Boku no Hero Academia: Izuku's Pet Noumu
Disclaimer: This is a mature-rated fanfiction story of Boku no Hero Academia that I am writing for both fluffy and erotic fun. Needless to say, this story is AU, the characters may seem OOC to some and there will be smutty lemons. Also, I own nothing of the series other than the fanfiction stories that I make.
Chapter 3: Sports Festival Part 1
It was the day of the U.A. Sports Festival. People from all over Japan, including a number of notable pro-heroes such as Mount Lady, Death Arms and Kamui Woods, had gathered to watch the first years' performances, especially Class 1A. Needless to say, excitement and expectation filled the air.
In the waiting room for Class 1A, Shouto confronted Izuku, "Midoriya."
"Yes, Todoroki-san?" asked Izuku. Wankuro, who was standing beside him, tilted her head out of curiosity.
"In terms of abilities, I believe that we're almost equal to one another," replied Shouto who then added, "However, even if Wankuro is undoubtedly the strongest among us and your quirk is arguably the most similar to All Might's, I have no intention of losing to either of you. I will win this festival with only my ice."
While the rest of Class 1A watched the confrontation with interest, Izuku sighed said, "I've been wondering for a while, Todoroki-san. Why do you refuse to use your fire even when facing Wan-chan?" Before Shouto could reply, Izuku added, "Even if your fire is ineffective against her, you can still use it to warm yourself up so that you can still use your ice."
"That is none of your business, Midoriya," growled Shouto who then said, "I will defeat the both of you with only my ice."
"Then I hope that you're prepared to lose because both Wankuro and I will give it our all, Todoroki-san," said Izuku.
--A short while later…--
A man with long blond hair that was spiked upwards, a small moustache and rectangular greenish-yellow eyes named Yamada Hizashi loudly announced, "Pay attention, spectators! Gather around, mass media! This year's high school event that you all love, the U.A. Sports Festival, is about the begin! Are you ready?!"
As the spectators cheered loudly in response, Hizashi, who was also known as the pro-hero, Present Mic, announced, "It's time for the students to enter the first-year stage!" Shouta, who was seated next to Hizashi as a co-commentator, sighed in resigned aggravation towards his overly loud and passionate fellow pro-hero and teacher at U.A. High School who always wore his orange-tinted shades.
Inko, who was seated next to Toshinori at the teachers' seats, nervously asked, "Will Izuku and Wan-chan be all right?"
Toshinori, who was currently in his skeletal true form, smiled reassuringly at Inko and said, "I'm sure that they will be fine. They may have been through much but their spirits and hearts are nothing short of remarkable."
Inko blushed slightly as she smiled back at Toshinori and nodded. Although single for more than a decade, due to her husband demanding a divorce after he found out that Izuku was quirkless, she never had the time or opportunity to find another man. Being welcomed to stay at the dorm of U.A. High School was a blessing for her as she could not only stay close to Izuku, Wankuro and their friends but also have an excuse to spend time with the wonderful man who was still helping Izuku to achieve his dream of becoming a hero, Toshinori. Oh, she had her suspicion of who Toshinori really was but she was willing to let him keep his secret until he felt ready to reveal his hero identity to her.
Toshinori blushed in return as he could not help but recall his former mentor, a well-built yet slender and beautiful woman with a voluptuous figure and a small mole below the right side of her bottom lip named Shimura Nana, whenever he looked at Inko. His fellow teachers and pro-heroes smirked at Toshinori's obvious attraction towards Inko who was also romantically interested in him.
"The U.A. Sports Festival is an event where fledgling heroes step forward to prove their worth to the world!" said Hizashi who then asked, "Of course, you're all here to see them, right? The miraculous new stars who overcame that villain attack at the USJ with their hearts of steel, the hero course class, Class 1A!"
As Hizashi made his announcement, Class 1A entered the field. In spite of his determination, Izuku felt nervous as he had to say, "There's… sure a lot of people here."
"Will we be able to perform at our best while being watched by so many people?" wondered Tenya who then concluded, "Then again, this can be considered as a part of training to be a pro-hero."
"Present Mic sure is going overboard with the praise," said Eijirou who then admitted, "I'm actually getting a little nervous." He then asked Izuku, "What about you, Midoriya?"
"Same here," admitted Izuku who then wore a determined smile and added, "But that's all the more reason to stay calm and do our best."
Eijirou grinned at Izuku and gave him a thumbs-up as he spoke to him, "Hell, yeah!"
While Izuku and his classmates made their appearance, Hizashi announced, "They haven't gotten as much airtime, but they're also full of talent! The hero course class, Class 1B!" The students of Class 1B, including Tetsutetsu, entered the field from a separate entrance. Hizashi then proceeded to introduce the general studies course classes, Classes 1C, 1D and 1E, the support course classes, Classes 1F, 1G and 1H and the business course classes, Classes 1I, 1J and 1K.
Once all the first-year classes had gathered in the field, Nemuri, who was standing on a stage, cracked her flogger-style whip and said, "It's time for the players' pledge. Representing the students is Midoriya Izuku from Class 1A who has not only scored the highest in the hero course entrance exams but was also the one responsible for saving Midoriya Wankuro from her fate as a tool for the League of Villains!"
Izuku, who already knew that he was going to speak on behalf of the first years, swallowed down his nervousness. Wankuro smiled at Izuku and held his hand with her own while nodding at him. Reassured by her gesture for support, Izuku let go of her hand and walked up onto the stage. Feeling thousands of eyes boring into him, Izuku knew that he had to get it right to not only officiate the start of the sports festival but also send a message which he had wanted to speak out for a long time.
Soon, he stood on the stage next to Nemuri. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, including his trembling fists, Izuku said, "Before I made my pledge, I would like to first apologise if I end up becoming a bit long-winded… like a certain principal whom we all know about."
Izuku's attempt at making a joke made a few people, especially the teachers and students of U.A. High School who knew about Nedzu, chuckle in amusement. Heartened by the response, especially from Wankuro, Ochako and Tsuyu, Izuku smiled before he proceeded to speak:
--Start of Speech…--
It has always been a hero's duty to protect the innocent, to uplift the weak, to guide the lost, to inspire the hopeless and to vanquish the evil.
It may seem to be common sense to just about anyone who has a good grasp of morals and virtue, but, in this age of quirks, of pro-heroes, I feel that a much-needed reminder is in order.
For more than a decade, I've been basically quirkless as my quirk did not manifest until a few days before I took the entrance exams into this high school. However, I was not the only one who was deemed as quirkless, as worthless by the standards of people who believe that only those with strong quirks have any value in our current society. Midoriya Wankuro, my adopted sister whom I saved during the USJ attack, was also diagnosed as quirkless.
I'm sure many of you already know about her original quirk, Indomitable Spirit, so I will not go over that. Instead, I wish to tell you more about my past with her and how it has affected my life.
I'll be perfectly honest, I was a wimp and a crybaby when I was a kid. In spite of that, I wanted to be a hero who could bring hope to others like All Might. However, when I was diagnosed as quirkless, my entire world was on the verge of collapse. I did not have many friends back then and almost all of them abandoned me after realising that I was quirkless. All except Wankuro.
Like I said before, she was also considered quirkless due to the nature of her hidden quirk which even I did not realise she had when we were kids. At the time, all I saw was a fellow quirkless kid who, against all odds, had the courage to stand up against people with quirks and somehow be victorious. Seeing her bravery and her ability to keep standing up in spite of being knocked down was nothing short of inspiring.
It didn't take long for us to become the best of friends. I can still remember how she tried to "toughen" me up by making me learn how to throw a punch and kick someone between the legs. I also remember how she loved getting her head petted by me whenever we were alone.
However, as many of you should know by now, she was sold by her… blood-relatives to the League of Villains and was unwillingly turned into a noumu. It was only by sheer good luck that she not only retained her sanity in spite of years of isolation and torture but also recognised me before she could hurt anyone.
To say that I took the loss badly back then would be an understatement. I was about to lose all hope again but, as I thought about our friendship and what it meant for me, I realised that I had to follow her example and stand up no matter how many times life continues to knock me down to honour her memory.
Like what I've said before, I was basically quirkless until a few days before the entrance exams. In spite of that, I was determined to be a pro-hero if only to prove to the world that even a quirkless person can achieve great things. Even if I had failed to become a pro-hero, I would have chosen a different path to become someone who could somehow help others no matter how small or insignificant my actions may be in the greater scheme of things. I could have been a policeman, a fireman, a doctor, a hero support staff, a journalist, a cook, a counsellor, a teacher or even someone who simply cleans up the trash. Regardless of what official job title I hold, I would not feel shame as long as I know that I am helping others and making this world, where men are not born equal, a better place.
So many people in this society believe that it is only with great power can evil be held in check. However, that is not what I believe in. It is the little things, the everyday simple acts of kindness and love that truly keep the evil at bay. I know that it is true because it was not my quirk that saved Wankuro but the bond of love between us that somehow remained strong even after years of being apart due to cruel circumstances.
I may never be as brave or as strong as the heroes whom I look up to, All Might most of all, but people like Wankuro, my mother, my friends and my teachers give me courage and strength.
To all the people out there who are weak, who are treated unfairly, who hold doubt about themselves, who wish that they could somehow help others, don't give up hope or being kind to others. There are people out there out there who truly care for you or need you. You just have to be brave enough to step forward and say, "I am here."
--End of Speech…--
Izuku did not even realise that he was crying until he had finished his speech. He also did not realise that a lot of people were crying, especially his mother who was actually causing a small flood, until he wiped the tears from his watery eyes. He was about to worry that he had somehow messed up his pledge when people started to clap. It wasn't a calm or polite round of applause. It was a passionate cheer in honour of someone who truly understood what it meant to be a hero. He was so shocked by the overwhelming response that he almost failed to notice a tearfully happy Wankuro knocking him down so that she could hug him and nuzzle against his face.
--Meanwhile, in a certain hideout…--
Tomura, who was begrudgingly watching the sports festival on All For One's demand, was scratching his neck with his left hand so viciously that he was tearing off the skin on his neck. Tears fell from his eyes as his mind was flooded with images or repressed memories such as being helpless as he was abused, seeing his whole family die and not receiving help from anyone other than All For One after he had lost everything. He was starting to hyperventilate as he growled, "Who… the fuck does that hero wannabe dip shit thinks he is?! Simple acts of kindness and love? If that shit is so great… why the fuck was I abandoned by basically everyone?!"
In his rage, Tomura yelled as he destroyed the computer which he was using to watch the U.A. Sports Festival. He didn't even think about using his quirk as he simply tore the disintegrating desk apart with his bare hands. Once he had destroyed the desk and the computer, he thought about Izuku and viciously swore, "Modoriya Izuku, I will destroy you and everything that you love!"
When All For One heard about Tomura's tantrum and the reason behind it, he was nothing short of pleased as his successor had finally found a true enemy to despise with every fibre of his being.
--Elsewhere, in Hosu…--
Iida Tensei, Tenya's elder brother who was also the pro-hero, Ingenuim, was supposed to make his rounds to keep the city safe. However, Izuku's heartfelt speech stopped him in his tracks as he took in the boy's words. Moved by Izuku's words, Tensei shed tears like many others as he thought to himself, "Tenya, you're truly lucky to have someone like Midoriya-kun as a friend."
Little did Tensei realise that even a certain hero-killing villain named Stain was also deeply moved by Izuku's speech to the point of weeping and calling him a true hero. In fact, Stain was so moved by Izuku's speech that he had decided to stop his crusade to purge "fake heroes" for the moment so that he could watch the first-year stage of the sports festival. After all, Izuku was taking part in it.
--Back at the sports festival stadium…---
Izuku was hiding his blushing face behind his hands as he waited for the first event to be decided by random choice. He would have curled up into a small ball on the ground had Wankuro not decided to carry him around like a rag doll, again. Smiling at the boy who had proven himself to be truly worthy of being called a hero, Ochako said, "Cheer up Deku, your speech was really incredible!"
"Indeed, I'm sure even my brother would find it inspiring, Midoriya-kun!" agreed Tenya.
"That speech is nothing short of absolutely manly!" said Eijirou.
"A dazzling speech that would not lose out to even my sparkling upcoming performance in this sports festival!" said Yuuga.
"A speech that inspires all to stand up against the darkness of evil," agreed Fumikage.
"I'm pumped to give this sports festival everything I've got!" yelled Tooru.
"Plus Ultra!" yelled Mina.
Except for Izuku and Katsuki, everyone else in Class 1A yelled together, "PLUS ULTRA!"
While Izuku's classmates were cheering, Hitoshi glanced at them and thought, "This war… might be even harder than I expected." He then smirked and his eyes shone with determination as he mentally added, "However, that makes taking part in it all the more worthwhile!"
Hitoshi was not the only one as the students of Class 1B were also determined to win. Tetsutetsu grinned at his classmates and asked, "So, who wants to ditch the original plan and go plus ultra on everyone?"
A boy with slick blond hair, periwinkle-purple eyes with white pupils and a smirk which gave him a contemptuous look named Monoma Neito frowned at Tetsutetsu's suggestion and said, "I thought we agreed to use the first event to study the quirks of those Class 1A losers."
"And I never liked that plan," claimed Tetsutetsu who then explained, "I mean, I get that it'll help us win the later events but it never settled well with me." He then wore a grin as he added, "Besides, after that speech just now, doing anything less than giving it all we've got will be an insult to everyone, ourselves included!"
Neito was about to argue with Tetsutetsu when a girl with a round face, a short equine muzzle, thick wavy blond hair, large round Prussian-blue eyes, a pair of tall lyre-shaped tan-coloured horns on her head, rounded calves with brown hooves in place of feet and a short horsetail timidly said, "I… I also want to go plus ultra." When everyone turned their attention towards the equine girl, who was a half-Japanese American named Tsunotori Pony, she explained, "I couldn't understand every word that Midoriya-san said but I understood what he wanted to say."
Realising that even the American girl who was still not very fluent in Japanese was inspired by Izuku's speech, Neito was about to remind everyone about the original plan, which involved letting Class 1A win the first event so that they could study their quirks, when a chubby boy with ice-blue hair, a round face and large wide eyes named Shouda Nirengeki said, "I also want to do my very best."
"M-me too, shroom!" exclaimed a short girl with a thin build, honey-brown hair that formed a mushroom-shaped bob and cat-like brown eyes with cross-shaped pupils named Komori Kinoko.
"I concur," said a beastly-looking boy with shaggy brown hair and a large lower jaw with two of his lower canines jutting out named Shishida Juurouta. Adjusting his rectangular spectacles, he explained, "After hearing that speech, I have no intention to hold back even if forsaking the original plan makes it harder for us to win the sports festival."
"I'm inclined to agree with the Beast of Revelation," said a girl with squinted dark-green eyes that had long lower eyelashes and green thorn-covered vines in place of hair named Shiozaki Ibara. A religious Christian girl, she also never fully agreed with the original plan.
A girl with teal eyes and long ginger hair which was tied into a high ponytail on the left side of her head named Kendou Itsuka smiled at Neito and said, "I'm also thinking of ditching the original plan." It should be noted that she was the class representative of Class 1B and was respected as the elder sister figure of the class. A number of other students from Class 1B nodded in agreement with her.
Shocked by Itsuka's statement, Neito was at a loss for words when Nemuri suddenly cracked her whip and announced, "All right, enough delays! Let's get started with our first event! Also known as the preliminaries, only a few contenders will be able to make it to the next event! This year's preliminaries is… this!"
The screen behind Nemuri displayed an obstacle race as the preliminary event. Nemuri then explained the event for both the students and the spectators, "It's a race between all eleven first-year classes! It is nearly four kilometres long and goes around the stadium. As long as the students stay within the course, they're all free to do anything!" A large door which led to the obstacle race course opened as Nemuri continued to speak, "So let's get right into it! On your mark…"
Everyone who wanted to win the race became tense as they waited for it to start.
"Get set…" said Nemuri who then cracked her whip and yelled, "GO!"
It was at that moment when everyone quickly realised why the League of Villains claimed that Wankuro was as dangerous as the noumu specifically designed to kill All Might.
When training with human opponents, including the likes of Minoru and even Katsuki, Wankuro instinctively held back to avoid causing permanent harm or fatal injuries. However, in an obstacle race which included robot adversaries which she could destroy without restraint? Well, she basically went all out.
Transforming into her wolf form while running on all fours with crimson flames flickering around her body, she quickly took the lead and literally tore her way through the robots with powerful bites, razor-sharp claws and hellish fireballs without even slowing down. Not even building-sized robots known as Zero-Pointers were spared as she tore off whole chunks of their enormous frames with her bare teeth. By the time Wankuro ran past the robots like a whirlwind of flames, with no one even close to catching up to her, more than half of the robots were completely destroyed due to being reduced to pieces of half-melted scrap. Even Class 1A, who at least had some idea of how strong she truly was, were shocked by how destructive she could be as they had never seen her fight against robotic opponents before.
Hizashi stared at the utterly decimated robots in dumbstruck amazement, and no small amount of terrified horror, to the point that he did not say a word while his shades were close to falling off his face. He then had to say, " I think I speak for all of us here when I say that I'm extremely glad that Midoriya Izuku managed to stop Midoriya Wankuro before she did anything even half as bad as THAT."
Understandably, many students were demoralised by Wankuro's downright insane level of destructive power. All except one who grinned audaciously and ran forward while yelling at the top of his voice, "Plus ultra!" Everyone quickly realised that the person who was still running, with electrical arcs trailing behind him, was none other than Izuku himself.
Recalling Izuku's speech, many of the students felt their determination reignite as they charged forward and yelled in unison, "PLUS ULTRA!"
Before long, Wankuro reached another part of the obstacle race which was a canyon which had to be trekked by walking on ropes. Due to her abilities as a noumu, she easily leapt across each rock formation to get from one side of the canyon to the other. However, just as she had reached the other side of the canyon and turned around to see if anyone had caught up, someone flew overhead past her. Surprised, she turned around and realised that a pony-like girl was riding on a pair of flying horns. The pony-like girl, Pony, smiled at Wankuro and said, "Sorry, but I'm taking the first place!"
"Not if I can take it first!" yelled a girl who had somehow detached herself into several flying pieces including a head, an upper torso, a lower torso, arms and legs. Known as Tokage Setsuna, she had large upturned dusky-green eyes, pointed teeth and dark moss-green hair.
Wankuro's surprise soon turned into joyful determination as she quickly turned around and ran to catch up with both Pony and Setsuna who had flown past her.
"Holy hell! Those two students from Class 1B actually managed to catch up with the dreaded black hound of Class 1A!" yelled Hizashi.
"Considering that they are both capable of flight and can simply fly right over the canyon while Midoriya Wankuro had to leap over various rock formations to avoid falling into it, it's no wonder that they managed to catch up to her after getting over their initial shock," explained Shouta who then added, "While it may seem obvious that the top three winners will be those three at the rate this race is going, I should mention that, unlike previous years, we will be accepting the top forty-three students instead of the usual top forty-two students who manage to finish the race. This increase in the number of students was a decision made in response to allowing Midoriya Wankuro to join the sports festival."
Hizashi grinned at Shouta and commented, "Oh, it seems that my co-commentator is being awfully chatty today!"
Shouta huffed as he argued, "Considering the downright irrational level of excitement this sports festival is already generating, someone has to be the rational voice of reason around here."
Hizashi did not respond to Shouta's statement but instead commented, "At any rate, those three are now reaching the final obstacle of the race, the Mine Field! It is set up so that you can tell where the mines are if you look carefully so you will have to make use of your eyes and legs!" Hizashi had a smirk on his face as he added, "By the way, those land minds are for games so they are not that powerful but they are still loud and flashy enough to make anyone wet their pants!"
Shouta rolled his eyes and argued, "That entirely depends on the person triggering the mines."
As soon as Setsuna saw the minefield ahead, she grinned at Wankuro and said, "Sorry, but we're going to take this victory!" Unless Wankuro could somehow fly, she was at an obvious disadvantage compared to Setsuna and Pony who could simply fly over the mine field.
Undeterred by the sight of the minefield, Wankuro suddenly accelerated to run ahead of both Setsuna and Pony. She then leapt into the air and spun while transforming into her original form which was completely naked. Her paw-like hands were covered in crimson flames and similar flames emerged from her mouth. Realising what Wankuro was planning to do, both Pony and Setsuna panicked and flew away as Wankuro quickly called out her move, "Cerberus Inferno!"
A twisting triple-torrent of crimson fire erupted from her hands and mouth, tearing through the minefield and creating a hellish blazing path which only those who could resist fire would be able to safely pass through. In fact, the fire extended past the mine field right into a tunnel which led right to the finish line. Nemuri, who was waiting for the contestants to run past the finish line, panicked as she backed away from the hot flames. Grinning at her handiwork, Wankuro quickly ran into the still-burning fire and transformed back into her wolf form, quickly securing her place as the first winner of the race.
Staring at the insane display of destructive power, Setsuna had to say, "I know that girl is supposed to be strong enough to take on All Might but that's just way too overpowered!"
--Some time later…--
For the sake of simplifying a list of the top forty-three students who had passed the finish line, the writer of this story only listed the top ten students from first to tenth: Wankuro, Izuku, Setsuna, Pony, Shouto, Ibara, Sero, Tenya, Katsuki, and Fumikage. Also, basically everyone from Class 1A and Class 1B passed the preliminary event. The two other students who passed the event were Hitoshi and a girl from the support course who had a mature build, salmon-pink dreadlocks and wide yellow eyes which resemble scope lenses named Hatsume Mei.
As for how Izuku managed to get the second place, it involved using 20% of One For All to break through Shouto's attempts to block the other contenders with his ice which was necessary to put out Wankuro's crimson flames. Setsuna and Pony could not catch up with Izuku's sudden burst of speed at 20% of One For All but they did manage to fly past Shouto after Izuku broke the ice. As for why Katsuki was in ninth place, Pony panicked when she saw him barrelling towards her and made another pair of detachable horns to send him flying back. Needless to say, Katsuki was close to becoming a mouth-frothing berserker due to sheer rage and humiliation.
It should be noted that, due to burning off her own clothes at the start of the obstacle race so that she could run unrestricted as a wolf, Wankuro was basically naked for the whole race. Needless to say, she had to quickly put on a replacement set of clothes before the sports festival could continue. Her nakedness reminded some of the spectators of a certain third year student with a tall muscular body, a simple-looking face with blue oval-shaped eyes and blond hair with a cowlick named Tougata Mirio. Much like her, he ended up naked during his previous appearances at the sports festival due to the nature of his quirk.
"As stated before, the top forty-three will proceed to the next event. For those who did not make it, don't worry. We've prepared other chances for you all to shine," said Nemuri who licked her lips before she said further, "The real competition begins next! It's time for you to give it your all!"
The second event which was displayed on the screen was a cavalry battle. Nemuri smiled as she explained the rules of the game, "Participants can form teams of two to four people as they wish. It's basically the same as a normal cavalry battle but the one thing that makes if different is that each person has been assigned a point of value based on the results of the last game."
"A point-based system like the entrance exams, huh?" said Rikidou.
"In other words, each team is worth different points depending on who's on the team," said Ochako.
Mina, who initially did not understand the point system of the game, smiled at Ochako and exclaimed, "I see!"
Annoyed, Nemuri cracked her whip and irritably yelled, "You brats sure are chatty even even though I'm talking!" After she calmed down, she continued to explain, "That said, Uraraka Ochako is correct about each team being worth different points based on who's on the team. Also, the points assigned go up by five starting from the bottom who only has five points. This means that the 43rdwill have five points while the 42ndwill have ten points and so forth. However, while the second will have 210 points, the first will have… ten million points!"
A moment of silence passed before Wankuro blinked and uttered, "Ten… million…?" She then turned her attention to Izuku and innocently asked, "It's big number?"
Almost everyone in the stadium was floored by Wankuro's child-like response while Izuku chuckled and replied, "Yes, it is."
"What are you? Ten?" yelled Neito who could not believe that Wankuro did not even realise how big a deal having ten million points was.
Izuku frowned at Neito and said, "She was sold to the League of Villains BEFORE she was ten. You didn't honestly expect THEM to give her a proper education, did you?"
Upon hearing Izuku's response, and getting disapproving glares from basically everyone around him including his own classmates, Neito wisely decided to shut up.
"That girl's understandable ignorance aside, she has ten million points," said Hitoshi as he turned his attention back to Wankuro.
"In other words, anyone who can take down her team…" said Mei.
"-will stand at the top no matter what place you're in!" said almost everyone around Wankuro.
"That's right," confirmed Nemuri who then added, "It's survival of the fittest, with a chance for those at the bottom to overthrow the top!"
In spite of the pressure that came with having ten million points, Wankuro grinned audaciously and said, "Bring it!" Everyone around her could actually feel her fighting spirit yet many of them refused to back down from the challenge.
"Now then, I will explain the rules of the cavalry battle," said Nemuri who then explained, "The time limit is fifteen minutes. Each team is worth the total points of its individual members. The riders will wear headbands with the total points of their respective teams on their foreheads. Teams will try to grab each other's headbands until the time runs out while trying to hold onto as many points as they can. Stolen points must be worn from the neck up. The more you steal, the harder it will be to manage them! The most important thing though is that even if your headband gets stolen or if your team falls, you're not out! While this game is a cruel fight were you can use your quirks, it's still a cavalry battle. This means that you will get a red card for attacks that make people fall on purpose and will be removed immediately!"
Katsuki clicked his tongue in distaste as he realised that he could not simply knock everyone down.
"You all have fifteen minutes to form your teams. Start!" announced Nemuri.
--Fifteen minutes later…--
Katsuki was close to hyperventilating as he could not believe what was happening to him. No one, not even his own classmates, wanted him on their team even though he had a strong quirk. He could not understand why they would rather choose certain defeat (a.k.a. not being No.1) in the second round than have him as a team mate. Not even that perverted midget wanted to have anything to do with him!
In Katsuki's arrogant belief that he was better than everyone else, to the point that he did not even bother to remember the names or quirks of most of his classmates, he never once realised how his own attitude had made others decide to forsake him. The fact that Izuku was willing to tell others about his past relationship with Katsuki, especially after Wankuro joined Class 1A, certainly would not help Katsuki but the arrogant blond boy never imagined that so many people would actually side with Izuku of all people.
As the other forty-two students formed their respective cavalry teams, Katsuki was automatically disqualified on the grounds of failing to form his own team. Alone and forsaken, during what was basically a national event no less, Katsuki had to bite his lower lip to stop himself from crying or lashing out due to losing before he could even take part in the cavalry game.
Ironically enough, had Katsuki actually tried to talk to his classmates instead of expecting them to come to him for help, he might have been able to form a team of his own. However, in his refusal to appear "weak" by asking for help from "extras", he was essentially excluded from a game that required teams to be played properly by everyone else.
Shouta, who had observed the unexpected yet unsurprising turn of events, sighed as he knew that he would need to have a word with Katsuki. For all his faults and past sins, Katsuki was undeniably strong, talented and driven to be a pro-hero. However, Katsuki would have to learn the value of humility and compassion to have any real chance of achieving his dream to be the next No.1 pro-hero.
"That aside, some of those teams are rather interesting," thought Shouta.
Izuku formed a team with Ochako, Hatsume and Hitoshi. In fact, Hitoshi was the rider. As for why such was the case, Izuku knew that his own ability to jump high and run quickly would complement well with Ochako's gravity-nullifying quirk. Besides, Izuku's finger flicking technique, known as Deleware Smash, couldn't be used for the game due to the rules in place. Hatsume could have chosen chosen to side with Wankuro but she decided to join Izuku's team instead as she deemed him as a better source of publicity for her support gear which she called her "babies". Hitoshi, who wanted to get to the finals, decided to try his luck with Izuku by explaining how his "villainous brainwashing quirk" worked and how it could be used to defeat Wankuro's team. Surprisingly for Hitoshi, Izuku did not think that his quirk was villainous and was in fact amazed by its potential to stop not only villains but also stop civilians from panicking. Understandably, Hitoshi was moved by Izuku's sincere admiration for his quirk and vowed to do his best to win for not just himself but for Izuku as well. Izuku took the front position while Ochako was on the right and Hatsume was on the left.
Wankuro's team comprised of herself, Kouji, Rikidou and Fumikage. In truth Wankuro wanted to have Izuku in her team but she understood his desire to not only stand on his own but also find a way to defeat her as a rival. As such, she decided to form a team with Kouji and Rikidou whom she liked. The fact that Kouji could talk to animals made him pretty useful in her opinion since his quirk allowed him to command birds to take other people's headbands away. Rikidou, whose quirk allowed him to get a temporary strength boost by consuming sugar, would allow her to move more freely until the effects of his quirk wore off. Fumikage's Dark Shadow was very versatile and the fact that Dark Shadow grew stronger in darkness gave Wankuro a fiendishly cunning idea. Kouji was the rider while Wankuro took the front position, Rikidou took the right position and Fumikage took the left position.
Shouto's team comprised of himself, Momo, Tenya and Denki. Shouto was the rider while Tenya took the front position, Momo took the right position and Denki took the left position.
Minoru's team was a bit unusual as both Minoru and Tsuyu were riding on one person who was Mezou. Minoru was the main rider with the headband.
Tooru's team comprised of herself, Kyouka, Mashirao and Yuuga. Much to their embarrassment, Tooru, who was the "invisible rider", took off her shirt and bra so that she only had her headband from the waist up. Yuuga took the front position while Mashirao took the right position and Kyouka took the left position.
Due to a distinct lack of a certain Bakugou Katsuki, Hanta's team comprised of only himself, Mina and Eijirou. Hanta was the rider while Eijirou took the front position and Mina took the back position. Eijirou was considering asking Katsuki if he wanted to join the team but, after recalling Izuku's bitter past with the explosive boy, he decided that Katsuki should be the one to ask instead. Both Mina and Hanta, who had no reason to like Katsuki, agreed with Eijirou's decision regardless of how useful his strong quirk and abilities would have been for them.
Rin Hiryuu, a boy with black hair tied into a low braid and reptilian eyes with small irises teamed up with Juurouta. Hiryuu was the rider while Juurouta was on all fours.
Pony's team comprised of herself and a tall slender boy named Kamakiri Togaru who had pale yellow-green skin, a bright fluffy green mohawk and an insectoid head with dark green eyes and two hooked blades jutting out for his cheeks. Togaru was the rider while Pony was on all fours.
A quiet girl with bob-shaped black hair, cerulean eyes, an athletic build and a neutral expression on her face named Kodai Yui formed her own team with three boys. One of them was a tall boy with a very large and muscular stature, straw-yellow skin and a head shaped somewhat like a glue dispenser with a lappet and seven eye holes named Bondo Kojirou. The other boy, whose name was Fukidashi Manga, was short and had a white speech bubble for a head. The third boy was Nirengeki. While Yui was the rider, Kojirou took the front position, Manga took the right position and Nirengeki took the left position.
Neito's team comprised of himself who was the rider and three boys who were his classmates. The boy who took the front position was a boy with short brown hair and oval shaped eyes with oval pupils named Tsuburaba Kousei. Another boy with fluffy white hair, thin black eyes and pitch-black skin named Kuroiro Shihai took the right position while another boy with dark shaggy hair and lazy-looking dark eyes named Kaibara Sen took the left position.
Itsuka's team comprised of herself, Kinoko, Setsuna and a girl with pale-grey hair, dark bags under her blue eyes and a small mouth with full lips named Yanagi Reiko. Itsuka was the rider while Reiko took the front position, Kinoko took the right position and Setsuna took the left position.
The last team comprised of Tetsutetsu, who was the rider, and three other students from Class 1B. Taking the front position was a pale-skinned boy with angular eyes, spiked beige hair, a flat nose, small eyebrows and a lipless mouth with exposed teeth named Honenuki Juuzou. Ibara took the right position while a boy with long spiked black hair and rounded grey eyes named Awase Yousetsu took the left position.
With the teams assembled, Hizashi started the countdown from three to zero. As soon as as he reached zero, Nemuri cracked her whip and yelled, "Start!"
As soon as the match started, Kouji yelled at the top of his voice, "Please blot out the sun!"
Surprised by the unexpected yell, everyone paused for a moment and soon realised that Kouji had commanded every flying animal in the vicinity to blot out the sun so that the stadium would be covered in darkness as thought there was a partial solar eclipse. Surprise and uncertainty soon turned into fear as Fumikage released a red-eyed version of Dark Shadow which was both larger and more ferocious-looking than normal. In fact, Dark Shadow looked downright demonic as it glared threateningly at everyone around it. Wankuro's vicious grin while crimson flames burned around her eyes did not reassure anyone as she spoke to the other teams, "Who wants some?"
"Holy stinking super-crap!" yelled Hizashi who then commented, "Midoriya Wankuro had just created the perfect environment for Tokayami Fumikage's Dark Shadow with the help of Kouda Kouji's quirk!"
"That's one way to create an advantage," agreed Shouta who was impressed by Wankuro's level of cunning.
Staring at both Wankuro and the hulking version of Dark Shadow, Hitoshi had to ask his team mates, "So… Plan B?"
Izuku nodded and replied, "Unless you can somehow take control of Dark Shadow, Plan B." Given Kouji's quiet nature, even Izuku knew that Hitoshi would have a hard time trying to brainwash him.
"Good, because if you have insisted on going after the ten million over points, I would have brainwashed you so that you don't get us all killed," said Hitoshi who had a deadpan expression on his face.
Izuku chuckled in response and said, "Let's go after the Class 1B teams." Ochako and Mei nodded in agreement with him.
Minoru, who looked like he was about to wet himself, said, "Guy's we're skipping the ten million over points."
"Agreed, kero," replied Tsuyu. Although her face was blank as usual, she was actually intimidated by Wankuro's team which made her frog-like instincts recognise them as dangerous predators.
"No argument there," agreed Mezou.
"Please tell me that one of us has a plan against that!" begged Denki who, much like Minoru, looked like he was about to wet himself.
Shouto glared at Dark Shadow and then realised something that could help his team get the points. He then turned his attention to Momo and asked, "Can you make flash grenades? The light might weaken Tokayami's Dark Shadow enough to give us a chance!"
Realising what Shouto was planning, Momo nodded and quickly made a flash grenade which she then threw towards Wankuro's team. However, Wankuro saw the grenade and spat out a fireball to destroy it. In spite of exploding prematurely, the bright flash was enough to cause Dark Shadow to shriek and retreat back into Fumikage before reforming itself. It also became angrier and harder for Fumikage to control.
Momo frowned and said, "It certainly worked but we can't do anything as long as the sun stays blotted out."
Shouto clicked his tongue in displeasure and was about to suggest a plan to somehow subdue Dark Shadow long enough to get the points when he suddenly saw a familiar beam of laser light. Recognising Yuuga's navel laser beam, and realising that it was also effective in keeping Dark Shadow suppressed, Shouto smirked and said, "Momo, get a flash grenade ready. We're moving in."
Heartened by the realisation that Dark Shadow was not unbeatable even with the sun blotted out, almost everyone moved in to get the headband from Wankuro's rider.
"What a turnabout! Somehow two groups from Class 1A have managed to figure out a way to overcome Midoriya Wankuro's seemingly unbeatable strategy!" yelled Hizashi who then added, "And it seems that the teams from Class 1B are moving in for the top stop too!"
In spite of the setback, Wankuro grinned audaciously and said, "Let's rock!" She then charged forward with the intention of not only defending her team's headband but also stealing as many headbands from the other teams as possible.
Although not unbeatable, Dark Shadow was still a dangerous opponent as it quickly lashed out in an attempt to steal headbands from the other teams. The fact that it tended to target the students from Class 1B was not lost to Neito as he gritted his teeth in frustration and said, "Damn it, if we could act separately, we would have been able to get that headband by now!"
Shihai, whose quirk allowed him to enter anything that was black in colour, including Dark Shadow and even Wankuro, was also frustrated as he could not use his quirk freely even if he was the rider of the team. After all, the game was still a cavalry match with rules.
Suddenly, someone appeared behind Neito and stole his headband. Shocked, Neito turned around and saw Hitoshi grinning smugly at him while saying, "Thanks for the headband."
"Sorry about this!" yelled Izuku.
"Oh, it seems that Midoriya Izuku's team has decided to go after the headbands of a different team!" said Hizashi.
"With so many teams going after the ten million over points, settling for a less prestigious position to ensure a place for the next round is not an irrational choice," said Shouta.
Angered by the fact that Izuku's team had stolen his team's headband, Neito growled, "Everyone, we're going after Izuku's team to get those headbands!"
"Let's go get them then!" yelled Kousei.
Well aware that his team was being targeted, Izuku activated his quirk and quickly ran away while speaking to Hitoshi, "Shinsou-san, we're depending on you and your quirk to protect those headbands!"
Smirking in spite of the "danger" they were facing, Hitoshi replied, "Leave those other riders to me!"
While Izuku was running away with the headband from Neito's team, Minoru's team was struggling against Tetsutetsu's team. Minoru originally planned to capture Tetsutetsu's team with his balls and then allow Tsuyu to steal their headband. However, Ibara noticed their approach and used her vines to block the incoming balls. Although most of her vines were stuck together in a single "bundle", she could still used them to attack and defend. However, Tetsutetsu's group was also struggling as Mezou's extra arms had formed what was basically a protective cover around Minoru and Tsuyu, thus making it difficult to steal their headband. Not only that, Mezou was still fairly agile in spite of carrying two students on his back and Tsuyu's tongue was highly versatile.
Much like Izuku's team and Minoru's team, Hanta's team decided to leave Wankuro's team alone. Instead, they were engaging Hiryuu's team. Hanta had tried to use his tape to restrain Hiryuu but the boy from Class 1B had a quirk which allowed him to produce scales which he could either wear like armour or shoot out as bullet-like projectiles. As such, Hiryuu was able to shoot Hanta's surprisingly durable tape aside before Hanta could wrap it around him. Realising that shooting his tape at Hiryuu would be useless, Hanta said, "We're going to have to get close to them for me to tape him up!"
Eijirou grinned and quickly hardened his skin before he charged towards Hiryuu's team. Realising that Hanta's team was trying to get closer, and that shooting his scales at them could be considered as trying to knock them down which was against the rules, Hiryuu spoke to Juurouta, "Let's get their points and then make a run for it!"
Juurouta grinned as he used his quirk to transform into a beast which was larger and stronger than his normal form. He then ran wildly towards Hanta's team and boisterously yelled, "Hell yeah!"
Just as Juurouta was about to collide into Eijirou, the red-haired boy quickly hardened his skin even further to the point of looking outright monstrous. Training with Wankuro who could actually damage his normal hardened state had allowed him to achieve an even greater level of hardness which even she had trouble damaging unless she was willing to risk maiming him or even killing him. That increased hardened state was known as Eijirou's Unbreakable Form.
As tough as Juurouta was, recklessly colliding head-first into Eijirou who was in his Unbreakable Form was a mistake as he was stunned by the collision. As a result, Juurouta lost his balance and Hiryuu was helpless as Hanta quickly taped him and then stole his headband. Hanta grinned at Hiryuu and said, "Sorry man, but we're planning to win this festival!" While Hanta made off with Hiryuu's headband, Hiryuu struggled to tear off the tough tape which was wrapped around him with his sharp scales.
Izuku was still on the run from Neito's group to protect the head bands on Hitoshi when he saw Pony's Team blocking the way. Noticing that she was not using her detachable horns, which probably meant that she could not make any more, Izuku then noticed that Kamakiri was producing blades on his forearms. Realising the danger, Izuku yelled, "Shinsou-san, use your quirk on him and steal his points! Ochako-chan, Hatsume-san, get ready to make a getaway!"
Hitoshi nodded and then yelled at Kamakiri, "Hey, I never knew that the hero course accepts funky-haired third-rate barbers!"
Infuriated by the insult, especially his hair, Kamakiri yelled, "What the fuck did you…!" Suddenly, Hitoshi's brainwashing quirk affected his mind, causing him to suddenly become limp while Hitoshi grabbed his headband and smugly said, "Thanks for replying."
As soon as Hitoshi got the headband, Ochako negated her team's gravity, thus allowing Izuku to suddenly leap upward with 20% of One For All and remain airborne with Mei's support items which included an actual jet pack.
Neito clicked his tongue in displeasure and asked Kousei, "Tsuburaba, can you do something about that team of losers flying above us?"
"Sorry man, my solid air can't reach that high," said Kousei who then added, "Plus, they're moving too fast for me to get up there and catch up with an "air-bridge"."
"Damn it, we'll just have to try our luck with that brute team from Class 1A then!" said Neito who then directed his team towards Wankuro's team.
While Neito was running towards Wankuro's team, Minoru cried out in dismay, "NOOO!" As for the reason why, Mezou was stuck in softened ground and Minoru had lost his headband.
Tetsutetsu grinned as he had Minoru's headband in hand and said, "We finally got that sneaky bastard's headband!" Thanks to Juuzou's ability to soften things, including the ground Mezou was standing on, and Ibara's dexterous vines, Tetsutetsu's team was able to restrain Mezou long enough for Ibara to steal Minoru's headband with one of her few unrestrained vines.
Suddenly, Tetsutetsu felt a wave of heat from behind him and remembered that the game was still ongoing as he and his team turned around to see Wankuro effortlessly melt away Shouto's ice with her crimson flame while Dark Shadow fended off Kyouka's ear-jacks and Kouji commanded some birds to fend off a flying detached hand which Tetsutetsu knew belonged to Setsuna. Seeing the headband around Wankuro's forehead made him realise that Wankuro still had her points.
"So, should we take the hound of hell's headband or take a headband from someone else?" asked Ibara.
"The way I see it, let's go straight for the top!" yelled Tetsutetsu.
Suddenly, Kouji yelled, "Please distract our enemies who seek to take our headband!"
To say that the next one minute was absolute chaos was an understatement as every flying bird and insect which were blotting out the sun suddenly descended upon the field and flew around Wankuro's team.
Hizashi's eye twitched uncomfortably as he could head the buzzing of insects even from his position in the commentator's seat and said, "I'm SO glad that I'm not in Kayama-san's position right now."
"I heard that!" yelled Nemuri who had to fend off birds and insects flying around her. She then saw a cockroach flying towards her and shrieked like a little girl as she ducked low.
Seeing the chaos Wankuro's team had caused, Izuku wisely decided to stay away from the centre of it and asked, "So, anyone wants to go in there and try to get some more headbands?"
Both Ochako and Mei shook their heads in mutual agreement to stay away from the flying animals, especially the insects which included cockroaches of all things, while Hitoshi wore a deadpan expression and said, "I'd rather not risk having bugs flying into my mouth while I use my quirk, thank you very much."
By the time the flying animals dispersed, Tooru, Itsuka and Yui realised that their headbands were missing due to their previous state of panic. They then turned their attention towards Wankuro who grinned smugly while Kouji took their headbands from a trio of crows. Itsuka frowned as she growled, "Well played, Midoriya Wankuro!"
At that moment, the cavalry match ended.
--A short while later…--
Not surprisingly, Wankuro's team had the most points while Izuku's team had the second most points followed by Tetsutetsu's team and Hanta's team. Shouto's team, which did not manage to get any headbands, was the last team. As a result, a total of nineteen students had managed to hold onto their points to enter the final stage of the sports festival.
Since only sixteen students could enter the final stage, the four students who made up Shouto's team would have to decide who deserved to take part in it. Tenya willingly surrendered the spot as he felt responsible for failing the team in seizing the headband which had over ten million points. Although Tenya had used his special move, Recipro Burst, which gave him a massive burst of speed at the cost of disabling his quirk for a short period of time, Wankuro was able to leap out of the way to prevent having her team's headband stolen.
Denki also willingly surrendered the spot since his quirk, which was supposed to let Shouto's team electrocute opposing teams, did not work against Wankuro's team. Then again, few could blame Denki for being unable to use his abilities due to Wankuro's keen senses which allowed her to quickly sense incoming attacks and ability to breathe out fireballs from her mouth which were most certainly distracting and, unlike Dark Shadow, were not weakened by the light from his electrical attacks.
Momo was reluctant to give up the spot due to believing that Shouto should have at least considered using the fire half of his quirk in spite of Wankuro's apparent resistance towards it due to her own ability to use fire. After all, neither Kouji nor Rikidou were naturally resistant to fire and Fumigake's Dark Shadow could be weakened by Shouto's fire which gave off light. However, Momo knew that she could not hope to defeat Shouto in a direct fight and thus decided to protect her dignity by giving up the spot to Shouto. Besides, everyone in the team knew that Shouto had his personal reasons for refusing to use the fire side of his quirk in a fight and, if Shouto had not created a dome of ice to block out the flying animals, their team would have lost their own headband for sure.
Little did Momo realise that her logical arguments behind her disapproval towards Shouto's refusal to use the fire side of his quirk regardless of personal reasoning was like a slap to his face. The fact that he could practically feel his father's disapproving gaze upon him only made his feelings of frustration even harder to repress.
Shouto's father, a tall sturdily built man with a muscular physique, short crimson hair, a moustache, a beard and sharp light-blue eyes glared at his son and thought, "So, have you come to realise the folly of your rebellion, Shouto?" Known as Todoroki Enji, the man who was also the No.2 pro-hero, Endeavour, felt nothing but disdain and disappointment towards his youngest son who did not even think about using the fire side of his quirk to suppress Fumikage's Dark Shadow.
With the cavalry battle over, an hour lunch break was held.
--A few minutes later…--
Izuku and Momo stood before Shouto in an isolated part of the stadium. Curious, Izuku asked Shouto, "So, what did you want to talk to us about?"
A moment of silence passed before Shouto sighed and said, "Normally, I wouldn't talk about this but, considering what happened during that cavalry match, I feel that I owe the both of you an explanation as to why I refuse to use my fire side even against the likes of Wankuro-san." When both Izuku and Momo said nothing, Shouto asked them, "How much do you two know about quirk marriages?"
Surprised, Izuku and Momo glanced at one another before turning their attention back to Shouto. Momo then answered, "It's a form of arranged marriage for the sole purpose of choosing and/or enhancing a specific Quirk to be inherited down the bloodline. Why would you ask about it…" Both Izuku and Momo wore horrified expressions as they realised what Shouto, the son of Endeavour, was implying.
Aware that Momo and Izuku had realised the terrible implications, Shouto explained, "My old man had coveted the No.1 position long before I was born. However, with All Might as the current No.1, he could not achieve that ambition no matter how hard he tried. Since he himself couldn't surpass All Might, he decided to find another way to do so."
"In other words… he married your mother only because he wanted her quirk which happened to be ice-based, correct?" asked Momo.
Shouto nodded and said, "As an accomplished hero, he was able to win over my mother's parents and got a hold of her quirk. His only reason to raise me as his 'perfect successor' is to help him fulfil his own desire to surpass All Might." His usually impassive face turned into a scowl as he growled, "I refuse to be a tool for scum like him!"
"What happened to your mother?" asked Izuku.
"She had a mental breakdown years ago and poured boiling water onto the left side of my face," answered Shouto who then placed his left hand onto the scar around his left eye and added, "She was crying at the time and said that my left side was ugly because it reminded her of him. After that incident, my old man sent her away to a mental hospital so that she could not damage his 'perfect successor' any further." Shouto closed his eyes as he told Izuku and Momo, "In my memories, she was always crying." He then glared at them and said, "That is why I refuse to use his fire. I will win this sports festival with only my mother's ice and reject him completely."
Little did Izuku, Momo and Shouto realise that a certain blond boy named Katsuki had overheard Shouto's tragic back story and was actually appalled by Shouto's suffering. As for why Katsuki was nearby, he was trying to get some answers from Izuku whom he was convinced was responsible for getting him disqualified.
Momo was weeping while Izuku had a pained look on his face as they both finally realised why Shouto refused to use the fire side of his quirk. However, in spite of the revelation, Izuku knew that Shouto's mindset was wrong. He took a calming breath before he asked Shouto, "Todoroki-san, do you think that Wan-chan is wrong to use her quirks?"
Surprised by the question, both Momo and Shouto turned their attention to Izuku as he explained, "Besides her original quirk, Indomitable Spirit, every other quirk which she now has were forcefully given to her by the League of Villains, the same group of villains that did not care is she ended up brain-dead just like that other noumu back at the USJ." He then asked, "So, to rephrase my previous question, does using all those other quirks make her their tool regardless of how she's using them?"
Stunned by Izuku's question, Shouto stared at him for a moment before he glared at him and argued, "She's defying their wishes by using her powers to be a pro-hero, isn't she?"
"True, but unlike you who was born with both sides of your quirk, she wasn't even born with all those other quirks," replied Izuku who then added, "I'm not saying that you should forgive your father, Todoroki-san, but I am saying that using your fire does not make you your father any more than Wan-chan is a villain for using her multiple quirks including her own fire."
Shocked by Izuku's statement, Shouto stared into his eyes and saw only sincerity on them. A memory of his mother's kind smile flashed in his mind before he clicked his tongue and said, "Midoriya, are you All Might's secret love child?"
The tense and heavy atmosphere completely evaporated as Izuku stared at Shouto with a dumbstruck expression and asked, "Huh?" Even Katsuki, who had seen Izuku's biological father before, was dumbfounded by Shouto's question.
"Your quirk, while undoubtedly weaker, is similar to his. Also, your ability to inspire hope and heroism is all too similar to his own to be mere coincidence," explained Shouto.
Momo turned her attention to Izuku and said, "Now that, Todoroki-san has mentioned about it, he does have a point, Midoriya-san. You and All Might are both very similar."
Izuku blushed as he tried to explain, "N-n-no! My biological father's Midoriya Hisashi! He divorced my mom years ago after realising that I was basically quirkless at the time! I mean, I get that you two probably won't believe me and I would certainly be happy if All Might really was my secret dad but I'm not, seriously!" As Izuku calmed himself down, he thought to himself, "Although, I suppose he's a father figure to me at this point."
Although Shouto and Momo were both unconvinced, they decided to allow the matter to drop. Shouto then said to Izuku, "Regardless, I will definitely find a way to defeat both you and Wankuro-san, Midoriya."
Glad for the change of subject, Izuku replied, "Then I hope that you're prepared to use everything that you have because I too have my own reasons to win this sports festival, Todoroki-san. So many people have supported me up to this point. The least I can do is to live up to their hopes." His eyes shone with conviction as he continued to speak, "You said that you will defeat me and Wan-chan earlier, so I will return that declaration to you. I will give it my all to defeat you as well, Todoroki-san!"
While Momo felt inspired by Izuku's words, which only strengthened her assumption that Izuku was probably All Might's secret love child, Shouto stared coldly at Izuku for a moment before he turned to leave while saying, "Then I suggest that you be prepared to have your bones broken by your own quirk, Midoriya." As Shouto left, he could not help but wonder, "When did I see that smile on her face…?"
Katsuki, who decided to demand answers from Izuku later after hearing about Shouto's past, huffed irritably before leaving the scene to get some lunch.
--After lunch hour…--
"Now that lunch hour is over, it's time to reveal the last game!" announced Hizashi who then added, "But before that, there's good news for all who did not make it to the finals! This is a sports festival after all, so we've prepared recreational games for everyone to participate in! We've even brought in real cheerleaders from America to brighten things up!" Both Shouta and Hizashi soon noticed that something was off and leaned forward to get a better look. They then realised that the girls of Class 1A were dressed in cheerleader uniforms as well. Hizashi had to ask, "What kind of fanservice is that, Class 1A?!"
Momo sighed and slumped her shoulders in defeat as she wondered aloud, "How in the world did Midori-chan manage to convince us all to wear these outfits?"
Kyouka glared at Denki and Minoru who were grinning at each other and growled, "Blame those two perverts!"
--Flashback to Lunch Break…--
"A cheer battle?" asked Wankuro who tilted her head curiously.
"That's right," confirmed Denki who then explained, "We think that you girls can take part in it after lunch break." As if to prove his point, he pointed his thumb at some of the American cheerleaders.
"Why the hell should we take part in it?" asked Kyouka who was blushing while her ear-jacks were poised like angry cobras.
"Well, for one thing, Aizawa-sensei never said that you girls can't take part in it," said Minoru who then added, "Also, I'm sure that Midoriya will be very happy to see you in those cheerleader outfits."
Blinking in surprise, Wankuro turned her attention to Ochako and asked, "Will he?"
Ochako blushed and replied, "Well, he might…"
Wankuro smiled and immediately clasped her paw-like hands onto Ochako's hands while saying, "Let's do it!"
Denki and Minoru cheered internally while Ochako struggled to resist Wankuro's adorable "puppy eyes of doom"…
--End of Flashback…--
Wankuro's tail was wagging rapidly as she excitedly asked Izuku, "We look good?"
Izuku tried to look away but kept glancing at the girls who were dressed in their cheerleader uniforms, especially Wankuro, Ochako and Tsuyu. His blushing face and inability to ignore the fact that the girls looked good in their cheerleader uniforms clearly meant that he found them attractive just like any healthy teenage boy who had a sexual interest in the opposite sex. Seeing Izuku's embarrassed expression made Wankuro's smile broaden as she happily hugged him and said, "Don't be shy!"
"W-Wan-chan!" cried Izuku whose face was buried into Wankuro's ample cleavage.
"He's a real lucky son of a gun, isn't he?" asked Minoru who felt jealous towards Izuku for getting hugged by Wankuro while Ochako and Tsuyu tried to make her stop due to the fact that her actions were being broadcast on live television.
"Yup," agreed Denki.
Hizashi snickered at Izuku's predicament and then announced, "At any rate, let's have fun competing in the recreational games! When that is over, the sixteen contestants who made it to the final round will duke it out in one-on-one tournaments!"
Nemuri grinned at the gathered sixteen students and took out a lot box while speaking to them, "Now, let's draw lots to determine the bracket. Once the bracket is set, we'll have the recreational games and then start! The sixteen finalists can decide whether or not they want to participate in the recreational games. Now, from the first place team…"
--One lot drawing later…--
"This is the bracket based on the results of the drawing!" announced Nemuri while cracking her whip.
Izuku and the other fifteen finalists looked at the lot drawing result which was as follows:
First Match: Izuku and Mina
Second Match: Shouto and Hanta
Third Match: Kouji and Mei
Fourth Match: Rikidou and Juuzou
Fifth Match Eijirou and Tetsutetsu
Sixth Match: Ibara and Fumikage
Seventh Match: Wankuro and Hitoshi
Eighth Match: Ochako and Yousetsu
Izuku turned his attention to Shouto and realised that if he won the his match, he would most likely face Shouto in the second set of matches. Having the same thought, Shouto turned his attention to Izuku and mentally swore, "I will defeat you, Midoriya!"
--End Chapter--
Author's Notes:
I will be honest, I shed tears while writing Izuku's speech and getting materials for it. I used altered quotes from three movies: 'Dragonheart', 'Guardians of Ga'Hoole' and 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' to make that speech.
As for the preliminary event, I decided to change things up due to Wankuro being involved and Izuku giving the pledge instead of Katsuki. Also, I had to show proof that Wankuro was indeed dangerous and what better way to do it than to let her utterly wreck the villain bots?
In canon, Class 1B held back during the preliminaries which led to the canon race results. Had Class 1B decided to not hold back, I'm willing to bet that the two girls from that class, Setsuna and Pony, would have won better positions in the race.
Unlike canon, Izuku has no reason to hide the truth of his past relationship with Katsuki from his peers in U.A. High School. As a result, Katsuki is even more disliked than in canon. True, they will tolerate him and work together with him if they have to but they will not choose him as a team mate if given the choice (as in the case of the cavalry battle in spite of Katsuki having a strong quirk). Besides, even canon showed that Katsuki did not bother to remember the names or quirks of most of his own classmates during the sports festival arc. Combined with Katsuki's position in 9thplace and his unwillingness to ask for help, I can imagine Class 1A deciding to take their chances without his "powerful and flashy quirk".
While there is a definite change in some of the team arrangements in Class 1A due to including Wankuro, excluding Katsuki and changing Hitoshi's view towards Izuku, the changes were minimal for Class 1B. That said, describing the Class 1B teams has allowed me to finish introducing the remaining students.
Due to the changes in both the teams and the results of the matches, the final event brackets are also changed.
As stated in the previous chapter, I plan to finish the sports festival arc before I continue writing the other two stories. However, it may take another chapter or two for the arc to be finished so I hope that everyone is willing to be patient and enjoy this story for a little bit longer.
Until next time, go beyond, plus ultra!