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 5: Sports Festival Part 3
After repairing the damaged concrete platform, the second match of the second round took place. Unfortunately for Kouji, his opponent was Juuzou and Kouji's ability to command animals was useless against him. That was not to say that Kouji did not at least try to win as he quickly commanded a flock of birds to lift him up from the softened concrete platform. However, given Kouji's heavy frame and Juuzou's ability to swim through the softened concrete so that he could pull the other boy in, the former did not have a chance to even escape let alone fight back. As a result, Kouji quickly surrendered and Juuzou was able to continue to the next round.
Just like before, Neito wanted to gloat to Class 1A. However, unlike before, he took a quick look around to make sure that Wankuro was nowhere nearby. He liked his face the way it was after all. Itsuka noticed Neito's behaviour and managed to knock him out with a chop on the back of his head before he could make a nuisance of himself again.
--The third match of the second round…--
Although Eijirou was a resilient opponent and his quirk allowed him to easily tear through the vines, he could not stop Ibara's detachable vines from regrowing no matter how many times he tore at them with his bare hands and even his teeth. In the end, Eijirou lost due to exhausting himself while struggling against Ibara's vines.
It should be noted that Eijirou wished that Ibara's bitter-tasting vines did not taste so bad. He was quite certain that the bitter after-taste would remain in his mouth for the whole day at least.
A tall wide-set man with a muscular build, a few visible scars on his left cheek and the left side of his neck, short spiky pale-grey hair, thin eyes and two prominent lower canines named Kan Sekijirou smirked at the results of the match thus far. As both the home room teacher of Class 1B and the pro-hero, Vlad King, Sekijirou was proud of his students for being able to prove their worth to the world in spite of facing incredible odds from Class 1A.
--The fourth match of the second round…--
Ochako and Wankuro left for the stage together and were soon facing each other. Wakuro, who had thankfully recovered, was dressed in yet another spare gym uniform.
In truth, Wankuro was allowed to wear a set of clothes which was both fire-resistant and stretchable to accommodate her two abilities to create fire and transform into a wolf. However, she hated the feeling of wearing clothes while in her wolf form and she was uneasy around certain smells which reminded her of her time as a prisoner and test subject of the League of Villains. These smells included the smell of medicines and the smell of fire-retardant materials. Thankfully, Momo was available to help create spare clothes for Wankuro and Wankuro's hero-suit was already in development and would soon be completed.
Objectively speaking, Ochako knew that she had no chance of defeating Wankuro unless she could somehow negate her gravity and send her flying away. The trouble was that Wankuro already knew how her quirk worked and she was more than agile enough to avoid getting touched by her hands. In spite of the fact that her chances of winning were slim to none, even if Wankuro decided to hold back, Ochako was determined to at least strive for victory as hard as she could.
When Nemuri started the game with a crack of her whip, Ochako dashed forward to touch Wankuro. However, Wankuro easily dodged the attack and breathed out a small fireball to drive Ochako back. Forced to back away from the small fireball, Ochako quickly stepped aside and then charged forward again with the intention of stunning Wankuro with a punch to the face or gut. Wankuro leapt over Ochako and landed behind her before kicking her upper back with a back kick. Grunting in pain, Ochako fell down but quickly recovered and rolled away before Wankuro could pin her down with a move known as "Doggy Pile". As Wankuro belly-flopped onto the hard concrete floor, Ochako tried to touch Wankuro to negate her gravity. However, Wankuro quickly rolled away and soon got back on her feet with a grin on her face. Ochako grinned in return as she understood Wankuro's intentions.
"Say, Wankuro's holding back, isn't she?" asked Hizashi.
Shouta nodded and explained, "She's holding back to not only avoid harming Uraraka too badly but also to help her push her limits. She has done that a number of times with her classmates during training."
"So she's not interested in winning?" asked Hizashi.
"Oh, she wants to win all right. She just wants to have a good fight with a close friend while she's at it," replied Shouta.
"Huh, makes sense," said Hizashi who continued to watch the match with interest.
Ochako, who was focused on trying to beat Wankuro somehow, circled around her carefully to find an opening. She was not surprised to find none as Wankuro did not lower her guard in spite of having fun as indicated by her wagging tail and her toothy grin. Since Ochako wanted to win, and she had learnt from both Wankuro and Izuku that dirty tricks could be useful in defeating more difficult opponents, she decided to try tricking Wankuro by pointing behind her and yelling, "What's that?!"
Surprised, Wankuro turned around with her ears twitching. Understandably, many people slapped their hands onto their faces due to being exasperated by Wankuro's childish gullibility.
Taking advantage of Wankuro's distracted state, Ochako quickly rushed forward to touch Wankuro and make her weightless. However, as Ochako was about to touch her, Wankuro suddenly grabbed her outstretched right hand. Ochako panicked and tried to touch her with her left hand but Wankuro quickly grabbed her other hand before she could do so. In desperation, Ochako tried to kick Wankuro between the legs but Wankuro used her bushy tail to protect herself by putting it between her legs and letting it absorb the impact from the kick.
Realising that she had been caught, Ochako started to sweat bullets as Wankuro grinned at her in an almost predatory manner. Her eyes were as wide as saucers as she shook her head and begged, "Please… not on live television!"
Ignoring Ochako's pleas, Wankuro opened her mouth wide and proceeded to nibble her neck like an oversized hamster. Ochako's legs felt like jelly due to the stimulation from Wankuro's pleasant nibbling and she was soon pinned down. While many people were embarrassed to see such as sight, Nemuri was squealing in delight as she approved of Wankuro's method to take down Ochako. Thankfully, most of them understood that Wankuro was currently too innocent to realise just how indecent her nibbling could actually be.
Needless to say, Wankuro won the match and Ochako was terribly embarrassed by the way she lost in spite of her impressive efforts to win. The fact that Ochako was clearly struggling to stop herself from moaning only embarrassed her further as she curled up into a ball with her face hidden behind her fists.
--The first match of the third round…--
Although Izuku had been healed, he was still exhausted from both his last fight and the healing process which had sapped his physical energy. As such, he was thinking of a way to conserve his strength as he approached the concrete platform. By the time he was facing Juuzou, Izuku had a plan that could work.
As soon as the match started with a crack of Nemuri's whip, Izuku quickly leapt into the air before Juuzou could make him sink. Since Izuku was still not completely used to his newly-manifested quirk, he had to concentrate to make himself float. Once he started floating, he scanned the platform and realised that Juuzou had hidden himself inside of it.
Having already anticipated such a move, Izuku slowly lowered himself with his legs bent. Once Izuku was close to the floor and confirmed that it was still soft with a gentle tap of his foot, he started to kick it. Due to the strength of his kicks at 20% of One For All, a lot of softened concrete was kicked out of the ring. Izuku smiled at the result and proceeded to kick as much of the concrete, regardless of softness, out of the ring as he could while keeping an eye out for Juuzou.
Driven to desperation by Izuku's strategy, Juuzou leapt out of the softened concrete behind Izuku and tried to drag him down. However, Izuku reacted quickly thanks to sparring with Wakuro who would often attack him from behind to pin him down and lie on top of him like a rug. Acting on instinct, Izuku quickly elbowed Juuzou's stomach with enough force to break his ribs and send him flying our of the ring.
Horror dawned upon Izuku as he realised that he had harmed Juuzou who, unlike Wankuro, was not exceptionally tough. As such, he panicked and quickly rushed him to the infirmary before Nemuri could even announce him as the winner.
A moment of awkward silence passed before Nemuri said, "Midoriya Izuku wins this round on the grounds of knocking Honenuki Juuzou out of the ring before rushing him to the infirmary."
On a side note, Chiyo was glad that Izuku had brought Juuzou to to her to be treated quickly as he had internal injuries. However, she was also angry with Izuku who was the reason why Juuzou was injured in the first place and made sure to thwack him on the head with her cane to remind him to be more careful next time.
--The second match of the third round…--
Ibara glared at Wankuro as she spoke to her, "I hope that you're prepared to repent for your sins."
Wankuro tilted her head in confusion and asked, "Repent for sins?"
Remembering Wakuro's undereducated state, Ibara sighed and explained, "It means making up for bad things."
Wankuro frowned and asked, "What bad thing? What I do?"
Realising that Wankuro was actually taking her words seriously, Ibara struggled to respond, "Well…" As she gazed into Wankuro's innocent eyes which were clouded with doubt and worry, she sighed and admitted, "It's just my way of saying that I will win this match to further my religious goals."
"Further religious goals?" asked Wankuro who seemed thoroughly confused.
Ibara was starting to get a headache as she replied, "Just… understand that the way I speak might be different from others because of my religion."
"What's religion?" asked Wankuro.
"It's basically a system of belief in a higher power. In my case, my religion is Christianity," explained Ibara.
Wankuro asked innocently, "Christians talk funny?" Quite a few people, including Nemuri, found Wankuro's response amusing if not hilarious.
Ibara slapped her hand onto her face as she muttered, "Oh, Lord in Heaven, please give me the strength and patience to guide this obviously oblivious lamb to salvation!"
Nemuri was still snickering as she got ready to crack her whip to start the game, "Well, enough banter. Get ready… and start!"
As soon as Nemuri cracked her whip, Ibara quickly tried to restrain Wankuro with her vines so that she could throw her out of the ring. However, Wankuro easily countered her attack by slicing her vines apart with flaming elongated claws. Wankuro then rushed forward to defeat Ibara. In spite of realising that her vines were basically useless against Wankuro's flaming claws, Ibara was still determined to win. As such, she grew even more vines so that she could create a wall of vines to block Wankuro's vision while using her remaining vines to escape.
As Ibara tried to escape, Wankuro suddenly appeared in front to her. Her eyes widened in panic and she tried to attack Wankuro with her vines. However, the dog-like girl easily sliced her vines into pieces before doing a head-butt on Ibara's own head. Ibara was barely able to lessen the blow by coiling some vines around her forehead but she was still stunned by the attack. While Ibara was struggling to remain standing, Wankuro quickly kicked her in the stomach to knock her down.
Unable to continue fighting due to both blows, and realising that she was completely outclassed, Ibara lay down in defeat out while thinking, "Lord in Heaven, please forgive me for my weakness in body and spirit…"
Ibara was about to close her eyes when she felt something poking her right cheek. She turned her attention to Wankuro who was staring at her curiously while asking, "Why you stopping. You hurt bad?"
Ibara sighed and replied, "No, but I realise that I have little chance to defeat you."
Wankuro frowned and argued, "Ochako-chan tried hard. Izu-chan will too. You should too."
Ibara chuckled at Wankuro's attempt to encourage her to continue fighting and said, "Unfortunately, my quirk is my main method to fight and defend myself. With your hellish flames and claws, my quirk is basically useless."
"Then train. Get strong," said Wankuro who then grinned and offered, "I can help."
Surprised by the offer, Ibara nevertheless smiled and graciously accepted it, "Thank you, Little Lamb." Needless to say, Wankuro had won the match.
Although Vlad was a bit unhappy that none of his students had made it to the finals, he was pleased to see them realise their current limits and become determined to overcome the said limits. The growing camaraderie between some of the students from Class 1B with Class 1A was an unexpected but welcome bonus. Indeed, he was certain that his students would benefit from positive interactions with Class 1A.
--The final match…--
"It's finally the last battle of the U.A. Sports Festival!" announced Hizashi who then added, "The top of the first years will be decided in this match between two childhood friends!" The two finalists of the sports festival, Izuku and Wankuro, approached each other while Hizashi introduced them.
Every spectator in the stadium, including the teachers of U.A. High School and Izuku's classmates, watched the two of them with bated breaths. Regardless of who would win the match, there was little doubt that the next fight was going to be incredible somehow.
Before the match started, Izuku spoke to Wankuro, "Wan-chan, you have been an inspiration to me from the moment I saw you stand up to those kids who were using their quirks to bully others. Even when we got separated and I thought that I would never see you again, I still wanted to be like you, to be someone strong who never gives up in doing what is right." He smiled self-depreciatingly and said, "For a time, I honestly thought that I was reaching to your level before we suddenly found each other again back at the USJ. I know that you didn't ask for all of those quirks that you now hold, but seeing you so strong makes me want to strive even harder so that I can one day stand by your side and maybe even protect you properly this time." He assumed a fighting stance as he smiled at her and concluded, "That's why I will do the very best I can to win, even against you, Wan-chan."
Touched by Izuku's words, Wankuro replied, "You saved me. People hurt me. I remember you. Your kindness. Your smile. Our friendship. Our happy moments." Her eyes were wet with tears as she continued to speak. "You're already there. You're my hero."
Shocked by Wankuro's admission, tears filled Izuku's eyes as he watched her assume her own fighting stance. He blinked his tears away as he smiled with the determination to defeat his childhood friend. Wankuro smiled in return as crimson flames started to burn around her eyes and evaporate her tears.
Nervousness and excitement filled the air as everyone waited for the match to start. The tension was almost unbearable when Nemuri cracked her while and yelled, "Start!"
Wankuro suddenly dashed forward to attack Izuku. Barely able to see the incoming attack, Izuku quickly jumped backwards into the air and flicked his fingers at her. Quickly dodging the barrage of shock waves, Wankuro breathed out a large fireball that flew towards Izuku. More used to using his new quirk than previously, Izuku did a palm strike with 20% of One For All so that he could propel himself to the left while deactivating his floating ability to descend quickly.
Upon realising that Izuku was going to land onto the ground, Wankuro ran towards him with the intention of punching him with her flaming fists. However, just before Izuku touched the ground, he suddenly started to hover above it. Using his current momentum to his advantage, he quickly spun around to not only avoid Wankuro's incoming attack but also deliver a spinning heel kick to the back of her head with his right leg. Wankuro's eyes widened as she turned her upper body and barely blocked the heel kick with her right arm. She then stomped her left foot onto the ground to hold her ground and was about to grab onto Izuku's leg when he suddenly flicked his left ring finger at her face. Barely able to avoid the shock wave by swaying back, Wankuro missed her chance to restrain Izuku who quickly used 20% of One For All and the ability to float to quickly somersault backwards with just his left leg.
While Izuku was somersaulting in mid-air, Wankuro attempted to leap upwards to grapple him. Izuku quickly kicked with 20% of One For All to deliver a shock wave strong enough to push her back. As Wankuro rolled onto the ground to reduce the impact of her fall, Izuku deactivated his ability to float so that he could quickly descend. As soon as their feet were on the ground, they quickly dashed towards each other.
Suddenly, Izuku dodged to the left to avoid Wankuro's flaming punch and then kicked her right side with a flying kick. Wankuro grunted as she took the blow and was kicked across the ring. She accidentally ruined her shoes as the claws on her paw like hands and feet elongated so that she could not be kicked out of the ring. Her claws formed deep gashes on the floor as she stopped herself from moving any further. Determination and excited glee burned in her eyes as she took a deep breath in spite of her protesting ribs and breathed out a torrent of flames from her mouth.
Izuku, who wanted to keep the pressure on Wankuro after the successful kick, barely avoided the torrent of flames by sidestepping it with his floating ability activated. With his feet hovering just about the ground, Izuku spun around and then dashed forward in a manner not unlike a skater. Wankuro stopped breathing out fire and countered Izuku's incoming " skating punch" with her own punch. Izuku deactivated his floating ability so that he could stand his ground as he started to trade punches with Wankuro.
Trails of crimson flames and green electrical sparks scattered around them as their fists collided into one another in a struggle for dominance. Tensions among the spectators rose high as they watched the two childhood friends trade blows to the point of creating shock waves with each collision of fists. Katsuki, Shouto and Eijirou, who had seen All Might defeat the noumu which had a bird-like head at the USJ, realised that Izuku's fight with Wankuro was starting to resemble that particular fight.
Unable to bear the tension, Ochako stood up from her seat and yelled at the top of her voice, "You can do it! Deku! Midori-chan!"
Although surprised by her yell, many of her classmates soon smiled or grinned at her and then at one another before they also stood up and yelled in unison, "Plus Ultra!"
It did not take long for many of the remaining spectators, including students from Class 1B, the general course students and even some pro-heroes, to cheer for Izuku and Wankuro, "Plus Ultra!"
Wankuro, who was taller and had longer reach than Izuku, was able to punch him in the face thereby braking the stalemate. Stunned by the punch, Izuku was helpless as Wankuro proceeded to punch him multiple times with flaming punches which completely destroyed his shirt. In spite of the painful flaming blows, Izuku did not fall as he slammed one foot behind him so that he could flick his left ring finger at 100% of One For All. Wankuro was barely able to brace herself before a powerful shock wave slammed into her. As Wankuro struggled to keep standing, Izuku moved forward and punched her stomach with his right hand with 20% of One For All.
In spite of the pain, Wankuro quickly recovered and punched Izuku across the face with a left hook. Izuku barely avoided taking the full brunt of the punch and used his ability to float so that he could spin around in mid-air and deliver a spinning heel kick to the top of Wankuro's head. Somehow able to withstand the kick through sheer force of will and a very tough skull, Wankuro grabbed onto Izuku's leg and then started slamming him onto the ground. Izuku was barely able to shield his face with his arms before his body made contact with the ground. Even some of the more aggressive pro-heroes winced as Wankuro slammed Izuku around a few times before throwing him into the middle of the ring as though he was a hammer.
After Wakuro threw Izuku into the middle of the ring, she struggled to stay standing as the kick onto the top of her head had affected her sense balance in spite of her toughness and ability to recover from her injuries. Her eyes widened as she saw Izuku struggle to get back onto his feet.
Although Izuku was battered, bruised and even bleeding, he grinned as he assumed a fighting stance with the intention to win regardless of the odds against him. His legs wobbled under his own body weight as he tried to run towards Wankuro only to suddenly lose strength and fall down. Realising that his body had reached its limits, Izuku nevertheless tried to stand up until her heard Nana's gentle motherly voice inside his head, "That's enough, Izuku. You've done more than enough to prove yourself worthy as both a hero and a bearer of One For All. You can rest now." Calmed by Nana's voice which felt like a gentle embrace, Izuku shed tears as he allowed himself to surrender with a smile on his face.
Worried for Izuku, Wankuro stumbled towards Izuku while ignoring Midnight's announcement that she had won the match. Once she reached Izuku, she was relieved to see that he was still conscious and was smiling in spite of his defeat. She sat down beside him and said, "What a fight."
Izuku chuckled weakly and replied, "Yeah, it was." He then smiled at her adoringly and said, "I still have… a long way to go. I'm not giving up, Wan-chan."
Wankuro smiled lovingly at Izuku as she stroked his cheek tenderly and softly said, "I know, my love."
Izuku blinked at Wankuro's response and wondered if his ears were deceiving him as he slowly lost consciousness due to his injuries and exhaustion.
Nemuri, who had been approaching the pair after announcing that Wankuro was the winner, overheard what she had just said to Izuku and squealed in delight like an excited high school girl. She was so going to tell all of her friends what Wankuro had just said to Izuku.
--A short while later, in Chiyo's temporary infirmary…--
A short elderly lady with a healing quirk named Chiyo glared at Izuku and Wankuro disapprovingly as she lectured them, "You two just don't know how to hold back, do you? You two have exhausted each other so much that I can barely your injuries, especially yours, Midoriya-kun."
Wankuro winced with her ears flattened against her head and her tail between her legs. Chiyo was one of the few people whom she did not dare to oppose so she meekly whimpered in response.
Izuku chuckled weakly as he replied, "Sorry, we just… wanted to prove ourselves."
Sighing at the two troublesome children, Chiyo said, "Look, I get that you both want to prove something to each another but do exercise some restraint next time. Your mother almost flooded the entire teachers' section of seats with her tears alone and I had to resort to intravenous (IV) therapy to make sure that she does not die of dehydration, from crying of all things." Both Izuku and Wankuro blushed in embarrassment as they realised that they owed Inko, as well as the teachers who were seated with her, an apology.
Just then Inko, Toshinori, Ochako, Tsuyu, Mina, Momo, Tenya, Eijirou, Fumikage, Shouto and Minoru rushed into the infirmary. Tears trailed behind Inko as she rushed to hug Izuku and Wankuro together while saying, "Izuku, Wan-chan, I'm so proud of you two!"
Izuku and Wankuro smiled in return as they gently patted Inko who was sobbing into their shoulders.
Toshinori, who was in his skeletal true form, smiled at Izuku and Wakuro as he spoke to them, "Midoriya-shounen, Midoriya-Shoujo, I cannot even begin tell you two how proud your mother and I are of the both of you."
Not recognising the skeletal man, Ochako curiously asked him, "Um… who are you, sir?"
Unsurprised by the lack of recognition, since only a few people knew about his true form, Toshinori explained, "My name is Yagi Toshinori. I met Midoriya-shounen last year when he was busy cleaning up Dagobah Municipal Beach Park to not only train his body for the entrance exams but also to do a good deed at the same time. I was moved by his convictions to help others in any way he could and decided to help him train more effectively. I was also there when he first discovered that he actually had a quirk."
"So you're Midoriya-chan's personal trainer then, kero?" asked Tsuyu.
"In a manner of speaking," admitted Toshinori.
Tenya bowed respectfully to Toshinori and said, "Then it is a great privilege to finally meet you, Yagi-san!"
Eijirou grinned as he spoke to Toshinori, "Your training must have been something else to make Midoriya-aniki so manly."
Toshinori chuckled awkwardly as most of Izuku's achievements were actually due to the boy's own talents and convictions. True, Toshinori had helped Izuku and he was trying his best to improve himself as a teacher but he still had a long way to go before he could call himself a great teacher to both Izuku and, as All Might, the rest of Class 1A.
"Wait a minute, are you saying that Midoriya-kun is the one who cleaned up that whole beach?" asked Mina whose eyes were wide in disbelief.
Chiyo sighed and said, "I know that you're all worried about those two and want to talk to them but they need to rest long enough to be presentable for the award ceremony." She then gently shooed Izuku's classmates out while saying, "You can see them both after the ceremony."
Although reluctant to leave, Izuku's classmates knew that Izuku and Wankuro needed to rest and left the infirmary without much fuss.
In truth, Toshinori and Chiyo had wanted to ask Izuku about the sudden development of his "new quirk" but they knew better than to force Inko to leave the two children alone. As such, they were content to wait for the next opportunity to question them while allowing Inko, Izuku and Wankuro to have their moment together as a family.
--A while later…--
"All of the first years' events for this year's U.A. Sports Festival have been completed," announced Nemuri who had just returned to the field after excusing herself for a bit due to a minor "hero-suit crisis". Yes, she was that excited by the match between Izuku and Wankuro which was simply youthful.
Nemuri smiled as she continued to speak to the spectators and the other contestants, "We will now begin the award giving ceremony!"
The spectators cheered as three platforms emerged from the ground behind Nemuri. The cheering quickly stopped when everyone realised that Wankuro was not on the highest one which was labelled 'No.1' but was instead on the 'No.2' platform with Izuku. Many of the spectators became amused when they realised that Wankuro would rather stand on Izuku's platform so that she could hug him instead of standing on the highest platform by herself. Although Izuku was embarrassed, he was too tired to do anything to stop Wankuro from hugging him affectionately with her breasts firmly pressed against the back of his head. Standing on the lowest platform which was labelled 'No.3' were Ibara and Juuzou who had proven to the world that Class 1B was not to be trifled with.
Minoru pouted at Izuku as he spoke his thoughts aloud, "Midoriya, you lucky son of a gun!" Tsuyu lightly smacked the back of his head with her tongue to chastise him.
Ibara turned her attention to Wankuro and said, "Little Lamb, please let go of Midoriya-san. The way you're hugging him isn't exactly appropriate."
"Don't want to. Too comfy," answered Wankuro who had a happy smile on her face.
Juuzou, along with many of the students from Class 1A and Class 1B, chuckled at Wankuro's response while Ibara sighed and clasped her hands together to pray, "Oh, Lord in Heaven, please grant the Little Lamb the wisdom to understand the norms of your heavenly ways." She then recalled the fact that the press was currently taking pictures and video recordings of Wankuro hugging Izuku so she added, "Also, please give Midoriya-san the strength and will to stand tall in spite of his embarrassing situation."
Although amused by the sight of Wankuro hugging Izuku, and very tempted to tease the boy herself, Nemuri knew that the ceremony must proceed and thus announced, "Now, we will award the medals! The presentation of the medals will, of course, be by this man…"
A boisterous laugh could be heard and everyone excitedly realised that All Might had appeared. The No.1 pro-hero jumped off from the top of the stadium and easily landed safely in front of the three platforms.
However, the timing of the announcements was messed up as Nemuri and All Might spoke at the same time:
"Our very own hero, All Might!"
"I am here to present the medals!"
A moment of awkward silence passed before Nemuri sheepishly apologised to All Might, "Sorry for talking over you…!" She then presented four medals: two copper medals, one silver medal and one gold medal to him and said, "Now then, All Might, please present the medals starting with the two students at third place."
All Might nodded and took one copper medal so that he could place it around Ibara's neck. He smiled at her and said, "Congratulations, Shiozaki-shoujo. You have done well to get this far."
"You are too kind, All Might," replied Ibara who bowed respectfully to the pro-hero.
All Might placed a kind but firm hand onto her shoulder and said, "However, as you must have realised by now, you should not rely on only your quirk. You will face many kinds of opponents and difficulties in the future as both a student of this school and as a pro-heroine. Train yourself so that you will be better prepared to face them when the time comes."
Ibara smiled in return and said, "I have already considered my defeat as a blessing from the Lord as it has humbled me and made me aware of my own failings. Nevertheless, thank you for your advice, All Might."
All Might nodded at Ibara before he turned his attention to Juuzou to give him his copper medal. "Congratulations, Honenuki-shounen. You too have done well to make it this far."
Juuzou graciously accepted the medal and said, "Thank you, All Might."
"Do you feel frustrated by the fact you have lost to Midoriya-shounen?" asked All Might. Considering that Izuku had suddenly manifested Nana's quirk which was undeniably vital for defeating Juuzou, All Might was understandably concerned if the latter was frustrated about losing to the former.
Juuzou smiled bitterly and replied, "I'd be lying if I said no. Had Midoriya-san not suddenly manifested another quirk, I might have been able to get myself the silver medal instead." His eyes then became firm with determination as he continued to speak, "However, I know that obsessing over that fact will do nothing to change the reality of what has happened to me. I will move forward and improve myself so that I will not be helpless even against the likes of Midoriya-san."
All Might nodded in approval and then hugged Juuzou as he spoke, "Then I wish you the best, Honenuki-shounen."
After awarding the two bronze medals, All Might decided to just take both the silver and the gold medals at the same time before he approached Izuku and Wankuro. He smiled in an almost cheeky manner at the pair and rhetorically asked, "I am not interrupting anything, am I?"
Izuku sighed in resignation and asked, "The press and the internet will never let me live this down, will they?"
All Might laughed jovially and replied, "They might, after a few months at least." He then smiled proudly at the boy and said, "That aside, you have more than proven yourself to be worthy as a hero, Midoriya-shounen. Your speech when you gave that students' pledge was nothing short of truly inspiring and even I was deeply moved by it. As for your performance throughout the sports festival, you are most certainly full of surprises and determination. U.A. High School is truly blessed to have you as its student." As All Might placed the silver medal around Izuku's neck, he added, "Wear that medal with pride, my boy, for it is proof that you have achieved so much in this year alone." Tears of happiness and gratefulness welled up in Izuku's eyes as he wordlessly nodded in response.
After giving the silver medal to Izuku, All Might turned his attention to Wankuro who was still hugging the boy and said, "Midoriya-shoujo, as expected of someone who had been forced to become a weapon by the League of Villains, your abilities are nothing short of incredible. Honestly, I'm not even sure if I can defeat you unscathed. I am extremely glad that you've retained your sanity and goodness of heart in spite of all the pain and suffering you had to endure for years." As he placed the gold medal around her neck, he added, "Take this medal as proof that you are indeed a student of this school and that this is YOUR hero academia, Midoriya-shoujo." Wankuro had tears in her eyes as she smiled happily and nodded in response.
After giving the four students their respective medals, All Might turned around to face the other contestants and said, "I hereby present to you all the first year winners of this year! However, know that anyone could have ended up on these podiums. Compete with one another, improve one another and strive to ever greater heights! This sports festival is proof that a new generation of heroes is here!" He then struck a pose as he continued to speak, "Now then, let's all say this phrase one more time! Together now…"
Nearly everyone in the stadium yelled joyously, "PLUS ULTRA!"
--Later that evening…--
"Good work everyone," said Shouta who then explained to Class 1A, "Due to the sports festival events continuing for both the second years and the third years, there will be no school for tomorrow or the day after. There's no doubt that pro-heroes who watched the sports festival will want to recruit you but we'll consolidate everything and announce it when you get back. So rest well and look forward to it."
"Yes sir!"
"Now then, all of you are excused and are free to return to the dorms," said Shouta who then narrowed his eyes as he turned his attention to Katsuki and added, "Except for you Bakugou. I need to have a private word with you."
Katsuki, who was already close to exploding in rage due to the events of the sports festival, clenched his fists as he wondered why Shouta wanted to have a word with him. As soon as the other students had left, Katsuki rudely asked, "So, what is it you want to talk about?"
"Do you understand why you were disqualified from the cavalry match?" asked Shouta.
"It's because they don't want me to kill their asses in the next event," said Katsuki who thought that his response made sense. The blond boy then added, "I'm also willing to bet that Deku was the one who came up with the idea. That fucking nerd is always getting in my way."
Not surprised by the response, which was honestly disappointing, Shouta asked, "Bakugou, besides Midoriya, Wankuro-san and Todoroki, who else in this class do you know by name and/or quirk?"
Not expecting the question, Katsuki blinked in surprise before he angrily responded, "What kind of fucking question is that?"
"Just answer the question," said Shouta.
Katsuki clicked his tongue in displeasure and replied, "Yaoyorozu Momo. She can make stuff with her quirk."
"Anyone else?" ashed Shouta.
"Why the fuck should I try to remember the name and/or quick of every fucking extra in this class?" asked Katsuki.
"The fact that you're even asking this question is proof that YOUR classmates have every right to not include you in their cavalry teams," answered Shouta. Shocked by the response, Katsuki was stunned as Shouta explained to him, "Do you recall Midnight asking if there was anyone who wanted to have you in their team after finding out that you were basically all by yourself?"
Katsuki nodded hesitantly as he did recall Nemuri asking is there was anyone who wanted him in their team. He was disqualified from the second event only after Nemuri had confirmed that he was not wanted by anyone.
"Excluding the teams which were made up of Class 1B students, there was still at least one team which you could have joined," said Shouta who then asked, "Why didn't you even try asking Hanta and his team mates if you could join them?"
"Why the fuck should I lower myself to begging for help from extras?" asked Katsuki.
"Not getting disqualified from the second event seems like a perfectly rational reason if you ask me," replied Shouta who had a deadpan expression on his face.
Unable to come up with a logical response, Katsuki instead yelled, "Fuck your rational reasoning! My quirk would have helped any team of extras get the top spot in the cavalry match!"
"Alternatively, having you as a team member would have done more harm than good for the rest of the team," argued Shouta who then explained, "Think about it, you do not even bother to know the names and/or quirks of the majority of your own classmates, you have a temper issue which can arguably be used as a textbook example in psychology books and you're so proud of yourself that you are convinced that everyone will come to YOU for help while refusing to ask for help from others." His eyes narrowed as he continued to speak to Katsuki, "I do not know what kind of schooling you went through before you came here but the aim of this school's hero course is to produce heroes who are capable as both individuals and as team mates, not weak-minded sycophants who blindly worship the strongest 'hero' around or fools who think that they can do whatever they want just because they are 'heroes'."
Katsuki was silent for a moment before he asked, "So you're saying that this whole cluster-fuck is my own fucking fault?"
Shouta saw no reason to sugar-coat his words as he replied, "Basically, yes. Had you at least tried to ask people for help, you might have been able to join a team even if it meant conceding control to another."
The thought of conceding control to another made Katsuki recall a time when he wanted to be a drummer but was kicked out of every band that he had joined in spite of his talent just because he was not working together with the rest of the band. As he thought about the bands and compared them to the cavalry teams, he realised that the two circumstances were more similar that he liked to admit. He gritted his teeth in frustration as he asked, "Is there anything else you want to ask?"
"Originally, no. However, since you mentioned that Midoriya had convinced everyone else to exclude you, I want to know what proof do you have to make such a claim," said Shouta.
"We've been at each other's throats ever since Bitch Face went missing because her parents sold her to the League of Villains," explained Katsuki.
Shouta raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you recall how it all started?"
"He was an annoying quirkless loser who wanted to be a hero in some form or another and kept getting in my way," answered Katsuki who then flippantly asked, "What the fuck else is there to know?"
"Knowing Midoriya as well as I do, never mind the counsellor records on the both of you, I an fairly certain that there is more to it than just that, Bakugou," replied Shouta who then said, "However, at least for today, I will not pry any further into the animosity between the two of you. With that said, I suggest that you stop acting as though everyone else is beneath you, especially Midoriya and Wankuro-san. If you continue to cling onto that mindset, you will find yourself in many more situations just like the one with the cavalry battle. Trust me, you do NOT want that to happen when you're facing actual villains or when lives are at stake, Bakugou."
Katsuki's fists were so tightly clenched that they almost drew blood as he left the classroom and slammed the door shut without a word. Shouta sighed as he hoped that Katsuki would somehow get the message through his stubbornly thick skull.
--At the 1A Dorms…--
Izuku, his friends and Inko were having dinner together when Mina suddenly had an idea and asked everyone, "Say, why don't we have a party tomorrow night to celebrate our class' victory today?"
Tooru excitedly agreed, "That sounds like a great idea!"
"I was actually planning to spend some time with my family but I must admit that I quite like the idea," said Momo.
Surprisingly, Tenya smiled and said, "It would certainly be a good way to relax after going through the sports festival." Although he did not manage to enter the third event, he was heartened to know that his elder brother, who was in perfect health, was still proud of him.
Rikidou grinned as he spoke to the others, "As long as I have the ingredients, tools and time, I can help to make just about anything you guys need for the party."
Mina gave Rikidou a thumbs-up and said, "Sweet!"
Wankuro, who had experienced small parties with Izuku and Inko before, was wagging her tail excitedly as she loved the idea of having a bigger party with Class 1A even if it meant having Kastuki in the mix.
"Then let's start making plans tonight so that we can set off to get everything in order for tomorrow night," suggested Momo.
"Sounds like a plan!" said Denki who was all to happy to have fun in a party. He then suggested, "We should have a karaoke showdown!"
"Hell yeah!" yelled Eijirou who wanted to sing his favourite songs.
Kyouka blushed as she raised her hand and said, "I can bring down the necessary hardware and instruments from my room for the karaoke showdown. That said, I need someone with strong and steady hands to help me carry them all down."
"I can help," offered Mezou.
"So can we," said Fumikage while Dark Shadow nodded in agreement with him.
Grateful for the help, Kyouka smiled at the two boys and said, "Thanks, you two."
"Then I will help to prepare the decorations," said Momo who then added, "I will need Sero-san, Uraraka-san and Tsuyu-san to help me decorate the common area."
Ochako smiled as she replied, "Sure thing, Yaomomo!" Tsuyu nodded and smiled as she happily croaked in agreement with Ochako.
Hanta grinned and patted one of his rounded elbows as he spoke to Momo, "You can count on me!"
"If you like, I can offer my services in decorating the common area to make it truly dazzling," said Yuuga.
Momo nodded at Yuuga and said, "All right, but we're NOT going to cover everything in glitter or other sparkly decorations."
Yuuga smiled as he struck a dramatic pose and replied, "It's a shame but I understand the value of balance and the idea that not everyone likes bright sparkles."
"Unfortunately, I won't be able to help out for the party. There's something that I need to settle first," said Shouto.
Understanding Shouto's circumstances, Momo smiled at him and said, "I understand, Todoroki-san. I hope that things will go well for you." Shouto nodded in return and made a mental note to at least buy some soba for his classmates, preferably with his father's money.
Rikidou turned his attention to Wankurou and asked, "Say, what kind of food do you like, Midori-chan?"
Wankuro tilted her her head to think for a moment before she happily answered, "Meat and cakes!"
Inko had a thoughtful expression on her face as she spoke her thoughts aloud, "If it's meat and cakes… maybe we have a variety of pasties including pies and cookies."
"I can certainly make those," said Rikidou who then added, "But I'll need to get a list of things to make them tomorrow."
"I can ask my butler to help deliver whatever tools and ingredients you need to make your dishes," offered Momo who was unknowingly flaunting the fact that her family was ridiculously rich.
"We can help out with getting the ingredients!" said Mina who wrapped her right arm around Eijirou.
Eijirou grinned at Rikidou and said, "I'm looking forward to what you and Midoriya-san will be making tomorrow."
Kouji shyly raised his hand and said, "I'd… like to help out too."
"No problem, the more the merrier!" said Mina who happily welcomed Kouji to the "ingredient acquisition team".
"If you do not mind, I'd like to suggest inviting the staff of the school to join us. Aizawa-sensei, Thirteen-sensei and All Might have already helped us out so much after all," suggested Tenya.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," said Momo.
"I'm sure they will appreciate the gesture," agreed Mashirao.
"So, we have covered decorations, food, music… what else do we need for a party?" wondered Denki.
"How about board games?" suggested Izuku who then added, "Wan-chan and I used to play them when we were kids."
"Sound's great!" replied Denki.
"I have a few packs of cards and a Twister game set," offered Minoru.
"Why do you even have those?" asked Kyouka who was convinced that Minoru only had porn in his room.
Minoru grinned and waggled his eyebrows as he replied, "With the right people, those games can be fun in all sorts of ways."
Realising what Minoru meant, Kyouka blushed and jabbed her ear-jacks onto his head while yelling, "You disgusting pervert!"
Tooru was positively vibrating with excitement as she spoke, "This is going to be so much fun, everyone!"
While everyone in the dining room was happily planning out the party, a certain explosive blonde watched them from the sidelines and clicked his tongue in displeasure as he left them alone without saying a word. Although Katsuki hated to admit it, he knew that Shouta had a point about working together with others. As he thought about Shouta's words of advice, he recalled a certain memory…
--Start of flashback…--
The incident happened when Katsuki was eight years old, a whole month after Wankuro went missing to be precise. Izuku had recently returned to school after spending weeks of being depressed after realising that Wankuro had been sold to villains by her own abusive parents with no way to track her down. As cruel as Katsuki was towards Izuku, the former knew better than to bully the latter for the first few days.
Those few days had passed and Izuku was somehow still determined to be a hero in spite of being a quirkless failure.
Katsuki and his cronies cornered Izuku who was somehow standing his ground in spite of trembling in fear. Glaring disdainfully at Izuku, Katsuki demanded, "Deku, why the fuck are you still trying to be a hero, you quirkless loser?"
Although Izuku had regressed to a more cowardly state, Izuku nevertheless replied, "I-it's the l-least I can do t-to make up for failing Wan-chan."
While Katsuki's cronies wore conflicted expressions after the reminder of Wankuro's disappearance, Katsuki's glare turned into a cruel sneer as he argued, "Heroes are winners, not pathetic whiny losers to can't even save a friend!"
"I know that!" yelled Izuku. Surprised by the yell, even Katsuki was stunned to silence while Izuku continued to speak with clenched fists and tearful eyes, "B-but… h-heroes also never give up t-trying to do good. I-if I give up… I-I'm disgracing my friendship with Wan-chan!"
As Katsuki stared into Izuku's green eyes, he realised that Izuku's desire to be a hero had not weakened by Wankuro's disappearance but had in fact grown even stronger. An indescribable ugly feeling started to well up in Katsuki's chest so he channelled that feeling into cruel anger and yelled, "I hope you'll never see Bitch Face ever again! Who knows, maybe she'll be happier now that she no longer has to take care of someone as worthless as you, Deku!"
In a blink of an eye, or perhaps an eternity depending on who you asked, Izuku snapped and suddenly punched Katsuki in the nose. Before the blond boy could react, Izuku tackled him onto the ground and started punching him in the face repeatedly while screaming in rage.
By the time Katsuki's cronies managed to get someone to pull Izuku off him, Katsuki's face was bruised all over and he nearly lost some of his teeth. However, what was truly injured was Katsuki's pride as he soon realised that Izuku, who was supposed to be a quirkless weakling, had just beaten him into submission.
It was the start of a long and bitter feud between the two boys as Izuku finally stopped seeing Katsuki as a friend and instead saw him as something else which made Katsuki despise him even more. After all, Katsuki was going to be a hero, not a villain just because a quirkless loser hated him for putting him into his "rightful place" in society as a worthless nobody.
--End of flashback…--
Katsuki gritted his teeth as he realised the possibility that Izuku did not even need to make any elaborate plans to effectively sabotage him. Unlike Katsuki's previous classmates, the students from Class 1A were apparently more impressed by positive charisma than powerful abilities which would probably explain why they preferred being around with Izuku of all people. As much as Katsuki hated to admit it, Izuku had put him in a very difficult position and it honestly did not even matter if Izuku had done it intentionally or not. After all, Izuku only needed to tell everyone HIS side of the story to convince everyone to stay away from the explosive blond boy. Even worse for Katsuki, Izuku did not even need to lie outright since he only needed to paint his actions and intentions in a negative light.
Yes, Katsuki was still convinced that he was not in the wrong in spite of having done the very opposite of what a hero should be doing.
Alone in his own room in the dorms, Katsuki allowed tears of frustration to well up in his eyes while he thought to himself, "I'm not a villain. I'll be a hero even greater than All Might himself and I'll prove it to everyone!"
It should be noted that Katsuki did not forget about the fact that Izuku had somehow manifested yet another quirk and planned to get answers from him at the soonest possible opportunity. Unless Katsuki was mistaken, someone had given Izuku at least one quirk which somehow "awakened" and developed a secondary quirk during the sports festival. The real question was who would do such a thing and why would the "benefactor" even consider Izuku worthy of such power.
--Later that night…--
Shouta sighed in resigned exasperation as every student from Class 1A, except for Katsuki and Shouto, were sleeping in the common living room. Judging by the notes on the table, it was clear that the students were planning a celebratory party of some sort.
"Well, I suppose they do deserve that much," thought Shouta. He then took a moment to look at Izuku who was seated at the centre of a sofa with Ochako and Tsuyu sleeping on either side of him. Both girls were currently holding onto his arms while leaning against his shoulders. As for Wankuro, she was contentedly sleeping on the carpeted floor by Izuku's feet like a pet dog. She was also hugging a large pillow and was in fact chewing on it as though it was an over-sized mochi.
Shouta was more of a cat person but even he had to admit that Wankuro's dog-like antics were adorable at times.
Shouta turned his attention to Nemuri and Inko who were smiling at the sleeping students and said, "Will it be just us bringing down all the blankets?"
Inko shook her head and explained, "Yagi-san will be arriving soon."
Shouta nodded his head and, before long, Toshinori arrived as expected. The skeletal blond man greeted the other three adults before they proceeded to bring down the blankets to cover the sleeping students.
While they were taking blankets from a spare room in the girls' side of the dorm, Inko innocently asked, "So, Yagi-san, what's your opinion about Izuku and Wan-chan… as the No.1 pro-hero in all of Japan?"
Toshinori spat out blood in shock while Shouta and Nemuri's eyes widened in surprise. After Toshinori stopped his coughing fit and wiped the blood from his mouth, he stared at Inko who smiled knowingly. Realising that Inko somehow knew his hero identity, Toshinori asked, "How long did you know?"
"Not long after I started living here with my son," replied Inko who then added, "You do make it a point to help assure me that my son is doing well after all and, putting aside the obvious differences in appearance, your eyes have the same feel of a great hero regardless of which form you take." Her face then expressed concern as she asked, "Is this your real form or did something happen to you that made you look this way?"
Toshinori sighed and revealed a horrific scar on the left side of his body to explain, "Many years ago, I got involved in a terrible fight with a powerful villain whose identity was kept a secret from the public. The fight cost me my stomach and part of my respiratory system. Those injuries have weakened me over the years and, currently, I can only use my quirk for less than fifty minutes." He smiled self-deprecatingly as he continued to explain, "To be honest, I was starting to forget some of the basic principles of heroism due to my fears and insecurities until I met Midoriya-shounen. His strong conviction to help others in any way he could not matter how powerless he was reminded me of why I wanted to be a Symbol of Peace in the first place and, in doing so, rekindled my courage as a hero." His smile was filled with warmth and pride as he answered Inko's previous question, "As for my opinion about Midoriya-shounen and Midoriya-shoujo, I believe that they have the potential to become the next symbols of heroism of their generation."
Inko's eyes were filled with years as she smiled and nodded in reply. In truth, she wanted to ask about Izuku's quirk but she was willing to wait until she was alone with Toshinori. After all, if her hunch was right, Toshinori was responsible for Izuku suddenly getting a quirk. She hugged Toshinori and said, "Thank you, for helping my son achieve his dreams of becoming a hero and for helping him save Wan-chan."
Although surprised by the gesture, Toshinori nevertheless smiled as he hugged her in return. If he was being honest to himself, the idea of spending his retirement days with Inko was an appealing notion to him.
Suddenly Shouta cleared his throat to get Inko and Toshinori's attention and spoke to them with a deadpan expression on his face, "Are you two done flirting yet? I do not want my students to catch a cold after all."
Both Inko and Toshinori realised that they were hugging each other and blushed as they quickly separated. Nemuri snickered at their adorable reaction, especially the way they were fidgeting while stealing glances at each other, and thought, "I'm SO shipping this pair!"
--End Chapter--
Author's Notes:
At last, I have concluded the sports festival arc of this story. I sincerely hope that I did Izuku, Wankuro and Ochako's matches justice, especially the final match.
This chapter has more angst than originally planned but, let's be real, Katsuki needed someone to give him a wakeup call after the events of the cavalry battle. Also I had to show the moment in which Izuku decided to sever his already-strained "friendship" with Katsuki at some point.
Also, I hope that everyone has enjoyed the wholesome Inko/Toshinori fluff.
The next chapter will cover the party event before the start of intern-ships. However, it will not be posted any time soon as I wish to continue working on the other two stories for at least a few chapters.
I hope that everyone will look forward to more twists, turns and fluff for this story.
Until next time, go beyond, plus ultra!