New Mouth, new chapter! Welcome back everybody, it's time to continue this story of mine which had long since become the new flagship story of mine. A lot of things happened while I was writing this and just living my life but that's a story for another time. I would also like to take this as a chance to announce that the sports festival arc should be done in about three chapters are I like to write down the mini-plot points for each chapter beforehand to not only keep the story consistent and entertaining but to also keep track of ideas. One thing that I've found I enjoy is flushing out Inko and Mitsuki's characters since they get so little screen time even though they are the mothers of two of the main characters and are like older versions of their children.
TheLethalSperg500: Well I'm not really doing much to change how he acts as we see at this point in the canon storyline. As for who will beat him, Tokoyami is no longer an option.
NinjaFang1331: Thank you.
D3lph0xL0v3r: Funny enough, I was watching some videos explaining both Bakugo's growth and the main foundations of his and Midoriya's canon personalities and saw that Bakugo was cut not from the cloth of a regular anime rival or antagonist but rather the cloth from which the protagonist is cut. If you want to see why just watch 'Luck VS Skill_ Deku and Bakugou's Biggest Mistake' by Explanation Point. To sum it up, if you grew up in the same circumstances as Bakugo did and were praised or at the very least, not admonish for bad or unsatisfactory behavior, you'll be a total ass too. Also, as another channel I can't remember explained, if you were to see the world from Bakugo's view, he isn't that bad a person, rough around the edges sure but certainly not villain material as everyone, including the LoVs thought. And that same logic, you could make the same argument with Naruto being a total dick(And not just in Boruto, but I mean really, promising to attend your daughter's birthday even though you know that as Hokage, you are extremely busy and shouldn't be making such promises…at all and them bitching out by sending a shadow Clone which just happens to dispel when it was carrying the cake which fell and broke to messy pieces just like her trust in her father's word? I'm surprised Hinata didn't make him sleep in his office for that one) as you could say that he had no friends growing up because from the POVs of the other kids(and most if not all the citizens of the Leaf), he was this loudmouth, idiotic troublemaker who not only got special treatment as he was never really punished as harshly as he should have been but failed the graduation exam to even become a Genin and couldn't even perform Ninjutsu right(Like no joke as for most of Naruto, he struggled with everything Ninjutsu or chakra control-related and could only get as far as he did because he was the protagonist so plot armor-the fight with Nej and because he could just force Ninjutsu to work by adding in a stupid amount of chakra which more often then not, he got from the Nine tails). Hinata sees him in a different light as she first saw him, really saw him when he came to her defense when they were little kids just because she was in trouble(and even then, she almost never spoke to him afterward but that was because she was shy as all Hell), Kirishima sees Bakugo in this similar light, he didn't see the bad side of him but rather the determined, intelligent and powerful side of him(The side that Midoriya himself respects and looks up to).
As for the fights, they each have a purpose and with Tetsutetsu, it was expected he would break bones, I mean come on, how many times did this kid have to see Recovery Girl in season 1 alone? At this point, I can't imagine a proper BNHA story where he(or she for those ones where it's genderbent) doesn't break something at least once. I'm still locked on who will get OFA but I've narrowed it down to class 1-B, they need more time in the sun and to shut Monoma up about 1-A getting more screen time, now it'll be just him.
TheOrangeLord: One, Todoroki has better restraint than that for if nothing else, so he doesn't always look pissed like his father. Two, Midoriya in this story is far from scrawny and could kick Todoroki's ass any day of the week, something he picked up on during the combat trial. Three, he doesn't strike me as someone to even get that mad about it when he already Midoriya scored the highest on the Hero course entry exam thanks to Mina and Kaminari and in cannon, didn't Yaoyorozu place higher than him since he scored 2nd but she scored 1st? So Shoto getting all mad doesn't really make a lot of sense but maybe that just me.
Zxan: That is never addressed in the series. From all accounts by both Tenya, Izuku, the general public, and how Tensei is portrayed in Vigilantes, he is not only a stand-up hero on par with All Might and Izuku when it comes to morality and a likable person outside of his hero work as well. I think it was more to show that Stain wasn't perfect in how he picked his targets as if he didn't want to kill or maim the man, or felt some regret for destroying a man that embodied the virtues of heroism he was so hooked on, he would have said so when Tenya confronted him, instead, he says that he left him alive as a message mob boss style.
Tacktician: Oh well, I've only seen the nickname in that one story so I'll just take your word for it. I felt that if he wasn't knocked out by Midnight and had the choice, he would have surrendered the win in cannon as we see during the final exam arc of season 2, if not for Midoriya literally knocking some sense into him, they would have failed because Bakugo refused to work with someone he saw as lesser i.e. Midoriya. It was nothing more than stupid pride as even though he himself recognized All Might as the peak of power in the hero world, he was too full of himself to work with Midoriya to beat him, even when it was made abundantly clear that he couldn't even scratch the man on his own.(Which is weird as in that same fight, he said that for him heroes are the ones who always win so him choosing a defeat rather than such up his pride would be unheroic, at least in his eyes.) Sure I framed it better here but as someone like Midnight or Eraser could tell you that saving lives sometimes means throwing aside notions of pride as like with Todoroki purposely holding back, there will be a time when you can't save someone since you were being selfish(Heroes put the needs of others first, always) and that will haunt you for as long as you live. If was actually in the Building from the Ground Up story that Izuku points out to Shoto.
Gunblade2020: Thank you for the compliment.
Zukafew199: Oh boy, you sure love your long reviews but don't fret because I love receiving long reviews since reading them always brings a tear to my eye from the appreciation in knowing my readers care enough to give such descriptive reviews. The comical fear the two men have for Mt. Lady is more an anime troupe than anything else but it serves it purpose. I wanted Kendo to make it far in the festival since I started writing and to show that Tokoyami relies too much on Dark Shadow for combat. Jiro teases Kaminari all the time, why wouldn't she tease Yaoyorozu as well if the chance presents itself. Koda wasn't speaking but thinking since he's a man of few words. Mineta is….well Mineta, we all recall his comments on the fight between Ashido and Aoyama. As I said, I love writing about their parents.
I'm trying to change Bakugo's personality without making it feel forced, much like cannon. On that note, what does MHA USSF even stand for? Thank you for the compliment, I took inspiration from both their fight in cannon t how the fight between Todoroki and Midoriya played out to really get the feels like the fight itself was less about the physical blows but the feelings and emotions dug up by it. As for the unexpected nature of the fight, not even Midoriya could know what's going through his head as he's used to the old Katsuki, not this confused and conflicted one, which will continue to pester around for a while since, like Zuko, people don't change for the better in a day, not if you want the change to feel natural as Bakugo needs to let go of over a decade of anger, communication issues and superiority complex. I'm surprised that Iida/Uraraka is so rare as a pairing but I'm still deciding on most of the pairing as is, most would likely just be the natural result of the story so if those two head up together, they will, and if not, they won't. The Katsuki/Uraraka thing is probably the whole bad boy thing.
Eskel: Many plans for them, I do have, hmmm. Write like Yoda, I should not.
Blaze1992: Trust me, Izuku will have to deal with the bullshit of the people soon enough. It ain't something that will just go away all at once.
Chapter 25: Principles of the Warrior
(With the students)
"Did he just…?" Kaminari asked.
"Yes." Yaoyorozu answered the unasked question.
"And Todoroki will…?" Sero asked as he didn't think what he saw was right, it couldn't be.
"Yes." Shoji answered him but he himself looked like he didn't believe what he had just witnessed.
"This is fucked up." Midoriya said as he could have never seen such a brutal and….emotional charged? Match between the two of them. What the hell had happened between the two of them since they never dropped any good details other than the fact Todoroki refused to use his fire. He had an idea but the consequences of such an idea being true…..
"And yes again." Jiro said as he leaned back into her seat as she tried to process that…bout.
"As much as I would love to stay and talk about this, I'm due to make a call to my brother." Iida, trying to distract himself from this-stood up and pulled out his phone.
"Give him our love." Uraraka said waved at him as he walked off, though she did think him walking off to call his brother was out of nowhere.
"I will be sure to inform him that my classmates have passed greetings!" Iida answered as he chopped his hands before he walked off to find a quiet spot.
"Man he's really stiff." Hagakure said, seeing a chance to change the tone of the conversation.
"Needs a girl in his life." Kaminari said with a weak chuckle as he thought of ways he could avoid setting off Bakugo and Todoroki.
"Probably but who?" Asui asked as she would have thought he and Uraraka would end up a thing but then again, it hadn't been too long since they all met and Uraraka was just one of his friends.
(Later)
"Hmmm, wonder what he's doing? He said he'll take a break today to watch the festival with mother and father." Iida thought to himself as he looked down at his phone. He had tried his brother's cell three separate times. He had called the family agency and they had informed him that he had come in for work, but why? "It's probable nothing." He said as he tried to calm himself. He didn't know how but for some reason…
He felt like something very bad was going to happen.
.
.
.
(Meanwhile, in the city of Hosu)
"Squad A, take the north side. Squad B, the west area is yours. We'll handle the east side and all meet up for the south." Iida Tensei, the current Ingenium said over his com-link as he and two of his side-kicks ran along the rather empty streets of the city of Hosu.
"Squad A, roger!"
"Squad B, roger!"
In the distance, they could hear the sirens of the police as they too conducted their own search. Their target was a villain who had recently killed 3 pros in Hosu alone. Tensei would have left this to the local heroes and police but after the chief of the Police personally asked him to help, he decided to do so. They had been searching for around 20 minutes now and they were about to try another area when one of his side-kicks noticed movement in one of the alleyways.
"What was that?" He asked as they came to a halt with Ingenium being quick on his feet, activating his quirk and jetting off in the direction he was spotted. He jumped up a building and looked onto the alley and sure enough, he saw someone matching the admittedly vague description standing over a body.
"There's no mistaking that appearance, it's him!" Ingenium said as he landed in the alleyway and quickly turned to the threat. He could hear his side-kicks catching up meaning he'll have support in about a minute or so.
"Call it in, we've located him," Ingenium said as he was able to see that the body was another pro, and the suspect was clearly the killer going by the bloodied sword he was still wielding. "The Hero Killer!" He finished as the Hero Killer turned to face him as he braced for combat. He couldn't see much but he could make out what little light in the alleyway as it reflected off the chipped but deadly blade. He didn't know it but…
This wasn't going to be a usual hero-villain fight. Not a usual one at all.
(And now)
"I can't believe he walked out like that." One of the people in the crowd said to the person next to her.
"I know right? He won the fight, didn't he?" Another spoke up, still confused about the last match.
"Why would he do that? Was there some kind of agreement for him to lose or something?" One of the pros asked as she looked down to see the UA bots worked in tandem with Cementoss to clear the stage and fix it up.
"What, you think it was rigged? Why would the son of the number two hero need that?" Another more skeptical pros asked as that did seem to be a far-fetched notion. Say what you what about Endeavour but the man worked for everything he has, for better or for worse.
"He lost, didn't he? Maybe he wasn't so confident in his skills." Another tried to bring more sense to the argument.
"Still, there's no way that UA would let that slide." One of the civilians shook their heads at the thought, UA was the closest thing to a fair and unbiased education institution on this side of Japan. If they even entertained the thought of cheating just to make one of the privileged kids look good, they would lose more than the public trusts but every hero they produce will be scrutinized under a microscope.
"Even so, will he even be ready in time for his next match?" One of the more minor pros asked as they all still recall how the 'winner' had to be carried out on a stretcher.
"Don't know, they have the 15 minutes inter between matches but is that really enough?" This was the last opinion shared on the matter as many didn't know things will play out now.
(With the students)
"What did you say?" Uraraka asked the black and green-haired boy as he went through his notes.
"I think it was pride. Bakugo has always been a prideful prick since we were kids." Midoriya explained as he recalled all the torment Bakugo put others through just cause he felt he was the second coming of Christ or something. "Maybe he felt insulted Todoroki wasn't using full power?"
"So he threw the match?" Ashido asked him, she may have not known Bakugo, as well as Midoriya, did but that didn't sound like the boy she had been in the same class with.
"But Todoroki never uses his fire." Kaminari asked as he couldn't recall a time when anyone in their class had even seen him use it outside melting the ice he created.
"Yes to both of those things but pride does come before the fall," Midoriya said as he thought back to a distant memory. "Pride isn't something a hero should cherish."
"Isn't pride in one's abilities and skills a worthy trait?" Ojiro asked as he had done something similar earlier that day.
"The job of the hero is to fight for the people. We have to put them first. If he must, our pride may have to be discarded." Honenuki spoke up, sounding sadden by the very notion he himself put forth.
"So we have to sacrifice a part of ourselves?" Tetsutetsu asked, appalled by the thought of throwing aside his pride as a man.
"Victory costs. If we don't play ball, then the villains will walk all over us, though…" Midoriya said as he rubbed his ribs, the same area where the Nomu's attack hit home. "We all have things we can't part with, we can't be blamed for that, it's simply human nature." He finished as he thought back to Yu's smile when he sang on that stage, how he would do anything to see that smile every day for the rest of their lives together.
"But you just said-" Kirishima started but he was interrupted.
"It's the double-standard. People know that under our mask we are human just like that but, as heroes, we are symbols first, people second. And symbols are supposed to be unbeatable," Yanagi spoke up for what felt the first time today. "That's the burden of a hero, to save as many as you can, without being crushed by the weight of the task."
"Truly a herculean task, to save humanity from the darkness, while never allowing our own souls to fall to its cold embrace." Kuroiro added in with a smile, though it was a sad one as he remembered how when they called for their class to have an experience similar to what 1-A went through. It would be fair to say he was pissed off with them and looking back on it before they got the graphic lecture on what heroes have to deal with, they were ignorant to the true nature of the career they wanted.
"Man, that sounds dark." Sero said.
"It's reality, as much as I would want to deny it. Heroes oftentimes deal with the evil of the human heart more so than anybody else. Those weak in spirit wouldn't last a year, much less a mouth." Tokoyami said in agreement with his fellow edge lord.
"As children," Ashido suddenly spoke up as she put her hands together but didn't make eye contact with anyone. "We all wanted to be the heroes because people like All Might made it great but…." She thought back to the USJ, how she put on a brave face just like any pro would do but also how she was terrified, scared that one small mistake would cost her or someone else their lives. They weren't even licensed yet, never mind pros yet, just a bunch of teens with a few days of basic training-even now, they still have a lot to learn. "After the USJ, I'm not too sure about it. The things we had to do…." Then she thought back to how her quirk, her acid did so much damage to that…Nomu thing, even if it was nothing more than a meat puppet…..that wasn't what she signed up for when she applied, she didn't think any of them signed up for that.
Before she could get lost in the negative thoughts and the nightmares she had afterward, Yaoyorozu placed a comforting hand on her lap, when she rose her head to look at the taller girl, Yaoyorozu gave her a small, understanding smile to light her spirits.
"We are the soldiers of the modern-day, so it makes sense we deal with the same problems they do." Tokage said as she combed a hand through her hair.
(With the parents)
"No! I can't believe he did that!" Mitsuki raged as she watched the replay of the boy, her son-walk out of the arena and forfeit the match.
"Well, Katsuki always had your pride dear." Masaru said to try and calm her down.
"I know but now I lost the damn bet!" And of course, that was why she was angry, her bet with her fellow mother.
"Oh yes you did, pay up." Inko said all 'innocently' as she held out her hand, awaiting her payment. She really was Izuku's mother since they had the same smug face going for them.
"Damn you…." Mitsuki grumbled as she reached for her purse and took out the cash before harshly putting it into Inko hand.
"Thank you, this will really help around the house." Though Inko expected her actions based on knowing the women for years and simply placed the money in her carry bag.
"Still, what the hell was going on down there? It didn't seem like they were really fighting." Hisashi said as he returned from his call sometime during the match. Like his son, he was very analytical and observant so he easily picked on the undertones of the match.
"Maybe they had an earlier argument?" Masaru offered up as he couldn't recall a time when his boy wasn't picking fights, as long as he could walk and talk, he was always in some type of altercation.
"Knowing him, that would have just made him fight even harder." The blue-eyed father said as he shook his head. They both knew it wasn't a valid point, not for Katsuki. "Why did he leave like that?"
"Cause that Todoroki kid was being a little bitch, that's why." Mitsuki said out of the blue as he pulled out her phone to check news updates, now that her boy was out of the tournament, she didn't need to pay that much attention. Besides, they'll be a highlight reel on TV later tonight anyway.
"Mitsi?" Masaru asked as he used his pet name for his wife.
"You heard him, everyone is working their asses off just to be here. Where does he get off thinking he can go in half-ass and win. I swear, it doesn't matter the time and place, rich kids are always pampered brats." Okay, that was a good point. Mitsuki knew her son always gave his best to outshine those around him. To go up against a foe must have really pissed him off big time.
"Well, it did sound like that was the case. I just hope he isn't like that. I have dealt with the rich kids of some of the universities investors and they are a handful." Hisashi said with a bite as dealing with the arrogant and wealthy would always be a challenge as their money and influence kept most repercussions from ever striking them like it did the rest of them.
"How much of a handful?" Mitsuki asked with a raised eye-brow.
"Remember two years back, we went to Southern Africa to study the rise of a new subspecies of lion," He asked and when all three nodded their heads, he continued. "The trust fund brat that insisted he was an 'animal sympathizer' thought it would be a good idea to get close to one even though we told him otherwise." He said as both his wife and Masaru gasped as they could only imagine how bad things got in such a scenario.
"What happened?" Inko asked, she recalled how frustrated he seemed on the phone after the incident but he didn't say anything at the time, was this why?
"Two people were injured and the lion was shot. What's worse is that not only did he come out of it unharmed but claimed that the lion came to us. The entire trip was pulled before he finished." He explained as he had been the one that had the shoot the poor animal after a cameraman and their driver had been mauled. It was only by luck that their driver's mutation quirk gave him a thick hide otherwise he would be dead.
"I can't imagine the dean was okay with this." Inko said as she had met the woman how not only was her husband's boss but also was her son's current martial arts teacher, she was not a person you screwed with on a whim.
"No, she wasn't," He chuckled as he recalled how furious she sounded on the phone when he reported how they were booking the first fight back to Tokyo. "Cut ties with the investor after ensuring we didn't have to pay for his damages." He explained, though he left out the part where he punched the trust fund brat in the face and scared him half to death before cutting said ties….and spreading the word he and his father weren't the best partners.
"Wait, doesn't Izuku and Katsuki have two rich kids in their class?" Hisashi asked as he recalled Izuku talking about it on the phone.
"Who just happened to get in via recommendation? Oh no, something smells of money." Mitsuki said as he had already made her judgment, if they wanted her to think differently, then they'll need to prove her wrong with their actions.
(With the Shields)
"Well…that was unexpected." David said as he paused the TV to get up to go get a drink.
"You think? Izuku's always going on about how Katsuki's in it to win it now he forfeits a match he by all rights won?" Mellissa was just as confused as he was. If he wanted to win like they thought he would, all he had to do was just stand.
"I don't think we have the big picture here. It sounded like that was an important conversation." David said as he reached into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.
"But who were they talking about?" Mellissa asked him.
"Your guess is as good as mine." He said as he thought about the match and he couldn't really draw any conclusions there.
(In Hosu)
"All of your fakes are the same….Frame….Money." Stain thought aloud as he stood over the still forms of the pros who challenged him, both his blade and the floor covered in hero's blood. "You dare to call yourselves heroes, but all your frauds," he went on as he looked down to the floor where Tensei's phone had fallen, the screen sprinkled with some blood spatter as it showed that he had three missed calls from a number saved as 'Little Bro.' "And I'll purge you all till only he that is worthy is left." He said as he flicked his sword to the side to get rid of some of the blood, the dark alleyway doing a fine job of covering his appearance beside the crimson scarf and steel blade. "All Might….He is the only one worthy. The only one that I'll ever let kill me."
'Dammit….we didn't know that we were in for.' One of the sidekicks kicked himself mentally as he lay prone against the wall, he could feel himself losing blood from the wound to his leg but for the life of him, he couldn't move no matter how much he tried. 'Gotta call for help, but I can't move.' Unluckily for him, his fruitless struggle was noticed by the person who left him in this sorry state.
"You're still alive?" Stain asked as he looked at him out of the corner of his eye before he turned around and started walking towards him, his blade at the ready. "Time to fix that, you fake."
"No, no," He tried to plead as he begged his body to move, to get up, to run but it was for naught as soon enough, the hero killer was standing over him, his blade poised to ran him though.
"NO!" Was the scream that echoed through the dark and empty alley, drawing some attention from those who just happened to be near. Before some brave and foolish citizen could head in to investigate, another five of Ingenium's sidekicks arrived on the scene to assist….four minutes too late to be of any use as all they found was the bloody carnage Stain left in his wake.
(Back at the Sports festival)
'Jeez, he has to beat that guy?' Yu thought to herself, a little worried her Izuku would have to contend with that Todoroki kid, sure he was smart but his opponent seemed to favor overwhelming power over anything else, something he may not have an answer for. "Hey, what's that kid's problem?" She asked the two she was patrolling with.
"Don't know, not my business to know his inner thoughts." Death Arms replied as he looked around for any suspicious activity.
"You sure? He could end up at your agency you know." Yu asked him with a small teasing smile, she needed something to distract her from her worries.
"Yeah right, I have a feeling the son of Endeavor will get to one of the top ten if he can help it." Death Arms scoffed as the chances of someone like that coming to his agency were as low as snowfall in mid-summer.
"It is quite unfortunate but's not false. He appears to be used to the spotlight or having choices, the chances that he'll go to one of our agencies is….laughable." Kamui Woods said in agreement, though he didn't like it, they simply wouldn't register on the radar of someone like that.
"You need to have more faith in yourselves! Woodsie and I are up and coming on the hero scene and you're a household name." Mt. Lady giggled as she replied to them, pointing first at Woods then at Death Arms.
'Plus if I play my cards right, Izu-kun will be all mine for a full week. Hehehehe, kinda convenient that I don't have anyone working for me which means…privacy.' She thought to herself as she imagined all the things they could do together…..he was a wonderful cook. Maybe she could make him her official chef for the week and cuddle with him at night now that he'll have to stay at her agency-the perfect cover for some couple of times.
"Why do I get the feeling she's planning something bad?" Death Arms signed as he didn't even want to know what was going through that head of hers.
"Because she's probable is, come in, we have work to do." Woods answered as they kept on with their search, so far nothing had happened but they weren't going to slack off now. "Still, that Midoriya kid. Is he really quirkless?"
"Well UA does accept Quirkless students but I didn't think they were accepted into the Hero course." Death Arms replied as he had heard through the grapevine they got rid of that rule around last year, some late-night news castor was going on how the quirkless don't belong in a hero school.
"Well if that's true then this next match may be his last." Kamui said as he imagined he was going up against Todoroki next, and even with his impressive performance, there is only so much a quirkless boy can do against raw power. However, both he and Death Arms never saw the look of murderous rage in Lady's eyes at their assumption her boyfriend would lose.
'What a load, just five minutes ago, you probably thought he'll go far, and now you think he'll lose? Does Izu-kun have to deal with this all the time?' She thought to herself, ashamed that so many pros that once were rooting for him now look down at him. She knew he had to deal with this his whole life but still, was society at a point where all that matters was your genetics? Had they really regressed that far in mentality?
"Thank you folks for waiting for the mess to be cleaned up, we're ready to go!" Present Mic announced to the crowd. It had taken longer than they thought it would but that being able to clean up the mess of the last match.
"Yes, these four students braved through the festival and have made it this far." Vlad said as the screen flashed to show the basic info and names of the final four students still in this.
Izuku Midoriya – Hero Course: Class 1-A
Itsuka Kendo – Hero Course: Class 1-B
Hitoshi Shinso – General Studies: Class 1-C
Shoto Todoroki – Hero Course: Class 1-A
"And not only have they earned their spots here but they also earned a highlight heel!" Present Mic teasingly sang, much to Vlad's annoyance though the crowd cheered nonetheless. "So let's see how they got here folks!" He finished as all the screens changed to how the high points of one green and black-haired boy's journey from the beginning of the games to his last match.
"Let's start the front runner, literally! Coming first in the Obstacle course and placing second in the Cavalry Battle. He may be small but's he more than makes up for his skills…and hammer! We have Izuku Midoriya." He said as he waited for the crowd to lost their minds but with that whole 'I don't fire off rockets from my ass thing' in the air. Only around 3 out of 5 spectators cheered and it was kinda sad. Luckily for them, Iida and Tokoyami were present to keep Midoriya from yelling some…creative curses at the people, though they did feel his anger.
"He may not have a quirk but he hasn't gotten this far because of luck people, he is a fine example of dedication and hard work." Vlad said seriously as he could respect a student like Midoriya, though he would never trade students with Eraser, he won't say it wasn't the notion of having him in his own class wasn't tempting.
"Speaking of hard work, we have the second student who made it to the semi-finals! Itsuka Kendo is more than a cute face folks, we've all seen her fight and pummel through the competition! She's was also a student at a well-respected Dojo back in Chiba. Itsuka Kendo!" And like the ignorant humans they were(at least, that's how Nezu would describe them) the crowd started to cheer again as for them, even though Kendo hadn't been the showiest of students this far in, she must be worth it if she beat Tokoyami. Her reel wasn't as glamorous as the last but it did its job.
"She's a well-mannered student but she had potential, potential that she has shown thus far. I look forward to seeing her in the next match." The white-haired man said as he didn't even need to think to describe his class rep. she was the picture of that type of student a teacher loved.
"Third on the list but, we have the dark and broody student from General Studies. Hitoshi Shinso! So far he has had no opposition to his journey to the semis but that can change at any moment." And much to the surprise of Shinso, a large portion of the crowd and his class clapped for him and his progress. He had already gotten further than he thought so why now see how far he can push it? Shinso has the shortest reel of the bunch as his fights ended too quickly to really get anything from them.
"Yes, Shinso himself has been quite the upset of the first years but I hope that he understands that anything can happen. After all, at this point in the competition, we're only left with the best of the bunch." Vlad reminded the people as this festival was known for surprises.
"And lastly, but certainly not least! We have the man of Ice, he'll steal your hearts and freeze where you stand. The recommendations students with a lot of power to back it up, Shoto Todoroki!" And just the first, the crowd wasn't as enthusiastic about this one but for a different reason as the theories about his controversial match-up were gaining traction, and they didn't paint him in a good light. Although the reel showed his first match in full, it noticeably lacked the end of his second fight.
"Though, I do question how he got this far. Our last match was something we've never had to deal with before." Vlad threw in his two cents on the matter as he wondered how Eraser was going to deal with this new mess as both and Mic could pick up on the mood of the crowd.
"But let's not focus on that, we have more fights to come! So why don't we bring out the first two?" Present Mic said to try and change the subject as he buzzed for the two to get ready to come on stage.
(With the students)
"I wonder how he'll go about this one?" Sero asked.
"Well she's a martial artist two, maybe he'll be like one of those Bruce Lee movies?" Kaminari put his rather flawed input into the talk, only for Jiro to sigh at his answer.
"You know, if those two were anyone else, I'll call you an idiot but seeing how Izuku is the one to fight, I wouldn't put it past him." She said as she could see that just ending up a straight-up fist fight, if he was a dedicated to the arts as Ojiro then that was a possibility.
"It'll sure be entertaining, maybe he'll bring out the hammer again and knock her out like Tetsutetsu." Mineta joked as Tetsutetsu stuck his angry head over the wall.
"Hey!" He yelled at the much, much shorter boy who for once, showed some backbone and just kept on laughing.
"What? It's true, isn't it?" He asked the white-haired boy, it was even in the highlight reel for Midoriya.
"Not the point!"
"Kirishima?" Ashido asked her red-headed friend as he had been silent for a while now, something out of character for him.
"Oh, ah, sorry. I'm just worried about Bakugo." He said with a weak smile as unlike Midoriya, he had trained with Bakugo and knew how much pain he must have been in pushing himself like that.
"I wouldn't, he and Todoroki are being watched over by Recovery Girl, after all." Kaminari said without a care, they all knew there wasn't anyone else they could trust their mutual health with.
"I'm more worried about if he'll be pissed or not. The dude can be a volcano of rage sometimes." Jiro said as it was long since decided by the class that Bakugo was always angry and more than willing to escalate a situation into a fight.
"You're not wrong there, sometimes it feels like you're walking on eggshells around him." Sato sighed as he spoke in agreement with her assessment of him.
"Hey, they're starting." Kirishima, wanting to avoid talking about his friend's fault, spoke as he saw the two finally make their way to the stage.
(On the field)
"Alright folks, we have a show for you! In the one corner, we have the class rep for 1-A, Izuku Midoriya!" Present Mic called out. Though more people than the first time cheered for him, it was still weaker than what he got going into his first match.
"[Tick]They were singing my tune a few minutes ago." He muttered under his breath as cracked his side to side, awarded with that satisfying crack each time.
"And in the other, the rep from 1-B, Itsuka Kendo. That's right people, we have a battle of the leaders!" And like salt to an open wound, Kendo got a much more warm reception when compared to his, though she did look bashful about it.
"Let's keep things entertaining, shall we?" He said as he got ready for action.
"So no holding back?" Kendo asked as she did the same as they started to circle one another.
"I'll be insulted if you did." Midoriya replied, as happy as he felt he should be, he was in a bad mood as the crowd that was cheering his name before was now doubting him, it was a familiar feeling, one he dealt with his whole life, but it didn't take the pill any less bitter.
"Ready?" Present Mic called out as both competitors circled each other, moving closer and closer with both hands for combat.
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"Start!" And just like clockwork, they started with Kendo activating her quirk and sending an enlarged fist right for Midoriya who in the same moment she started her move, jumped into the air, and performed a perfect spinning front kick. The two attacks hit in the middle with Kendo's increased endurance and strength holding up against Midoriya's shockwave assisted kick.
The force from the blows coming into contact forced the two apart with Kendo only needing to take a step back to keep her balance while Midoriya found himself flying further so he quickly performed a backflip to right himself and landed on his feet. Seeing the chance to test her endurance, he quickly ran back towards her and went for a low kick to her shin, one she saw coming, and jumped right over, landing behind him.
She went for a strike to the back but found that he turned slightly, not much but enough for one of his wings to jut out and nearly strike her if she didn't retreat. Pressing the attack, in the same motion of his counter, he turned on his heel while reaching for his staff which extended once it was in his hands and not too soon either as he used the weapon to try and strike the side of her hand but she killed that attack by blocking it with her forearm.
After that, the two engaged in an exchange that wouldn't be out of place in a good old fashion kung fu movie as they tried to both defend themselves from the other's attacks, dodge the blows all while trying to land their own.
"Hot damn, those two really know their stuff!" Present Mic whistled as Midoriya transformed his staff into his signature hammer and went for an underarm swing, one which Kendo caught but not without some visible pain from doing so.
"Kendo has been training in martial arts since she was 7 and Midoriya has a respectable amount of training and experience under his belt as well. This should have been suspected." Vlad reminded them as Kendo gripped the head of the hammer and threw it-(along with the user)-back some meters before she charged him before he could hit the ground. As he flew through the air, Midoriya twisted his body so that not only would his hammer hit the ground first-head first-but so that once it did, he could use it as a support pole to once more bend himself in such a way that he gripped the thing with now two hands but both his feet were facing his opponent. Seeing his plan, Kendo rose both enlarged hands just in time to block the double blast of shockwaves. The force behind it making her grit her teeth in pain.
Swinging down the length of the weapon, Midoriya landed on both feet and in a show of footwork and skill, started to imitate the movements of a practitioner of capoeira, he sent shockwave kick after shockwave kick towards Kendo, keeping her on the offensive.
"Did you know he could do that?" Shoji asked the one person present who could answer.
"He has told informed me that has taken to some videos on YouTube the other day. Other than that, he's improvising." Tokoyami said as he watched the match. Quite impressed that his friend keeping his foe at bay like this.
"Still to incorporate moves sets you haven't truly learned into your fighting style is no small feat." Yaoyorozu said in agreement as she may have had little in the way of how many martial arts she knew but she knew enough to know that this was quite the show.
"But it does carry the risk of being beaten by an opponent who could know how to counter it or even know the style you're imitating." Honenuki pointed as he could tell that Kendo had stopped moving backward and was standing her ground against the onslaught.
"Something tells me Kendo isn't familiar with this one." Rin pointed as Kendo started slowly but surely advance again.
"Are you seeing this, person? Kendo is marching forward like a champ!" Present Mic yelled as the crowd watched in awe as she closed the distance between the two, much to Midoriya's visible surprise.
"There must be a reason that Midoriya is keeping her at bay. My guess is he sees her as the better fighter so he doesn't want to give her a chance to take him out." Vlad said with a small smile as Kendo closed the gap and before he could react, she grabbed Midoriya, and just like with Dark Shadow, she bashed him into the ground a couple of times before throwing to the side, aiming for a ring out.
(With the teachers)
"They are putting on quite the show." Thirteen noted as Midoriya was able to use his boots to blast himself back into bounds.
"Well for them this match carries more weight than the others, they're the class rep for their respective groups. It would be a fair guess to say that they are fighting for the honor of those same groups." Snipe said as Midoriya, while in the air-fired off another double-blast towards Kendo, forcing her to roll to the side to avoid it.
"Kendo from what I've seen in training can be quite competitive. Midoriya also can analyze a situation quite well for someone his age." Ectoplasm remarked before he turned to the silent member of their staff, well one of them.
"Anything to add to that, All Might?" The clone user asked the number one.
"Nothing much, just that these two are gonna give us a show for sure." All Might replied with a smile as he could see the potential of kendo as his successor but he wasn't going to call it just yet.
This fight wasn't over just yet.
(Back with the action)
"Not bad, not bad at all." Midoriya said as he wiped the dirt and blood from his face. Being bashed into the ground was quite the experience, one he wasn't willing to repeat.
"You're no slouch either. This is getting hard." Kendo replied as she flexed her sore and bruised hands. Those shockwaves really hurt but she knew that would be a possibility before she even stepped into the ring.
"Oh? Just getting hard?" Oh, he couldn't resist the chance to screw with her. "How's the hand by the way?" He asked as he pointed towards her hands, and just like he wanted, he hit a nerve with that one.
"A lot better than you'll be!" Kendo yelled as she ran towards him and activated her quirk in both hands and tried to slam in from the flanks but he dashed forwards before they could make contact and bent the knee before he activated the shockwaves generator in one boot, forcing his whole leg to turn on an arc, which also had the desired effect of sending his boot into her undefended jaw with enough force to not only knock her back and make her feel as if all her teeth were suddenly loose.
"You'll have to be quicker than that!" Midoriya said, still in a one-legged stance with one foot pointed towards the sky. Though his torso was bent parallel to the ground, his face to the ground as he looked towards the clouds, catching some interesting shapes. Hearing his opponent getting back up, he gracefully placed his foot back down and stood straight. "Time for a change, don't you think?" He asked ran right for her. And with that, the two engaged in close quarters combat once more. This time was much more intense than the last as Midoriya used his legs to the fullest, launching shins, feet, and knees while using those same legs to redirect or to the shock of the crowd, block the attack.
"Those are some powerful attacks being thrown about, I wouldn't want to be hit by them!" Present Mic said as Midoriya went for the kick to the Face which Kendo dodged so he swirled his foot a bit and brought his heel down on top of her. A blow that would have landed if she didn't back-flip away. A good thing too as the shin hit the ground with enough force to crack it.
"They are pitting their strengths against one another. Midoriya seems to favor his legs with are the stronger limbs between them and the arms but Kendo can bring more attacks and maneuverability to the table with her arms." Vlad explained to the attentive crowd as they all saw how Kendo punched him back, knocking the wind out of him, and then went for an overhead hammer drop using her enlarged fist as the hammer. Midoriya rolling out of the way just in time to avoid the attack which left an even larger dent in the floor. If he wasn't confident in their pain tolerance and endurance levels, Vlad would be concerned for their general health.
"So it's a fight between the upper and lower bodies?" Present Mic asked as Kendo got the drop on Midoriya and with a punch to the face, dazed him long enough to perform her own pro wrestling move in the form of a pop-up Powerbomb. Both commentators winced as they had a feeling that Midoriya's wing pack didn't soften that landing all that well, probably made it worse.
"You could say that." Vlad said as Kendo picked up Midoriya before he could react and tossed him to the side, aiming to throw him out of bonds but at the last second, he saved himself when he activated his wings and stopped himself from touching the floor, keeping himself in the match.
(With the students)
"It's been over eight minutes, that's longer than his last two matches." Kaminari pointed as they had been watching the two go at it for a while now, slowly building up the numbers of bruises and welts as time went on.
"And yet, I have a feeling that he's taken more damage than those two combined." Monoma said, taking the chance to be himself without Kendo to stop him. Though his words at merit as even they could tell from this distance that Midoriya was spotting a black eye from an unexpected right hook to the face.
"Kendo really is amazing, she knows how the use her quirk and can think on her feet." Ojiro praised with a small smile on his face the two fighters. "Now I want to face her to test my metal." He finished with a laugh as Kendo bashed Midoriya out of the sky when he got too close, causing them to have to crash land.
"Their resolve and skills is something to awe at, but they still have an equal chance of coming out victorious." Tokoyami stated as he folded his arms. He may be rooting for his friend but it wasn't like this would be easy. Unlike Tetsutetsu, Kendo had training, unlike Tokage, she had the endurance to make up for her pretty straightforward quirk.
"He still has some tricks up his sleeve, you know." Kodai put in as Midoriya activated his electrified wings just in time to save himself from another blow, Kendo, on the other hand, wasn't able to react in time and got a first-hand experience when thousands of volts of electricity flow through you. The members of the class were in agreement with her assessment, up until Iida started to vibrate.
"What the hell Iida?" Ashido asked him as this was weird, even for them.
"It's just my phone." Iida replied calmly as he reached for his pocket and pulled out the object in question. He looked down at the screen and was surprised by how was calling him. "Mother, I wonder why she'll be calling me. Please excuse me for a moment, I have to take this." He asked as he stood up and left to find somewhere quiet he could talk to her.
(Back on the field)
'This is taking too long.' Midoriya thought to himself as he dashed towards the dazed Kendo before catching her with a swingblade(One Arm Sleeper Slam), slamming the back of her head into the ground. Ignoring the feelings of pains and exhaustion in his body, he slowly got back up and to his continued amazement, Kendo wasn't far behind. 'I need something to end this, fast.'
'Getting back up t her head was proving to be a challenge as the results of this long-going match was starting to show themselves. Still, she wouldn't give up so easily and Kendo had a neat trick up her sleeve. She ran towards her opponent who responded by retreating back, just as she planned. When he used his boots to jump back the extra distance, he slammed her hand into the ground but the moment before impact she increased its size, and using that, she was able to launch herself faster than he or anyone watching thought. Before he could react, she enlarged both hands and brought them down on him like a hammer, sending him back down to earth with a crashing thud.
"And it looks like the hammer connects this time!" Present Mic called as the crowd watched, waiting to see if that was the end of it. "I don't know about you but that looked like the end of it!"
'Damn, I'm so gonna need to see Recovery girl after this, my hands are really starting to bug me.' Kendo thought to herself as she looked down at her hands and resisted the urge to wince at their state. Still, she needed to finish the match while he was down but how. As she thought about that, she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. 'Oh, that could help.' She thought as she started to walk towards it, her back to Midoriya as was still trying to get up.
"Is she, she's going for it." Awase said as he noticed what Kendo had in mind.
"Well it's worked for him, why not for her?" Tetsutetsu asked as he had felt what it could do first hand, kinda poetic if she used the very same tool to end Midoriya's time in the tournament.
"It's heavier than I thought it would be." Kendo thought aloud as she picked up the hammer that Midoriya had dropped earlier in the match. She had seen this thing take down someone with a steel quirk and break bones so it should have enough strength of putting Izuku down for the count. But she made one mistake in all this, a rookie mistake that most of the pros watching picked up on pretty quickly and although they didn't fault her for it, she was a first-year after all, they were all waiting to see her pay for it.
She turned her back to her opponent.
(With Iida)
"Hello mother, how had your morning been? I'm sure you know already but I got knocked out in the first round of the tournament." Iida said over the phone as he stood in one of the empty hallways of the stadium. He was far enough away to have a decent conversation but close enough to still keep up with the action.
"That isn't important Tenya! No! I mean you did your best, that what matters," His mother yelled over the phone, sounding like she was hysterical and all over the place. Something Iida wasn't used to as his mother was normally much more collected. "Tenya, I need you to listen carefully. Your brother…Tensei, he went in for work today…he….he…a villain got him!" When she finished her sentence, it took a couple of moments for the actual words to register in his mind. That his brother had lost to a villain and going by the tone of his mother, no matter how much he wished it-it wasn't just a bump on the head.
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'What?' He asked himself as he dropped his phone in shock.
(In Hosu-moments earlier)
"Damn fools haven't even noticed yet." Stain said to himself as he crouched on top of a water tower, looking down at the alley he had long since left as the police cornered off the area as they ran about trying to keep it sterile for investigative purposes. "That this society worships vanity and hypocrisy, that the filth and decay of false idols have taken root and are infecting everything." He went on as a team of coroners came out of the alley with a stretcher, on it was a body but he couldn't tell who as it was covered by a white and very bloody sheet. "You who call yourselves heroes, I will make you notice, one dead fake at a time." He was about to leave to start the next hunt when he felt a presence appear behind him, he didn't need to turn to draw his blade and slice in that direction.
"Sneaking up on me like that is a foolish move." Stain said without turning to face them, waiting to see what this newcomer tried to pull. If it was another false hero, then he'll bag another for the day.
"Might you please stay calm? I am here just to talk. Nothing more." A calm voice spoke up, he turned his head to see that what he was speaking to was essentially a living cloud of blackish-purple mist.
'And who's this, he doesn't look like a pro. Must be some thug or an idiot.' Stain thought to himself as he analyzed the situation.
"We are of the same mind, you and we. I have been looking for you for quite some time now, Hero Killer: Stain." Kurogiri said though Stain could only assume he was speaking on behalf of a group going on how he said 'we' rather than 'me' or 'I'. "I have heard of your skills and reputation and have wanted to meet with you."
"May I have a moment of your time?" Kurogiri asked as his 'face' formed on top of the mist cloud and looked down at him.
(Back with the fight-same time Iida got the call)
"Kendo! Behind you!" She heard her class yelling and like with Tetsutetsu, she knew that something was going on so she quickly turned around and brought the hammer up to bring it down on Midoriya but it was all for naught as Midoriya had used both his boots and jetpack to close the distance faster than she expected as well as build up momentum. The same momentum that he used to drive his shoulder into her midsection, which had four effects. The first being that the attack was so forceful and sudden, Kendo dropped the hammer, the second being that he knocked her so bad that she wheezed out some blood, the third being that they sailed through the air for a couple of meters, and the fourth being they crashed down with Izuku landing funny and heading up hitting the ground face first.
"Oh my God! He hit her with a spear!" Kirishima yelled as he pulled at his hair, the crowd losing their minds at such an old-school wrestling move.
"Good Lord! That must have hurt." Shishida said as he took off his glasses in amazement as Kendo rolled around on the floor, clutching at her gut in pain while Midoriya did the same but slower and cradling is head instead, most likely feeling the results of a test of head vs ground. Ground typically wins.
"Go! Go! This is so much fun, it reminds me of home!" Tsunotori cheered along with Tetsutetsu, though the white-haired boy was more cheering for Kendo to get back up. Back on the field, both were still down as they nursed their injuries. Midoriya could see the spots in his vision so he could tell he had a concussion, how bad he couldn't tell but it wasn't a good sign. With Kendo, she could still feel the sting from the spear in her gut, which made breathing and moving painful, so she could guess her core strength will not be as great as it should be for the rest of the match.
Slower than before, the two got back up to their feet but from how they were swaying side to side, that on its own was a challenge. Midoriya looked down at the screen on his under-wrist touch screen display which against all odds, had survived the battle thus far, and noticed that he was down to just 61% and that his right boot had malfunctioned due to damage. Kendo feeling the pain building up also could tell that she didn't have much time left before she wouldn't be able to keep going. So the two silently agreed that the next charge would be the last.
"No….hard…feelings?" Kendo breathed out as she rose her hands again in the standard boxer's stance.
"Agreed…..whoever….wins….wins…" Midoriya answered, taking equally large breaths of air he also got ready, it didn't pay attention to the fact he had ringing in his ears though.
"Oh, are they going to lock horns for the last time?" Present Mic asked as the two squared off for their final bout of the match. They waited for the right moment, all the while the crowd quieted down as they waited for what they were doing to defeat the other. They didn't have the wait long before the two ran towards the other, Izuku readying his kick while Itsuka drew back both fists. Just before they met, they acted. Midoriya spun around to drive the heel of his heavy boot into the side of her head-aiming for the ear. Kendo realized he would try something like this and instead of going for a right or left cross, went for a heavy uppercut right to his jaw which she would activate her quirk just before impact.
Neither tried to dodge the other, and both attacks it home.
In Midoriya's case. The blow wasn't like the others, this one he could feel had more force behind it than any of the previous ones. He also could faintly make out the crack as his jaw was busted by the hit which had enough force to launch him into the air, fly back about 6m before he crashed down back first.
In Kendo's case. She didn't even have time to react to the pain or realize her loss as the heavy boot striking her at that part of her head with the force it had behind it was enough to knock her out on impact and sent her unconscious body flying to the side where he landed and rolled a couple of times before coming to a stop.
"Is…it that it?" Present Mic asked as neither got back up to their feet, though he could see movement from Midoriya.
"I don't know but it seems like Midnight is going to check." Vlad said as Midnight walked into the arena and inspected the two of them. Kendo was knocked out, that was easy to see going by the passive face and closed eyes while Midoriya seemed to be still functioning as he rolled onto his stomach and slowly tried to get up but after a couple of seconds of trying to raise his head more than a coupe inches off the ground, he collapsed again and didn't get back up so she turned him over and saw he was unconscious as well so she made her call.
"Midoriya retained consciousness longer. Therefore," Midnight started as she gestured towards the down fighters. "Kendo is defeated by knockout! Midoriya wins!"
"Man, I don't think I've ever seen a double knockout in the festival, have you?" Present Mic asked as the crowd applauded Kendo for her effort, they could tell it was for her as they were also yelling out 'You did your best girl!'
"They both brought their best to the table and fought with tooth and nail, so in hindsight, this should have been something we saw coming." Vlad noted as the medical bots came out and scooped the two out cold students so that they may go see Recovery Girl.
(Meanwhile – With two old men)
"Well?" Grand Torino asked as he paused the screen. He along with an old friend were watching it together from his office as they both were quite curious as to why All Might thought this quirkless boy was all that.
"He shows promise, and he has the drive to boot." The other said as he stroked his beard in thought.
"Yes, Toshi really praised him in his letter, I thought it would be best to see for myself." Grand Torino said as he leaned into his seat and took a sip of the tea they had been served.
"It was the wise move, you cannot base your expectations off the words of others. Sometimes it is best to see for yourself." His host stated in the agreement as he reached for his own cup.
"So what do you think? The girl is a good catch so I'm already going to send in a request for her." Grand Torino said even though he hadn't taken anybody as a side-kick/apprentice since All Might, he figured it was high time he did his part to raise the quality levels of pros.
"Do you think it would be approved, you have been inactive for 12 years now?" The other asked as he held his cup in hand and thought about an issue.
"I still take the hero license renewal test every year. Don't worry, this old man still has what it takes to stand with the young and idiotic heroes of today." Torino replied, sounding both annoyed and amused with the topic.
"Don't you mean, stand over them? You and I both know that you could easily make your way into the top 20 if you put your back into it." The other chuckled as he asked the question, to which Torino just huffed and turned away.
"Same thing. They don't make pros like they used to though. The fact that an old dog like myself could even reach the top 20 shows just how poor the quality of the average pros has fallen. It's a no-brainer why villains are gathering again, the guards have become lax and arrogant." He said in disappointment and anger as he had seen 11 pros on the way here, all of which he could easily beat in a 1v1, 2x1 even a 4v1.
"Yes, and if things progress as they have been, we may see the return of….his people." The other said, sounding as serious as a death sentence as they both remembered…darker times…before All Might was even a thing.
"Let's just pray that he's dead and gone, like we've been hoping for all these years." Grand Torino said as he put that piece of nightmare fuel to bed. "You didn't answer the question."
"The answer is yes, I will take this Izuku Midoriya under my wing. We shall see what kind of man he will become." He said as he held up an internship application form, the information about the boy in question already filled in before he reached for his stamp, placed the paper down on the table.
And gave it his approval. If the boy accepts it, well…
Things will get very interesting.
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And that is done. That took longer than I thought it would but I'm been surprisingly busy as the lecturers are giving us more work than usual. I put in a little Aizawa at the top as the students debate about the roles of a hero and sacrifice. It was also a good time to plug in the fact that Ashido isn't dealing with the events of the USJ all that well, in fact, none of them are but like teenagers they are, they try to cover it up.
I also showed off the beginnings of the results of the Sports festival as people are less focusing on the revelation that Midoriya is quirkless and more on the controversial nature of Bakugo and Todoroki's match. Since they don't have the full picture, they are drawing up their own conclusions with the evidence they do have, and since people in power are regularly accused if not proven to be corrupt, it's fair to say that they would think the fight was rigged and that Bakugo was supposed to lose. Even Bakugo's parents think that's the case as since he was the same as when he left the house that morning, they have no reason to think that he wanted to quit, at least they don't think it was the whole story. This will become more important in a few chapters but for now, let's focus on other things.
Ingenium still gets bested but this time, it was a team effort which I know, is bad as it means more victims but it's the Hero 'Killer' for a reason people. On-screen, we don't actually see him kill anyone, just cripple and wound. It can't be because the show is shy about blood, guts, and death since we all remember how Magne died, and how Izuku breaks himself over and over, those types of injuries look a lot less painful than they must feel as I've never heard of someone breaking their finger, then breaking that same finger even more like he did against Todoroki.
I hope that the fight was an entertaining thought, I went through three different drafts with it as the notes I prepared for this chapter didn't make a whole lot of sense when I re-watched this part of season 2 due to poor story flow. But it was always the plan to have the two knock each other out like Kirishima and Tetsutetsu as I couldn't decide who would win in a 1v1.
Yu has her own plans in the works but don't take them as gospel as I'm still deciding on what will go down for the internships as most will stick to the people they went within cannon, others will not. With Grand Torino and this other mysterious old guy, he'll make his appearance when the time is right. I also made it that GT 'retired' for 12 years as even the Hero otaku, Izuku didn't start gushing about him when All Might said the name, in fact, he was rather tamed with his reaction so I gave him a good time frame of being inactive that Izuku simply doesn't know about him as he wouldn't be mention in the news all that often.