CHAPTER 12: PRELIMINARY FIGHT! ROUND THREE!
"Izuku Midoriya…we need to talk."
Cue: My Hero Academia opening 2 – Peace Sign
Todoroki continued to stare wordlessly at the hapless figure of Izuku Midoriya, who was getting hungrier and far more uncomfortable by the second. "W-We should probably eat soon. The cafeteria's going to be mighty busy…." The cold boy finally opened his mouth. "You…overwhelmed me, and I broke my vow" he started. "Iida, Kujo, Bakugo, Yaoyorozu, Shoji…none of them felt it, but I did. Your true power…and what it reminded me of: All Might's Quirk."
At this, Midoriya's eyes widened. "Shit shit shit! Is he on to us?!" "Midoriya, tell me the truth…" the bichromatic boy said, clenching his fist. Far away, one of Shoji's ears picked up their voices and started to relay the information to Uraraka and Yaoyorozu, now curious themselves. "Are you really All Might's secret love child or something?"
"Huh?" Midoriya asked. "What" all three of the distant eavesdroppers said in unison. "Uhhhhhh…what? No! Not at all!" the greenette started. "Based on that reaction, there's definitely some kind of secret involving you two, but I won't pry. My father is the Number Two 'hero', Endeavor…which means that, given your connection to the Number One, I have even more of a reason to beat you" Todoroki said, as Midoriya's horror and awkwardness increased.
Back in the cafeteria, Shoji duplicated another mouth on one of his limbs and commented on the whole thing. "What the heck is with Todoroki?" "My father has always been stuck at Number Two; he's never been able to surpass All Might at any point…which is how I came into being" the bichromatic teen said. "I don't get it…what are you trying to say to me?" Midoriya asked. Todoroki sighed, then continued. "Tell me…have you ever heard of Quirk Marriages?"
Back in the cafeteria, the eavesdropper trio's eyes widened. "No" Uraraka whispered. "He wouldn't…" Shoji said. Yaoyorozu was almost steaming in fury, some long-buried anger re-igniting within her. "That bastard" she hissed.
"They became an issue in the first few generations after Quirks first became commonplace, but in some places they still happen despite having been outlawed decades ago" Todoroki said, his eyes narrowing. "My father has a long list of accomplishments, good and bad, and a lot of money with those. He bought my mother's entire family off in order to have her and her powerful ice Quirk." Seeing the look of abject horror on Midoriya's face, he continued.
"I hate the fact that I'm even related to that bastard, much less that he views me as his ultimate creation. In all my memories of my mother, she was crying…and she called my left side unbearable before pouring boiling water on my face." Midoriya stared in shock, while in the cafeteria, Uraraka tried not to cry. "His pride drove him to become this barbaric monster. It's why I refuse to use his damned fire Quirk…and why I will come in first without using it."
Around a corner, listening to the conversation, Katsuki Bakugo's fists tightened in rage. Both at Todoroki for limiting himself, thinking he was better than everyone else at half power…and at Endeavor for being such a pile of flaming garbage. "No matter how much I have to struggle to become Number One – and I WILL become Number One – I will never stoop to that piece of shit's level. Doing that to your fucking family is downright villainous" the blonde thought, having to use every ounce of his willpower to keep from trying to go explode the Number Two here right then and there.
"I don't care what your goals, ambitions or connection to All Might are" the bichromatic boy said, turning to walk away. "Just know this: I WILL beat you with only my right side…I promise you that." Midoriya thought hard about what Todoroki had said, before making his move. "Listen, Todoroki…I couldn't have gotten here without help…and I've gotten even more help since I came to UA…but don't take that to mean I'm weak. I will become a hero who saves everyone with a smile on his face...so you'd better not hold back, or I WILL beat you." The bichromatic boy stared for a few moments, then turned and walked away.
"Well, that was…uhhhh" Shoji's mouth started. "Heartbreaking?" Uraraka asked. "Infuriating?" Yaoyorozu steamed. "Maybe a bit of both" the tall boy said. "Oh yeah, Yaomomo…why are you so angry?" Uraraka asked the furious girl. "WHY AM I – oh, sorry."
The trio sat down at an empty table in one corner. "My mother was the result of a Quirk Marriage…my grandmother married my grandfather solely for his strong Quirk. Like Endeavor, she had plenty of money to back her up, and has always been horrible, especially to my mother and grandfather" Yaoyorozu explained, angrily cutting a piece of meat. "Anytime they come to visit, my mother starts to have a panic attack…and whenever I see my poor grandfather, who has had to put up with over four decades of abuse from that woman…I can't help but shake in fury."
Uraraka suddenly hugged the taller girl. "I'm so sorry you've had to deal with a terrible relative like that" the brunette said, trying to hold back her tears. "You really are strong" Shoji said, bowing his head and closing his eyes. The raven-haired girl started to tear up herself…and then two figures walked up to their table.
"AAAND WE'RE BACK, LADIES AND GENTS! IT'S ALMOST TIME TO GET STARTED ON THE FINAL ROUND, BUT WE'VE STILL GOT SOME FUN AND GAMES FOR YOU AND THE STUDENTS WHO DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT BEFORE WE START!" Present Mic shouted. "WE EVEN BROUGHT IN CHEERLEADERS!" Several girls in cheer costumes were doing a dance routine in one part of the stadium. "Wait…what the actual heck are they doing?" Aizawa asked, his eyes narrowing on one part of the field. "Good save, Aizawa" Ingenium snarked.
The girls of 1-A were all dressed in UA Cheer costumes. "IT LOOKS LIKE 1-A'S GONE FULL FANSERVICE!" Mic shouted. "Those bastards…they tricked us!" Yaoyorozu steamed in fury (again), while Mineta and Kaminari looked like they were having the single best day of their lives. "I don't want to do this anymore" Jiro said, frowning. "Well I do!" Ashido said, jumping happily. "Anyone else with me?" "I am!" chirped ana familiar voice.
"Tokage?" Yaoyorozu asked, as the green-haired girl from 1-B walked over. "Y'all can call me Setsuna; we are friends, after all" the girl said, before flashing a sharp-toothed smile. "Anyway, if any of you want out, I'm in!" Jiro and Yaoyorozu immediately raised their hands. "I'd like to wear real clothes, if that's possible, kero" Asui added. "Well then, it's settled! Kinoko, Pony, wanna join in?" the greenette asked of two of her friends, a tiny brunette with long hair and a tall blonde with horns on her head.
"Totally, friendy!" the blonde said, before realizing that came out wrong. "S-Sorry. My Japanese still isn't very good" she chuckled. "Absolutely!" the short one said, blushing a little under her long hair. "Awesome! Anyone else want in? Reiko?" the greenette said, looking towards a grey-haired girl, who shook her head. "Itsuka? Yui?" Both the orange-haired class president and the plain-looking kuudere next to her declined. "…Ibara?" she asked of a vine-haired girl, whose face immediately contorted into a visage of horror, flushed red with embarrassment.
"Oh Lord, absolutely not! Such debauchery in the eyes of God…" the religious girl clasped her hands in prayer. "May the Lord absolve you of your sins. Amen" she said, before walking away, still blushing. "…Is she going to be okay?" Asui asked. "Don't mind Swamp Thing's Religious Daughter" Tokage said, giggling. "Ibara's a nice girl…but she's kind of a prude."
As the finalists gathered in front of the stage, Midnight took her position. "All the finalists will now draw lots to determine their opponents. There will be a half-hour reprieve before the first match starts, so the finalists can either conserve their energy and prepare for battle, or participate in the games…" the risqué pro said, before a glint of mischievousness shone in her eye.
Just then, two students from the third-place team raised their hands. "We don't really care about the competition anymore" Kiryu said, as Hatsume vibrated energetically next to him, Utsumi standing behind both of them. "YEAH, WE'VE ALREADY ADVERTISED OUR BABIES! WE'RE DROPPIN' OUT!" Hatsume shouted, hacking the sound system again.
"Well…that's a first for me" Ingenium commented from the announcer's box. "We'll have to wait and see what Midnight has to say though" Aizawa added. The Rated-R Hero stood in stunned silence for a moment, before cracking her whip. "So be it! Naïve of you, but at the same time very sporting! It turns me on~" The entire crowd of students blinked in confusion, some facepalming (in Shoji's case, with three hands at once) and other blushing (even the quiet Yui Kodai had a red tint to her cheeks). "Did she really say that out loud?" they all wondered.
"Well then, it looks like two members of Team Asui will move on! Congratulations, kids, it's your lucky day!" the pro announced. Asui and Yanagi immediately declined, so Tokoyami and Shiozaki were chose to move on. The sixteen finalists drew lots, and a few moments later, the results were displayed on a holographic screen. "Pay close attention! These will be your Round 1 opponents!" The matches were announced as follows:
Izuku Midoriya (1-A) vs Gentoku Himuro (1-C)
Setsuna Tokage (1-B) vs Shoto Todoroki (1-A)
Eijiro Kirishima (1-A) vs Ryuga Banjo (1-B)
Momo Yaoyorozu (1-A) vs Juzo Honenuki (1-B)
Fumikage Tokoyami (1-A) vs Hitoshi Shinso (1-C)
Ochako Uraraka (1-A) vs Itsuka Kendo (1-B)
Kiriya Kujo (1-A) vs Tenya Iida (1-A)
Katsuki Bakugo (1-A) vs Ibara Shiozaki (1-B)
Each competitor stared at their first opponent. "May the best woman win, Itsu!" Uraraka said. "Agreed, Ochako" her orange-haired opponent responded, respect on her face. "Oh, this'll be manly as heck!" Kirishima said, Banjo grinning in agreement. "Do your best, Honeuki" Yaoyorozu said to her lipless foe. "You too, Yaoyorozu" the ash-haired boy responded. "Shiozaki? Who the fuck is that?" Bakugo asked. "May the Lord give me strength in purifying this wicked sinner…" Shiozaki prayed.
"Let's see who wins this race, Iida" Kiriya smirked. "May the best of us win!" his bespectacled foe responded. "Oh crap…" Tokage muttered, as Todoroki glared coldly at her. "What a mad banquet of darkness" Tokoyami said, ignoring the creepy grin the purple-haired boy was flashing at him. "Himuro, eh?" Midoriya wondered, before scanning the crowd…only to realize his opponent was the bearded giant from 1-C. "Or I'll just surrender now" the boy thought.
"THE THIRTY-MINUTE INTERMISSION STARTS NOW! BETTER GET YOUR POPCORN, THIS TOURNAMENT WILL BE A DOOZY!" Present Mic stated. "BUT FIRST, SOME WORDS FROM THE UA SPROT'S FESTIVAL'S OFFICIAL SPONSORS: THE DETNERAT GROUP, GENM CORP AND SMART BRAIN, INC!"
In no time, the thirty minutes had flown by, and the ring was in place for the final round of the tournament. "HEY SPORTS FANS, ARE YOU READY?" Present Mic asked, a huge pop from the crowd greeting him in response. "For this round, please welcome special guest judge, Cementoss!" Ingenium announced, as the stony pro climbed to the top of a platform next to the ring. "I'll step in and stop the match if things get out of hand" he said, before settling comfortably into his chair.
"Are you ready, Young Midoriya?" All Might asked. The boy turned around in the corridor leading out to the field to see the skinny pro walking up, with the older Midoriya by his side. "Mom! All M – uhhh, Yagi-sensei! Well…I am, but at the same time I'm not" Midoriya said, before his mother tackled him in a giant hug, the waterworks starting again. "Izuku, my baby boy! I'm so proud of you~!" the woman sobbed. "Y-Yeah…I'm really happy too, mom" the greenette responded. "Just remember, Young Midoriya: no matter how you do, both your mother and the teachers, myself included, are very proud of you…now go out there, and just like All Might told you, proudly tell the world that 'I AM HERE'!" he said.
The green-haired boy turned around, ready to march out. "Right! Thank you Mom, Yagi-sensei…I'll make you proud" he said, just as his name was called.
"FIRST UP, WE HAVE THE GREEN-HAIRED STREAK OF LIGHTNING FROM 1-A; IT'S IZUKU MIDORIYA!" Present Mic shouted as the greenette made his way towards the ring, a determined smile covering his face. "AND HIS OPPONENT, THE TOWERING TITAN OF 1-C, IT'S GENTOKU HIMURO!" The tall, bearded teen walked towards the opposite side of the ring, a cold look set on his face. "Himuro? Like Taizan Himuro, the Minister of Finance hurt in the terrorist attack two weeks ago?" someone in the audience asked. The bearded teen heard this and hissed a low, reptilian noise, but walked forward like nothing had happened.
As four massive torches lit up the ring from its' corners, Aizawa explained the rules. "Victory is achieved by incapacitation, elimination from the ring, disqualification or surrender. Don't hold anything back unless it poses a threat to someone's life; we have Recovery Girl on standby to treat injuries. May the best man win" he yawned. "I'll stop the match if things get too rough" Cementoss said from his chair. "Midoriya, are you ready?" Midnight asked, the boy nodding in response. "Are you ready, Himuro?" The bearded boy responded affirmatively. "Then…BEGIN!"
The two competitors stared at each other for a few minutes, neither daring to move. "The problem is, I don't know what his Quirk is, so I can't get in close just yet-!" Midoriya began to think, when suddenly the taller boy dashed towards him. "Okay then. If he's coming in close, his Quirk is most likely a close-ranged Quirk with a lot of power behind it."
The greenette charged 5% Full Cowl and ducked, before attempting to zip past the taller boy…only for his opponent to react with inhuman speed and clothesline him, sending the poor boy sprawling. "WHAT A DEVASTATING HIT BY 1-C'S HIMURO! WILL HE SHOCK THE WORLD AND BEAT A 1-A FAVORITE TO WIN IT ALL?" Himuro scowled. "Pathetic. Is this really what the heroes of tomorrow are like?" The crowd murmured in awe at the dark horse General Studies boy flattening one of the tournament favorites.
Midoriya's eyes widened at that statement. "What do you mean?!" His opponent scowled. "If you can't beat me, someone with next to no experience fighting with his Quirk WHILE he's fighting Quirkless…then I can't trust you or anyone else in 1-A to reliably protect the world when you go pro" he spat, before delivering a devastating kick to his opponent as he began to get back up.
"You in 1-A seem to lack the convictions needed to be effective heroes…so I'll beat you here and replace you in becoming a hero!" the tall teen yelled. He readied another powerful hit, but before he could connect, Midoriya narrowly dodged. "He's going to be a tough opponent even without using his Quirk, so I'm going to have to hit him hard and fast!" the boy thought, cocking his fist back, before shouting out his attack's name. "FIVE PERCENT…DETROIIIIT SMAAASH!" The boy drove his fist into his opponent's gut, the taller teen coughing as his breath was knocked out of him, skidding across the ring and falling onto his back.
"Did…did I do it?" Midoriya wondered. In the student stands, Classes 1-A and 1-B sat together and watched the battle. "He got him!" Uraraka and Kirishima cheered. "Don't get too far ahead of yourselves" Yaoyorozu said, catching the attention of those around her. "Midoriya's fight is just beginning."
*cue Kamen Rider Build OST – Passionate Mind*
Sure enough, the prone teen began to rise back to his feet, looking as if nothing had ever happened. "Perhaps you're not as pathetic as I thought, Izuku Midoriya" he said, cracking his neck. "Very well then. I'll fight you at full power…and beat you!" he shouted. Midoriya struck a fighting stance as his opponent began to remove his gym uniform's jacket, revealing a black tank top and a very muscular body underneath.
"I am Gentoku Himuro…son of Japanese Finance Minister Taizan Himuro" the teen said, flexing his muscles. "Until the terrorist attack two weeks ago, I had no interest in heroics. But after seeing my father bleeding out on the ground…I decided I WILL become a hero! And you will be the first stepping stone to that dream; a sacrifice for the greater good!" he shouted, as his skin began to ripple. "HENSHIN!"
And with that, purple scales erupted from the teen's skin as his muscles increased in size. His body swelled as his clothes began to stretch, pushed to the limit by his sudden increase in size. His pupils narrowed to vertical slits, and two small ridges of hardened knobs of scales manifested in his hair. Teeth elongated slightly and sharpened dramatically as a predatory gleam shone in his eyes. Despite all this, his goatee remained intact as his transformation concluded.
"WH-WHAAAAAT?! 1-C'S HIMURO HAS TRANSFORMED INTO SOME KIND OF SWAMP MONSTER!" Present Mic shouted. "Cool your jets, Mic; that's just his Quirk. I always found it odd that someone with a Quirk as perfect as heroics as this boy would choose to enter General Studies instead…but after the incident two weeks ago at the Finance Ministry, I think his goal has changed" Aizawa said. "Wh-what?!" Midoriya wondered, staring at the six-and-a-half-foot tall monster staring him down.
Gentoku Himuro. His Quirk: Crocodile Rogue! His Quirk lets him cover himself in scales and increases his strength, speed and durability by transforming into a crocodile-like form! He can also swim faster!
"Whoa…what a Quirk!" Sero shouted. "Hmmm…Transformation Type…strong and flashy…yep, he's got a lot of potential, unlike your Class 1-A losers-!" Monoma began, before Kendo knocked him out. "Hey Shishida, isn't that something of a combination of our Quirks?" Rin, the Chinese exchange student, asked of the hairy teen next to him. "Indeed. It seems Himuro is in the possession of a stalwart, profound Quirk not unlike my own…and yet still similar to your own abilities" Shishida responded. "Nerd" the rest of 1-A and 1-B thought.
"Izuku Midoriya…you had better hit me with nothing less than your best…because if you don't, you WILL lose" the crocodile boy said, cracking his knuckles. Midoriya drew himself into a fighting stance, a fire burning in his eyes. His opponent noticed this. "Oh? He might actually have potential…" Then, wordlessly, the two combatants rushed each other, one crushing the arena under his feet, the other sparking with green lightning.
*cue My Hero Academia OST – Jet Set Run*
The shorter boy ducked under a massive right from his opponent and swung his fist into his opponent's gut, the impact being dulled by the thick scales but still forcing Himuro back. The scaly teen counterattacked with a powerful knee, Midoriya barely guarding against the powerful strike. Not giving him any breathing room, Himuro unleashed a barrage of powerful punches, forcing Midoriya almost to the edge of the ring.
The boy knew he was on the ropes. "Crap, I'm in a really bad spot! It looks like I only really have one course of action…I'll have to outrun him until I have a better plan!" Midoriya dashed to the opposite side of the ring from his opponent. "He's a tough customer, alright. Easily as strong as I am with 5%, maybe stronger, incredibly fast, and tough to boot. So my best bet…is to hit him harder!"
Midoriya channeled 100% into his right middle finger. "DELAWARE SMAAAASSH!" the greenette yelled, releasing a mighty blast of wind, buffeting people in the stands with powerful gusts. The blast stunned Himuro, and while he was recovering, the shorter boy prepared to finish the match, as he raced towards his foe.
"Time to take a cue from Emu for this one!" he thought, briefly shooting a glance towards his classmate. As he drew near, he channeled a painful 15% of One For All into his leg, and, face scrunched up in pain, turned on his heel. "Let's end this! 15%...MINNEAPOLIS SMASH!" he shouted, delivering a powerful side kick to Himuro's stomach.
The scaly teen was blasted out of the ring and across the field by the kick. Midoriya felt several massive fractures develop in his leg bones, but ignored the pain in order to celebrate his victory. Midnight raised her hand. "Gentoku Himuro is out of bounds! Izuku Midoriya advances to the next round!" The crowd exploded into cheers at the sight of the unexpected underdog defeating the dark horse powerhouse.
In the faculty box, Inko passed out in joy and relief at the sight of her son advancing to the quarterfinals. "THAT'S IT, YOUNG MIDORIYA! WELL DONE!" All Might shouted, once again shifting into his muscle form out of joy. Taiga rolled his eyes while clapping. At the rate you keep doing that, she'll see you transform before the preliminary round even ends…"
"WHAT AN INCREDIBLE FIRST MATCH BY THESE TWO CONTESTANTS! WILL ANY OF THE NEXT FEW MATCHES BEGIN TO COMPARE TO THAT?!" Present Mic bellowed. "This match was a beautiful back-and-forth in terms of who it seemed would win. At first, it looked like Midoriya would go home with an easy win, but Himuro quickly turned the tables and put 1-A's rising star on the ropes, before Midoriya made a quick and effective comeback to win the match" Ingenium said, delivering a quick and accurate summary of the match.
Down in the field, the now-shrunken and no longer scale-covered teen sat up, rubbing his forehead. "I…lost?" he asked, as his former opponent walked over. "You did good, Himuro!" Midoriya exclaimed, taking the teen by surprise. "Your Quirk is super-strong and really flashy; you should have no problem transferring to the Hero Course!" he continued, offering a hand to Himuro.
The bearded teen's mind flashed back to two weeks earlier. On that idyllic spring morning, he had gone to tour the Ministry of Finance with his father and a group of interested teens from other schools. Then, as the older Himuro was talking animatedly about the Ministry's Department of Accounting, a makeshift bomb had gone off. When the smoke cleared, one office worker had been killed, and numerous others injured by flying shrapnel. The Minister of Finance himself was one of the injured, and something changed inside the bearded teen's mind when he saw his father bleeding out from a large wound in his abdomen.
The terrorist attack was later deduced to be just a diversion for the authorities, and the Ministry of Health's office on the other side of town had been the true target. A magician-like villain named Mr. Compress had stolen some heavily classified documents, although the aim of the theft was unknown. It had taken three emergency surgeries to save the elder Himuro, but the outlook for his recovery was good. However, as Gentoku sat by Taizan's bedside, he could only think one thing.
"This world really does need more heroes after all."
"Izuku Midoriya…you really are something" the bearded teen chuckled, before accepting Midoriya's hand and climbing to his feet. He then grabbed his former opponent's wrist and raised his hand high in the air, the crowd erupting at the display of class and sportsmanship. "Oh, this one holds promise" Aizawa said as the crowd continued to go berserk. The duo walked off the field towards their separate locker rooms, each having made a new friend that day.
"NOW THAT THAT'S OVER, IT'S TIME FOR THE SECOND MATCH TO START!"
NEXT TIME ON GAME START! HERO ACADEMIA:
The power of Todoroki goes on display! Banjo and Kirishima have a manly slugfest! Yaoyorozu vs Honenuki, and more! Stay tuned!
NOTES:
And just like that, the first match of the tournament is over! For those unaware, Gentoku Himuro is from the series after Ex-Aid, Kamen Rider Build, where he was the crocodile-themed rider, Rogue. His character has been adapted to fit the MHA-verse, so I hope I did a good job, Build fans!
Thanks for reading!
