you could've creamed him."
Gohan scrunched his face, the question triggering some painful memories he'd long since hoped would stop resurfacing.
"If you even think of doing that, I'll kill you! You got that?!"
"I kinda want to fight, too… and besides, this scientist hasn't even made anything yet, so taking him out now is a little…"
"I'll fight, too. I want to test what I'm capable of."
His fist clenched in a kind of frustrated anger – the sort of which he rarely felt.
"My father just… let it happen. I-I tried to stop him, but I wasn't strong enough!"
"You want to make my baby fight that hideous monster you and your irresponsible friends created? Are you out of your mind?!"
"You did good, Gohan. I'm proud of you, son."
"Son?" Sato prodded quietly, snapping the demi-Saiyan from his thoughts.
Exhaling deeply to calm himself down, Gohan shook his head. "Some risks just aren't worth taking," he responded tersely. His scowl then softened. "Hubris… it's a disease. Just trust me on that."
He could see the curiosity brimming in his best friend's eyes, but to his credit, Sato decided not to probe further. "Alright, bro."
Gohan nodded his thanks and sunk deeper into his seat, arms crossed and a frown fixed firmly on his face. Try as he might to suppress it, there was a tiny part of him that longed to match wills against Shinso's power of brainwashing and overcome it… but that part was locked away, its cage submerged deep beneath a sea of rationality, common sense, the pain of loss, and human nature.
He knew firsthand the dangers of hubris – and he'd be loath to repeat the mistakes of the past.
"I wonder when the next round is going to start," he pondered aloud, more to change the topic than anything.
Sato shot him a confused look. "Didn't you hear Present Mic's announcement after your match? About the intermission before the next round?"
"Oh," Gohan replied, genuinely caught off guard. Had he been that zoned out following his spat with Shinso? "I guess I didn't catch that. I was kinda distracted after my match," he admitted, scratching the back of his head.
"Yeah, I get that. I'd be freaking out too if I had to go up against a guy who could mind control me," Sato responded, before a cocky smirk spread across his large lips. "I mean, I'd still snap him in half, but I'd be super cautious about it."
There was bait in that assertion, and Gohan was sorely tempted to reach out and pluck the low-hanging fruit, but he held his tongue. Instead, he settled for a simple nod. "I'm sure you would."
Sato seemed to preen at the praise, and shifted his attention elsewhere. Taking that as a sign that his best friend was leaving him to his own devices, Gohan clasped his hands behind his head and reclined in his seat. The intermission between rounds was a good idea, and one he could totally get behind. It allowed him more time to stabilise his emotions, and then figure out how to approach his match with Ashido.
A quick glance at the girl out of the corner of his eye showed her to be fidgeting in her seat with a beaming grin on her face; a mixture of nerves and excitement, perhaps? Whatever the case, he felt his spirits swell at the sight. He didn't know what his pink-skinned friend was expecting out of their bout, but he'd do his absolute best to make it worth her while.
"I hope you folks are ready for some explosive action, because the first match of the quarterfinals promises to be our most flashy one yet!" Present Mic teased, much to the crowd's adulation. "Both Katsuki Bakugo and Kaminari Denki have displayed exceptional proficiency with their Quirks thus far, and I don't know about you guys, but I am beyond hyped to see what's going to happen when these two forces of nature collide! Can I get a 'hell yeah!'"
"Hell yeah!" the audience roared.
"Anyone think Kaminari stands a chance?" Ashido asked aloud.
"Nope."
"None."
"He's boned."
"His ass is grass."
"I hope they've got a body bag ready."
Gohan kept his thoughts to himself, but inwardly agreed with his classmates' assessments. As much as he wanted Bakugo to lose, the jerk was a formidable fighter, and deservedly one of the favourites for the tournament.
Not even Kaminari himself looked confident for his bout, beads of sweat trailing down his forehead and a shaky, clearly forced grin plastered on his lips. Conversely, Bakugo looked downright malicious, his own features twisted in a sickening and bloodthirsty smirk, much like a predator eyeing its prey.
"Begin!" Present Mic announced.
"Indiscriminate Shock: One-Point-Three Million Volts!" Kaminari roared, slamming down his hands and unleashing a dazzling electrical discharge that danced across the ring at dizzying speed.
His cocky smirk morphing into something much darker, Bakugo thrust his hands at the ground and launched himself into the air with a bevy of rocket-esque explosions from his palms, easily avoiding the electricity. Then, without wasting a single second, he flung his arms behind him and propelled himself towards his rapidly paling opponent like a rage-fuelled homing missile.
Kaminari raised his trembling hands in a feeble defence before a palm thrust to the face harshly knocked him to the ground. With his digits still digging holes in his victim's skin, Bakugo's hand glowed a gleaming orange, and all the electricity user could do in response was flail his arms helplessly.
"Stop!" Midnight ordered for the second time that day. "Kaminari has forfeited the match! Bakugo goes through to the semi-finals!"
Indeed, amidst his hapless flailing, Kaminari had enough self-control to tap out, and spare himself from suffering the same fate as Iida.
Bakugo grunted in disappointment, but retracted his hand and rose to his feet, whereupon he glared down at his quivering, ashen-faced opponent. "At least you know your place, worm," he uttered coldly, before turning around and strolling off the stage.
Kaminari remained on the ground for a few more seconds before he too stood up and ambled off the ring, his gait slow and slackened.
"Wow! What a dominant display from Bakugo Katsuki!" Present Mic praised, his voice having lost none of its earlier enthusiasm. "Let's give our winner a well-deserved round of applause!"
The crowd did just that, but it was relatively muted. They were probably expecting a much more closely fought encounter after Present Mic's pre-match hype job.
"Damn, Kaminari got off lightly compared to Iida," Sero mused.
"It's because he's too much of a wimp to actually put up a fight once the going gets tough," Jiro grumbled.
Tsuyu nodded. "Yep. Ochaco would've given Bakugo a much harder fight."
Gohan wholeheartedly agreed with his froglike friend, but didn't vocalise it; he was just glad Kaminari didn't sustain any serious injuries. Bakugo was thoroughly unpredictable in this sort of environment.
A quick glance at Midoriya showed the green-haired boy had his eyes shut, his chest steadily rising and falling in time with his breaths. Gohan couldn't help but grin at the sight. It had taken a hell of a long time, but his protégé had finally gotten the hang of meditation, as well as the best time to engage in it without being prompted.
"Todoroki Shoto! Midoriya Izuku! Come on down to the ring because you guys are up next!" Present Mic requested, the crowd subsequently perking up.
Midoriya exhaled sharply and slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times to regain his vision, then locked eyes with Gohan, the excited chatter of their classmates fading into irrelevance.
No words were exchanged. At this point, nothing needed to be said, and anything that did had already been covered over the many long, arduous, and exhausting hours they'd spent together over the past couple of weeks.
Gohan simply smiled and held out his fist, and Midoriya met it with his own. The green-haired boy then stood up and walked off.
After he left, Uraraka slid into his now empty seat and sighed, staring sombrely at the stage. Her normally bright eyes had dimmed, and her mouth was set in a most unwelcome frown that made Gohan's heart clench. She looked like she wanted to say something, but remained mute on the matter.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay," Gohan consoled quietly. "We need to have faith in him."
Uraraka pursed her lips. "I know, and I do… but you saw what Todoroki did to Yaoyorozu. What if…" she trailed off.
Gohan sighed and leaned in closer. "I understand your worries, but the best thing we can do for him right now is cheer him on… just like he cheered you on despite his own worries." The girl's eyes widened. "We both know how hard he's been working… we both know what he's capable of. As his friends, it's only fair to support him in the same way he'd support either of us, no matter who his opponent is."
Uraraka said nothing, seeming to ponder his words for a bit. She then shut her eyes tight and took a deep breath, and when she reopened them, there burned a faint ember that didn't exist before. "R-right!"
Our next contest might be the most intriguing one to date!" Present Mic teased. "Midoriya Izuku has played his cards close to his chest the entire sports festival, while Todoroki Shoto is no stranger to showing off his immense power! Will Midoriya pull off a stunning upset with some never-before-seen trick? Or will Todoroki continue his chilling reign of dominance? I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait to find out!"
Neither Midoriya nor Todoroki reacted outwardly to the praise, despite the audience hooting, hollering, and raining applause upon them. They just stood, and stared, and waited for things to kick off.
"Begin!"
A wall of jagged ice surged towards Midoriya, but the green-haired boy dashed left and out of its way, his speedy figure blurring ever so slightly. When he stopped and stood at his full height, he was shown to have a cloak of lightning coating his frame.
Todoroki's eyes bulged, the crowd roared in stunned approval, and a round of gasps reverberated through Class 1-A's box.
"What the fuck was that?!" Bakugo screamed.
"No way…" Ojiro whispered.
"Dude, that was badass!" Kirishima praised.
"You got this, Deku!" Uraraka cheered.
Gohan, meanwhile, was beaming on the inside, thrilled that their efforts had borne fruit on the grandest stage of them all. 'Yes! That's it! Announce your name to the world… Super Deku!'
"Whoa! Would you folks have a look at that?!" Present Mic hollered to thunderous applause, taking advantage of the lull in action to say his piece. "For the first time today, Midoriya Izuku has used his Quirk – and it is way flashier than I ever could've expected! Eraser Head! Just what in the world are we looking at?!"
"That… is Midoriya's answer," Aizawa answered cryptically.
The commentators' words seemed to snap Todoroki out of his daze, his heterochromic eyes narrowing as he glared ominously at his opponent.
A second wall of ice rocketed forward, but Midoriya avoided it in the exact same manner; then did so again for a third one.
By now, about a third of the ring had been covered by Todoroki's ice, its jagged spires making the area it encompassed completely untraversable. It also acted as a barrier blocking Midoriya off from the right side of the ring, and although he still had room to manoeuvre, the freedom to do so was dwindling.
As though noticing this, Todoroki's lip curled up in a cruel smirk, while his green-haired opponent grimaced.
Another ice wall surged forward, but this one missed Midoriya completely; instead, it struck the corner of the stage, cordoning off the ring even further.
Uraraka gasped, and Gohan grit his teeth. 'Damn it! You gave him too much time!'
Todoroki sent forth three more ice walls, but Midoriya was able to dodge them all. Unfortunately, this left him trapped between two tall, thick, and thoroughly unbreakable barriers of solid ice. He was well and truly stuck, and the only path he could take was the narrow corridor that led directly to his opponent.
Panting lightly and shivering every so slightly, Todoroki faced his trembling adversary and nodded in a rare show of respect. "I'll admit, you caught me off guard, and for that, I'll give you credit. You've made me use up more energy than I would've liked, but it's over now. You have nowhere left to run." His fist clenched dangerously, and his eyes narrowed. "This is the end, Midoriya! Thank you for being the perfect stepping-stone!"
"Deku!" Uraraka shrieked.
The scene below devolved into a frantic flurry of activity, but for Gohan, it was like a film being played in slow motion.
He saw the ice wall hurtling towards Midoriya, well on course to impale him.
He saw Midoriya lift his left hand and flick the onrushing ice with his pinkie.
He saw the ice shatter into innumerable pieces, covering the ring in a thick layer of frosty mist.
He saw Midoriya lunge into the debris and hopscotch his way to Todoroki's recoiling form, using the shattered chunks of ice as springboards.
He saw Midoriya pull back his right fist – teeth gritted in clear exertion and eyes blazing with emerald fury – and sink a debilitating punch into Todoroki's gaping, unprotected, unexpecting face.
He blinked to clear the moisture from his bulging eyes, then bore witness to Todoroki careening along the surface of the ring and falling onto the grass beyond it. The world went silent.
"T-Todoroki Shoto has been knocked out of the ring! Midoriya Izuku moves on to the semi-finals!" Present Mic roared, to which the crowd erupted. "Ladies and gentlemen, and everyone in between, let's give this absolute champion a well-deserved round of applause!"
Down in the ring, Midoriya assumed a Guts Pose and bellowed into the heavens with all his might: "I DID IT!"
"H-holy shit!" Kirishima wheezed, their classmates sharing similar sentiments.
"Deku…" Uraraka whimpered, her bright eyes shimmering with joyful tears.
Gohan sunk deeper into his seat and wiped the sweat off his brow, struggling to find the thoughts to adequately describe his feelings. He was ecstatic, of course, as well as proud of his protégé's accomplishment. He was also a bit peeved that Midoriya had to resort to such desperate measures, but at least a broken pinkie was tame by his standards.
Overall, though, Gohan was just… satisfied, and pleased that he'd been able to help his friend overcome his Quirk-based hurdles. They still had a long way to go, obviously, but this was an excellent start.
Amidst the rapturous roars of the crowd, Todoroki had risen to his feet and was staring at the boy who'd bested him in shock. His nose was crooked and bleeding, but other than that he was fine. Had he engaged Midoriya in a prolonged fight, or used the full breadth of his abilities, he probably would've come out on top, but fights at this level were rarely so straightforward, not least when there was a self-imposed handicap at play.
That, and the fact that in his hubris he was standing fairly close to the edge of the ring, contributed to what was no doubt going to be a crushing defeat. The question now was, how was Todoroki going to respond?
As the heterochromic ice user grit his teeth and shuffled away from the spotlight, Gohan shifted his gaze to a still-jubilant Midoriya, and beamed brightly at his green-haired friend. He deserved his victory, and all the adulation that came with it.
"Our boy did good, huh?" Sato asked, nudging Gohan in the side.
"He sure did," the demi-Saiyan agreed.
"Yep. Our training really paid off," Sato proclaimed proudly.
Now that made Gohan quirk an eyebrow his best friend's way. "What do you mean, 'our training'? You didn't do anything."
Sato merely chuckled and wiggled his fingers, mimicking a magician. "Didn't I?"
"No, you really didn't," Gohan pressed. "In fact, I remember it vividly. You were sitting on your ass, playing on your phone, while I was sparring with Midoriya…"
Gohan shuffled backwards as he seamlessly slipped past several more of Midoriya's kicks. Sweat dripped off the green-haired boy's brow in droves, but he never relented, much to the demi-Saiyan's approval.
"Go, Deku, go! You can do it!" Uraraka cheered from the side.
"That remains to be seen," Aizawa grumbled from beside her. "Hey, Midoriya! Hurry it up! This is the last day you'll be allowed to practice here!"
Uraraka ceased her cheering and stared at the teacher in shock. "But the sports festival is three days away! We still have time!"
Aizawa's scowl morphed into a taunting smirk. "Ahh, that's right, I haven't told you guys yet. The whole faculty is going to be busy setting up the festival over the next three days, so there won't be anyone available to supervise you."
"Sensei! You can't just spring that on us at the last minute!" Uraraka protested, stamping her feet where she stood. "Deku's stressed out enough as is!"
"Can't I?" Aizawa responded with a mocking chuckle. "I'm pretty sure All Might gave me permission to do what I want when he begged me to babysit you brats. If you have a problem with that, take it up with him."
Midoriya grit his teeth and stepped up his assault, but his haste led to his attacks getting sloppier. Gohan frowned and clipped his foe in the ear with a glancing punch. "Focus! You don't have time to get distracted!"
Midoriya growled and lashed out with a clumsy punch which Gohan easily brushed aside, following through on the evasive motion by palming the green-haired boy in the face to make him stagger back. "Get it together, Midoriya! I know you're better than this!"
Acting as though he'd just been slapped, Midoriya winced and clenched his fists hard, but just a few seconds later his features relaxed, and his eyes snapped shut. After inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth, his eyes shot open. His lips were set in a thin line, denoting neither anger nor joy or anything in between, and his expression was calm. He was still sweating up a storm, but he had regulated his breathing enough that his tiredness wasn't openly evident.
Midoriya then darted forward and began a fresh assault, and this time, Gohan had no complaints. He still dodged and weaved his way around his sparring partner's strikes, but he needed to be constantly on the move to do so. Unlike before, Midoriya's punches and kicks flowed smoothly into one another with just a few hiccups here and there, but nothing worth correcting. Then, they started picking up speed, and few moments later, they got even faster.
Gohan's eyes gradually widened when he spotted faint red trails running along Midoriya's moving limbs, which quickly grew thicker and began glowing. As though the veins were powering him like a generator of some sort, Midoriya's punches and kicks sped up more and more, until they literally started blurring in motion.
The glowing red veins had now reached Midoriya's face, pulsating fiercely as they formed a cross-shaped pattern on his skin. Then, whatever weird energy had been building all this time exploded in a dazzling shower of sparks, leaving Midoriya coated in a cloak of literal lightning.
Gohan's jaw dropped. 'That's just like my Ascen-'
A fist slammed into his cheek, breaking his train of though. A moment later, his hand flew up and smacked Midoriya in his cheek, sending the green-haired boy rocketing away.
A loud thud then sounded, followed by Sato's pained wail. "Ow! The hell, dude?! You nearly broke my phone!"
"Deku!" Uraraka cried.
That snapped Gohan back to his senses, and after gathering his bearings, he stared at the scene in shock.
Midoriya had been knocked into Sato, and the two of them were now tangled together in a mass of sweaty limbs; Uraraka had dashed towards the downed pair and was frantically trying to yank Midoriya free. Aizawa simply stood off to the side, stroking his chin in silent contemplation, an unrecognisable glimmer in his beady black eyes.
When he finally registered what he'd done, a surge of guilt welled up in the pit of Gohan's stomach and he sprinted over to his friends. "Midoriya! You okay? I am so, so sorry, man! My reflexes-"
"Did it…" Midoriya wheezed, making the demi-Saiyan's breath hitch.
"D-Deku?" Uraraka whispered.
"Did it…" Midoriya repeated weakly, his eyes welling up with tears. "I finally… finally… did it…"
"You sure did, bud," Gohan praised, beaming proudly at his protégé. "You sure did."
"Nah, I'm pretty sure you're just imagining things," Sato protested.
Recognising a lost cause when he saw one, Gohan rolled his eyes and turned to a beaming Uraraka, who was wiping tears from her eyes. "You okay?" he asked.
"Y-yeah! Of course! I'm just really, really happy," she replied, still sniffling a little. "It felt so good to see Super Deku in action after all the hard work he put in."
"Super Deku?" Kirishima repeated, sounding thoroughly curious. "What's that?"
"It's the name of Deku's new form. Son came up with it," Uraraka answered.
"Ehh? Sounds badass!" Kirishima exclaimed.
"Definitely! Pretty fitting, too," Ashido agreed as she turned to Gohan. "Does it have any special meaning, or…?"
"N-not really! I just thought made sense, ya know?" he replied meekly, scratching the back of his head.
"Super Deku? You've gotta be shitting me! What's so super about that lying freak landing a lucky punch!" Bakugo spat venomously, ever the buzzkill. He then paused, as though the gears in his twisted head were turning, and a sickening grin slowly split his lips. "This is good, though- no this is great! Next round he's mine, and I'm gonna kill him! I'm gonna kill him so bad he's gonna die! You hear that, Deku?! You're dead fucking meat!"
As Bakugo cackled maniacally in his isolated corner of the box, his classmates shut him out and continued conversing amongst themselves, the excitement in the air still palpable.
Gohan shot the volatile blond a wary glance, not exactly sure what to make of his threats. Bakugo was full of hot air most of the time, but his history with Midoriya was cause for concern. If things between them got out of hand…
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news after such an electrifying contest, but our next match will not be going ahead!" Present Mic revealed, earning a round of gasps from the audience, as well as more than a couple of loud boos. "Due to severe injuries sustained in his match against Sato Rikido, Kirishima Eijiro has, unfortunately, not been medically cleared to compete! As such, his would-be opponent, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, moves on to the semi-finals!"
Gohan blinked twice as most of the booing stopped, having not expected the match to be called off, but pleased to hear it nonetheless. Kirishima was way too wounded to compete.
The redhead in question growled and started struggling against the straps that trapped him in his seat. "That's bull! I can still fight! Just lemme out and I'll show you!" he protested.
Sato sighed. "Just give it a rest, man. We've already been through this."
Gohan was now thoroughly confused. Was that why Kirishima had been strapped to his seat? Because he had chucked a tantrum when he was first told he'd have to forfeit?
"I refuse!" the redhead roared as his body started hardening.
Ashido let out a frustrated groan and wearily shook her head. "Sero! He's being a pain in the ass again! We need more tape!"
"With pleasure!" Sero grinned eagerly as he stood up and got to work, a fresh roll of tape extending from his elbows. Kaminari and Ojiro moved in as well, the pair of them grabbing a hold of Kirishima's shoulders to try and restrain him while Sero did his thing.
A short struggled ensued between the four of them, but it ended when Kirishima booted Kaminari in the shin. "Ahh! Fuck!" the blond cried out as he hopped away, his hands flying to his hurt leg.
Before Kirishima could cause further chaos, Shoji stepped up in place of the seething Kaminari, and joined Ojiro in holding the redhead down. This time, they were more successful.
To his credit, Kirishima didn't relent. "No! Get off me, damn it! I can still fight! Let me go fight!" he whined, fighting furiously against his restraints.
Sero suddenly paled as his captive's shaking became more vigorous, and a few of his tapes started tearing at the seams. "Sh-shit! He's starting to break free! Quick! Someone sedate him!"
"Allow me," Tsuyu said, rolling up her sleeves and advancing towards Kirishima. "The mucus I secrete has paralytic properties. He'll be out like a light after this."
This gave the redhead pause, and his jaw slackened. "Wait! Asui, you wouldn't! I-I thought we were friends!"
"This is for your own good," Tsuyu replied casually, unperturbed even as Kirishima resumed his struggling.
"Stop being so stubborn, you jackass! Just let it go!" Ashido growled, glaring viciously at the boy.
"But… my fight…"
"Could Ashido Mina and Son Gohan please make their way to the ring for the last match of the quarter-finals," Present Mic requested, eliciting a pained whimper from Kirishima.
Ashido paused, then smirked at the redhead. "Well, I guess that makes your loss official. Too bad." She punctuated her taunt by sticking out her tongue.
"Fine. You guys win," Kirishima grumbled, his wriggling finally ceasing. He let loose a long, dejected sigh. "I still could've fought, you know. My guts would've carried me to victory."
"Or to an early grave," Tokoyami remarked, to which Tsuyu nodded her agreement.
Kirishima sniffled. "I can't believe you guys have so little faith in me…"
Gohan caught sight of Ashido rolling her eyes as he stood to leave, and when their gazes met, she flashed him a small smile, which he returned. He didn't have a clue what was going through her head, but it pleased him to see her in good spirits.
"Good luck, you two," Tsuyu chirped.
"Yeah, knock it out of the park!" Uraraka added.
Ashido flashed the girls a V sign, and Gohan couldn't help but beam inwardly at her enthusiasm.
A few more of their classmates wished them luck, but the combatants themselves said nothing as they left the box and stepped foot in the tunnel.
"H-hey, aren't you going to let me go?" Kirishima stammered from behind them.
"After the shit you just pulled? Nah, I think you're fine where you are," Sero replied, snickering.
"Sero, you bastard! That's not fair!" Kirishima protested.
"Anyone have any objections to keeping Kirishima wrapped up?" Sero queried.
"Nope!"
"None."
"My fucking shin!"
"You brought this on yourself, bro."
"So uncool…"
The arguing dwindled the further Gohan and Ashido got, and when their classmates were fully out of earshot, the demi-Saiyan turned to his opponent and smiled. "Kirishima's something else, huh?
Ashido sighed, but there was a fondness in her eyes. "Yeah. He's a dumbass."
"Maybe so, but his drive is admirable," Gohan remarked.
Ashido snorted. "Doesn't make him any less of a dumbass.
"I never said it did," Gohan replied with a chuckle.
The pair walked in comfortable silence for a while, until the faint roar of the crowd reached their ears. Ashido gulped. "You nervous?" she asked quietly.
"A bit," Gohan admitted. "I never liked crowds. You?"
"Yep," Ashido answered. "This whole thing is kind of overwhelming when you really think about it, isn't it?"
"Definitely," Gohan agreed. "But it's a good opportunity to get used to it, which is something we're going to have to do sooner or later."
"Mmm," Ashido mused.
They came to a halt at the final stretch; at the start of the tunnel that led to the ring. They were just out of view of the crowd, but close enough to be enveloped by their jubilant, rowdy, even bloodthirsty cheers. Ashido's foot started twitching.
"It helps to try and ignore them," Gohan stated.
Ashido looked at him in surprise, her lips pursed. "Really?"
"Yeah," Gohan replied, turning his head to face the girl. "You shut them out entirely and focus only on your opponent. It's easier said than done, of course, but it helps a ton. Think of it like covering yourself in a soundproof suit of armour."
"Huh," Ashido said, her stare unwavering. Gohan didn't back down either, and a few seconds later, she blinked and huffed out a pleasant sigh. A smile then graced her lips. "Good luck, Son."
"Good luck, Ashido."
With no prompting needed, the two friends faced forward and stepped into the open, then set off for the ring.
"Here come our two valiant competitors!" Present Mic roared. "Both of them have already shown their quality, and both of them will no doubt show it again as they fight for the last spot in the semi-finals! Son Gohan is the clear favourite, but as Ashido Mina displayed so elegantly in her last match, she has the heart of a fighter and is not to be underestimated!"
Gohan took his place on one side of the ring, while Ashido situated herself on the other. She assumed a loose stance with her arms by her sides, her eyes locked on to his, so he saw fit to do the same. A surge of pride for his friend welled up inside him, but he forced it down. This wasn't the time to be sentimental.
"Begin!"
Gohan's right fist lashed forward, shooting out a gust of wind, but all it hit before dissipating was air; Ashido had lunged to the left the moment the match began, avoiding the invisible projectile entirely. Without halting her momentum, she readjusted her feet and started skating along the edge of the ring.
Lip quirking slightly, Gohan took off as well, his sudden burst of speed placing him in front of his opponent and making her eyes widen. He then pulled back his right arm and swung a haymaker at Ashido's face, drawing a gasp from the girl. She stumbled, but somehow managed to steady her momentum enough to fall forward and execute a clumsy – but nonetheless effective – roll under the offending limb.
As she scrambled back to her feet, Gohan planted his own feet on the ground, and fired a side thrust kick at Ashido's back. This time, the blow landed, and the girl went staggering towards the edge of the ring. Fortunately, she managed to stop herself before falling out of bounds.
As Ashido turned back to face him, a hint of alarm on her features, Gohan's expression hardened and he darted forward. Upon closing the distance, he started peppering his opponent with a salvo of slow but precise punches while she struggled to mount a defence.
Twin jabs struck Ashido's shoulder, followed by a right cross to her face that she narrowly managed to avoid with a head slip. However, Gohan's fist still grazed her ear, causing her to wince, and giving him the chance to fire a left hook at her temple. It struck, stunning her momentarily.
Taking a step back to allow Ashido to breathe, Gohan waited until she came to her senses, before firing another jab – a feint this time. She twitched, so he came in close and nailed her in the gut with two consecutive punches, drawing two pained grunts and making her head drop.
He then took another step back, and when he saw her lift her head, he closed the distance yet again, only for his eyes to bulge when she literally threw herself at him.
So stunned was he at this counterattack, he failed to muster an appropriate response, and before he could gather his bearings, the impact of two soft pillows slamming into his face made his mind go blank.
Gohan barely registered the feeling of arms wrapped around his head, or legs coiling around his midsection. All he could do was let his arms go limp, and lose himself in the warmth and comfort of Ashido Mina's ample bosom.
He did notice when his feet started shuffling around the ring, but his head was so hazy he could barely bring himself to care. It was only when his right foot touched nothing but air, that the mist cleared and his eyes regained their light.
Feeling his cheeks heat up, he took a few steps forward until he was standing on solid ground. Tilting his head upwards and trying to ignore the delicate flesh pressed against his cheeks, he was greeted by the entrancing sight of an equally flushed Ashido staring down at him.
"Damn it! I was so close!" she grumbled.
He reached up and pried her hands off him, but that only made the legs around his waist tighten their grip. Gulping, and hoping with all his heart that his lower body wouldn't betray him in this precarious position, Gohan let go of her arms – which snapped back in place around his neck – and grabbed her legs instead. As he pulled them away from his body, his wily opponent's arms squeezed even harder.
Ashido chuckled nervously, the pink on her cheeks darkening to a never-before-seen shade. "Y- you won't get rid of me that easily, Son! I got you right where I want you!"
Gohan glared back at the girl as he let go of her legs, which instantly latched onto his waist. "In that case, let me give you some advice."
"Oh?" Ashido queried, her mouth opening cutely.
Gohan sighed. "If you ever find yourself in a sticky situation…" His fingers flew to Ashido's sides and proceeded to mercilessly tickle her.
She shrieked and cried, but to her credit, she didn't let go. Gohan grit his teeth, his ears instantly assaulted by the shrill sound, but that was the least of his worries; the vigorous writhing of Ashido's body against his own was stirring up sensations he'd be downright mortified to experience in public.
Eventually, mercifully, after a few further peals of raucous laughter, Ashido finally disengaged and landed on her feet, gasping for air. Gohan's features hardened. "Never be afraid to think outside the box!"
A vicious uppercut smashed into the girl's gut, knocking the wind out of her and sending her shooting backwards, several metres away from the edge of the ring. She clutched at her stomach and wheezed harshly, but still staggered to her feet, shooting Gohan a pained look.
Suppressing the slight twinge of guilt in his own gut, the demi-Saiyan advanced, only to stop when Ashido balled her fists, and began lobbing a barrage of acidic globs his way.
Planting his feet shoulder-width apart and subtly bending his knees, Gohan nimbly ducked, dipped, darted and dodged his way around the venomous projectiles, which plopped behind him and sizzled on the surface of the ring. He even threw in a handstand when one of the sludgy missiles came dangerously close to landing on his shoe.
Ashido didn't relent and kept up her fruitless assault, but the longer it went on the more haggard her breathing became, and the more her face sunk. Her arms, already trembling from minor exertion, looked as though they were getting heavier and heavier, and when her attack finally ceased for good, Gohan struck.
Dashing forward, he slammed both palms on his opponent's shoulders, knocking the wind out of her and forcing her back. He quickly followed through with a snap kick using his back leg, a spin kick, a side thrust kick and a spinning back kick, alternating legs each time. None of them had anywhere near enough force to take Ashido out, but they were fast and accurate enough to put her on the back foot.
"You're being too one-dimensional," he scolded quietly, transitioning to quick but compact punches, the vast majority of which hit their mark; the rest were awkwardly deflected. "All-out offense won't work unless your opponent is thoroughly outclassed, and all-out defence will only invite pressure on you and tire you out faster."
He halted his assault momentarily to see what his heavily panting opponent would do, and was rewarded with a shaky punch aimed at his face, the arm looking like it was full of lead.
Gohan swiftly deflected Ashido's strike, subtly exaggerating his rising block, and simultaneously retaliated with a punch to her abdomen, discharging a minuscule amount of ki from his fist – enough to noticeably stagger the girl. "The best approach is to attack and defend at the same time, while using your Quirk to bolster your strikes," he informed calmly.
At this point Ashido was shaking where she stood, head lowered and expression hidden. Yet again, Gohan guiltily fought back the urge to check if his pink-skinned friend was okay, masking his concern with a steely visage.
He took a step forward, only to pause when Ashido flung herself at him once more. This time, however, he was prepared. Waiting until just before she made contact, he grabbed her by the collar, pulled her closer while falling onto his back, and sent her flying over him courtesy of a boot to the gut.
Suppressing a wince at the thud of her body slamming onto solid concrete, Gohan got up and shook his head at the girl, who was scrambling to her feet. "The same trick won't work on me twice," he chided – gently, not mockingly. "I know you have more than that in you, Ashido. I know you haven't given me your best."
Ashido stared back at him, her downcast expression making Gohan's heart clench. Her stance looked steady, but her UA tracksuit was hiding what was surely a litany of light bruises, and her spirit was no doubt wounded. That, and the slight shaking of each of her limbs, spoke volumes about her exhaustion.
Despite her sorry state, though, Gohan knew better than anyone that it was when fighters were at their most fragile, that they unearthed their hidden strength… and he had no doubt that Ashido Mina had the heart of a warrior. And, as someone lucky enough to be her friend, it was up to him to draw it out.
So he watched, and waited, as Ashido willed her arms to stop shaking, and her legs to cease their trembling. He remained silent as he scanned her face; she grit her teeth and shut her eyes hard, before reopening them and steadying her breathing. But, beneath this outer layer of calmness, Gohan felt that something was off… and he'd be lying if he said it didn't concern him.
Nevertheless, he stayed patient as Ashido pulled her closed fists back at the waist and charged towards him. As she ran, her teeth clenched once again, he noticed a faint trail of silver leaking out between the fingers on her right hand, making his eyes widen imperceptibly.
Once Ashido got close, she lashed out with a left jab at Gohan's face, which he deftly avoided by tilting his head to the right. The next thing he saw was Ashido's right hand flying at his cheek, the fist opening just enough to reveal a thick glob of acid resting on her palm.
The sight pleased him greatly, and he felt a touch of pride for his pink-skinned friend, but he really wasn't keen on seeing just what would happen if he let that smack connect. So, with a heavy heart, he weaved his head to the left, slipping under her hand and letting the acid fly harmlessly off to the side. Then, when she paused to process her failure, he brought up his right arm, took a step past her, and elbowed her in the back.
Gasping, Ashido staggered forward a few steps, so Gohan struck: he dashed in from behind, then secured his arms around her stomach and clasped his wrist with his hand, locking her into a bearhug. She let out another gasp and tried to wriggle out of it, but her arms were firmly secured by her sides, unable to get free.
"That's more like it!" he whispered. "You might have gotten me if I hadn't seen the acid leaking out from your hands while you ran!"
As Ashido intensified her struggle, he loosened his grip ever so slightly, curious as to her next move. There were a few routes she could take, and he was keen to see which one she would choose.
"I forfeit!" she suddenly shouted, and the words stung him like a dagger to the chest.
Jaw dropping, Gohan quickly let go and Ashido stumbled a bit, but managed to stay on her feet. He stared at her back, stunned, and wondered just what the hell had happened. Why had she called it quits? He'd been pushing her hard, sure, but not so much that she had nothing left in the tank. He was sure-
"And this intriguing clash ends in a victory for the tournament favourite, Son Gohan!" Present Mic roared to ruthless cheers. "Ashido Mina put up a valiant effort against overwhelming odds, but Son's hug proved too much to bear!"
The crowd roared with laughter, but Gohan drowned them out, along with rest of Present Mic's plaudits. His eyes snapped back to his beaten opponent, but she was already heading down the tunnel. How had she gotten down there so fast?
Feeling the guilt from before bubbling to the surface, Gohan took off after her, but not so quickly as to arouse suspicion or start any rumours. By the time he entered the tunnel, he could see her running down the hallway.
Grimacing, he sped up too. "Ashido, wait!"
She didn't respond; instead, she picked up the pace.
"Ashido, please! If-if I did something to upset you, I'm sorry! Can we please just talk about this?"
Again, he was met with silence. His heart sank.
"Mina… please..."
This time, Ashido faltered, but it was only temporary.
Gritting his teeth and clenching his fist, Gohan blurred in front of the girl. She yelped as she ran into him, then stared at him in shock. "S-Son?! How-"
"Can we please just talk?" he pleaded, peering into her tear-stricken eyes. She didn't move, but she didn't say anything either, so he took that as a sign to continue. Exhaling deeply to calm his nerves, he shook his head. "I don't know what I did to upset y- well, actually, I think I have an idea-"
"You humiliated me on international TV, Son!" Ashido spat, her lower lip quivering. "I was out there tr-trying so hard, a-and you were just… you were just…" She broke down, and Gohan couldn't take it anymore.
Following not his mind, but his heart, he reached out and enveloped her in the warmest, most comforting hug he could muster – and Ashido, despite her squawk of surprise and undoubtedly raging emotions, melted right into it. "You have to believe me… upsetting you was the last thing I wanted," Gohan soothed, resting his chin atop the girl's fluffy mop of hair.
Ashido sniffed, her body letting out a tremble. "I-I know you'd never do anything to hurt me. I just… felt so… embarrassed."
Gohan felt the dagger from before burying itself deeper into his chest, letting him know just how badly he screwed up. Reluctantly, he let go of his friend and gently grabbed her by the shoulders, meeting her surprised gaze with his own. He shot her his fondest smile. "How about we go find somewhere private to talk this over, huh?"
Ashido swallowed thickly, but nodded. "Okay."
"Great!" Gohan chirped. He stepped away and scanned their surroundings, his eyes quickly latching on to a nearby door in the hallway they were standing in.
He walked over and pressed his ear to it, but heard nothing inside. Letting out a deep breath, he clasped the knob and turned, and fortunately, it was unlocked. He shot Ashido another smile. "Well, that was convenient."
In spite of everything, the girl giggled, making his heart swell with relief. He pushed the door open all the way and walked inside, turning on the light to find himself in a reasonably large room – about half the size of his classroom – that was completely empty. He scratched his cheek, not having expected that. "Huh. Must be an unused storeroom or something."
"Probably," Ashido mumbled, walking in right after him. She closed the door, took one look at the place, and sat herself down along the wall to the left, her knees pulled up to her chest.
Gohan scratched the back of his head, unsure whether she wanted him to join her. But, when he didn't see any scorn directed his way, he took the plunge and sat beside her, mirroring her pose.
Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, he saw no signs of protest. Instead, she just stared straight ahead, unflinching. He gulped, figuring he ought to start the conversation. "So…"
"So," Ashido mimicked, but not in a mocking way.
Gohan ran a weary hand through his spiky locks and sighed. "Like I said, it wasn't my intention to embarrass you. I would never want to hurt you in that way, Ashido… you mean too much to me. I was just… trying to help you."
The look he received was one of incredulity. "You were trying to help me?" Ashido repeated. Fortunately, her tone lacked anger. "Help me how? By kicking my ass up and down the ring so bad I couldn't do anything? Not one single thing?"
Gohan winced. "Yeah… I might have overstepped my boundaries a bit."
"Ya think?" Ashido chuckled sardonically, before letting out a sigh. "I felt how strong you were, Son. You could've ended the fight any time you wanted. Instead, you held back. You gave me chances to fight back… then you took me down straight away, each and every time, making me look like some weakling way out of her depth." She shot him another frown, her eyes narrowed noticeably. "What was I supposed to think about that? How did you expect me to react?"
The dagger in Gohan's chest from before had long since been ripped out; now, it was as if there was a stake embedded in his heart, and each word Ashido spoke hammered that stake another inch deeper. Silence reigned between them for a few strained, painfully long seconds, before he shook his head and figured the best thing to do was be honest.
"When our match was decided, I didn't have a clue how I was going to approach it," he admitted, clenching and unclenching his fist. "I knew if I took you seriously from the start, the match would be over in a flash, and you wouldn't have the chance to show off your skills to all the pros watching."
Risking a glance at Ashido, Gohan saw that much of her anger had faded, replaced by an inquisitive gaze. He took that as a sign to continue.
"We've never trained together, but I've seen you fight enough times to get a rough idea of your strengths and weaknesses, and things you could improve on. I've seen how much potential you have, and as your friend, I thought I'd try to help you reach it." He rubbed his temples and groaned, the selfishness of his actions finally setting in. "Some friend I am. I overstepped my boundaries, thinking you'd just be okay with it, and for that, I sincerely apologise."
Much to his surprise, Ashido let out a small chuckle, her cheeks reddening ever so slightly. "So, instead of asking to train with me, or taking me aside and telling me these things, you decided to literally beat them into me?"
Gohan cringed. "In hindsight, that definitely would've been the smart thing to do, but it was a last-minute decision on my part. A-anyway, in my experience, the best way to learn how to fight effectively is to be put under pressure and made to learn by example… within reason, of course." He scratched his chin in though and scowled. "Then again, my own training is far from what you'd call normal. Damn it, now I feel like an even bigger idiot!"
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Ashido spoke softly. "Maybe I overreacted a bit. You were just being nice and trying to help me. I appreciate the gesture, even if I… I dunno…" she trailed off.
Gohan pursed his lips, none of his nervousness having abated. "Would you have preferred it if I'd done what I did to Shinso, and taken you out as soon as the match started?"
"I… honestly, I don't know," Ashido murmured, sounding genuinely unsure. "I can understand why you did what you did, and believe me, I'll definitely take your training to heart, but… I dunno. Let me get back to you on that."
"Don't worry about it," Gohan replied with a shake of the head. "Forget I even asked. I was in the wrong."
Ashido breathed out a tired sigh. "Again, you're being too hard on yourself. Let's just say we both screwed up and leave it at that."
"If you insist," Gohan responded, even if he didn't entirely agree.
Ashido shot him a small smile. "I do. And hey, even though you kicked my ass out there, at least you made it look like I can take a hit. That's always good."
Unable to help himself, Gohan let out a light chuckle. "You showed tremendous heart out there. You should be proud of yourself. I know I am." He meant that.
"Oh! Y-yeah! Definitely!" Ashido stammered. "B-but anyway, now that we're no longer fighting, would you mind telling me what it is you were hoping to teach me in the first place?"
"Oh, sure," Gohan agreed, instantly perking up. "My main goal was to try and get you to use your Quirk for simultaneous offense and defence. For example, coating your arms in acid to block my punches, while countering with punches of your own. It's why I spent so much time fighting you up close. Your Quirk is incredibly versatile, and can be applied in so many creative ways."
"Mmm, this is good stuff. I wish I had my phone on me to take notes," Ashido mumbled.
"Don't worry, I'll be sure to remind you later," Gohan offered kindly.
"I'll be counting on you," Ashido whispered, letting her head drop onto his shoulder and earning a gasp from the boy.
"A-Ashido? You okay?" he asked, feeling his heartbeat start to pick up speed.
"Tired," she grumbled, yawning. "In case you've forgotten, you spent like half an hour punching and kicking the crap out of me. Cut a girl some slack, eh?"
"Th-the match wasn't that long!" Gohan protested, before hanging his head mournfully. "Sorry about that, by the way. I tried to pull my punches as much as possible."
Ashido giggled. "It's fine. I'm just messing with you. But if you really want to make it up to me, let me stay like this for a bit. I really could use the rest."
Gohan gulped. "What if someone walks in on us?"
"That's a problem for Future Gohan and Future Mina to worry about," Ashido dismissed.
"It's a bit reckless for my liking, but sure, let's go with that," Gohan grumbled good-naturedly. His eyes then lit up. "Hey, you called me by my first name…"
"I, ahh, liked it when you called me by mine earlier," Ashido mumbled shyly. "Thought I'd return the favour."
Gohan smiled warmly, deciding he could get used to that. "I'll keep that in mind… Mina."
AN: Hi all. Sure has been a while, huh? To put it bluntly, the stretch of time between my last update and now has been a turbulent clusterfuck of an emotional rollercoaster. In that time I've been through three jobs: one I lost due to COVID, and another I had to quit because of an incredibly toxic work environment and uncaring bosses only concerned with turning a profit. Needless to say, it's been rough, and stressful, and something I hope to never have to go through again, but that's life. Sometimes shit happens, and all we can do is just roll with the punches.
But, the thing that impacted my writing the most, was the death of my aunt due to cancer. She was a phenomenal writer, and someone I always looked up to, not just because of that, but because she was an immensely generous, kind and caring person. She didn't know a single thing about DBZ or MHA, but she still read every single chapter I posted of this crossover as soon as I posted it, and was always happy to discuss what she thought with me. She was my biggest fan, and losing her so suddenly hit me harder than I ever thought it would. It also completely killed my motivation to write.
But, like with a lot of things, the wounds healed with time, and while I'm not sure I'll ever fully get over her death, life must go on. This story must go on. I've put way too much time and effort into it to just abandon it. I don't know how long it'll take, but I will finish it.
In the meantime, I would like to thank, from the bottom of my heart, all my loyal readers who have stuck with me thus far – especially those who have messaged me, asking if I'm ok. I'm so sorry to have made you guys worry. I'd also like to apologise for going on hiatus so suddenly without any explanation; you guys didn't deserve that, and I'll try to be more open about this kind of stuff in the future.
As for this chapter, while I'm really pleased with how it turned out, I can't wait to be done with the tournament. When I first started this fic, I was dreading writing the sports festival because of how full-on it is, and how much stuff I needed to cover, a lot of which didn't really affect Gohan. I knew it'd be long as hell, and it met my expectations in that regard. It's not like I could've just glossed over this stuff either, since it's integral to a lot of characters' development. Fortunately, it's nearly over, and I hope you guys stick with me through the end.
In my time off, I've gone back and reread this fic in its entirely, and man, I was disgusted at the amount of typos I missed while proofreading. It genuinely irritated me, since I usually try to be extremely thorough in my editing. So, after I upload this chapter and reply to all the PMs I've been sent, I plan on going back and fixing them up, as well as making minor edits to some of the earlier chapters. I'm talking stuff like making descriptions shorter and more concise, having Deku not stutter as much, removing some unnecessary words etc. My writing style has grown and changed since I've started this fic – for the better, I hope – and I'm not entirely pleased with some of my earlier work. I don't know if this site has fixed any of its plethora of technical issues in my absence, but if not, and you end up getting numerous update notifications in the next few days, that's why.
Now, to finally wrap up this big ass author's note, I'd just like to say, once again, thank you to everyone who's continued reading, following, favouriting and reviewing this fic up until now. I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter as well, if you have the time to share them. And, if you feel inclined to let me know how you're doing, please feel free to do so. The world's a pretty fucked up place right now, and we could all do with more positivity.
Until next time!
PS: I'd also like to shout out two fantastically talented artists who have made fanart for this fic. The first is 123GOHANZ, so please check out his DeviantArt for some epic drawings of Gohan. The second is AthinaChann, who did the cover for this fic. She drew another photo, this time of Gohan and Sato being bros. To view it, just add /a/YXCSPXk at the end of an imgur link. In the meantime, please check out her Instagram and let her know how awesome she is.