Me: Hello everybody, my name is Tokusatsu Universe, and welcome back to Toku no Hero Academia! We are at part three of the Sports Festival and this chapter will cover the First Round of the tournament.
Some explanation on why Katsuki is still a jerk to Izuku in the beginning despite him having a Quirk.
The first is that, during the ten years between discovering he had Superpower and meeting All Might, Izuku rarely showed his Quirk off, so Katsuki believed that it was weak even though every available evidence pointed otherwise.
The second is that, when Katsuki tried to bully him, Izuku only defended himself using martial arts, not his Quirk, so Katsuki believed he was looking down on him for not using his power.
The third is that, to Katsuki, Izuku was receiving praises for his Quirk he did not deserve: it wasn't until the Heroes vs Villains Battle Trial that Katsuki began to begrudgingly accept that Superpower was a powerful Quirk and that Izuku was powerful, too.
I hope this clears things up a bit.
And here with me is my reliable beta reader, who I appreciate a lot for helping me!
Milarqui: You're welcome, man. Let's do this 24-page long monster!
Let's begin!
Chapter 9: Sports Festival Part 3
"Darn it, we lost. Oh, well..." Setsuna said, shrugging.
"That was... disappointing," Tsuyu replied in a neutral tone: losing didn't seem to have bothered her that much.
"Anyway, it was great teaming up with you, Tsuyu."
"Likewise."
Setsuna went up to Itsuka and patted her on the back.
"Congrats, Kendo! You made it to the finals!" She cheered her. "I hope you and the others will represent 1-B just fine!"
Itsuka smiled.
"I will. Thanks!"
"So... any further encroachment between you and Izu-kun?" Setsuna coyly asked with a smirk. Itsuka blushed, remembering the kiss she had given Izuku on his forehead.
"Quiet, I don't want anyone to hear that," Itsuka said, immediately grabbing Setsuna and taking her to the cafeteria in order to discuss it.
Meanwhile, Tsuyu went over to talk with Mina.
"Congratulations, Mina," she told her pink-skinned friend.
Mina rubbed her neck, not feeling too thrilled at the fact that she had advanced to the tournament for the wrong reasons.
"Yeah, well, thanks and all... but Bakugou just let me join in because Kirishima insisted I could use my acid against Todoroki's ice, so I don't know if that really reflects my abilities, since I barely did anything."
Mina sighed.
"IIDA! I had absolutely no idea that you had that super secret special move! It's not fair!" Ochaco whined, jogging in place as she and the others went to get something to eat.
"It has nothing to do with fairness! I just wasn't using as it was intended! I wanted to do something that could compete with Midoriya... but in the end it did not matter. He was always several steps ahead of everyone else! He truly is something else!" The Engine Quirk user stated, still trying to get over the fact that their deputy rep had managed to trick Team Todoroki into thinking they had taken the ten million point headband.
"YEAH! He was amazing! Speaking of, where is Dekiru-kun?" She asked, noticing that Izuku was nowhere in sight.
"Well, Todoroki just came up to him and asked if they could speak in private a while ago," Momo answered.
"Really? What... what would Todoroki want with Dekiru-kun?" Ochaco asked, hoping nothing bad had happened between them.
Momo placed her finger on her chin, as she began to think about it.
"Honestly... I have no clue about it."
Faculty and Student Entrance
"So... what did you want to talk about?" Izuku asked Shoto. The two were currently in an empty tunnel leading to the stadium, standing across from one another, Izuku looking with curiosity at the dual Quirk user. "Because, if we don't hurry, the cafeteria will more than likely be really crowded..."
Silence reigned.
"Look, if you have nothing to say, then I am leaving," He said, starting to move from where he was.
"I was overpowered?"
"Huh?" Izuku mumbled, confused about his classmate's confession, the first thing he had spoken since he had brought him there.
"So much so... that I broke my pledge," Shoto stated, shame clear and evident in his voice.
'He didn't use half of his power at all, even when it would have been to his advantage. And, now that I think about it... I've never seen him use his left side at all. Why?' Izuku wondered; there had to be some reason why Shoto never used his flames.
Shoto lifted his left hand.
"Iida, Kaminari, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, Kendo, Hatsume... none of them felt it. At that instant, I was the only one who was overpowered. I almost used my flames, the one thing I swore I would never use. Time was running out, I was angry at how you tricked us, and I was about to rush towards your team. But then, I felt that power... radiating off of you. The same kind of power All Might radiates," Shoto continued to speak, staring at his left hand.
Izuku narrowed his eyes.
"And? What's your point, Todoroki? What are you trying to say?"
"What I am trying to say is that I felt something similar coming from you... too similar."
'Oh, crap,' Izuku thought, his heart starting to beat faster as a bead of sweat ran down his face, trying to will himself not to react too strongly. 'He's starting to connect the dots! Has he figured out about One for All?'
"Midoriya, are you..."
Izuku swallowed hard, mentally preparing himself for trying to come up with an answer that would distract Shoto from the truth.
"... All Might's secret love child or something?"
Izuku's tension left him entirely, feeling as if something was completely wrong with the universe.
"Secret... love child?" Izuku asked, unsure if he had heard him correctly. When Shoto nodded, Izuku suddenly remembered what Shoto had said earlier in the morning, while they were in the waiting room.
'That's what he was thinking about!'
Izuku could not help it: he began to laugh out loud at how ridiculous the situation was.
Shoto did not share Izuku's humor, though, and grew annoyed at his laughter.
"What is so funny? Answer the question. Well? Are you?"
Izuku managed to take a deep breath and held hid mirth off.
"Sorry, Todoroki, but that's not it. The answer is no. All Might isn't my dad! Like, come on, we look nothing alike! My real father divorced my mom years ago, because he was hardly around. Last I heard he was living in New York. Though... why would you think that about me? Or why suggest that at all?"
Shoto closed his eyes.
"I see... you too, huh?"
"What do you mean, you too?"
Shoto looked back at Izuku.
"You said That's not it. That means there is some kind of connection between All Might and you... one that you can't talk about, right?"
Izuku felt like palming his face as he realized he had messed up. Shoto was so quiet and not much of a talker, it was easy to forget how perceptive and smart he was.
Shoto, however, decided he was fine with letting Izuku keep his secret. It was not a matter of importance to him, and he needed to get to the real reason he had asked to talk in private with his classmate.
"My old man... is Endeavor. I am sure you know that he has been stuck as the Number Two Hero for years, since All Might has been the first from even before him. If you have something from the Number One Hero, then... then I have even more of a reason to beat you."
Izuku turned serious as he heard Shoto, who rose his eyes to stare deep into Izuku's own eyes.
"My old man... he has a strong desire to rise in the world. He won a name for himself as a Hero thanks to his crushing force, but it was never enough to beat All Might. He is a great eyesore to him. And, since he couldn't surpass our teacher... he moved onto his next plan."
"Wait a minute, next plan? What are you talking about, Todoroki? What are you trying to tell me?"
"You have heard of Quirk Marriages, right?"
"Yes, I have. How is that relevant to this?"
"That thing became a problem for the second and third generations after Quirks appeared. Choosing a spouse based only on strengthening your own Quirk and passing it onto your children... forcing people into marriage... the old-fashioned way of thinking, brought back by a complete lack of ethics. My old man has accomplishments and money. He won over my mother's relatives and got a hold of my mother's Quirk. My siblings and I..."
Izuku flinched as he realized what was going on through Shoto's mind.
"I see... you and your siblings were the result of a Quirk marriage – born solely for the purpose of surpassing All Might, because your own father could not do it. And he has chosen you to be the one to do it."
Shoto nodded and scowled.
"It's so annoying... I will not become the tool of scum like that. In my memories... my mother is always crying."
Izuku remembered how his mother cried when she was heartbroken when they thought he was Quirkless. It was not until Superpower had shown and that she had divorced his father that she had resolved to become more confident. Shoto brought his hand over to the left side of his face, touching the red scar covering his eye.
"Do you want to know how I got this?"
Izuku silently nodded, knowing that, whatever the reason, it was not good.
"Your left sight is unsightly, and should be cleansed right now. That is what my mother said when she poured boiling water on my face when I was six," He said, depressed. The attack had certainly scarred him, both physically and emotionally.
Izuku was left horrified, unable to believe that Shoto's own mother would say something so ugly to him at such a young age.
"That... that's horrible," He simply said, unable to come up with anything better to describe such an event. No mother should ever do or say anything like that to their child, no matter what – particularly since Shoto had not even known why it had happened.
"Basically, I am going after you because I want to show him what I can do, without using his Quirk. No... I will reject him completely by winning first place just with my Ice Quirk!" Shoto vowed, and Izuku could feel the cold, dark hatred in the other boy's eyes. Shoto sighed, now done, and began to walk away. "I don't care if you can't tell me what is your connection to All Might. No matter what you are to him, I will rise above you with just my right side. I apologize for wasting your time, but I had to get that point across. I'll see you in the finals... you better prepare yourself."
Shoto had only taken a few steps away when Izuku talked.
"Hold it."
Shoto stopped walking and turned around, looking at his rival directly in the eye. The coldness and hatred had not left him, but Izuku's eyes shone with the flames of confidence in himself and his abilities.
"All my life... I have been supported by others. I am here because of the people who have supported me. I want to be like him, like the Greatest Hero, All Might, saving people with a smile. I want to embody everything he stands for! But, in order to do that, I have to be strong enough to become the Number One Hero, the Symbol of Peace. That is my dream, and I will fight for it until the day I die. Our motivations could not be any more different, but, if you honestly think that the story of your life is enough to make me lose and renounce to my victory for you, you are sadly mistaken. In fact, it actually motivates me more, it pushes me forward. I have to live up to the hopes of those who supported me. That declaration of war you gave me in the waiting room earlier... I'll return that. I will face and defeat everyone I meet with everything I have, including yourself, Todoroki! And I will win the Sports Festival to show the world that I Am Here! That is a promise, believe that!"
Shoto looked at Izuku for a moment before nodding at him, then he walked away, leaving Izuku standing alone... or so he thought.
"Everything that has been said here stays between the three of us. I expect you to keep Shoto's personal information to yourself. I'll see you in a little bit... Bakugou."
Katsuki flinched at the fact that he had been caught. He had been curious about what Half-n-half wanted with Deku, so he had followed them, for once doing as little noise as possible. What he had heard had shocked him a lot: not only did the son of Endeavor not consider him the main threat to his plans, he had just discovered that the Number Two Hero had gone way too far to fulfill his dream of taking All Might's place.
'If this were a comic book, he'd probably be the main character, what with that kind of backstory. Compared to mine... what could I say?' Katsuki thought, wondering how his former friend had heard him. He walked away, deciding that perhaps an answer may be found in a good bowl of food.
Izuku waited for a few moments and then walked for the cafeteria, intent on having a good lunch. After the two first events, he had grown quite the appetite, and he really needed to make sure that he had enough fuel to be at full strength for the entire tournament, so Superpower would have enough to get him through the fights.
"Hey, long time no see! Let's have some tea, Endeavor!" All Might said, smiling, greeting the man who currently held the Number Two Hero position and who was currently walking down the stairs, presumably to head to the cafeteria.
"All Might..." Endeavor stated, in a dismissive tone as he looked over his shoulder.
"It has been, what, ten years since you and I had that talk with the press?" All Might continued, deciding to ignore his fellow hero's reluctance to speak with anyone. "I saw you, so I thought I could greet you and speak."
Endeavor just scowled.
"I see. Well, you have done what you wanted. So, leave me be. I'm only heading to the restroom."
All Might was not going to have any of it, and chose to make a jump to stand in front of him.
"Don't be so cold! You must be proud of your son, he performed admirably while using only half of his power."
Endeavor narrowed his eyes.
"The question is, was he taught well?" All Might asked.
"What are you trying to say?" Endeavor asked back.
"Call it a wish to know how to raise the next generation. I am a teacher here, and I thought I could learn from someone that knows the tricks."
Endeavor scoffed.
"Like I'd tell you anything. You are as naïve as usual, and it is really annoying me." Endeavor shoulder checked All Might and continued on his way, before he stopped for a moment and smirked, again looking over his shoulder. "But, know this – I will make him a hero that will surpass you one day. That's why I created him. He is in his rebellious stage, but he will surpass you. And I'll make sure it happens!"
Endeavor left the corridor, with a shocked and saddened All Might remaining there, thinking about what he had just learned.
'Oh, Endeavor... I knew you disliked me, but to go that far? Have you ever loved your family, or are they just a tool for you to use in this rivalry you claim you have against me? Either way, the Todoroki household isn't as good as I thought it would be... and I cannot do anything about it. If something is to change, the first move must come from them,' All Might thought, finally moving and going into a nearby empty classroom, so he could transform back into his non-hero form to return to his guests, all of them in the cafeteria.
"I am sorry about that, I had to make an urgent call," Toshinori apologized as he took his seat next to Inko.
"It's no problem, we finally managed to make our damn orders after waiting for so fucking long." Mitsuki sighed. "Damn this crowd, it's going to take ages..."
"I will say, I was impressed with what happened in the first two events," Inko said, wanting to distract her friend. "And my Izuku has clearly been giving it his all."
"Don't forget about my son, Inko-chan, he's been going damn hard in the festival too," Mitsuki countered, grinning.
Meanwhile, the two men looked bemused at the women, as they went back and forth over whose son was better.
1 Hour Later
"And WE'RE BACK! Now that lunch is over, it's finally time to reveal the last event! But, before that happens, there's good news for all of you who did not make it here!" Present Mic announced, as the stadium began to get filled once again, ready for the last event to happen. "This is not just a Sports Festival! So, we have prepared multiple recreational games in which everyone can participate! And... we have also brought real cheerleaders from America to liven things up!"
Before Present Mic could continue, though, silence started to spread across the stadium as they all noticed...
"Huh?" Present Mic mumbled, unable to believe his eyes.
"What are those girls doing?" Aizawa asked, having just come out of his sleeping bag.
"WHAT THE HELL?" Vlad shouted from the stands.
The center of attention had suddenly turned out to be the thirteen girls from Classes 1-A and 1-B, all of them dressed in orange U.A. cheerleader uniforms, which really showed off their... assets.
"1-A, 1-B, what's the matter? What kind of fanservice is this?" Present Mic cried out, surprised, as the majority of the males ogled (some of them guiltily, since they were teenagers, after all) the curvaceous figures the cheerleading uniforms didn't fail to display.
As all the girls started to turn red, Kosei and Denki gave each other a thumbs up, a perverted grin on their faces. Having met during the USJ attack, they had become fast friends as a result of their common interests, and this had been part of it: the two of them had gone to their female classmates and convinced them that they had to wear the uniforms for a cheering battle between the classes, all because they wanted to see the girls wearing the sexy outfits.
"KAMINARI!" Momo yelled, furiously, as the veins on her forehead turned purple.
"TSUBURABA!" Itsuka yelled as angry as her fellow hero in training.
"Ugh, why did I let Denki catch me into his scheme?" Momo bemoaned, falling to her knees. "I even used Creation to make the outfits..."
Ochaco and Itsuka chose to pat their friend's back, trying to comfort her.
"Hey, lighten up, Momo-san! It ain't all bad," Ochaco said.
"Yeah, these uniforms are doing something good, at least," Itsuka said, pointing at Izuku. Momo took a quick glance at the boy she liked, and saw her favorite green-haired energy user blushing hard and completely failing in trying not to get caught looking at the girls. Itsuka smiled inwardly, feeling quite content at the fact that Izuku was getting so flustered from seeing her (and the others) like this.
"Well... I suppose that it is a good consolation prize," Momo admitted, standing back again.
"To think that we would be tricked to wear something so... sinful," Ibara wept, using her vines to cover herself. "I must pray to the heavens for forgiveness!"
"Relax, Ibara-chan, it isn't that bad," Setsuna told her classmate, chuckling. "It does bring out our best physical assets for sure!"
"These are so dumb!" Jiro yelled, throwing her pom poms to the floor in frustration. She should have known better.
"I'm so embarrassed right now!" Kinoko squeaked, hiding herself behind Reiko.
"Well, there is still a little time left before the last event begins, and it would be a pain if things got tense. Let's do it anyway!" Toru exclaimed in excitement, clearly getting into the moment and the uniform.
"What?" Kyoka and Kinoko asked, stupefied.
"Toru, you really like this, huh?" Tsuyu asked, knowing the answer.
"Hey, it's not like most of us have anything else to do," Setsuna intervened with a grin. "Plus, we can still show off with this! C'mon girls, lemme hear those cheers!"
"Yay," Yui said, minimally shaking her pom poms, her expression unchanging.
"All right, everyone! A good cheer for our students, and have fun competing in the recreational games! When that's over, the sixteen students still running will duke it out tournament style, one-on-one!" Present Mic announced.
"So, the last round is a tournament, huh? I'm going to stand on the stage I watch every year on TV!" Kirishima said, pumping his fists.
"Was it a tournament last year?" Mina asked, still wearing her cheerleader uniform.
"Nah, it's always a one-on-one competition, but they change it every year. I think last year it was a series of chambara matches," Sero replied.
"Now, let's prepare to draw lots to determine the bracket!" Midnight said, bringing in a yellow box labeled 'Tournament Lots'. "Once the bracket is determined, we'll have the recreational games and then start! The sixteen finalists can choose whether or not they want to participate in the recreation, because I am sure some of you will want to rest or save your strength. Now, from the first place team–"
"Er, excuse me," Kosei called out, raising his hand. "I am withdrawing."
Everyone gasped.
"Why are you doing this, Tsuburaba?" Neito asked with a shocked look.
"This is a rare chance for the Pros to notice your manliness!" Tetsutetsu exclaimed from the group of those who had not passed, just as shocked that his classmate wanted to quit.
"Why would you just quit, after making it so far?" Itsuka asked.
"Look, everyone else is really strong, and I would get beaten the moment I am up there. I may be confident in my abilities, but not so much that I think I can compete in this level, at least right now," Kosei said, slumping and looking down.
Izuku walked up towards Kosei and placed a hand on his shoulder, knowing he was in distress.
"Look, Tsuburaba-san, if that's your decision, then I respect it completely. Keep working, and I am sure you will be much stronger the next time you come up here!"
Everyone's gazes turned from Kosei to Izuku: no one had expected him to support the decision to drop out, and in fact had honestly thought he would encourage him not to quit and show what he could really do in the tournament.
"Thank you for understanding, Midoriya-san," Kosei said, nodding at him. "I really appreciate it!"
"If it isn't much of a problem, I would also like to withdraw, for the same reason as Kosei," Sen told Midnight, also feeling that he could not compare to the other competitors' level.
"Seriously, you too, Kaibara-san?" Neito asked, unable to believe that two of his Cavalry team members were withdrawing just because they felt overwhelmed by the remaining competition.
"What's with these guys?" Eijiro asked.
"This is an unusual turn of events... we'll have to see what the chief umpire, Midnight, has to say about this..." Present Mic said, awaiting the R-Rated Hero's decision.
"Youthful talk like that is something... that really turns me on! Kaibara, Tsuburaba! I accept your withdrawal!" Midnight said with a lecherous grin. The other participants struggled not to palm their faces.
"Did she just say this turns her on? Did she decide based on her preference?" Izuku wondered, his face slightly twisted.
"Hmmm... in that case, we will have to move up two people from the Cavalry Battle team that came up fifth..." Midnight hummed. "Team Tetsutetsu! Choose two of your own to join the tournament!"
Neito looked at his classmates.
"Are you two sure about this? Throwing away your opportunity to be scouted by the Pros?"
"Yeah, I'm sure, Monoma-san," Kosei said, grinning. "It's not like there won't be a chance to train with someone, and there's always next year for me to prove ourselves stronger."
"It just makes more sense to give it to someone who is much stronger than us right now," Sen stated. Tetsutetsu felt touched by his classmates' words, and proved this by running to them and hugging them both.
"Y-you guys!" He cried out, thanking them for giving the team his chance. After a short deliberation, Juzo and Yosetsu told Tetsutetsu and Ibara to take the place, seeing that the two had done the most work during the Cavalry Battle, being the ones that had ensured they would get to fifth place at the last minute.
"And so, Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki have moved up to make sixteen! Now, you will draw number lots randomly to decide who faces who in the first round of the tournament. In this box are sixteen balls, numbered 1 through 16. The people will be paired up based on who gets each ball: 1 versus 2, 3 versus 4 and so on. So, without wasting any more time, let's decide on the brackets! Team Kendo, come up first and draw your numbers!" Midnight announced.
"After you, ladies," Izuku said, smiling, as he gestured them to pick their numbers before him.
"How sweet of you," Momo said with a smile.
"Thank you, Izu-kun, but don't think I'll be going easy on you if we ever fight," Itsuka smirked.
"I hope I get to test more of my babies on you," Mei said.
The girls walked up to the yellow box and picked a ball.
"I got number 9," Momo said.
"Number 11 for me," Itsuka showed.
"My babies and me got number 13!" Mei exclaimed.
Izuku then walked up to the yellow box and stuck his hand in it. Shuffling the balls for a couple of seconds, he grabbed one of them randomly and pulled it out of the box. Looking at it, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Wow, well, I got number 1! I guess that means I won't have to wait too long to fight, then!" Izuku said, smiling as he gave the ball back to Midnight, who recorded the draw.
"You lucky bastard! I wanted number 1! You better hope I don't draw number 2!" Katsuki yelled in anger, because he too wanted to be in the first match.
"The rest of you, come up and draw your numbers!" Midnight said, and the remaining competitors came up in order to pick their position.
"Dammit, I got fucking number 5! You are damn lucky this time, Deku!" Katsuki yelled. Another ice-filled cup promptly hit him on the head, courtesy of Mitsuki and her amazing accuracy once more.
"Number 16 for me!" Eijiro exclaimed.
"I am number 14!" Mina said, smirking at Mei.
"I got 8," Hanta said.
"15," Shoto said in a monotone, and Eijiro started to feel nervous at the fact that he was going to fight one of his class' powerhouses.
"Wow, I got 12," Denki said. Itsuka shrugged.
"Number 4. This means I will be participating in the second match," Tenya said.
"I GOT 7?" Ochaco asked in shock, and Hanta sighed in relief.
"I have number 6, like I had hoped for," Neito stated, glaring at Katsuki, who scowled in return as he rubbed his head.
"I have number 3," Hitoshi said, looking at Tenya.
"YEAH! I got number 2!" Tetsutetsu yelled.
"My prayers have led me to number 10," Ibara stated.
"Alright! Now that everybody has drawn their numbers, let's take a look at the official results!" Midnight announced, pointing her whip to the jumbotron.
1st Match: Midoriya Izuku vs Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
2nd Match: Shinso Hitoshi vs Iida Tenya
3rd Match: Bakugou Katsuki vs Monoma Neito
4th Match: Uraraka Ochaco vs Sero Hanta
5th Match: Yaoyorozu Momo vs Shiozaki Ibara
6th Match: Kendo Itsuka vs Kaminari Denki
7th Match: Hatsume Mei vs Ashido Mina
8th Match: Todoroki Shoto vs Kirishima Eijiro
Izuku took a look at the jumbotron, and checked his first opponent and then who he would be fighting next if he won. He looked at Tenya, who looked back. If the two won their matches, they would be facing each other.
"Hey, Midoriya!" Tetsutetsu called out to him. "I look forward to our match!"
"Me too!" Izuku replied with a grin.
All that was left now for them was to wait for the beginning of their combat.
"Okay... it's pretty much done," Cementoss said, as he used his Quirk to remodel the stadium grounds to act as the fighting stage.
"Thank you for your swift work, Cementoss! Hey, everyone! Are you ready to rumble?" Present Mic asked the crowd, who answered with a loud cheer, showing their anticipation for the tournament to finally begin. The recreational games were finally over, and now it was time to get to the real fun.
"A lot has happened today, but now it has come to this! A serious battle where you can only depend on yourself! Here, you have no teammates or comrades! It's a classic one-on-one tournament! Even if you are not Heroes yet, you will face lots of situations like this! You get that, right? Heart, skill, body, wisdom and knowledge! Use all of that to RUSH UP!" Present Mic exclaimed, hyping up the crowd even more.
Izuku was already waiting in the tunnel assigned to him, leading to the stage. He was doing warm up stretches, doing his best to prepare himself mentally: it was his first ever match in a Sports Festival, so he could not help but be nervous about it. Overall, though, he was ready to compete.
"Hey!"
Izuku turned around to see Toshinori, in his normal form, walking towards him with a grin on his face.
"Sorry for being late, but I want to check up on you and your progress with One for All."
"I'd say pretty good," Izuku replied, grinning as green sparks and energy appeared around his hands. "I've been training to withstand 100% and Blackwhip for two weeks, and I think I have it under control."
"Good," Toshinori said, transforming into All Might and giving him a thumbs up. "You've made it this far, young Midoriya. Now, go out there and stand proud! Don't forget that I've got high hopes for you!"
Izuku smiled confidently and bowed.
"Thank you, Toshinori-sensei. I promise I won't let you down! I am going to win this whole thing! Just you wait!"
"That's the spirit, kid! Now, go show them what you are made of!"
The four corners of the fighting arena were lit in flames: preparations were finally finished, and everything was prepared for the beginning of the first match.
"AUDIENCE! The tournament that you have been waiting for is finally starting! And here is Match Number One! On one side, we have the Tokusatsu Powerhouse, the one that keeps giving us surprises, the one that has finished in the first place in the first two events! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Midoriya Izuku!" Present Mic announced, and as Izuku made his entrance the crowd started to cheer even louder: he had easily become a favorite for the entire stadium, and everyone was expecting even bigger things from him. Also, nearly all of his classmates were cheering on him from their box.
"And, on the other side, manliness and passion! Real steel in human form! From Class 1-B, Hero Course, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!"
This time, the cheers, while still loud, were not as intense as the ones Izuku had received, although it was not from lack of enthusiasm from Tetsutetsu's classmates in 1-B.
"All Right!" he roared up in the air, closed fists over his head.
"Here are the rules!" Midnight said, stepping on her umpire box. "In order to win, you must either force the opponent out of bounds, immobilize them, force them into submission or anything that demonstrates they are unable to continue! Bring in the injuries, I want this to be entertaining! And don't worry, we have Recovery Girl on standby to patch up any students! Put your morals and ethics aside for a moment! Of course, anything life-threatening is strictly prohibited – Heroes must seek to bring in living Villains, after all!"
"I will be here, ready to stop the fight if things go too far," Cementoss stated, making himself a chair on the opposite side to Midnight.
Izuku took a deep breath and moved into a martial arts stance: his left foot planted firm in front of him, right foot's heel raised slightly, left hand high and right hand low. From where he was, he could see Tetsutetsu doing the same.
"ARE YOU READY?" Present Mic called out. Both competitors nodded, narrowing their stares at each other.
"BEGIN!" Midnight exclaimed, announcing the official start of the match with a lash of her whip.
Immediately, Izuku and Tetsutetsu charged at each other, the former's right arm glowing green while the latter's was hardened in steel. When their fists connected, a shockwave shook the ground, and soon the cheering began to rise as the two fighters constantly traded blows at each other, using their Quirks for maximum effort.
Tetsutetsu managed to put Izuku on the defensive, forcing him to create a barrier to slow down the other's attacks while trying to find an opening. The steel-hardened arms pummeled the barrier as their owner tried to push his rival off the edge of the stage. Realizing what was happening, Izuku dropped the barrier, leaving himself open for attacks but also giving him a chance to counter.
Tetsutetsu swang with his left arm, but Izuku quickly ducked down and countered with a knee to the stomach. A metal BANG! sounded out as Tetsutetsu was sent flying back away from Izuku.
The green-haired boy immediately went on the offensive, running forward and making a barrage of strikes against Tetsutetsu, who put his arms up in order to guard and tank Izuku's blows. The moment he noticed the attack speed was slowing down, Tetsutetsu broke free and countered with a punch: however, Izuku easily saw it coming and tilted his head aside: the punch just grazed his cheek. The move left Tetsutetsu overextended, and Izuku took advantage of it by grabbing the attacking arm.
With a turn, Izuku threw Tetsutetsu over his shoulder, sending him to the other side of the arena. Tetsutetsu bounced on the floor once before rolling and laying on his stomach. The crowd watched to see if Tetsutetsu would be able to continue or not... until Tetsutetsu bent his arms and slowly got up, mustering his strength while clenching his stomach, and the crowd cheered.
Seeing that Tetsutetsu was still trying to fight on, Izuku's respect for the steel boy grew, deciding to bring out a finishing move. Green lightning and energy formed on his right arm as Izuku ran up to the standing Tetsutetsu, whose eyes widened in shock as Izuku threw his arm at him.
"Mechagodzilla Smash!"
The supercharged punch landed, hitting Tetsutetsu so hard that it sent him across the arena, causing a great gust of wind that caused nearly everybody to cover themselves before they looked to see Tetsutetsu in a crater against the wall, bruises showing and his face bleeding, and Izuku still standing where he had been, his right arm smoking but no damage at all.
"Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu is out of bounds!" Midnight announced, raising her hand. "Midoriya Izuku advances to the next round!"
The crowd began to cheer, agreeing to the fact that the fight, while short, had been spectacular.
"There you have it! The first person to advance to the quarterfinals is none other than the Tokusatsu Powerhouse, Midoriya Izuku!" Present Mic announced as the jumbotron showed Izuku's name moving up in the bracket while Tetsutetsu's was crossed out. As Tetsutetsu was carefully placed on a stretcher and taken to the infirmary, Izuku left the arena, greeting everyone.
In their box, Inko, Mitsuki and Masaru were clapping and smiling, as Toshinori grinned proudly.
"Nice job, kid! That is how you show your potential!" The Number One Hero said.
From their place, Izuku's classmates were also cheering.
"That was awesome, Dekiru-kun!" Ochaco cheered.
"Yeah, Midori-kun!" Mina chirped.
"That was really impressive," Momo said, smiling.
"You show them, Izu-kun!" Itsuka yelled.
Setsuna, meanwhile, was grinning as she went over Izuku using yet another Kaiju super-move.
"I expected no less from our deputy rep!" Tenya said, glad to see Izuku advancing. That meant he could probably have a chance to fight him. He would have to win against Hitoshi first, though.
"Of course he won! I would have killed him if he lost right there! We still haven't fought yet, so he is not allowed to lose unless it is me!" Katsuki yelled, a smirk on his face as he looked towards Todoroki, who was now intently observing Izuku after seeing his display of power.
'So, you noticed it too, Half-n-half? I certainly do, because I can tell you are still holding back and not at full power, Deku!'
Outside the stadium, Mount Lady was cupping her chin as she observed the fight replay, amazed at Izuku's strength and skill.
"Hey, Yu, stop watching and let's get back to our patrols!" Kamui Woods yelled.
"Yahoo! O-kay, that was a nice first match, and at least I was not expecting any of that! So, praise them both for a bravely fought match. Clap your hands!" Present Mic exclaimed, and the crowd cheered once more, ready for the next match.
After going to Recovery Girl and Toshinori to check up and see if any injury was on his arm after using One for All, but turned out no damage on him. Izuku had made his way up to the bleachers until he heard a high pitched voice call out.
"Oh, Dekiru-kun!"
He saw Ochaco, Mina and Momo waving towards him as they pointed towards a seat between them.
"We saved a seat for you!"
"Thanks!" Izuku said as he sat down in between them.
He then turned his attention towards the fighting stage.
"So it's Iida's turn right?"
"Yeah, he's facing Shinso-san," Momo said as they were all now waiting for the match to begin.
"I think Iida-san is going to win this. We all know what Shinso's quirk does." Mina said.
'It seems I will be facing whoever wins this match in the quarterfinals! I better pay attention so that I could prepare for either Iida or Shinso.' Izuku mentally said as he looks to the next match.
Then, the flames ignited in all four corners of the ring signaling that it was time for the next match to start.
"For our second match, on the first side, formerly of the General Studies Course but now proven in battle, the one who can ensure your brain is clean! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Shinso Hitoshi!" Present Mic announced, and Hitoshi received much cheer from the crowd, especially from his former classmates in General Studies. "And, in front of him, the speedster knight, the epitome of the middle of the pack! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Iida Tenya!"
Tenya just looked up at the commentator's box, offended at the unfair description he had made of him. It was time for the match to begin, though, so he stood in place and got ready.
"BEGIN!" Midnight said, announcing the start of the second match.
Immediately, Tenya fired up his engines and sped towards Hitoshi: knowing what he knew about the latter's Quirk, he knew that he could not even give him the chance to speak, lest he reflexively answer and send his plans to the rubbish bin. Quickly yet carefully, he grabbed Hitoshi by the shoulders and quickly pushed him out of the stage, before the purple-haired boy could do anything.
"Shinso Hitoshi is out of bounds! Iida Tenya advances to the next round!"
"Well, that was a quick match! But there is still more to come, people!" Present Mic exclaimed, the crowd hungry for more matches to come.
As Hitoshi stood up, though, he began to hear something he had not expected.
"That was so cool, Shinso!"
"Great job!"
"I was really surprised!"
"You will always be a General Studies student!"
"You lost quickly, but you are still a freaking amazing dude! Props!"
All of Hitoshi's former classmates were congratulating him, even though he had lost before he could act: the fact that he had even made it this far had made them proud of him. He gave them a smile and a wave before making it to the corridor.
'So, I'm facing Iida in the quarterfinals! I can't wait!' Izuku thought, grinning.
For the third time, the fires ignited in the corners of the ring, as the competitors for the third place in the quarterfinals entered.
"Now, the third match of the first round! These are our participants! On one side, he was not that famous in middle school, and that's not the face of a regular person, but that of someone who loves to blow stuffs enter the ring! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Bakugou Katsuki!"
"THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY ABOUT MY FACE!" Katsuki yelled out in anger, offended, but Present Mic ignored him.
"And, on the other side, the boy who is deceiving, conniving and copying your powers! From Class 1-B, Hero Course, Monoma Neito!"
Neito checked his pocket watch was working well while he waved, a calm smile on his face as he then glared at Katsuki.
"You are the one that copies Quirks, right, faker?" Katsuki said.
"Hmph. I will defeat you using your own explosions," Neito sneered, to which Katsuki glared back: out of all the 1-A students, Neito disliked Katsuki the most, because of his arrogance and his bad attitude.
"AND... BEGIN!" Midnight announced.
"DIE!" Katsuki shouted as he charged straight for Neito. However, the Class 1-B student just side-stepped the telegraphed attack and dodged, using his hand to slap Katsuki's away from him.
"That's all you got? I was hoping for more," Neito mocked him.
"Why you-"
But, before he could finish that sentence, Katsuki was met with an explosion, identical to the ones he could make with some sweat, right to the face.
"How ironic that you are hurt by your own Quirk! I guess my Quirk is superior to yours," Neito said as Katsuki stumbled back from the force of the explosion. After regaining his posture, Katsuki sucked his teeth in irritation.
"FUCK YOU, YOU BASTARD!" He screamed, launching another violent explosion, right on Neito's face, forming a cloud of smoke.
"Seriously, I expected better..."
Katsuki's eyes widened in shock.
"What the hell! How come he's not dead yet! I made sure to put extra power into that last blast!"
Then, the smoke cleared – and there was no trace of Neito to be found.
"The fuck did he go?"
As he turned around to look, Katsuki met another explosion to the face, pushing him back a few meters and forcing him to take a knee: Neito had put extra power into his own blast as well.
"And you got into the tournament? This is hardly a challenge! I am definitely going to make it to the quarterfinals!" Neito stated, grinning at Katsuki, who was covering his eyes as he recovered from the flash, but the copycat was not done yet with his verbal assault. "I guess I will have to find someone that can give me a better challenge. Maybe I'll get a chance to fight Midoriya before I reach the finals! After that student pledge from earlier, I guess I respect him more than you. I'm pretty sure he will be able to give me a much better fight than you ever could. Just stating the facts."
Katsuki gritted his teeth, now beyond irate as he stood up.
"I am really... going to kill you..." He calmly stated, the fury clear on his face. Neito had certainly gotten under his skin: the fact that he stated Deku was better than him and would provide a greater challenge had been the straw that broke the camel's back. With a roar, Katsuki hurled himself towards Neito at full speed, intending to blow him apart. Neito smirked before counter-charging, planning to finish the match with this last blow.
The two fighters charged up their explosions as they closed in on each other. Then, they unleashed their attack, making a flashing light that then formed an even larger smoke cloud.
"WOAH! What just happened?" Present Mic yelled, as the crowd desperately waited for the smoke to clear, in order to see the result of the attack.
When the smoke cleared, they saw Katsuki, standing with his right arm smoking yet uninjured, while Neito's right arm had clearly suffered from the double explosion.
"Well played, Bakugou," Neito said, grimacing. "It seems I have misjudged you..."
And then Neito fell to the ground, unconscious.
Midnight whipped the air.
"Monoma Neito is unconscious! Bakugou Katsuki advances to the next round!"
Katsuki looked at his rival of the moment being carried away, before he scowled with disdain.
"Tch. Don't ever think that Deku's better than me, ya hear!"
Katsuki turned around and left as the audience was left silent for a moment.
"Wow, that was a big blast!" Present Mic said, trying to draw attention from the brutality of the fight. "We still have more to come here, everyone, just you wait!"
Izuku had a serious look as he stared at his former friend leaving, then looked around to see that his neighbors were nowhere in sight in the bleachers.
'They must have left to prepare for their matches while I was focused on my notebook,' He thought, checking the jumbotron as he noticed something. 'Wait, if Ochaco wins her match, then the opponent she'll be facing in the quarterfinals is...'
His thoughts were interrupted when he felt something touch him. Looking to his side, he found Mina feeling up his arm's muscles.
"What... are you doing... Ashido-san?" Izuku asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
"What do you think? I've wanted to feel your body for weeks, and I got the chance right now, Midori-kun." Mina replied, smiling, snuggling up to him, much to his dismay.
For the fourth time, the fires ignited, and two more students stepped up as competitors in the arena.
"To this side, the girl that can tell gravity to go cry on the corner, and to be honest, the one I'm rooting for! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Ochaco Uraraka! And facing her, a guy that's good! He's good, but what's with that plainness he just can't get rid of? Also from Class 1-A, Hero Course, Hanta Sero!"
"Oy! That's too mean!" Hanta complained.
"Wow, way to show how biased you are," Aizawa said, but Present Mic ignored him.
"May we have a good match, Sero-san, but I'm going to win this!" Ochaco grinned as she got into stance.
"BEGIN!" Midnight shouted.
As soon as the match began, Hanta launched his tape to grab hold of Ochaco's right arm, planning to throw her out of the arena. However, his plan ran into a problem, namely that Ochaco had been prepared for such a move, and after spending some time around Itsuka and Izuku, she had learned a few martial arts from both of them.
Grabbing the tape, Ochaco charged towards Hanta, who launched the tape from his other elbow at Ochaco. She dodged in time, though, and soon turned the tables by touching him on the arm and making him light weight. Then, she spun around, using the tape Hanta had thrown at her to use him like an Olympic Hammer as the boy struggled to regain some control, until the tape snapped, releasing him yet launching him out of the arena, hitting the walls as she released the anti-gravity hold on him.
"Sero Hanta is out of bounds! Uraraka Ochaco advances to the next round!"
Ochaco walked up to Hanta and offered her hand.
"Are you okay? That was a good fight, Sero-san," She said, smiling. Hanta accepted her hand and smiled back.
"I guess I underestimated you, Uraraka-san. That was a very good move there!"
"SO YOUTHFUL!" Midnight cried out in delight as the spectators clapped at the show of good sportsmanship. The two soon left to rejoin their classmates at the bleachers, while the grounds were prepared for the next fight.
"This is now the fifth match, and for the first time today, it is going to be two young ladies duking it out!" Present Mic announced as the crowd raged on.
"On one side, the All-Purpose Creator! Admitted through recommendation, so her skills are certified! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Momo Yaoyorozu!"
The yells were getting louder, and from Class 1-A's bleachers her friends cheered on her as she tried to keep a serious look.
"On the other side, the girl who proves that having a green thumb can be a cool and thorny power! From Class 1-B, Hero Course, Ibara Shiozaki!"
"Come on, Shiozaki-san! Represent 1-B!" Setsuna shouted from the bleachers as Ibara clamped her hands together, staring at Momo.
"BEGIN!"
Immediately, Momo created a sword and shield, using the latter to block Ibara's vines as they launched at her. Plant and metal clashed several times, somehow creating sparks every time they did. The strength of the strikes was such that Momo was slowly being pushed backwards, drawing closer to the boundary line.
Suddenly, Momo, instead of tanking the attack, chose to dodge to the left and sliced off the vines that had been attacking her, immediately rushing into an offensive charge. As the Class 1-A representative closed in, Ibara panicked and threw her best defensive move between herself and Momo.
"Faith's Shield!"
A thick wall of vines sprouted out quickly, but Momo's sword was capable of slicing through most of the vines. Only another vine was capable of preventing Momo from closing in.
However, Momo was not done. Stabbing the ground with her sword to stop herself, she put her hand under her uniform and pulled out a grenade, throwing it into the air, towards Ibara, while she closed her eyes. Ibara attempted to cover herself from the blast, but the explosion went off before she could properly cover her eyes, temporarily blinding and deafening her: it was one of the flashbangs left over from the Cavalry battle.
With Ibara stunned, it took little effort for Momo to get close and push the Christian girl out of bounds.
"Shiozaki Ibara is out of bounds! Yaoyorozu Momo advances to the next round!"
"Wow, that was ending things off with a BANG!" Present Mic joked. "And there is still three more matches to go!"
"For our next match, we have, on one side, the martial artist described as her class' Big Sister! From Class 1-B, Hero Course, Kendo Itsuka! And, on the other side, the sparkling killing boy, the human battery! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Kaminari Denki!"
"Go, Kendo-san!" Tetsutetsu shouted from the booth, finally recovered from the injures he had suffered in his fight.
"Yeah, beat him!" Setsuna screamed.
"When this is over, I'll comfort you, 'cause this match'll probably be over in a second!" Denki declared as he charged up his attack.
"In your dreams, Sparky!" Itsuka replied, smirking: she had wanted to take a little revenge on him and his partner in crime, and here he was, serving her the option on a silver platter.
"BEGIN!"
"Indiscriminate Discharge, 1.3 Megavolts!" Denki shouted, discharging his most powerful attack in such a way that it covered the entire arena. Unfortunately for him, Itsuka had managed to jump quite high to avoid getting electrocuted, and now Denki was left in his stunned state, saying inane things while lifting both thumbs. Seeing that victory was in hand, Itsuka took the opportunity and enlarged her fist, grabbing the boy and throwing him out.
"I take it back, Sparky. The match was over in a second!"
"Kaminari Denki is out of bounds! Kendou Itsuka advances to the next round!"
"Aaand it looks like it was decided in an instant! I'll say it once more, an instant!" Present Mic shouted in excitement. "Kendo manages to avoid getting shocked by Kaminari and pushes him out of bounds while he was stunned!"
"Awesome job, Kendo-san!" Setsuna yelled.
"Hah! Take that, Aizawa! My students are not to be underestimated here!" Vlad crowed, pointing a finger at the commenters' box.
"Your behaviour is illogical and pointless," Aizawa said, yawning. "Just get the next match going already."
"And, for the seventh match, we have another girl versus girl fight!" Present Mic said as the announcement as the next match was about to begin. "To one side, a girl fully equipped with support items she has made herself! From Class 1-H, Support Course, Hatsume Mei! And in front of her, the pink girl with two horns, a big smile and all-eating acid! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Ashido Mina!"
Mina chuckled.
"My first match will be a piece of cake!" She crowed.
"So, she's going to go up against a Support Course student," Kyoka mused.
"I wonder what kind of fight this is going to be," Tsuyu questioned.
"Who knows," Sato said.
"BEGIN!"
Immediately, Mina started to fill her hands with acid and threw it in front of her, allowing her to skate on a straight path towards Mei.
"Well, this is to be expected! Your acid helps your movements along!" Mei said as Mina closed in on her. Before Mina got too close, though, Mei jumped up and two long poles sprung out from one of her gadgets. "And I can easily evade you with my hydraulic attachments!"
Mei grinned, looking around at the crowd, until she found the specific group of people she wanted to show off to.
'There they are, the support companies' representatives are watching... oh, they are biting their nails now! I got'em!' Mei thought, observing two of the men in suits talking and pointing towards her.
Mina turns around and started to chase after Mei, but she moved out of the way, letting the other girl pass by her.
"Since I've got sensors pointing in every direction, I can deal with attacks coming in from any direction!"
Mina stumbled around as she tried to hit her enemy, only for Mei to avoid her again.
"What the hell are you doing?" Mina yelled.
"What is she doing?" Present Mic wondered, feeling the sweat drop down his back.
"She... is quite good at hard-selling," Aizawa commented, feeling the awkwardness in the air as well.
Mei averted the next attack, but Mina regained her balance quickly, charging at the pink-haired mechanic with an annoyed expression.
"When are you going to start fighting?"
Suddenly, Mei jumped over Mina, and looked almost like she was floating in the air.
"What do you think of this lightness? These electro-shoes use electromagnetic induction on both feet, allowing for instant evasive action!"
Mina sucked her teeth in as she turned around.
'I'll get her when she lands!' She told herself, following the other girl's path. However, when Mei landed, she brought out a gun that shot out a red-colored net that tied Mina up.
"Wh-What is this?"
"It is a capture gun to use against Villains! The capture nets are in cartridges, and you can fire up to five before reloading! Who developed all of these items? It was me, Hatsume Mei! Everyone from the support companies, the choice is clear – Hatsume Mei, Hatsume Mei, Hatsume Mei!" She yelled out, her true motivation behind her behavior becoming quite evident.
"Is she a politician or something like that?" One of the representatives asked, being unsure about the peculiar way the girl was trying to get their attention.
"And now, I will talk about the next support item!"
"Wait, there's still more?"
Mina used her acid to break free from the net and glared at Mei.
"That was uncalled for!" She screamed, charging at Mei again, while the Support Course student kept a grin on her face.
Ten minutes later, Mina was on the floor, panting. Mei had kept pulling out one support item after another, keeping the pink-skinned girl off balance every time she tried to attack Mei. The inventor was seemingly out of items, but it did not seem like it.
"So, I have shown you each and every one of the items I wanted to present. I have nothing left to say and do, so thank you, and remember, Hatsume Mei for all your Support needs!"
And then Mei walked out of the arena, shocking everyone.
"Uh..." Midnight said, confused. "H-Hatsume Mei is out of bounds. Ashido Mina advances to the next round!"
"YOU USED ME!" Mina yelled out in frustration from the ground. Mei looked back at her as she started walking towards the tunnel.
"Sorry I used you," she shameless replied.
"I HATE YOU!" Mina shouted back.
Izuku chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Man, Mina-chan sure didn't like to be a guinea pig. I should have known this was Mei's plan from the start. Then again, who could have expected that she didn't want to win the Festival? All she wanted was to get the attention of the big support companies, and she definitely did just that! Mei will do anything to reach her goal, and I suppose I could admire her for that..." He mumbled, scribbling in his notebook.
'So, Midoriya is advancing to the next round, huh?' Shoto thought. It was probably still going to be a while until his match began, so he had decided to take a leisure walk around the corridors.
But then, he turned a corner and saw, waiting for him, the one person he did not want to see.
"You are on my way, old man," Shoto coldly stated.
Endeavor merely glanced over at Shoto for a second before replying.
"You are acting disgracefully, Shoto."
Shoto snorted, not even stopping as he tried to get past the man.
"Had you used the power in your left side, you would have had an overwhelming victory in the obstacle course and the cavalry battle."
Shoto ignored the rant as he continued walking. His match would probably happen soon.
"Stop this childish rebellion already. You have a duty to surpass All Might!"
Shoto clenched his teeth, his anger towards him growing cold.
"Do you understand? You're different from your siblings! You are my greatest masterpiece!"
Shoto's temper snapped, and he kept walking, but this time he chose to reply.
"Is that all you have to say, you damn bastard? I will reach the final, and I will win, using only Mom's power. I will never use your power when I fight!"
Endeavor sighed as he watched his youngest son walk away.
"Even if it works for now, you'll soon reach the limits of that power."
"OKAY! So, after that whole... marketing scheme fiasco, let's try to get back on track, shall we? We'll start the last match of the first round with... these guys!" Present Mic announced as the last two competitors entered the arena. "He took second place in the first two events, but damn if the kid isn't overpowered! He was recommended for admission for a good reason! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Todoroki Shoto! And, on the other side, manliness and passion! Red hair and hardening against every force! Also from Class 1-A, Hero Course, Kirishima Eijiro!"
"Man, even my intro is the same as Tetsutetsu's," Eijiro commented, staring at Shoto. "That means I won't go down easily!"
"BEGIN!"
As soon as Midnight announced the start of the match, Eijiro began to rush towards Shoto, hardening himself with his Quirk and hoping he would be able to reach him before it was too late. Unfortunately, he had failed to notice Shoto's face and the anger burning in his eyes, and before he even knew it, his vision was filled with ice.
Outside the stadium, the patrol units could only gawk in shock at the glacier that had suddenly appeared, somehow, from within the stadium, looming over everything.
Within the stadium, the audience was silent in shock and awe as they witnessed how fast Shoto had created such a large glacier. The strength he had just shown exceeded most of the Pro Heroes' abilities.
"K-K-Kirishima, c-can you m-move?" Midnight asked, her right side covered in ice as she trembled from the cold.
"Does it look like I can?" Eijiro yelled from the glacier, most of his body immobilized by the ice.
"Kirishima Eij-jiro is im-mobilized! T-Todoroki Shoto ad-vances to the n-next round!" Midnight announced. Most of the audience began to cheer on Eijiro, telling him that it did not matter, but that did not make him feel any better as Shoto walked over to him.
"Sorry for that," Shoto said, apologizing, as he put a hand on the ice and began to thaw it out, somewhat embarrassed. "I was... angry."
When the glacier was finally put away and Eijiro taken to the infirmary, in case his brief dip into ice had caused any problems, Midnight took middle stage once again.
"The first round is done! Now, the remaining competitors will be matched up following the same pattern as the previous one, as you can see in the screen!" the R-Rated Hero said, the jumbotron displaying the next matches.
1st Match: Midoriya Izuku vs Iida Tenya
Izuku looked at Tenya, who looked back at him: both had serious expressions in their faces, and they knew their fight would not be easy.
2nd Match: Bakugou Katsuki vs Uraraka Ochaco
Ochaco wiggled her fingers together, anxious, while Katsuki just snorted.
3rd Match: Yaoyorozu Momo vs Kendou Itsuka
Momo and Itsuka shared confident smiles, while knowing that their own fight was going to be interesting.
4th Match: Ashido Mina vs Todoroki Shoto
Mina looked really nervous at the fact that she would be fighting Shoto, who just stared at the screen with no emotion whatsoever.
With the next matches set, everybody watching was excited for what may have been the best Sports Festival in a long time, and they were dying to see who would win and take it all!
Soundtracks: Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle - Haruo's Anguish played when Shoto tells Izuku his trauma and scar. River City Melee - Nekketsu! Boogie Woogie played when the female students of class 1A and 1B were tricked into wearing cheerleader outfits by Denki and Kosei. Skullgirls – NMO Arena played during Izuku vs Tetsutetsu match. River City Melee – Passionate Fight during Katsuki vs Neito match. River City Melee - Combat Match played during Itsuka vs Denki match.
Me: And that wraps things up and the next chapter will be the penultimate part of Sport Festivals arc. The last part of it will be epic and intense!
Milarqui: Man, this was long and had a lot of things to work out! Let's hope everyone else likes this!
Shoto tells Izuku his pasts and reasons! 1-A and 1-B girls getting tricked into wearing cheerleader uniforms! Kosei and Sen withdraw from the tournament! The matches are spectacular!
Izuku's Super Moves shown-
* Mechagodzilla Smash: Godzilla's robotic doppelganger created by either aliens or humans.
NO FLAMES, RANTS, NEGATIVE COMMENTS! But if it's criticism I can take it. I also will not accept guest reviews.
Thanks for reading everybody, I'll be seeing you in the next chapter, have a nice holiday and new years, buh bye!