Hi again! A New Pencil returns to the desk!
Underline is for English.
Italics is either thoughts, a flashback, or a song/poem.
I do not own Kingdom Hearts, My Hero Academia, OMORI, Final Fantasy, or any of its characters or music. They all belong to their respective companies and owners.
Chapter 24: Trials By Fire and Brimstone
Your message will be heard.
Just keep pushing, and you'll reach the light at the end of the tunnel.
(Play: MHA OST - I Don't Need Pretend Friends)
The crowd was cheering, but Sora's ears weren't focused on that.
"You're the one who screws around with gravity." Katsuki remembered, "Isn't that right, Pink Cheeks?"
"P-Pink Cheeks?!" Uraraka repeated astonished.
'If you're gonna give up, do it now." Bakugo warned her, "Cause I'm not gonna hold anything back."
This was… quite an intimidation tactic. Sora watched as Ochaco did look a bit nervous, but it was dispelled immediately, as it was replaced by a look of firm resolve. Katsuki's face remained the same, with a look that just screamed confidence.
"Midoriya-kun." Iida's voice caused Sora to turn to him as Tenya looked to Izuku, "I'm curious. What was the strategy you came up with that would give Uraraka-kun an advantage against Bakugo-kun?"
"A strategy?" Sora asked, "Wait… did you give her a plan while you were talking to her?"
"Oh." Izuku looked down, before saying, "I did offer her one, but she declined, and honestly… what I had wasn't much of a plan."
"I see… that's good." Sora nodded approvingly, making the two of them stare at him, "It's a tournament, so I don't think it's fair for fighters to help one another by exchanging their strategies. When it comes to the finals, you have to ensure that you can stand on your own."
"Wait… didn't you just tell me to do that against you, Sora-kun?" Iida asked.
"Not at all. I just said to get some information and make a plan, not advice on beating me." Sora clarified, "You didn't do that, right?"
"I did, at first." the rep admitted, "But nobody, not even Midoriya-kun, had any idea how to defeat you, so I simply used whatever intel I got from everyone else to formulate my own plan."
"So I'm guessing Ochaco's trying to do the same here." Sora said.
"It's not easy though," Izuku shook his head, "Kacchan's very strong. When it comes to close combat, he almost never has any openings, and the more he moves, the more he sweats, which just makes his Quirk more powerful. He's gotten really good at using his explosions for aerial mobility, but if Uraraka is able to touch him, she can use her Quirk to make him float. This way, she can send him out of bounds."
Sora frowned. It wasn't because Izuku's reasoning was solid. It was because Katsuki likely figured out the key to Ochaco's Quirk as well, so he would do anything in his power to keep Ochaco away from him.
And the implications of that weren't good at all.
(Play: MHA OST - Threat of Offense and Defense)
"Let the eighth match…" Mic announced, "BEGIN!"
At that, Ochaco surprisingly made the first move, lowering her body to increase her speed as she opened her hands. With a running start, she shouted, "Giving up isn't an option for me!"
"Whoa, look at her go." Midoriya noted, "That's a good start, and all she has to do is touch him one time."
"But it won't be easy," Iida recalled, "You know Bakugo-kun's not going to let her get too close."
"Which is why he won't dodge." Izuku said, "He'll focus his energy on counterattacking."
Katsuki simply raised his right palm and said, "And now you die."
He started to rear his right arm back, making Sora recall that he was doing the same thing he did against Izuku in the Battle Trial. Or so he thought. As Uraraka attempted to read through and counter, Katsuki suddenly changed his attack to a forward explosion instead of a hook, which lead to a direct hit of an explosion that forced Ochaco back.
"Uraraka!" Tenya and Midoriya shouted.
"No way." Minoru said, "He blasted her!"
"Looks like Bakugo's not planning on showing her mercy." Asui commented.
Sora watched the match and said, "So he changed his attack pattern." He looked to Izuku, "He knows the two of you are friends, so he thinks you helped her by giving her a strategy to use against him."
"Well… he wasn't wrong," Izuku said, "But Uraraka-san didn't accept my strategy, so…"
"I think that's her advantage." Sora nodded. Katsuki didn't know what she was currently thinking, so he went to the assumption to think of how Izuku would approach him in her shoes, by the looks of things. And based on Ochaco's actions, Katsuki was thinking more and more on how to counter her in a way he countered Izuku. If Ochaco played her cards right, she could counterattack where he least expected it.
The smoke had cleared, and Bakugo stated, "You should've dropped out of the match." As he said that, there was movement behind him as a figure started to appear, ready to strike, but Katsuki saw it, raising his arm and shouting, "There's no way you can beat me!"
He launched another explosion and the force of it cleared the lingering smoke, showing Bakugo pinning the figure to the ground. But to his and everyone's shock, the figure was only Ochaco's jacket, and not Ochaco herself.
She used her jacket as a decoy? Sora thought amazed, before he saw Ochaco moving behind Katsuki, ready to make contact with him, but the explosive kid reacted quickly and blasted her away with another explosion. She was sent back, but recovered and stepped back into the smoke.
"That was some reaction time." Hanta commented.
"Seriously, the dude's insane." Kaminari nodded, "You just can't get the drop on him. And since Uraraka-san can't use her Quirk unless she touches him, his lightning fast reflexes put her at a huge disadvantage."
Katsuki cleared the smoke away to get a better view of his opponent. She sprinted towards him, but Bakugo dragged his hand on the ground, using the same arced attack he used against Cloud in the mock rescue training a week earlier. "Too slow!" he shouted as he launched the attack, hitting his target again and sending rubble into the air.
Meanwhile, Tifa and Cloud were watching from their seats.
"She just doesn't let up." Tifa commented, "If she keeps going like this, she'll get nowhere and eventually run out of energy to keep going."
"Maybe." Cloud nodded, "But she wouldn't be doing what she's doing right now if she had a plan. She must be waiting for something, so I wouldn't count that girl out just yet."
Tifa hummed, before looking back to the match. Ochaco had tried to flank him, but gave away her position as she shouted, "I've got you!"
Katsuki launched another explosion that was too large for her to avoid.
Class 1-A was now really concerned for Ochaco, because she was taking way too much punishment for comfort. Kyoka had to cover her eyes while others looked away. Sora was starting to get frustrated, but it was more towards Uraraka. What was she trying to accomplish by just trying the same thing over and over again?
"Is she okay?" Tsuyu asked as Ochaco yelped again from another explosion.
"I can't watch this." Jiro said, keeping her eyes covered.
"Like I always suspected." Mineta glared, "Bakugo's a total sadist."
Sora was merely focused on what Ochaco was trying to do.
"This isn't over yet!" Another explosion.
What was she thinking? Why was she just charging in again and again? Something was missing that Sora couldn't piece together.
The crowd, however, just judged it as her getting desperate. "Looks like she's not resting between attacks, despite being exploded." Mic muttered, "Poor girl."
Sora had to ignore the yelps Ochaco was releasing as the explosions kept coming. Suddenly, a voice called out from somewhere he didn't expect.
"Idiots." Neito sighed, "Look closer."
Sora looked at him, debating whether or not to ignore the comment, before deciding to heed it, not sure what exactly he was talking about.
(Play: OMORI OST - OMORI)
"Hey… shouldn't one of the teachers step in?" a bystander asked.
"This is… too much." another person agreed.
Another explosion sent the smoke behind Bakugo away, and Sora had a good look at the arena. Many parts around the explosive boy were trashed and blown to shreds. But something was off. Shouldn't there be debris where Bakugo had blasted the arena?
Sora looked to Ochaco again, seeing her run in and brace for another explosion. She was covered in smoke, but Sora suddenly noticed her figure guarding herself with open hands, and then… something else.
Wait… why was she keeping her hands open? Normally you'd be blocking with hands clenched to brace for the impact.
That's when it hit him.
Ochaco's Quirk required her to use her fingertips to make objects float in middair. She was purposely keeping her hands open so she could use her Quirk, even when she was bracing for impact.
So what was she using her Quirk on…?
"This is shameful!" a spectator called out, "Listen, kid, you really want to be a Hero? Then stop acting like a bully! If you're so good, just send her out of bounds!"
Bakugo seemingly ignored him and continued his assault, which at face value was simply him toying with Ochaco, but Sora knew this wasn't how Katsuki was, based on the small bits of information he had on him.
He decided to examine the crowd, and almost all of them were focused on the fight. then he turned to Katsuki, and noticed something interesting: His eyes were only focused on where Ochaco would be next, whether through flanks or announcements.
It was like she was trying to keep his and the audience's attention… on… her…
Wait.
Ochaco's Quirk was Zero Gravity, meaning that she could float things when they make contact with her fingertips. There was no debris to be found in the arena, despite Katsuki having blasted it apart. If that was the case, then…
Sora recalled Neito's words. Look closely. He looked again, and noticed that when Katsuki launched an attack, debris began to fly towards the smoke-covered Uraraka, who held out her hands while blocking.
Look closely…
What if Monoma wasn't referring to the fight itself. What about…?
Above!
Sora's eyes looked up, and saw a glimpse of something that made him smile slightly. Now he understood. Everything that Ochaco had been doing was beginning to make perfect sense. Unfortunately, the same revelation couldn't be seen by the audience at large.
"Stop toying with the girl and end the match!"
"You heard the guy!"
"BOOO!"
Now the audience was booing the explosive student, and though he deserved it, Sora knew it was for the wrong reason.
"The crowd's booing Bakugo!" Mic announced, "And honestly, I kinda agree with with they're say-AHHH!" Sora assumed Aizawa had hit Mic along the head, "WHAT THE CRAP?"
(Silence)
"Where's the man who started the uproar?" Aizawa spoke up, "Are you a pro? Because if you're being serious, you can go home and hang up your cape. I suggest you look into another career."
That shut the audience up.
"What's he talking about?" Izuku muttered, which came as a surprise for Sora. Izuku knew Katsuki better than all of them, and the fact that even he was stumped at what's going on meant something.
(Play: MHA OST - My Hero Academia)
"Bakugo's fierceness is an acknowledgement of his opponent's strength." Aizawa explained, "He knows she's deserved to have made it this far. So he's making sure he does whatever it takes to keep her at bay to come out on top."
Ah… so that explains it. Sora knew Katsuki could be a bully and a butthole, but he was also a prideful warrior that wouldn't settle for anything less than total victory, which meant that he wins by beating his opponent at their full strength. A ring-out wasn't an option. In a funny sense, he was honoring Ochaco by not holding back against her, giving it his all to show that he took her as a serious threat. Which she was. Her Zero Gravity Quirk wasn't all that harmless. She could drop someone to their death if she so wished.
Funny. In a way, Yozora was the same with him when they fought, if the look of respect he had after their battle meant anything. At least Yozora was a decent person compared to Katsuki, even if the former had tried to kill him.
Sora sighed. Though that could be the case, that didn't drain the bad blood he had against Katsuki. He brushed the thoughts aside and saw Ochaco standing tall while Katsuki was keeping her eyes on her.
"I think… it's about time." she smiled, "Thanks, Bakugo, for keeping your eyes on me."
Katsuki looked at her confused, but Sora smiled, knowing exactly what was coming next.
"What the…?" Cloud looked up and saw it too.
"Wait… when did she do that?!" Tifa followed his gaze.
Monoma sighed, "They're supposed to be Pro Heroes. They should have seen this coming." He then explained to his confused classmates what he and Sora had deduced from the battle: the missing debris; the effort to keep everyone's eyes on the fight; and the amount of ammo Ochaco had in store. The crowds looked up.
Hundreds of pieces of debris and rubble were floating just above the arena, waiting to be dropped when the time was right. Other than Sora, Neito, and Aizawa, nearly everybody was stunned at the sight. Uraraka yelled as she released her Quirk, and the final stage of her plan began.
The large numbers of debris and rubble fell, and due to the sheer number of them, it was going to fall everywhere across the arena, especially where Katsuki was at.
"I don't believe it!" Mic shouted, "Uraraka's launched a meteor shower!"
"Now you notice." Aizawa grumbled.
"She had a plan all along!" Izuku exclaimed.
As the rubble fell, Bakugo kept his eyes on the rocks coming his way, and with that distraction, Ochaco sprinted with everything she had, fingers outstretched.
Two attacks, coming from different directions, and Katsuki had to choose between one or the other. Katsuki couldn't dodge them all, and in order to blast it all away, he would have to leave himself open for Ochaco's charge.
But if he chose to stop Uraraka, the debris will pummel and most likely bury him. Sora couldn't see any way for Katsuki to get out of this mess, but knew he was going to try anyway. His hands were raised up to meet the falling debris as Uraraka was just inches away from making contact with his body.
This is it! My shot! Uraraka thought, I'll win and be just like Deku!
Sora knew this was checkmate. Bakugo was trapped. In a few moments, he would either get immobilized, or be sent out of the ring.
(Silence)
Or so he thought.
Because in one swift movement, Katsuki's forearm flared, and suddenly, he launched an explosion that was so big, it could make Flare magic shed a tear in pride. The large explosion destroyed the debris that was falling, and also made a massive shockwave that was felt from even the stands. Ochaco was forced back and tumbled to the ground.
Sora was shocked. He had not expected Katsuki's Quirk to be this powerful. Sure, it was literally named "Explosion," but still. With one strike, he had managed to decimate Ochaco's entire offensive.
When the smoke cleared, Ochaco struggled to get back up, looking up to where the explosion once was with a look of terror. She then looked over to Katsuki, who spoke up, "I figured you'd have some stupid plan to beat me. You really are friends with the damn nerd after all."
(Play: MHA OST - Surpassing You)
"Bakugo bangs out a huge demonstration of power!" Mic commented, "He's blasted apart Uraraka's finishing move, and remains untouched!"
Sora stared at Ochaco, now concerned for her: she looked terrified and completely helpless. She looked down to ground as she was on the brink of collapsing, but to everyone's surprise, she stood back up onto her feet. The Key Bearer only watched, wanting more than anything to help her, but knew that he couldn't.
Katsuki smiled as she stood up, "Alright then." he lowered his stance, "Let's get serious, Uraraka!" He was about to run towards her, and Ochaco did the same. She was willing to give one last effort, with what little she had left, to try and turn the tables.
However, even though her heart and mind were in the fight, her body wasn't.
She stumbled and fell to the ground, making Bakugo pause in his stride, his guard still up. "Uraraka's down!" Mic called out.
She still tried to get back to her feet, refusing to give up, as she wanted to show the world what she was made of, but despite her efforts, her body wasn't listening to her.
"This is too much…." Iida muttered.
"Yeah…" Midoriya agreed with him, "She's way past her limit…"
Ochaco still tried to get up. She wanted to make her family proud, to show the world she was Pro material. But no matter how hard she tried, her legs refused to respond. She then used her arms to crawl towards Katsuki, ignoring the pain as she tried her hardest to continue.
"I can… do this…" she struggled to release the words, "I can… still fight… I… can…"
She tried again. One final effort to get up on her feet. To prove to the world she was strong, just like Deku… like Sora… like Iida…
And then blackness.
(Silence)
Midnight went over to check on Ochaco. She was unconscious.
"Uraraka is K.O'ed. Bakugo advances to the next round."
As soon as that was announced, a blue blur suddenly landed between Ochaco and Katsuki. It was Sora. Izuku was shocked, but that instantly turned to concern as Sora got up from his landing.
"Sora?" Shimizu said in wonder from her sickbed, "What are you doing?"
Several of Sora's friends were worried about what he was going to do, since he and Ochaco were friends, and he and Katsuki weren't on good terms. He glanced to the spot where Ochaco's gym top was, and walked forward.
(Play: FF7 Remake OST - Aerith's Theme - Credits vers.)
Sora took Ochaco's damaged gym top from its place on the ground, before walking to its owner and lifting her up gently. With his free hand, he put the gym top over her body, and began to carry her away. He turned to look at Katsuki as he passed. The boy stared back, then expressed slight surprise for a brief second, before looking away with a scoff. Sora said nothing, looking at Katsuki a while longer before continuing his silent march.
Cloud blinked twice and gasped. For a brief second, he suddenly saw himself in Sora's place, carrying a fallen friend with a stab wound in her midsection to their final resting place. Tifa noticed her friend shed a tear, and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He sighed in gratitude as he closed his eyes and wiped the tear away.
The crowd then started applauding Sora, but he couldn't care less. His classmates were still silent, because they could see on the big screen that Sora wasn't smiling. Seeing this, Izuku and Tenya began to head over to the nurse's office to check on both of them.
When Sora was no longer in eye's view, he quickly used Flowmotion to head to Recovery Girl's room. He knocked on the door, and when the nurse answered, he walked in and placed his friend on the bed.
After a few minutes, with a healing kiss from Recovery Girl, Ochaco regained consciousness. Not knowing where she was, she immediately tried to get up, leaving the bed, but nearly fell due to lack of energy.
"Hey! Easy there, Ochaco," Sora caught her, "You're a little more hurt than you thought."
Seeing a familiar face made Ochaco relax, only to realize now where she was as she pushed herself off of him and sat on the bed. "So… I guess I lost, huh?"
She sounded sad when she said this, and Sora didn't hesitate to answer, "Yeah… but you put up one heck of a fight." The brunette looked up to him, as he had a soft reassuring smile, "Honestly, it took me a while to realize what you were planning. Not to mention you had that done all on your own." he laughed, "You're pretty cool, Ochaco."
Uraraka looked taken aback. He thought she was cool, even when she had lost? "Maybe so… but I still lost." she looked down, "So I have to train even harder if I want to show the world what I can do."
"You already have." Sora's words made her look up as he continued, placing a hand on her shoulder, "You showed the world that even against all odds, you were willing to fight against an opponent who outclassed you in raw power. You showed everyone that you won't ever give up to reach your goals. You proved to them... to us…" his smile grew wider, "That behind that bubbly smile of yours, is a tough strong person who isn't afraid of anything.
"You might not have the strength to beat someone like Katsuki. At least, not yet," he admitted, "But that doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Because you've already proved to the world that your heart is that of a true hero, Ochaco Uraraka."
Uraraka was speechless. The praise she was getting from perhaps the best student in the Hero Course was quite overwhelming, even if they were friends. Even so… it felt nice to hear it from him. She looked up and smiled at Sora, "Yeah… you're right. I did show the world what I could do. Now I've just gotta work harder to show them I can do better. Thanks Sora-kun."
The Keyblade wielder gave her a thumbs up, and she responded with one of her own, before lying back down on the bed to relax.
Minutes later, Ochaco was able to stand on her own and Sora supported her out the waiting room. She wanted to get her equipment, as well as a new gym top that wasn't covered in burns.
"Sounds good. Take care of yourself, Ochaco. See you back at the bleachers." Sora smiled.
"You too, Sora-kun." she waved back, before walking slowly to the room. Sora then walked back and ran into Tenya and Izuku, who were wondering where Uraraka was, and he relayed the news, and her location. Without delay, the two walked over to the waiting room while Sora headed for the bleachers.
(Silence)
But as he was about to reach it, he heard voices. Looks like Katsuki had beaten him there.
"Hey Bakugo." Hanta teased, "Playing the Villain, eh? Must have been tough."
"Even if it was just because of who you were up against, you did make a pretty convincing bad guy." Tsu said.
"Shut up, you idiots!" Katsuki shouted, "Or else!"
"But for real, dude," Kaminari said, "I don't know how you were able to aim a powerful blast at a frail girl like that. I couldn't help but hold back against Zinnia-san."
"She completely overpowered you, Kaminari-chan." Asui corrected.
"Can't you just let me have this?" came the grumbling reply.
Katsuki then spoke up again, this time with a calm voice as he said, "I definitely wouldn't call that girl frail."
Sora's eyes widened. He was not expecting that to come out of Katsuki's mouth. If that was how he truly thought of her after his match, then just like Yozora did with him, Katsuki was acknowledging Ochaco's strength.
He had to admit, he gained a little more respect for Katsuki, if only a little.
He walked up to reveal himself, and let Class A know that Ochaco is okay, and that she'll be back on the stands soon. A few minutes later, Sora and the class saw Eijiro and Tetsutetsu walk into the arena. Cementoss then made a cement cube from the ground and the two boys got on each side, activating their Quirks on their arms and locking it.
(Play: MHA OST - Calvary Battle)
"WAHOOOO!" Present Mic shouted, as the two boys arm wrestled with everything they had, cracking the cement cube they were competing on. "We are finally about to learn who the true winner is from the seventh match! Kirishima or Tetsutetsu? Whoever prevails in this arm wrestling match will advance to the second round! Let's GOOOOO!"
As Mic's commentary ended, Sora saw Tetsutetsu's steel hand begin to crack from the pressure, and he began to falter. As that happened, Eijiro took advantage and roared with all his might, letting out a manly cry as he slammed the steel arm of the cube, breaking both with a large slam.
"Kirishima is the winner!" Midnight announced, "Add him to the bracket!"
"YEAAAAHHHH!" Eijiro yelled with pride, before looking down at his opponent.
"Ah! Damn my metal deficiency!" Tetsutetsu cursed, "Should've eaten more iron this morning." It was right then he noticed Eijiro standing in front of him.
The redhead extended his hand to the steel student, much to the latter's surprise. "Hey, man. You put up a good fight." Tetsutetsu accepted the sportsmanship, allowing Eijiro to pulling him up. Unfortunately, this made Midnight look like a fangirl trying not the squeal after talking to her crush.
"And now, folks, it's time for a 5 minute break before the quarterfinals!" Present Mic declared, as Sora relaxed in his seat.
(Play: OMORI OST - Thrifted Tchotchkes)
From where they watched in their classroom, Sunny, Kel, Basil and Aubrey turned to one another to discuss the matches they had just witnessed.
"Holy moly." Kel commented with a grin, "Those were some awesome matches."
"They were…" Basil nodded, "I wasn't expecting Todoroki to have that much power over his Quirk."
"Very chilly." Sunny commented, looking over to the screen and remembering just how large the attack was. Never before had he or his friends seen someone with an Ice Quirk that could conjure a freaking glacier to overwhelm their opponent.
"Yeah… if we were up against him, we'd stand no chance. Hope that tape dude's okay." Kel sighed, "And I thought Sora was a handful with his Quirk."
"Speaking of Sora," Aubrey noted, "I was surprised by how much he struggled against that Iida kid in his match."
"Just a bit," Kel repeated, "Kept Sora on his toes, and he almost got him twice! Not to mention his super speed with those engines on his legs. Reminds me of Ingenium."
"Kel, they're brothers."
"...Ohhhh."
Sunny looked over to where his other classmates were talking. Many of them were talking about Eijiro and Tetsutetsu's slugfest, while others commented on Hanabi dominating Kaminari. Others felt bad for Yaoyorozu losing so quickly, while a few were impressed about Midoriya overcoming Shinso's Quirk.
He had to admit, U.A. lived up to its reputation. It really was the best of the best here in Japan.
"Sunny?" Aubrey's voice made him look back to her, as she said, "Something on your mind?"
"Not much," he replied, "Just thinking about the other matches."
"We all are." Basil nodded, "I feel kinda bad for Uraraka."
Sunny hummed, "Yeah… I wasn't expecting Sora's class to have a… well…"
"Bad apple?" Aubrey finished, and Sunny nodded, as she continued, "Yeah. Definitely not giving off good vibes, that Bakugo kid. Well, even if Uraraka lost, she has quite the iron will."
"Of course you'd like that about her." Kel smirked.
"Well, who wouldn't? She knew she was outmatched, and yet she still fought back. Not many people can do that and nearly beat them while they're at it. And don't forget that she pretty much fooled all of us with that meteor shower of debris trap she set up,"
"Now THAT was quite a big highlight."
Sunny and Basil nodded in agreement.
(Play: OMORI OST - Lost Library)
Meanwhile, Shimizu, Mari, and Hero were watching the festival from the hospital, and Hero said, "Wow. I wasn't expecting Sora to pull off that knight in shining armor tactic."
"Neither was I, and I'm his mother," Shimizu chuckled, before coughing slightly.
"You alright, Ms. Nakajima?"
"Yeah. Just a dry throat." Shimizu sighed, before coughing again. Curse her injury.
"Here," Mari fixed up a glass of water and gave it to her. Shimizu thanked her and took a drink from it, "Better?"
"Yes. Thank you, Mari,"
"Those were action-packed matches." Mari smiled, "Almost makes me want to see Sunny and the others on the big screen."
"Well, we all agreed that U.A. was out of the question the moment an entire class was expelled," Hero reminded her, "But you don't have to be on T.V. to do great things."
Mari nodded, as Shimizu said, "It's funny. Here I thought my stay in the hospital would be a lot more boring."
"Welp. Good thing we're around to make it less so." Hero grinned, before looking to the next upcoming match, "Looks like Midoriya's up next after the break. Wonder how he's gonna handle Todoroki."
"Are you still thinking about the advice you gave him?" Mari asked.
"Yeah. Hope he's put some thought into it. Seemed to have gotten to him in the obstacle course." Hero sighed, "It'd be a shame if he didn't figure it out."
"We'll just have to wait and see, Hero," Shimizu told him, "And after that, we've got to worry about Sora and Hanabi's matchup."
"Yeah… there's that too," Mari said, "That will be interesting too, considering Hanabi's Quirk."
Shimizu thought back to the match involving Hanabi. She had yet to even see Sora's magic in full, but the way Hanabi summoned those electrical blades looked suspiciously similar to how Sora summoned his key sword. Not to mention that she also summoned wind from her hand, similar to how her son could use wind magic.
It couldn't be a coincidence, right?
Her head began to throb, but she ignored it.
Well… we'll find out soon enough, she thought to herself, fighting against another cough, Best to be careful, Sora.
(Play: MHA OST - Go Seize It!)
Speaking of her son, Sora was waiting and noticed Tenya and Ochaco coming back to the stands, and he waved them over. The two then took their seats between him and Fumikage. Sora then noticed that Ochaco's eyes were a bit dry.
"Hey, did something happen?" he asked her.
"Oh, this?" she pointed to her eyes, "It's from… something else."
"She was frustrated after her match," Tenya explained, "It does make sense,"
"It's no time to wallow." Tokoyami told them, "Use this next fight as a source for encouragement."
"Will do, sir," Ochaco nodded, taking a water bottle from Sora to rehydrate herself.
"A wise suggestion, Tokoyami-kun." Tenya praised him.
"Oh." Sora looked over the arena, "Here they come."
Sure enough, the two contestants strode to the arena, each with a look of determination on their faces.
"I can FEEL the anticipation in the stadium, listeners! And that's because the second round's first match is gonna be EPIC! On one corner, we've got the guy who won his first fight by a landslide, and quite literally left half the audience frozen! From the Hero Course, it's Shoto Todoroki!"
Said boy simply stared ahead with that same cold look in his eye, making Sora think of another scar-faced person he knew who matched that gaze.
"And this kid almost walked out of his first matchup, but made a stunning comeback with some impressive moves! Also from the Hero Course, Izuku Midoirya!"
Sora noticed the look on Izuku's face, and it was one of sheer determination. The crowd was screaming with joy as the match got closer to its beginning, while Class A was calm and whispering among themselves.
"Tokoyami-kun." Tenya turned to Fumikage, "How do you think this match will go?"
"It depends on whether or not Midoriya is able to get close to him,"
"Yeah, but that's the problem." Ochaco voiced her concern, "How's Deku-kun gonna avoid the ice?"
Sora looked back to Izuku, who was clearly still determined. He wondered what his friend would do. Would he fight Shoto to win, or to save him from his sorrow?
Meanwhile, in a mysterious bar, Tomura and the figure behind him were watching the screen showcasing both Midoriya and Todoroki.
"Pay close attention to them, Tomura Shigaraki." the voice on another screen instructed, "These two could prove to be formidable obstacles to you one day."
"Tsk." Tomura scoffed between coughs, "I'm not worried about a couple of kids."
"And look… where that got you…" the figure said, glancing to Tomura's injury. Shigaraki scratched his neck in irritation while the figure stared at Todoroki, "Who knows… perhaps one of them… could prove useful to you."
"Just shut up and watch," Shigaraki snarled.
(Play: MHA OST - The Power of Endeavor)
Back in the stadium, Mic continued, "Both these Heroes-in-training have been frontrunner at the Sports Festival, but which one of these rivals will advance to the next round? Get ready folks!"
Sora watches the match with a more focused gaze. He hoped with all his heart that Izuku would be able to help Shoto here. This could be their only chance to literally break the ice that blocked them from seeing Shoto's true feelings.
And considering the wisps of darkness he saw come off of Shoto earlier… he knew that the recommended student's situation definitely needed some attention.
"Come on, Izuku." Sora muttered, "You've got this."
Both the students got ready to attack and defend respectively as Mic shouted, "BEGIN!"
(Silence)
Instantly, Todoroki made the first move, sending an ice barrage towards Izuku, but the Hero-in-Training had his hand up and ready, instantly using his Quirk to launch a gust of wind to negate the ice and force Shoto back. Unfortunately, Endeavor's "masterpiece" used his own Quirk to conjure ice and prevent himself from being knocked back further.
When both initial attacks collided, the impact left a freezing wind that was felt by everybody, and those who weren't used to the freezing weather were left shivering from it. Sora wasn't among their number, and he thanked the stars for visiting Arendelle now, because these winds were close to matching the ones he felt when he first arrived in that snow-covered world.
(Play: MHA OST - Go Seize It)
"Wow!" Mic called out, "Midoriya's managed to break Todoroki's insane opening move!"
Sora smiled a bit, but he knew that Izuku, for the moment, could only use his Quirk at its maximum power. Based on the race earlier, it looked like Izuku might have taken Hero's advice, if the green lightning he displayed was any consideration. Unless he was going to take Hero's advice again here, Midoriya only had seven shots left to make a difference in this fight. Hopefully, his friend could withstand that pain enough to try and reach Shoto, if that was what he was going to do.
Todoroki tried another ice attack, and it was negated in the same way. Six shots left. "He's countered AGAIN!" Mic declared. Sora couldn't help but admire the fact that the two hadn't moved their feet and displayed power equal to 3rd tier Wind and Blizzard Magic. But he couldn't help but feel more concerned for Midoriya, as now two fingers were broken, as well as the other two from his last match against Hitoshi. Not to mention the boy's hand was trembling from the pain he was probably feeling.
Shoto took notice and said, "Let's continue."
With that, he launched another ice barrage, and Izuku countered with a third flick. Five more shots. It was clear that this was not a battle of strength anymore, but rather a war of attrition, and the one who bowed out first would lose.
Sora was knocked out of his thoughts as Eijiro came back to the stands. "Aw, crap! I'm missing it!"
"Hey, nice job making it into the second round, Kirishima." Denki smiled.
"Thanks man," Eijiro replied, "Looks like I'm taking down Bakugo next."
"I'll kill you." came the retort.
"Sure, in your dreams." Kirishima smirked, "But seriously, it's crazy how both you and Todoroki have moves that blast the whole stadium. Must be pretty nice."
"And neither of you have to pause in between attacks." Hanta said.
"It's not that easy, morons," Katsuki replied, "If you overuse your muscles, you risk tearing them apart. Sprint too much, you're out of breath. Quirks are physical abilities too. They can get worn out, so you can't use them nonstop."
Sora had to agree. The same logic could be applied to his magic and his Drive Forms. They could only last for so long until they ran out of power. In the magical case, Sora could at least wait for the magic pool to recharge, and for Drive Forms, his body could only withstand it for a certain amount of time, as being in those forms was taxing on him in themselves even with the help of his friends.
Speaking of the Drive Forms, he remembered that it was thanks to even training and fighting in those forms that he was able to unlock hidden abilities he never knew he had before. Abilities like the Quick Run and the Aerial Dodge were pretty useful mobility-wise, but he had lost the ability to use both after the Mark of Mastery.
Maybe it was time to wear those old clothes again…
But…
"You want an endurance match, but I'll end this quickly." Shoto's voice snapped Sora back to reality as the former launched another ice barrage, forcing Izuku to use the last finger of his right hand to repel it. But while he was distracted, Shoto launched another ice path while rushing towards his opponent.
As Mic continued to commentate, Izuku switched from right to left and blasted the ice in front of him, but Shoto was already on him, dropping from above in hopes of immobilizing Midoriya with ice. The boy was quick to dodge, but Shoto seemed not to care as he conjured ice from the ground, letting ice trail towards Izuku and catching his leg, trapping him. Not willing to give in, Midoriya clenched his left fist, letting power flow through his entire arm, before slamming it on the ice to shatter it.
The gust of wind didn't drown out the cry of pain Izuku released, though it did demolish the rest of the ice in the arena, other than an igloo that Shoto had conjured to withstand the wind attack.
(Play: MHA OST - Robo Inferno)
"That was much more powerful than your previous attack." Shoto observed, pushing the ice in front of him away, "Smart. You're trying to keep me away."
On the surface level, things weren't looking good. Izuku's left arm and many of his fingers were broken, no thanks to trying to drag out the match as long as possible, and he looked extremely stressed as well.
Shoto, on the other hand, wasn't even damaged, other than the frost that was on his skin and gym clothes. If Izuku wanted to try and save Shoto from the darkness within, it seemed like there was a long way to go in order to get him on his last legs.
But then Sora noticed something. Shoto was… shivering?
Perhaps Izuku was closer to getting him on his last legs than he thought.
But… How was Izuku going to defend against Shoto now that most of his fingers were broken?
"What's the matter?" Shoto called out, "Are you really that worn out from defending against my attacks?" He remained stoic and calm, and for a brief second, Sora saw the same silver haired boy he called his best friend down there in the arena, before he blinked and saw Shoto again. "I'm sorry about this, but thanks for drawing it out." Shoto glanced towards a spot in the stands, before looking back to Midoriya, "Look at him. He's furious that I'm not using his power. With your hands like that, you can't fight anymore, can you? Why don't we end this?"
Shoto then launched an ice barrage, intent on finishing it with one last blow.
"Whoa! Todoroki's going for another attack on Midoriya, and he isn't reacting! Could this be his finishing move?!" Mic shouted.
The ice got closer and closer, and for a brief moment, Sora thought that Izuku had failed to reach Shoto. That is, if there hadn't been yet ANOTHER blast of wind that broke through the ice and forced Todoroki back even further, only saved by another wall of ice that prevented him from being knocked off the edge.
Sora looked back to Izuku, and was shocked: Midoriya had used one of his own broken fingers to repel the attack. He couldn't even imagine the amount of pain the boy was feeling.
"Why?" Shoto muttered, "Why are you pushing yourself?"
"...You're trembling… Todoroki-kun."
Midoriya's furious voice made the recommended student stop in his tracks, as the former continued, "It's easy to forget Quirks are physical abilities, and that means, there's a limit to the cold your body can take, right?"
Izuku raised his right hand, though it was a complete struggle to do so, "I get it. Usually you make up for the drop in temperature by using the heat from your left side, but you refuse to do that now."
Shoto's stoic mask was starting to crumble, as his eyes glared daggers at Izuku, who didn't notice or didn't care as he kept going, "Listen… Everyone's giving it their all, to try and win, to make our dreams into reality. To become number one. You think you can win with half your strength?"
Izuku grimaced as he created a fist with his right hand, "Look at me Todoroki-kun. You haven't managed to put a single scratch on me yet. So come at me with all you got!"
(Play: Riku [Kingdom Hearts II] ~Orchestral Battle Arrange~ by Jeremiah George)
There.
That was the moment Sora was waiting for.
As soon as Izuku made that declaration, Shoto got visibly angry, but not only that, there were wisps of darkness coming off of him, similar to that other guy's aura back at Arendelle, and like Katsuki's during the Battle Trial. It was starting to show in his ice, too, as there was darkness glimmering there and making it change from light blue to a light purple, similar to Aqua's dark ice magic when she was possessed by darkness.
Sora wasn't the only one who noticed. Cloud was noticing it too, and started to suspect that something was up. What's this kid trying to do?
It was time. Shoto was starting to run out of steam, so Izuku had to be really careful here. With Shoto's darkness leaking out, Izuku had to reach him in order to expel the darkness plaguing the boy. One slight misstep, and Shoto could be lost forever.
That could NOT happen here.
"Get ready, Izuku…" Sora muttered.
"Midoriya… what the hell are you trying to do here?" Shoto growled, "You want my fire?! What? Did my monster of a dad bribe you or something?" This time, in his anger, he began to rush towards Midoriya instead of going for a long-ranged attack, "Now I'm mad!"
Sora noticed his movements slowing down, indicating that the boy was running low on stamina. Even more proof that Izuku had to be really careful here.
Izuku was moving too, and as Shoto's right foot left the ground, he charged up power in his arm, a look of deep concentration on his face as he threw a punch into Todoroki's gut, surprisingly without breaking himself or Shoto.
As Mic began to shout joyfully about there being true action, Sora wondered if that punch was reduced because of the pain Izuku was feeling to fully release the power, or Izuku was trying very very hard to keep the power from going all out.
But it wasn't over yet. Todoroki had managed to make contact with Midoriya's left arm, freezing it with dark ice. Izuku recoiled in pain, not because of the ice, but because the other three fingers of his right hand were broken even more.
"Don't give up, Izuku. Keep going." Sora whispered, "Just keep pushing, and you'll reach him."
Shoto was breathing heavily now, but he placed his right foot forward to launch more ice, but the attack wasn't as large as before, making it easier for Izuku to dodge it as he readied another flick. Shoto got into the boy's face, but he remained unfazed and blasted him away with another attack. Todoroki kept himself from getting out of the ring, but it almost broke when he hit it.
Izuku had now broken his final finger, and was now relying on his thumb. Sora wasn't sure how long Izuku could hold out like this, and how much tolerance he had to the pain of his broken limbs. He was so conflicted on what he should be rooting for. If the fight dragged on, Izuku might lose his fingers for good, but if the fight stopped here, Shoto wouldn't be saved.
He almost regretted giving Izuku advice. He didn't expect him to go this far to save Shoto.
Then again, how were his own actions at the Keyblade Graveyard any different?
He hardened his resolve. He was confident that Izuku would reach Shoto before anything bad happened. If Sora could reach Riku, then he was certain Izuku would do the same for Shoto. He didn't want to see yet another person fall into darkness like that and regret it in the future.
You could really be a big help for Shoto, Riku. Sora thought, his face turning into a concerned, but hopeful expression, But you're not here. So I'm putting my faith in you, Izuku. Light his way out of the darkness.
The two of them were face-to-face once more, as Izuku tried to go for another strike, but the ice-and-fire user was dodging each of them, trying again and again to freeze his opponent, only for his ice to grow smaller and smaller with every attempt. He managed to gain a small amount of distance, but as he threw another ice attack, Izuku did something that surprised Sora: he used his thumb again, but this time, with his mouth to help with the flick.
(Silence)
A mighty gust of wind, this time matching 4th tier Wind magic, destroyed the ice and sent Shoto back again. He tried making ice to break his momentum, but it broke, and it continued breaking every time he made it, until finally, right at the edge, he stopped at an ice wall.
(Play: KH 2.5 Remix OST - Riku)
"Why?" Todoroki asked again, struggling to stay on his feet, "Why are you putting yourself through this? Why are you going so far?!"
Why are you going so far…
Though those words weren't similar to how his best friend said it, it still made Sora audibly gasp, as this time, he was now seeing the silver-haired boy in Shoto's place yet again, with purple flames on his hand and an aura of darkness surrounding him. And it wasn't reverting back to Shoto as quickly this time as a disembodied voice rang through the Keyblade wielder's head.
"I didn't want to be found… not like this… I couldn't."
"His eyes couldn't lie."
"Lie? And just who were you trying to fool… huh? Huh?"
"...Myself."
"Riku… come on man. Why have you gotta do so much stuff on your own?"
"I had given into the darkness… our life on the islands was ruined… and it was all my fault! How am I supposed to face everyone?!"
"I… think that in my heart… darkness still has a hold. Walking that path changed me… I'm not sure if I'm ready to wield a Keyblade."
"No… You don't believe that. I believe in you, Sora… You haven't given up yet."
"Riku…" Sora said, a tear falling down his cheek.
(Silence)
"I want to live up to people's expectations." Izuku was saying, "I want to be able to smile, while doing something good for them!" Sora watched Izuku charge towards his opponent, "I want to be a Pro. Do whatever it takes to be a Hero!"
That made Shoto freeze up, which left him open for a headbutt as Midoriya does just that, knocking him back, "That's why I'll give it everything I have. Just like… YOU should be!" As Todoroki broke his momentum once again with ice, Midoriya continued, "There's no way I can know what you've gone through, or why you're even here. Your life has been so much different than mine, but right now, you better stop screwing around. If you want to reject your father, then fine! But don't think you have any right at being number one if you're not going to use your full power!"
(Play: MHA OST - I Absolutely Won't Use the Heat)
Midoriya's words seemed to be getting to Shoto, as he was now lost in thought. Whatever Izuku had said was doing something, as the darkness around his upper body was becoming more visible than ever. Even more so, the dark ice was becoming more prominent now on his right side.
"…Shut up." Shoto managed to say.
Sora's fists clenched hard as he looked at Todoroki, "Don't give in, Shoto. You're stronger than this… don't give in to the darkness…" He glanced over to Izuku, who was clearly putting his heart and soul into this battle to try and save Shoto, "You're almost there, Izuku… you're so close."
The dark ice was now covering most of his skin, but he wasn't attacking, likely due to being lost in those thoughts. Memories that might have given birth to this hidden darkness inside him. Darkness that was now leaking out. Izuku took this chance to throw another punch to the gut, "That's why… I'm going to win this! I'll surpass you!"
His strike was true, hitting Todoroki and knocking him back, breaking the dark ice from his skin, but he didn't seem all that bothered, as he was still looking back on his memories.
Sora watched the fight with anticipation, but also great sadness. To know that another person who had gone through suffering similar to his best friend Riku didn't sit right with Sora at all. He wanted to help Shoto, talk to him after this was all over, but it all depended on this moment right here. Would Izuku be able to reach him, or will things go south?
Shoto landed on the ground, but was barely able to move, the combined pain from the cold and the punch was taking its toll on him. He forced himself to his feet through sheer will. "I will… reject you." he declared out loud, "I refuse… to use my left side…"
"FORGET ABOUT WHAT HE WANTS! IT'S YOURS!" Izuku screamed out, "YOUR QUIRK, NOT HIS!"
(Play: MHA OST - You Say Run)
Sora watched Todoroki react, snapping out of his trance. Whatever Izuku had said, sparked a small figment of light. A light that had been overshadowed by the dark memories. And that light was glowing brighter and brighter, overcoming the darkness. The words that Shoto desperately needed to hear from someone else, now came to him through a classmate who was willing to go the distance for him.
The light broke through.
And with an astonishing display of flames that would've made even Axel impressed (or jealous), Shoto's left side bursted forth with red-hot fire.
"Wha? WHAT IS THAT?!" Mic shouted.
"H-He's using his fire?!" Ochaco said, squinting her eyes.
Tenya looked at it astonished, "Incredible."
"Damn…" Cloud said from where he was at.
"His left side… he's using it after all this time?" Tifa thought aloud, "Midoriya… was this your plan all along?"
Sora had a wide grin on his face. The darkness surrounding Shoto earlier was gone, almost as if it didn't exist. The dark ice that was there had evaporated in the presence of the bright flames, as pure light blue ice took its place. "You're helping out your opponent?" He said, voice reinvigorated with a new fire, "Damn it all… you idiot. Even though you want to win this fight? Now which one of us is screwing around…?"
He looked up to Midoriya, focused only on him, and surprisingly, for the first time since Sora met him, looked at peace, "I want… to be a Hero too!"
Midoriya couldn't help it. He began to smile, despite the situation, and Shoto returned it. "YOU DID IT!" Sora cheered for both of them. Though people around him thought he was just talking about Shoto using his fire, Sora actually meant that Izuku had done it. He reached Shoto, and saved him from the darkness in his heart.
"SHOTOOOO!"
Endeavor's loud voice made Sora turn to the source, as the Number Two Hero strode down to the edge of the barrier. "Have you finally accepted your purpose? That's it! It all starts with you! This is the dawn of a new era for us! With my blood, you will surpass me… and live up to the reason I created you!" The flames surrounding his body were brighter than ever as he spoke.
Shoto didn't seem to register his dad speaking, but Sora did notice a single tear fall from his eye.
Izuku remained smiling, "That's… amazing…"
"Why are you smiling?" Todoroki asked him, snapping Izuku back into reality, "With all those injuries…. in this hopeless situation… You're crazy…" The two stared each other down, ready for one more attack, "Don't blame me for what happens next."
Todoroki began to freeze the right side of the ground, while he amplified the intesity of his flames, readying both at their maximum strength. Izuku responded by channeling his own power into his left leg, making a torrent of wind that broke the dark ice on his left arm and shredding the pant leg.
Immediately, Cementoss and Midnight responded, creating cement walls and releasing knockout gas to try and prevent what happened next, but there was nothing that would stop this now. This was the final showdown.
Shoto made an ice barrage that was similar in strength to the one he used on Hanta, but now was more focused as Izuku readied himself. The ice came at him, and Izuku leapt over it, rushing towards the dual elemental user. "COME AT ME WITH YOUR FULL POWER!"
As the words came out, Shoto lowered his left hand to heat the area up around him, melting the ice as he raised his hand out in front of him. "Midoriya…" he muttered, as his opponent moved his power to his right arm, extending the hand out as Shoto did the same for his left side, "Thank you."
Sora couldn't even believe his eyes. Shoto's flames were so powerful that it could actually rival the 4th tier of Fire magic. Five cement walls were made to block the storm, but the attacks were so powerful that it hardly mattered. For a brief second, Sora could've sworn he saw the two inches away from what appeared to be a high five, but it disappeared as the arena exploded with light. The winds that resulted nearly sent Minoru flying off his chair, and had it not been for Mezo, out of the arena.
Sora squinted his eyes as he held onto the railing while everyone else was holding their seats.
(Silence)
That was, perhaps for Sora, one of the most powerful fights he had ever seen between two opponents in this world. All Might fighting the Nomu and Sora, Cloud, and Tifa's fight with the Dark Follower had nothing on this. The closest thing that could rival that was Sora, Donald, and Goofy using the Trinity Limit on the Demon Tide 4 months ago.
Dust had surrounded the entire arena, so nobody could see what had happened. "What just happened right now? What the heck is up with your students?"
"The air around the arena had been thoroughly cooled down, then rapidly expanded when heated up." Aizawa explained.
"That's what caused the explosion?" Mic asked, "That was some hot fire then. Jeez. What happened to the contestants though?"
Midnight got back up after being sent sailing from the clash of attacks. She glanced over to the ring, and found Shoto, standing there and breathing heavily, with the left side of his top burnt off and ice behind his back, most likely to keep him from getting knocked out of the ring.
Izuku wasn't so lucky. He had been slammed back into the wall, leg and arms broken, as he slowly leaned over and fell to the ground unconscious.
"There…" Midnight said breathlessly, "Midoriya… is out of bounds. Todoroki wins! He will advance to the third round!"
The crowd cheered, and Sora smiled. This was a victory in more ways than one.
(Play: MHA OST - Plus Ultra)
Boo Yah! The highlight of the canon MHA Sports Festival, here at last! Guest starring Sora, of course.
Chapter 24's done, with Bakugo showing respect to Ochaco by actually seeing her as a threat, and Izuku saving Shoto from darkness. Now, you can probably guess what's coming up the next chapter, and trust me, you won't be disappointed. Get hyped! Sora vs. Hanabi is up next!
Onto Reviews!
Jaded671: Thanks for the feedback, and yes, this will help Momo a bit, but her confidence is still down in the dumps. And as you can see, it was a brutal matchup.
Gamelover41592: Yes indeed. We all need a Sora in our lives.
The OC Maniac: Uh oh. I think I let something slip, huh? Either way, you'll find out next chapter, OC! And thanks for the feedback!
Zach Flare SOLDIER Class S: Question. When did Aizawa even hint at Katsuki being a favorite student? He just said that he has talent, but also has a temper that he needs to deal with. I don't think Aizawa has a favorite student at all, only problem children that most often get on his nerves. If anything, the only problem Katsuki has is that superiority complex he's gotten over the years that's made him a complete asshole to most of the people around him. You can have your opinion on Katsuki, but I don't think he's a villain. His attitude makes you want to hate him, but ultimately, there's more to Katsuki than what meets the eye.
Katsuki's an asshole in Seasons 1-3. There's no doubt about it. But his dream is the same as the others in Class A: to become a Hero. He admires All Might just as much as Izuku does, but unlike Izuku, who is inspired by the Symbol of Peace to save everyone with a smile, Katsuki admired All Might for his strength and how he wins every single time fighting the bad guys. The fact that so many people praised him for his Quirk for most of his younger life only solidified his beliefs. That's where he gets his total victory mindset. He won't accept a ring out or a forfeit from his opponent here. He can't even see All Might as someone who would lose, so he wants to be a Hero who will never lose to anybody, which is why he aims to be the best of the best here at the Festival. That dream of victory isn't bad. It's only bad as the person who has the dream.
That aside, their fight, however drawn out as it was, doesn't end all that bad. Ochaco's loss drives her to learn close quarter combat, and Katsuki earns some degree of respect for her. Look at what he said after their fight. He doesn't see her as a weak person anymore. She's proven to him that she can be a serious threat if he doesn't take her seriously. In my opinion, Katsuki's more of a warrior with WAY too much pride and a misguided mindset. If he was a villain, he'd just see Ochaco as a huge annoyance, even after their match, and gain absolutely no respect for her at all. You can think differently, and I won't stop you from thinking that way, but it's not changing what happens in this story. And one final thing. If he was a villain, he would have been with the League of Villains a long time ago. But nope, he wants to be a Hero, and it wouldn't sit well with the public if he just used his explosions to kill Ochaco.
And before you go on telling me he's a brute and a stupid kid, Katsuki placed 3rd in midterms according to MHA. He's not pure-hearted, but he's also not an idiot.
Publish: Well, we can't deny that he does show her respect, no matter how twisted we think it may be. Thanks for the feedback, Publish.
Guest: I'm glad you like these changes Guest! Stay safe out there!
Tiger1301: I'm keeping that a secret. Can't spoil it all for you.
CallofRanger13: Huh... that's food for thought. I'll get back to you on that Ranger.
keybladelight: Wait and see.
Guest: Shhh... wait and see...
blueassassin996: Who knows. It could be the same stranger all the way from Chapter 4. Or someone else entirely. Stay tuned, blueassassin!
Any thoughts with this chapter? I'm glad if you enjoyed reading it, but if not, I'm sorry for not meeting expectations.
Okay. Pencil down. I'm out.
Thanks for reading my story, and until our paths cross again!
(Silence)
