Hey Guys!
It's AzAlexZ back with a new chapter.
This is the second chapter of the Sport's Festival Arc, I hope you all enjoy this chapter as we dive into the 1 on 1 tournament.
That's it from me! Please send any reviews, ideas, and constructive criticism my way!
Without further ado, let's get on with the new chapter, hope you all enjoy it! AzAlexZ out!
I DO NOT OWN POKEMON OR MY HERO ACADEMIA! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE RESPECTIVE AUTHORS, STUDIOS, AND PUBLICATIONS!
Chapter 8: U.A. Sports Festival Final Event. His Realization!
The first round of the battle tournament has ended. The winners who have advanced to the next round are Izuku, Shoto, Fumikage, Satoshi, Tenya, Serena, Eijiro, and Katsuki. The top 8 have been decided as the U.A. Sports Festival is edging closer and closer to the climax. How will the students fare against each other as the best of the best in the tournament? Who will emerge on top at the end?
Let the chapter begin…
Following the events of the last chapter:
"I didn't connect you to All Might, I merely compared your quirks, nothing more to it," Endeavor replied quickly.
"Be that as it may, you should do well to remember this. I am not All Might, and in the same line, Shoto is also not you," Izuku concluded, "he will never be you."
With that, Izuku turned away from Endeavor and continued walking down the hallway.
The conversation he had during lunch played through his head like a movie.
I will not be swayed by a man who treats his son like a weapon. Izuku thought as he approached the stadium field. Shoto deserves better.
(In Patrol room with the Pro Heroes)
"So far in the Sports Festival, we've seen 2 events and the first round of the 1-on-1 tournament," Kamui Woods addressed his co-workers. Currently sipping on hot tea, they are taking a break from their patrols, "how are you all feeling about these kids?"
"The green-haired kid, Midoriya, who won the obstacle. He is attracting my attention, his performance during the obstacle race was very impressive," Gang Orca answered as he took a sip from his teacup, though he drank too much in one go and began coughing, much to the amusement of the others.
"Easy there, easy. Not every day you see a whale have problems with water," Mt. Lady teased, "I do agree with Gang Orca though, the way he crawled back from the 7th place to 1st place was honestly super cool," she smacked the Killer Whale Hero on the back, causing some more intense coughing. However, the result was favorable as he was fine in a moment.
"It's the tea leaves that get me buddy, not the water," Gang Orca explained to his colleague as they shook their heads while wearing amused looks on their faces.
"Anyway, as we were saying," Ryukyu continued, "I have my eyes on the honey-blonde Yvonne. She has a fascinating set of skills and versatility that is hard to find."
"The kid with the energy quirk looks like a promising candidate to be the next No.1, I think his name was Ketchum?! His power and speed are getting my approval," Death Arms offered his two cents, "though I do remember scolding him during the sludge incident last year."
"Oh, he was the kid who helped out All Might last year? How come I have never heard about him?" Mt. Lady gasped as it had not occurred to her that Death Arms knew who Satoshi was.
"All Might wanted the whole ordeal to be kept a secret," Death Arms replied, "it's probably good for the kid anyway. He would have gotten into a lot of trouble with the government officials if they found out that he used his quirk before he passed his Provisional Hero License exam."
"I guess you're right, that does make a lot of sense," Mt. Lady mused as she tapped her fingers on her head.
"He's a bold one too, did y'all hear his oath? He pledged to win the whole damn thing." Gang Orca added.
"Well, he's holding it true, for the time being. He has yet to show any kind of weakness. I daresay he has been spotless the whole tournament," Kamui Woods added, "except perhaps for missing out on a first place in the obstacle race. But you really can't blame him. They were caught off guard by the ingenious plan from Midoriya, as Gang Orca has pointed out expertly."
"Bakugo is also doing well, he may not have the best manners, but you cannot deny that the kid packs a solid punch. He's got talk and he backs it up," Ryukyu mused.
"And of course, we can't forget about Endeavor's kid. As with expectations, Todoroki is tearing the competition apart, he won his match effortlessly and honestly shocked everyone, including me." Gang Orca stated.
"This class 1-A has been impressive, and the rest of the first years are great too. It's just that class 1-A is just collectively on fire," Death Arms said, "I think that many of them will make great additions to any Hero Agency."
The Heroes shared that sentiment as their attention drew towards the screen showing the field, the crowd was cheering again as the break was near its end.
"Well, I guess it's time to get back to work, y'all," Kamui Woods stated as the heroes dispersed and went to their respective guard stations.
(In the stadium field)
"Ladies and Gentlemen! It is time to start the second round of battles! Since Class 1-A has taken all of the slots in the second round, all the battles will be between classmates, which can make for some pretty interesting fights! Let's welcome our students as they set foot on the battlefield! The student passed through the first round with ease, freezing his competition as well as shocking all of us! From the Hero Course, it's Shoto Todoroki! VERSUS! The student who barely managed to make it to the second round, does he have more things to show us! From the Hero Course, it's Izuku Midoriya!"
The crowd cheered loudly as the two students walked onto the stadium field, though they were facing opposite one another.
"We saw how much control Shoto had over his ice attacks, he has a very effective way of utilizing them, so how will Midoriya be able to counter them?!" Present Mic hollered as the crowd cheered them on.
"I'm sure Midoriya can surprise us, he's been doing that consistently in the Sport's Festival," Aizawa said.
"You heard it here first from Eraser Head! Here's to a good match!" Present Mic yelled.
"Izuku, I've been looking forward to this," Shoto started, "I'm coming for you with my right side."
"Right back at you, Shoto," Izuku responded, though he was hoping for a battle where Shoto used 100%, "let's have a good match."
"Alright, let's make some noise for the first match in the second round! READY! GO!" Present Mic hollered as the first second-round match has officially begun.
Stop yelling, for crying out loud. Aizawa winced.
With that, the first match of the second round has begun.
Shoto immediately conjured a sheet of ice that traveled quickly towards Izuku, who activated One For All in preparation for the incoming attack.
Izuku flicked his finger, generating a moderate amount of wind pressure that was powerful enough to stop the ice in its track. The wind picked up the cold temperature and blew into the audience stand, causing shivers all over.
Hmph, I knew he would use that kind of attack, but why does it feel weaker?! Shoto looked on towards his opponent, expecting Izuku's finger to be broken.
But it wasn't.
Full Cowl is weaker, but it means that I can control my moves better in exchange for less explosive force. This means that I have more consistent usage of my body. Izuku thought.
Shoto continued to send wave after wave of ice towards Izuku, who countered the attacks with continuous air drafts that disintegrated the ice.
"Wow, take a look at this! The students are testing each other as they unleash attack after attack, not willing to give the other the chance to think, though it seems Midoriya is mostly reacting to Todoroki's attacks." Present Mic commented, "What do you think about this Eraser Head?"
"They are both testing each other," Aizawa responded, "using their primary methods of combat, they are judging the strength of each other so they have a clear understanding of how they need to adjust their fighting styles as the match progresses."
"So it's a show of respect between the two students," Present Mic added, "well if anyone has been cautious and mindful of the usage of their quirks, it has been Midoriya. Let's see how this match goes. Hopefully, it doesn't stay this cold the whole match."
Shoto studied Izuku for a brief moment before continuing the same pattern of attack as he guided another sheet of ice towards Izuku. For the first time in this match, Izuku decided that he wanted to punch something. He charged his fists up, channeling 5% of his power, with one quick launch, Izuku threw himself towards the ice, pummeling it, and then charged towards Shoto.
Izuku grabbed him and attempted to throw him out of the field, but as he was thrown, Shoto created a barrier of ice that caught him, preventing him from being out of bounds.
"Woah, a change in attack pattern, it seems Midoriya preferred to get close to his opponent," Present Mic hollered, "this is bound to make the match more interesting!"
"Midoriya has analyzed the situation and concluded that he can afford to close the gap against his opponent," Aizawa stated, "depending on how Todoroki reacts, this could work in his favor, though it can also work against him if Midoriya is not careful."
Seeing a change in attack style, Shoto decided to change up the pace of the battle as well, charging toward Izuku, he was successful in freezing him and managed to land a punch on his opponent, throwing him to the ground.
Izuku stood up and huffed, clutching his arm as he sustained quite a bit of damage. He created a massive flow of wind pressure that rushed towards Shoto. Reacting quickly, Shoto summoned a huge barrier of ice that overpowered Izuku's attack.
As he jumped to avoid the attack, Izuku noticed that there was some ice on Shoto's right arm, he noticed that his arm was twitching. He was trembling from the cold.
"Hey Shoto, why aren't you using your left side? You're trembling, you know?" Izuku taunted as he flicked his finger again, releasing a powerful gust of wind that blew Shoto backward. Shoto caught himself with his ice, acting as a cushion.
"Our quirks affect our physical state," Izuku said, "you can only take so much of the cold, a problem that is non-existent if you used your left side, yet you choose not to. Why are you doing this Shoto? You are hurting yourself by not using your flames."
Shoto stared down at his opponent as he knew what Izuku said was right. But he refused to give in, he refused to break his promise, not wanting to use his flames.
"You know what? Satoshi, Serena, Kacchan, Ochaco, Tenya, Hitoshi, and everyone else, they are all trying their best to be the heroes that they want to be by giving it their all," Izuku continued as he drove a punch into Shoto's face, knocking him backward
"Damn it, Izuku, what do you think about me giving my best?!" Shoto yelled as he sent more ice flying towards Izuku, who dodged them all by breaking them with kicks.
"They're all trying to be the best they can to fulfill their dreams with their will and their hands," Izuku answered as his voice was now croaking as both the cold and the intensity of the match was getting to him, "what right do you have to do that with only 50% of your power?! Who are you kidding Shoto?!"
Shoto couldn't take this, he had poured his heart out to his opponent, challenge or not. He had given him a backstory and explained his hardship. Yet he was being lectured, by Izuku, no less. Shoto's blood boiled as he became more and more frustrated as he glared at his opponent.
"All this talk about beating me, yet you haven't even scratched me with your power!" Izuku yelled as he lifted his hands.
"You're one to talk, at least I don't hurt myself when I use my quirk!" Shoto yelled as Izuku was taken back by his words.
"Wow, way to be unnecessarily hurtful," Izuku retorted.
"Is it hurtful if it's true?" Shoto responded quickly, unmoved in his expression as he panted between all the fighting and yelling.
"Fair enough, but that's in the past. I've improved, I got help and I have humbled myself, as a result, I have learned new things about my quirk. Can you say the same for yourself?" Izuku responded as he tried his hardest to push Shoto, "your focus has never been on yourself. You have dwelled on your father's treatment and refuse to let go. He is not the one making decisions for you anymore, you are. Make a change and stop blaming yourself when he's the one who screwed up."
"What do you know about this, you live in a cloud of dreams and friendship. Get back into the real world and snap out of it man," Shoto yelled, "enough of this needless conversation, I'm ending this. I will beat you, then maybe you'll learn to shut up."
"Fine, if you want to do it that way, then let's get it done," Izuku challenged, "but know this, if you wanna win this match, then you're going to have to hit me with 100% of your power. Not a bit less, cuz you can bet your sorry butt that anything less than that will not win against me."
"Why are you saying this? You know why I'm never using my old man's power in combat, it's never going to happen." Shoto answered as he summoned more ice pillars towards Izuku, who deflected them again with his punches.
"I can't break my promise to myself," Shoto continued, "that quirk, no, that man. He has been the bane of my family, and I have sworn never to use that power."
"Stop using your dad as an excuse, you're not him," Izuku rejected the way that Shoto thought, and he was not about to hold back on the bluntness of his words.
"Honestly, you are pissing me off Izuku. Saying things like that, especially when you know how I feel." Shoto said as he started running towards Izuku.
"Wait, Shoto's speed…" Ochaco observed as the laid-back attitude of enjoying the match of the group shifted as they all leaned forward, finding themselves more and more intrigued with the outcome of the battle.
"He's slower now, the amount of ice he's using must be affecting the movement of his body," Serena added as she placed her hands on her chin, assessing the situation that Shoto is currently in.
"Yvonne is right, the amount of ice he's using must be slowing him down." Tenya agreed as the group began to understand what he was saying.
"Look at the build-up of frost on his hands, his body was made to be balanced between his fire and ice," Denki added, "too much of either and he could get hurt."
"How so?" Minoru asked, being the only one not to get the hints given by his classmates.
"Shoto's quirk is a blend between the two extreme temperatures of ice and fire," Fumikage explained, "if he uses too much fire, his body overheats and his vital organs may sustain damage. If he uses too much ice, he'll slow down due to the nature of ice, the organ damages apply to this case as well."
"So if Shoto uses his fire, he will be alright," Tsuyu asked, "if it's not a tactical reason, then why not use it to his advantage?"
"Probably because of a personal reason, Shoto has demonstrated a certain degree of skill with his fire in this tournament by thawing Hanta out of the ice prison he cased him in," Satoshi feigned ignorance as he knew full well the inner turmoil that Shoto was going through.
"Whatever the case, I hope he finds a way to manage his situation otherwise he'll be in a lot of trouble since it doesn't seem like Izuku is letting him off the hook," Serena mused as they collectively agreed.
Shoto was noticeably slower as he ran towards Izuku, who dodged the attack and punched him in the face, sending him flying backward.
Shoto flew back to his corner again, as he stood up, he was noticeably angry.
Why?! Why are you going this far? Shoto thought as he sent a barrel of ice towards Izuku, but even his long-range attacks have slowed down as Izuku dodged the ice, electing to not even break it.
"What is the point of you doing this? What is your purpose in saying these things?" Shoto asked as he struggled to stand up, "why are you going so far?"
"Because…" Izuku responded, "I want to be someone who can make everyone smile. I want to be someone who can tell people that they are great. I don't want anyone to hate themselves, but embrace themselves fully."
"Even still, I won't use his power, the power that drove my family to the ground." Shoto retorted.
"Look, I won't pretend that I know your predicament, and I certainly don't know your resolve," Izuku said as he stopped, "but I know this, if you want to surpass All Might, if you want to be No.1, then you need to stop messing around and TAKE THIS MATCH SERIOUSLY!"
Shoto's attention drifted momentarily to his mother. He remembered her tears, her suffering, and the way that Endeavor treated her. He was filled with rage, and although ice covered his right side, he refused to use his left side and quickly as he unleashed another attack on Izuku.
"Shut up! You're honestly pissing me off!" Shoto hollered, as his memory went back to his mother's words.
(Flashback to a younger Shoto with his mother, years ago)
"I can't do this, I can't mom, I can't be a bully like my dad is. I don't want to be like him and bully you, or anyone," Shoto said as he was crying in his mother's embrace. A young Shoto had just seen his father beat his mother.
"You won't be like him, I know that," His mother said as she patted him on the head, "I know you want to become a Hero, so forget about it and do your best, especially if you think strongly about it."
(Flashback ends)
"I am not using his power," Shoto mumbled, " I'm not using my damn old man's power!"
"But it's your power too!" Izuku yelled as Shoto stopped, taken back by his words, "it is understandable that you hate your father for what he did to your family, it was wrong, and he was cruel. But you need to realize that you are not your father. Get the stupid idea out of your head."
Shoto gasped as his mind was suddenly flooded with the encouragement from people around him.
"You were born with this power. It's yours, and yours alone. As I said before, stop making excuses for yourself, you need to start embracing who you are, and what you want to do with your abilities," Izuku continued, "if you're struggling with me now, you think you'll stand a chance against All Might? Even with your grudge against your father, you still want to beat All Might, right? Then stop half-assing your potential and get a grip on yourself. Fight with everything you got"
From the television broadcasts that he saw of All Might when he was but a young boy; to his mother's words of affirmation; and finally, to Izuku's challenges now.
Something in his mind lifted his mental block. For a brief moment, Shoto forgot and ignored. To his surprise, the switch that had caused his unwillingness to use his left side had all but diminished.
Flames started coming out of his left side, the heat was intense that Izuku had to step back.
"What is this?! It looks like Todoroki has awakened some hidden power!" Present Mic hollered.
"SHOTO!" From the stands, Endeavor was beyond ecstatic. He walked closer to the field as he savored the fiery energy pouring out of his son, "Good! You have finally awakened your power. Now, carry on my legacy and become the strongest Hero of all time."
"Uhh… okay?! Looks like we got a sudden, unconventional moment of fatherly love. Wow, I can't say I'm not excited about this." Present Mic said in a deadpan manner as he received a karate chop to the head from his co-commentator Aizawa.
"Ow! What was that for?!" Present Mic complained as Aizawa glared at him.
"Looks like this match has turned into a climactic one in an instant," Serena commented as the group winced at the sudden shift in temperature, "it seems like Izuku was able to remove Shoto's mental block, enabling him to use both his right side and his left side."
"With the amount of power that Shoto now commands using his fire and ice attacks, this match has suddenly turned on its head," Fumikage added.
"Izuku needs to tread carefully now, lest he risks getting completely blown away by his opponent." Tsuyu put a finger on her chin as she, along with her friends, was deeply invested in the match.
"That Izuku is crazy," Minoru said as he placed his hands in front of his face, "does the guy even want to win this match anymore?"
"Not everything is about winning here, Mineta," Tenya said.
"That's true unless, of course, your name is Katsuki Bakugo," Satoshi pointed out as the group snickered, much to the frustration of a certain blonde Pomeranian sitting at the edge of the Class 1-A stands.
"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted," Tenya feigned frustration as his friends snickered some more, "Midoriya is doing what he does best. That's why he wants to be a Hero. He doesn't just want to win."
"Wait, you don't mean?! Could it be that… Deku is trying to help Shoto out?" Ochaco questioned, her eyes widened at this revelation.
"No," Satoshi responded quickly, "I think Izuku is trying to save Shoto."
"Are you kidding? Even though you wanted to win this match yourself, even though you also wanted to be the No. 1 around here. You still went so far, as far as helping your enemy," Shoto said as he wore a smile that Izuku hadn't seen before, "it looks to me like, you're the one who's messing around."
Izuku gasped as Shoto wore a determined look, though it was what Izuku had wanted to see, he was still surprised to see it in the end.
"I desperately want to become a hero too!" Shoto yelled as Izuku gave him an approving smile, "so thank you for this. But don't blame me for what happens after this."
Ice and fire engulfed Shoto as he was getting ready for his final attack, the same goes for Izuku as One For All coursed through his body.
"Remember Izuku, you wanted this."
"Come at me with everything you got Shoto!"
"We gotta stop this before it goes too far!" Cementoss yelled as he felt massive amounts of energy coming from both students.
Izuku launched himself quickly towards Shoto as the latter cooled the air around him with his ice powers, then he instantly combined it with his fire powers, condensing the attack into a large heat blast.
"Thank you… Izuku," Shoto said quietly as he unleashed his attack, sending the attack toward Izuku as both attacks edged closer and closer.
Suddenly, numerous cement walls appeared between Izuku and Shoto. Cementoss had conjured them, aiming to block the attacks as they collided with the cement, forcing a huge explosion on the field and a violent twister to circulate the area. The audience members had to hold onto their seats to not be blown away, and a huge steam cloud was present afterward.
"What in the world happened? What's with this steam cloud? You can't see a thing anymore. This begs the question, who won the match?!" Present Mic yelled as Midnight stood up, recovering from the shock wave from the explosion.
As the steam dissipated, albeit closely, it was revealed that Shoto was knocked against the wall and is out of bounds, While Midoriya was on the edge of the field, a hair away from being out.
"Shoto Todoroki is out of bounds, Izuku Midoriya wins and advances to the third round!" Midnight declared as the crowd cheered loudly for the spectacular fight.
"Wow, after a close and thrilling match, I daresay that an upset has occurred!" Present Mic, "contrary to all expectations, Midoriya has bested Todoroki and advanced into the third round! This will be one for the history books! I can't wait for the upcoming exciting matches!"
Panting and huffing, Shoto stood up and walked away from the stadium. The noise around the stadium was all but silent to him. His mind was occupied, a conflicted look filled his eyes as he walked into the player corridor. When he walked inside, his father, Endeavor was waiting for him with a satisfied look on his face.
"That was a close match, my boy. It was," Endeavor praised as he lifted his arms, "but this is a new beginning. You have used both your left and right side, so your path is clear now. Come work with me after you graduate from high school, I will mold you into the best of the best! What do you say to that?"
Endeavor's enthusiasm was met with silence and he lowered his arms.
Shoto took a moment to look at his left hand before turning to his father, his eyes showing an internal conflict.
"I can't give you an answer right now," Shoto answered, "the reason I was able to use my flames was that, in that fight, I forgot about you momentarily."
Endeavor frowned as Shoto began walking past him.
"I need to think about your offer, for good or worse. I need to figure this out alone," Shoto said as he continued walking away from Endeavor and headed up to the stadium stands.
(With Izuku in the Recovery room, a few moments later)
"Looks like the impact of the attacks did a number on him," Recovery Girl informed All Might who was standing nearby, "his right arm is injured, but that's as bad as it goes."
All Might looked at the injured boy as he smiled. He was about to say something when the door suddenly opened as Satoshi, Serena, Tenya, Ochaco, Tsuyu, and Minoru entered the room.
The group greeted All Might, though most of them did not know who he is. Satoshi knew but he pretended like he didn't.
"How is he doing Revocery Girl?" Ochaco asked with a worried expression.
"He is doing okay, he just needs to be patched up a bit," Recovery Girl said, "he'll be ready to watch the next match once I get started."
"Good, that's a relief." The group sighed as they were worried about their friend.
"Hey, good job Izuku. That match was so close, but it was also really tense," Minoru praised as the group agreed with him, nodding their heads in confirmation.
"I had to hold my breath for a while," Serena praised as Izuku gave him a thumbs up.
"Same. Alright, well my match is starting up soon, so I have to go and prepare for that," Satoshi said, "hopefully you heal up soon."
"Have you thought of a plan to fight Fumikage?" Izuku asked Satoshi.
"You'll have to find out," Satoshi responded, "so please heal up quickly and come watch the match."
Izuku gave him a nod as he waved at his friends, who left the room, leaving Izuku with All Might and Recovery Girl.
"You know, I was hoping that you would be able to control your quirk more efficiently," Recovery Girl stated as she began preparing the treatment for Izuku.
"I'm sorry, I will do better in the future," Izuku said as he looked towards All Might and flashed a cheeky smile.
"Ah, I'm being unfair, your injuries aren't caused by your quirk, but by your match with Todoroki." Recovery Girl said, "hopefully after this, you'll be able to heal up in time for your next match."
(On the stadium field, 30 minutes later)
"Darling, where have you been? The match is about to start soon," Hanako asked as Gen had just taken a seat in the stands.
"I'm sorry for the delay honey, I went to see Satoshi before his match," Gen said as he pulled Hanako into a quick kiss, "I wanted to congratulate him for his victory in the first round."
"That's very nice, did he say anything?" Hanako asked.
"Yes he told us to watch him, and wanted us to watch him closely," Gen responded as they both smiled gently at each other, "he also asked for my advice on his next match."
"You mean his match against, uh…let me see, ah yes. Fumikage Tokoyami?" Hanako questioned as she held one of the pamphlets that had the details of all the participants in the Sports Festival.
"Yes, he mentioned how he was weighing his different strategies, all based on speed," Gen replied, "he was confident in his speed, but he wasn't so sure about his close-quarter fighting power."
"Well, what words of wisdom did you impart to him?" Hanako asked.
"I told him to trust in himself. He is more than capable and he has the potential to succeed Sir Aaron as the greatest Aura user ever," Gen said, "not only does he have the abilities of all Aura users, he also inherited some of your abilities, expanding his limit to a level even Sir Aaron would be envious of.
"Somehow, I can't imagine Sir Aaron would ever tolerate such an emotion," Hanako interjected.
"You're quite right honey," Gen grinned, "all I'm saying is that our son has the best of both our worlds."
"Geez, you almost make it sound like we had him as a result of quirk marriage," Hanako feigned anger as she teased her husband.
"I wouldn't dare make that claim honey," Gen sweat-dropped as he comforted Hanako, "we all love each other deeply, and our bond is unbreakable," he added as the duo smiled brightly and turned their attention back toward the field.
"Welcome back! Sorry for the delay again, this is just an unconventionally explosive tournament, but it's time to start the next match!" Present Mic hollered as the usual announce message greeted the audience.
The crowd cheered once again as they were beyond happy to get some action again.
"Another battle between classmates! We have a student who made short work of his first opponent using his ferocious attack speed, from the Hero Course, it's Fumikage Tokoyami! VERSUS! His classmate who won using smart and adaptive methods to exploit his opponent's weaknesses, also from the Hero Course, it's Satoshi Ketchum!"
"I've been looking forward to fighting you, Fumikage," Satoshi pumped his fist as he addressed his opponent.
"Likewise, I am hoping for a good match with you Satoshi," Fumikage responded.
"READY! GO!" Present Mic hollered as the second match of the second round began.
Satoshi used his aura to scan Fumikage, he was waiting for him to unleash Dark Shadow. Though they were dependent on each other, Satoshi has noticed that his aura picks up different components for the two of them.
"If you're not going to start attacking me, then I will," Fumikage said as he unleashed Dark Shadow and sent it launching towards Satoshi. Satoshi got a lock on to Dark Shadows' aura signature as Dark Shadow was near him.
Responding with a jump that was both fast and high, Satoshi avoided Fumikage's attack.
"So you were fast enough to avoid it?" Fumikage asked, "good, you are a worthy opponent."
"Thanks, Fumikage, it's the result of all my training," Satoshi smirked as he landed on the field gracefully.
He couldn't rest on his laurels as Dark Shadow was unleashed once more, jumping towards Satoshi. In response, Satoshi sent a wave of aura energy towards Dark Shadow. The energy collided with the dark entity and caused a small explosion.
In the explosion, Satoshi could pinpoint where Dark Shadow is and started moving away from it.
"Damn I can't see anything," Fumikage said as he was blind in the dust cloud, unable to pinpoint the location of his opponent, "Dark Shadow, we need to remove this obstacle before we get his with an unpredictable attack."
"Unfortunately for you, you're spot on. That's my strategy," Satoshi's voice echoed by Fumikage as he felt a fist dig into his abdomen, throwing him backward.
Once the smoke disappeared, Fumikage was on the ground with Dark Shadow was by him, trying to get him to stand up. Meanwhile, Satoshi was on his side of the field, smirking and unscathed.
"What is this? The smoke revealed everything but Tokoyami is on the ground? What manner of attack move did Ketchum use?" Present Mic hollered.
"You okay?" Dark Shadow asked Fumikage as the latter stood up.
"Yes, I'm okay," Fumikage mumbled as he locked eyes with Satoshi who gave him a confident look.
Satoshi has been spotless this tournament, just attacking him recklessly is not an option, but I have no other options. I have to do something, I need to find an opening. Fumikage grits his teeth as he is placed in an unfavorable position.
Deciding against needless delay, he commanded Dark Shadow to attack Satoshi once again. Dark Shadow moved at a speed that was super hard for your regular U.A. first years to see. In any other event, his attacks would be impossible to predict to the eye, thus making it hard to defend against.
You don't know that, but I can see through every move that Dark Shadow does. Satoshi thought as Dark Shadow launched an attack from the right side. Jumping quickly, Satoshi dodged that attack and threw a sphere toward Tokoyami, who had to recall Dark Shadow to defend him. Dark Shadow retreated and pushed the orb away, the impact sending Fumikage backward.
Dark shadow continued to unleash a multi-pronged attack, but Satoshi just kept dodging everything as he jumped and hopped away from the attacks.
"How is Satoshi able to move like this?" Tenya asked, "it's like he can predict and respond to his opponent's moves at the same time?"
"His movements look very familiar," Shoto answered his classmates, "I think I remember seeing Satoshi doing this in the obstacle race."
"What do you mean?" Minoru asked curiously.
"Yeah what are you talking about?" Ochaco followed up.
"You all remember that the second obstacle was the wooden logs, right? I think the best course of action would be for everyone to dodge or circumvent them completely. I know I did. As did Serena, since we were fighting for second and third place," Shoto explained to the duo, "but Satoshi was the only one who ran through the logs and it didn't look like he was fazed by those logs one bit."
The group turned to Serena, who wore a bright smile on her face as she enjoyed the fight.
"Serena, tell us his secret!" Her friends demanded as she put a finger on her lips.
"Nope, I am not giving away the strategies about Satoshi," Serena laughed as she poked her tongue out, earning a sigh from her friends, "perhaps he will tell you after this match, or the tournament."
I think he talked to me about it. Shoto thought as he recalled the conversation he had with Satoshi during their training session at Ground Beta.
"What did I miss?" Izuku said as he walked to the stands with a band-aid on his face.
"Satoshi is countering Fumikage's attacks by reacting and dodging," Tsuyu pointed out.
"It's honestly kind of unbelievable," Denki added as he joined the conversation.
"Hey, so you healed up completely?" Shoto asked as he approached Izuku, wearing a concerned look.
"Yep. I'm doing good, Recovery Girl patched me up nicely." Izuku responded, "what about you? Are you doing alright?"
"I'm well, it was a good match, thanks for being a good opponent," Shoto said, holding his hand out.
Izuku smiled as he took it and they shook hands.
A large sound came from the field and attracted the group's attention, they gestured towards each other to sit down as they continued spectating the ongoing match.
"Tokoyami's attacks are not hitting the mark as Ketchum is just too fast! Ketchum manages to dodge every move sent toward him by Tokoyami. Has Tokoyami met his match?!" Present Mic yelled as Aizawa covered his ears with a defeated, yet furious expression.
The crowd held their breath, waiting for the next move.
Satoshi continued dodging the attacks as he landed on the ground. Panting and huffing he realized that his tactic of looking for a stamina fight was not working. Dark Shadow and Fumikage stopped briefly as the former retreated.
"Are you going to keep running like that Satoshi?" Fumikage addressed his opponent, "you're just wasting your stamina. Dark Shadow becomes tired much slower than regular humans do."
"I was trying to figure that out. I assumed that his movements would make you slower, but if you didn't move, then it's okay for him to keep attacking me," Satoshi pointed out as he took a deep breath, "oh well, time to start the offense."
"We'll be ready for you. Do your worst," Fumikage said as the duo got into position, mentally preparing for the attack that is coming.
Satoshi started by throwing an Aura Sphere attack toward Dark Shadow. It collided with Dark Shadow who was successful in blocking the attack, but then it was knocked away immediately as Satoshi had followed his ranged attack with a powered-up punch.
However, due to the proximity of Satoshi, Dark Shadow was able to respond by landing a hit on Satoshi that pushed him back to his side of the field.
Finally, I made a hit. Fumikage thought, "good job Dark Shadow."
Satoshi recovered quickly as he smirked at his opponents. He channels aura power into his body and ran towards Fumikage, but Dark Shadow blocks him as they begin attacking each other, neither one winning against the other. Finally, Satoshi is pushed back after an intense stalemate.
Looks like he has the slight advantage in close combat, luckily for me, I still have some ranged moves. Satoshi thought as he prepared to unleash a long-ranged wave attack.
Fumikage prepared himself to take the attack as Dark Shadow moved forward and intercepted it, the attack turned into a stalemate as Dark Shadow was able to detonate the attack, though it was pushed back by it.
"Wow, you're holding on against my ranged attacks," Satoshi called out.
"Dark Shadow has been training, but you are a tough one to fight," Fumikage responded.
"Alright, I'll finish with this move," Satoshi said as he jumped up, creating a sizeable distance between him and Fumikage. He created a blue sphere in both arms and combined it into one huge sphere that grew larger.
"My finishing move, Aura Bomb-Blitz," Satoshi said as he threw it towards Fumikage, who motioned Dark Shadow to prepare itself.
"Is this the climax of the match? Ketchum has unleashed a powerful move against his opponent. Will Tokoyami be able to successfully push it back like all the other ranged attacks?" Present Mic yelled.
Dark Shadow couldn't afford to dodge the attack as Fumikage would get hit so it charged head-on towards it. As Dark Shadow impacted the Aura Bomb attack, it held on initially despite the force of the attack. After a brief power struggle, the energy of the attack became too much for Dark Shadow to handle. The bomb crashed into Dark Shadow and caused an explosion, pushing both Dark Shadow and Fumikage out of bounds.
"Fumikage Tokoyami is out of bounds, Satoshi Ketchum wins and advances to the third round!" Midnight declared as the crowd cheered loudly for the spectacular fight.
"There we have it! Looks like we have our first semi-finals match. It will be between Izuku Midoriya and Satoshi Ketchum!" Present Mic said as the crowd cheered loudly.
"That's ma boy!" Gen stood up, pumping a fist as he was proud and pleased with the spectacular performance Satoshi delivered.
"Good job my son! You looked so cool and awesome!" Hanako yelled.
Satoshi scanned the audience section, locating his parents while giving them a thumbs up. Satoshi simpered as he saw them wearing looks of joy and pride.
Satoshi then turned towards Fumikage and took a bow. Fumikage returned it as soon as he stood up, and both students walked towards their respective corridors and moved up towards the audience stand.
With that, Serena and Tenya gave their friends a quick wave as they left for their match in a few moments.
As the duo walked towards their respective corners of the stadium, they bumped into Satoshi and Fumikage, who were engaged in conversation.
"Hey, that was a great match, you two delivered an exciting match-up," Tenya praised as Serena gave them a thumbs up in agreement.
"Thanks, now you two have to get out there and give us a good one too," Satoshi said with a bright smile on his face, Tokoyami also joined in and flashed a mature grin.
Tenya and Serena looked at each other and smiled at their friends.
"You know it, we're not planning on losing to your brilliance," Serena said with the utmost enthusiasm.
"Yeah, watch us carefully," Tenya added as the group heard Present Mic talking.
"That's our cue, gotta go!" The duo yelled as they ran for their corners.
Satoshi and Fumikage laughed happily as they walked up to the stands, joining their classmates in a moment.
(On the field)
"We are getting closer and closer to having our top 4 students. It's time to start the third match of the quarter-finals! Yet another battle between classmates! We have a student who uses different modes of attack to coordinate offense and defense, from the Hero Course, it's Serena Yvonne! VERSUS! Her classmate who made a speedy victory as he defeated his opponent with his fast and responsive moves, from the Hero Course, it's Tenya Iida!"
"Good luck Yvonne, may the best student win!" Tenya said as the crowd cheered.
"I wouldn't have it any other way Tenya. Let's do our best," Serena smiled as she got into battle position.
"READY! GO!" Present Mic hollered as the third match of the second round began.
Tenya started the battle by immediately running towards Serena, aiming to test out her reflexes with his regular speed moves. Serena was barely able to react as she created an Air Barrier to stop his attack.
After a few trades and blows, Serena found an opportunity and blew him away with a wind attack.
Tenya landed on the ground immediately and ran towards Serena again, using even faster speed. This time, she was unable to react as she was grabbed on the shoulder by Tenya and pushed out, however, before she could get out of bounds, Serena quickly used her water attacks to make the field slippery, and combined with Tenya's speed, they both fell as he tripped.
Alright, let's end this quickly, I'll have to use Recipro Burst. Tenya thought as he ignited his engines and rushed towards Serena, stood up, and, using a gust of wind, she began floating in the air. Using her mobility, she began creating a distance between herself and Tenya.
Tenya looked on as he was placed in an unfavorable position, he had used his move and needed time to recharge, and now his opponent is out of his reach. However, Tenya knew that Serena could pull off that move, and he had a backup plan just in case he was put in this position.
Serena began to attack, throwing out a few lightning bolts that Tenya dodged without too much trouble. She knew about his speed and she expected as much, but she was still having trouble.
(Flashback, before the second round begins)
"Hey, what would you recommend for going up against Tenya?" Serena asked Satoshi.
The duo was currently walking through the stadium, sharing some time and talking about their later matches.
"Hmm, you can use your quirk to fly right?" Satoshi asked.
"Yes, but only for a brief time, especially if I'm using other attacks, if I start using combo moves, then I will tire out very rapidly," Serena responded.
"Then you have to use the flight after he uses his move 'Recipro burst'," Satoshi said.
"Oh right, that move that he uses to get super-fast," Serena said.
"For now, you need to avoid encountering that move," Satoshi advised, "that's all I can help you with now. You need to figure out something by yourself."
(Flashback ends)
You gotta find the way to beat Tenya's speed moves. Satoshi thought as he watched the match with a serious expression.
"This match is a tense one, Yvonne is barely managing to avoid Iida's speed. But now that she is in the air, she may have found the key to victory." Present Mic said.
"It may not be that simple, she displayed that ability in the obstacle race," Aizawa added, "no doubt her opponent has figured something out to combat her aerial superiority."
Serena continued to propel herself around as she tries to find an opening. As her flight continued, she felt a soreness in her arms as the constant shift between attacking and maintaining her flight is beginning to affect her body.
Then it hit her, and she felt dumb to have realized this just now. Using her altitude, Serena began to coat the field with a thin sheet of ice as she tried to limit the space that Tenya could move in.
Tenya tried his best to dodge but he was running out of space quickly.
Yvonne has the advantage while she's in the air but I need to combat this. Running around won't work for me anymore. Tenya thought.
He decided against running and tried to break the ice around him. Serena reacted quickly as she landed on the ground and fired off a strong gust that pushed Tenya away. Though she gave up her aerial advantage, she could use her attacks more freely as he limited the amount of space that her opponent could run in.
Tenya recovered quickly and ran towards Serena, albeit slower. He grabbed her as he tried to push her out, but he felt weird, it felt like he was slower, more than he felt tired. He turned around to see that Serena had dampened his engine with water, making him much slower.
"Alright, time to show off a super move," Serena said as her left arm lit up with fire, and she delivered a fiery punch towards Tenya's face, knocking him away. She then used an ice attack to freeze Tenya up, immobilizing him in an icy trap.
"Tenya Iida, can you move?"Midnight asked as the boy shook his head.
"I can't move," Tenya responded.
"In that case, Tenya Iida is immobilized, Serena Yvonne wins and advances to the next round."Midnight declared.
Serena thawed Tenya quickly as they walked out of the stadium field together, laughing and conversing as their spirits remained high despite the result that happened. Needless to say, the duo were good friends before they were competitors. They reached the stadium stand that hosted their classmates and joined them.
"That was a great match Serechi," Satoshi said as he gave her a peck on the forehead, earning the glares of their classmates.
"Thanks, Satobean," Serena's face glowed a red color that was comparable to an apple.
"And good job to you too, Tenya, it was a good match, you guys did super well," Satoshi wouldn't dare forget to give a remark to his friend, who returned the compliment with a soft smile.
"So, Eijiro vs Katsuki is coming up huh?" Minoru asked, "sounds like an intense match."
"How do you guys think Eijiro is going to fare against the angry Pomeranian?" Satoshi asked playfully as his classmates snickered.
"Depends on how much punishment Eijiro can take," Ochaco responded quickly as the group considered what she said and largely agreed.
"Ochaco is onto something. We haven't seen how much Eijiro can
"If Eijiro can tank enough and land a few hits, then he can win the match," Fumikage added, "otherwise my money is on the angry Pomeranian winning this."
"Whatever happens, this is going to be a match worthy of taking notes on," Izuku mused as his friends sweat-dropped collectively.
"He'll never stop with that notebook huh?" Serena laughed as she brought her hand in front of her face to not cause a scene.
"Probably not anytime soon, he's done this his whole life. That's Deku for you," Ochaco added as she also joined her honey-blonde-haired friend in laughter.
"Alright, folks strap in tight for the last match of the second round! we have ourselves another battle between classmates! We have a student who is capable of tanking unbelievable amounts of punishment with his unbreakable defense, from the Hero Course, it's Eijiro Kirishima! VERSUS! His classmate who shows no mercy in fights, who blasts his way to victory with decisive explosions and awesome power, from the Hero Course, it's Katsuki Bakugo!"
"Oi, Katsuki, let's give it our all!" Eijiro commanded his opponent's attention as both of them smirked.
"I'll give you a good one! Spiky-hair, don't go soft on me now, alright!" Katsuki taunted.
At least this one I'll have a fun time blasting. He's pretty much the only one I can tolerate from that group of small fries. But since I have to win this, so sorry Eijiro, but I'm destroying you too. Katsuki thought
"Alright, put your hands together for the last time in the second round! READY! GO!" Present Mic hollered as the crowd roared.
"I'm coming for you Katsuki!" Eijiro yelled as he rushed towards Katsuki, furiously trying to beat him down as he threw punch after punch.
"Not fast enough Spiky-hair!" Katsuki yelled as he blasted his opponent, but he was surprised to find that Eijiro did not even flinch. Katsuki jumped back as he tried to create some distance between himself and his opponent, who kept running toward him.
"Ah-ha, I guess you can't do much against me huh?!" Eijiro hollered proudly as he reached for his opponent, landing a few blows, and knocking Katsuki back.
"Come on! You got this man!" Tetsutetsu cheered on as he was aggressively supporting his new friend.
"Seems someone is fond of his new friend," Satoshi grinned in amusement.
"This does seem like a tough fight for either one, but I would have never thought that Eijiro would be the one who is piling on the aggression," Tsuyu said.
"Agreed, I've never seen Kacchan so much on the defensive," Izuku mused, "Eijiro must be super tough to have him in such a position."
"It helps that he can effectively negate Bakugo's quirk" Tenya added.
"True. Katsuki has to figure out something soon, otherwise, he'll be overwhelmed," Serena mumbled.
"Katsuki will figure out something, he's smart enough!" Denki said nonchalantly as he drank some water from his water bottle.
"Take this Katsuki!" Eijiro said as his punch grazed the side of Katsuki's cheek, giving him a slight cut.
"Why you little," Katsuki was getting annoyed now, he piled on the aggression as he began releasing more and more explosions.
As the match went on, Eijiro would relentlessly attack Katsuki. But he could swear that Katsuki's explosions were getting more and more intense, as one blast was powerful enough to send him flying back.
Clutching his arms in pain, Eijiro felt his body weakening as Katsuki sent more explosions flying his way, giving him no room to breathe.
"Hmm, I figured out as much, it seems like you have been pushing your quirk to the limit in hopes of defeating me quickly. That didn't work out, and now your body is lacking." Katsuki laughed maniacally, "looks like it's time to end you."
"Darn, well you give it your best shot!" Eijiro taunted, "I ain't backing down from you any time soon."
Katsuki struck with a huge explosion, anticipating Eijiro's defenses failing at any minute. When the explosion ended and Eijiro was still on the field, Katsuki charged him and unleashed a barrage of powerful explosions that blew Eijiro to the ground.
After hitting the ground, Eijiro couldn't get up again.
"Eijiro Kirishima is out of commission, Katsuki Bakugo wins and advances to the next round," Midnight announced as the crowd cheered loudly.
"Damn, this was a fast one," Tenya stated as the grumbling and whining of class 1-B rung in his ear.
"Look like the 1-B folks aren't happy with the results. Eijiro lost pretty bad huh," Tsuyu said.
"He was doing so well too, such a shame," Denki added with a frustrated tone.
"Eijiro was relentless and powerful, we can give him that. But his aggression is probably the reason that led to his defeat in this match," Fumikage commented slowly as he crossed his arms, reflecting on the match.
"Yeah, it seemed like Eijiro overestimated his endurance and stamina," Izuku explained as he flipped through his notebook, writing down more notes on his classmates, "that's a huge mistake that many people have made against Kacchan in the past."
"Well, if anyone knows about Katsuki's style, it's Deku," Ochaco said, as the green-haired boy stood up and proceeded to leave the stands.
"You know it!" Izuku informed his opponent-to-be as he began to depart the stadium stands, "we should get going Satoshi."
"Yeah, right, coming!" Satoshi said as he joined his friend, before turning to face Serena.
"In case I don't see you, good luck on your match against Katsuki," Satoshi mused.
"Yeah, I'm going to need it," Serena said, "good luck on your match too. You too Izuku!"
"Let's all do our best," Satoshi said as he walked down towards the interior section of the stadium.
"Well folks, there you have it! We have our fourth and final student in the top four. Our top 4 places consist of two matches. Starting the third round is Izuku Midoriya vs Satoshi Ketchum followed by Serena Yvonne vs Katsuki Bakugo. These four students will fight to earn first place in the U.A. Sports Festival 1-on-1 Tournament. We will now let the students rest up and prepare for the third round. In the meantime, please enjoy some good food in the concessions. Because in 15 short minutes, we will be back for the third round, followed by the final round of the tournament! HAVE A GOOD ONE!"
"PLEASE STOP YELLING!"Aizawa cried out as he startled Present Mic, who gave him a shrug and continued yelling.
(With Izuku and Satoshi)
"Hey no hard feelings regardless of the result of this match?!" Satoshi offered a hand out as the duo reached the preparation rooms.
"Of course, I'm bringing everything I have to offer to fight you," Izuku said as he took the hand and shook it, he then turned around and entered one of the rooms.
Satoshi turned around and walked towards his preparation room. But one the way, he encountered Katsuki.
"Hey Nerd, tell your sweetheart of a girlfriend to prepare herself. I'm not planning on going easy on her," Katsuki challenged Satoshi with a cold glare, "or anyone else for that matter."
"Do your worst, Katsuki, she'll be ready for you." Satoshi responded dismissively, "she's tougher than you think, so don't you worry about her. She's dealt with far worse than anything you could throw at her."
"Is that so?! Guess I have your permission to go all out then huh?" Katsuki smirked.
"I don't care about what you plan on doing. Don't pretend like you care about whether or not you have my permission. You're going to try to beat her regardless," Satoshi retorted, "and she would be insulted if you didn't. As I said, do your worst. We'll see who's still laughing in the end." with that, Satoshi left quickly, not wanting to continue this pointless conversation.
The raven-haired boy walked into a room and sat on one of the chairs, his mind moving as he was thinking about his upcoming match against Izuku.
Izuku will probably think of something tricky, knowing him. I'm faster than he is, so I should try to react to what he's trying to do. Satoshi thought.
"There's a lot that I don't know about his quirk, so I have to act cautiously, though I guess he doesn't know much about his quirk either," Satoshi mused.
Ahhh, whatever, let's just tango with him for a few minutes then beat him with Aura Force.
"Though I do feel kind of like a scum if I do this to him, maybe I shouldn't have this attitude, Izuku is planning on giving it his all, and I need to respect that," Satoshi mumbled as he slapped himself on the head.
"Either way, I'm going to win this, and I'll do my best in that process," Satoshi said as he spent the remainder of the break in the room, waiting for his match to begin.
(In Kamino Ward, Yokohama City)
"Hunter J, my teacher has prepared what you needed, he wanted me to let you know that you will receive them soon," Shigaraki informed the lady impatiently as she was currently chugging bottles of white wine in record time.
"Thanks for letting me know, Shiggy buddy," she said as she crossed her leg indecently and handed her bottle to the pale villain.
"Alright then, I'll be off scouting the grounds as Teacher instructed," Shigaraki said, "Kurogiri, warp me to the agreed location please."
"Wait, before you go, be a dear and fetch me another bottle after you throw this one away on the way out, won't you?" Hunter J asked as Shigaraki glared at her with the most dissatisfied look.
"Look lady, when my teacher sent you over, he said you were helping me. I'm not your lapdog. You have legs, use them," Shigaraki said, scratching his neck angrily as he walked toward the door, "now, I have things that the teacher wants me to do. So keep yourself out of sight and away from trouble, and have a good day. Kurogiri, we're leaving."
"You know, you really should not try to spite him," Kurogiri advised as Shigaraki left the room.
"Oh but it's so funny when the little one is angry," Hunter J responded as she wore a flirtatious smile.
"Just remember why you're here. Try to get the stuff that the teacher wants to be done, done, so you don't get into any trouble," Kurogiri added.
"KUROGIRI, I SAID, WE'RE LEAVING!"
"Will do. You better get going too, before prince wither over there gets mad at you too!" Hunter J gestured as the Warp Villain sighed and took her advice, walking towards the door.
After a clear noise, he left Hunter J to her lonesome. She moved from the barstool and went over to see the items that she had prepared for herself.
Hand grenades, check.
Explosives, check.
Restraining gear, check.
Support items, check.
Hunter J was satisfied, her plan is about to be set in motion. She would need 2 weeks to get it all set up.
She could see it in her head, a bombastic display of destructive power.
Crumbling buildings heralding wave upon wave of disaster and anguish.
The helpless cry of those who would dare deny her the perfect world she desires.
She can see it. It was so clear
She would start bringing the demise of the Pro Hero society, as well as the order that brought forth the downfall of her beloved.
Hunter J's casual demeanor changed to a serious one as she remembered all those years ago. Her life was great, she would pillage and break, rob and steal to her heart's content. Beside her was the one she loved. Everything was perfect, it was all good.
Now she was alone, but she finally had a way to enact her revenge.
I'll bring them down, and with the creations given to me by Shigaraki, I will finally be able to settle this straight.
Alright! This seems like a good place to end the story.
The top 4 of the U.A. Sports Festival has been decided. Satoshi will take on Izuku first while Serena will duke it out against Katsuki. We are getting closer and closer to the climax of the tournament, and Heroes and the audience alike are watching their battles with the utmost focus.
And of course, another change in the story. I will be involving our newest LoV member in the next few chapters instead of the usual trajectory that the anime takes. Hero Killer Stain will play a part in the story, just not now.
How will the Sports Tournament conclude?
How are Hunter J and the LoV's malicious plans going to affect the society of Superheroes?
For now, hope you all are enjoying the story, and hope you all have a great time reading it!
Chapter 9: U.A. Sports Festival Final Event. The Fateful Battle!
To be continued…