I don't own My Hero Academia or Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

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Chapter 18: Let's Go Crazy


Driving to the floor, Makoto Shuzenji rolled to the side just as frost ghosted passed her, chilling not only her skin, but freezing the floor into several jagged walls of pure ice. Grumbling, she quickly jumped to her feet, Cream Starter in hand before rushing her foe. That, however, proved to be an extremely arduous task. Layer upon layer of jagged, clear glacier formed a nearly impenetrable barrier around Shoto Todoroki. His gaze, colder than the ice than sprang from his Quirk, was solely fixed on the crossdressing girl, chilling her to the bone far worse than anything he unleashed since the start of the match.

Shuzenji knew that this match was an up-hill battle. No. That was an understatement; it was like trying to climb Mt. Everest in the dead of winter while a blizzard raged all around her. She knew that the change of winning was slim to none, especially after personally witnessing his overwhelming victory against Sero. She knew it was pretty much a futile fight… but she would be damned if she gave up now.

Thus for thirty seconds since Midnight began the match, Shuzenji fought tooth and nail to stay in the tournament… and she somehow succeeded. It was a miracle—one she was thanked god for allowing her to last this long—but merely out maneuvering and running away from the icy waves wasn't enough for her. Even as she ran, rolled, and jumped around the ring, she looked for any opening that she could get. All the while shooting off a few, small blasts of flesh to keep Todoroki occupied. He knew how dangerous her Stand was and immediately blocked the fleshy streams before they could even get within ten feet in front of him. It was these distractions that saved Shuzenji from getting encapsulated immediately, let alone let her last as long she had, but with it came new powerful counter attacks from the icy boy. This made it harder to run away, let alone continue to her desperate potshots. It became crystal clear that Todoroki was quickly getting used to her powers.

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before she was captured.

Baring her teeth, Shuzenji whirled around to blast another steady stream of flesh only for it to be met by a shivery pillar of ice. Erupting from the floor with bone chilling speed, another tidal wave of ice flooded the ring. Yet this time it was far too tall and spread out, leaving next to no chance of escape. Apparently Todoroki finally got tired of their game of cat and mouse.

Staring unflinchingly at the icy avalanche that race towards her, Shuzenji didn't hesitate before throwing a severed hand high up in the sky. Not even a second had passed before the cross-dresser was swallowed up by the ice, pushing her up into a position that immobilized every limb in a chilling prison of frost. The only portion that remained somewhat exposed was her navel and chest area; more than likely to prevent her from going into hypothermia too quickly.

Roars erupted echoed off the stadium once more at the grand display of Todoroki's overwhelming power. Yet even as the red and white haired youth walked a bit closer to the pink haired girl, a few keen eyed heroes noticed a certain severed hand landing with a soft thump just a few tiles behind him. Clutched tightly in its palm was also a custom spray can that had become quite familiar to the audience. Shuzenji's pink gaze held Todoroki's cold glare all the while her disembodied limb shifted and flexed into an upright position to aim directly at her foe's unprotected back. Making sure that her face remained a smooth, blank mask that hid the tension that welled up in her body, she slowly pushed the trigger…

Brisk cold washed the ring once more, momentarily snapping Shuzenji out of her concentration as she watched another blast of ice swallow disembodied hand in less than a second.

"Nice try," said Todoroki, not even bother to look back at the completely frozen limb before him. "But after seeing how you beat Gyro, there is no way you could beat me like that…"

Not bothering to waste a single millisecond to think of a retort, Shuzenji forced her remaining hand to turn into liquid, allowing it to slip passed its frozen bindings. Snapping her solidifying limb to her chest with a splat, she yanked out her second flesh spray can and fired. Todoroki didn't blink as the fleshy ropes whipped across the ring, merely stepping a foot forward and watched as an icy geyser intercepted the gooey tissue. Swallowing the flesh, the wave of chill didn't stop as it crept towards Shuzenji before encompassing the rest of her body, leaving her head exposed in an icy chokehold.

Wiggling her head around, the pink haired girl glared at Todoroki, but she knew that was game over.

"Shuzenji is incapacitated!" announced Midnight with a crack of her whip. "Todoroki moves on to the next round!" As the crowd erupted into another wave of jubilation, the white and red haired boy walked forward before placing his left hand on the freezing girl's icy prison. Sizzling steam quickly fumed from the ice, evaporating most of it a matter of seconds. Though Shuzenji didn't pay attention, nor cared, about being freed from the numbing chill.

As her knees hit the floor with a thud, her teeth gave a slight, but quite sharp crack as she continued to meet Todoroki's unrelenting cold, emotionless gaze. "…Dammit…"


"Well… that lasted longer than I expected," uttered Johnny, shifting a bit in his wheelchair to get a better look at the thawing ring. As soon as Recovery Girl cleared him from the Nurse's Office with a full bill of health, leaving behind the still sleeping catboy, he quickly made his way back to his class's spectator box—though not before Recovery Girl sent him off with a reminder not to go overboard. He didn't have to return, of course, especially since his next match with a certain explosive blond would be coming up fairly soon, but he wanted to see the fight between Todoroki and Shuzenji. More out of curiosity than looking for any actual strategic advantage from either.

He already knew insanely powerful the icy-hot boy was, the pink-haired crossdresser barely had even a sliver of a chance of victory, let alone coming out of this unscathed.

By the time Johnny arrived at the midway point of the match—with his class half welcoming him with resounding greetings before cheering for their ace classmate's icy victory—his prediction quickly came to pass. Even though he knew the outcome, it was still quite scary just over-powered Todoroki was with his ice. And yet… he couldn't help wonder just how powerful he could be if he stop holding back.

Though considering the cold hatred that Todoroki had for his father, Johnny doubted that he'll see his full potential any time soon…. And if he was being honest with himself, it was a shame. Even if his anger and loathing for his father was justified, Johnny didn't quite agree with his methods… If he wanted to prove that he was stronger than his father, if he truly wanted to be better than him, then he should use every single possible advantage and skill he had in arsenal to do so than simply using half your strength.

Otherwise it made him seem like he wasn't taking his own goals seriously…

"Hah! Serves that bastard right!" Johnny blinked before feeling a hand suddenly slap down on his shoulder. Snapping his head around, his gaze landed on gleaming rows of golden grills beaming down at him. "That was the most satisfying match I seen all day! Don't you think so, Johnny? That's what he gets for looking down on me during my match…"

The American blinked lazily at his friend's rather excessive delight over their former teammates' defeat. "You do realize that it was Todoroki who defeated her, right? Not you…"

The Italian winched at his words, but didn't lose his beaming smile. "I don't care! That was cathartic to watch! Though if that pink haired Bastardo had managed to win… I would eat my own hat before demanding the referee to get their eyes checked!"

Johnny rolled his eyes at his friend's childish mini-tantrum, but before he could make a sarcastic comment about it, someone beat him to the punch.

"And if she had won, I would've recorded every second of you eating your damn hat," snarked Tetsutetsu, leaning over the railing of his class's box to glare at the Italian. "The only reason Shuzenji lost was because Todoroki's stupidly broken power!"

"Todoroki's power… is a bit ridiculous," admitted Sero, watching how his white and red haired classmate making his way off the field. Shivering at the memory of his own defeat.

"Yeah! It's super powerful!" exclaimed Hagakure. "Todoroki's been pretty much one-shoting everything in the Sports Festival so far! Well… except for the Obstacle Course—that honor goes to Midoriya—but still! If he keeps this up, he's going to come out of this tournament undefeated!"

"Tch! If that icy bastard got hit just once by Cream Starter, then Shuzenji would've won…" muttered Kamakiri. "Hell, I bet I could easily cut apart his ice before they could even touch me!"

"Shuzenji did put up a good fight," complimented Yaoyorozu. "Facing Todoroki is a daunting challenge… I doubt that I would've lasted nearly as long as Shuzenji had…"

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Yaoyorozu," said Kendo, sending dark haired girl a gentle, yet confident smile. "I'm sure you would've lasted just as long against him. Who knows, maybe you might've come out on top as well!"

Somehow Johnny doubted that would happened. He didn't doubt that Yaoyorozu was strong—she was, after all, one of the few people recommended to get into U.A. in the first place and could create anything from her body—but Todoroki was quick witted and knew how to overwhelm his foes in an instance. Still, Johnny had to admit that his class's vice president was one of the few people he could count on one hand who had a chance to beat the scarred faced ace.

Just thinking about that small list reminded Johnny of a certain anger-prone youth he had to face very soon. Resisting the urge to frown, he sighed before starting to push his wheelchair out of the spectator box. He had to get ready for the bloodbath that was going to happen in a few short minutes.


"Get your confetti poppers ready and your megaphones held up high since it's time to make for the final match of the second round and the prelude to the quarter-finals!" announced Present Mic, arousing thunderous, eager cheers from the crowd once more. "Yeaaaaaaaaaaaah! That's what I'm talking about! I can feel the excitement levels rising up in here! And I can predict that it's only get higher when the match starts with an explosive blast!

"With that bit of foreshadowing out of the way, it's time for our combatants to make their entrance! First up is none other than the fiery wild child of Class One-A, whose explosions outmatch any kind of T.N.T. and dynamite, and has a tenacity that would give a vicious tiger a run for its money: hereeeeeeeeeee's Katsuki Bakugo!"

Bakugo didn't flinch under the roars coming the crowd, nor did he seem incredibly impressed by them either. Lips pulled into a thin-line, almost that of a grimace, he stomped onto the ring with his hands tucked in his pockets. Yet his blood-red eyes never once left the opposite end of stadium where a shadowy outline was taking form in the second entrance.

"And emerging from his last victory like the pale rider himself comes another spunky kid with a will of steel and a Stand that still has me spinning on the edge of my seat, please give it up for Johnny Joestar!"

If the cheers for Bakugo were thunderous, then what greeted Johnny was deafening. Nearly everyone clapped, howled, and roared for the young paraplegic as he rode Slow Dancer onto the raised ring once more. It didn't take a genius to know who the crowd favored. Whether it was because of some remnants of excitement and wonder from Johnny's previous victory and the evolution of his Stand or perhaps lingering resentment towards Bakugo for his treatment towards Uraraka, the cripple couldn't say. Nor did he really care. All his attention was solely on ashen-blond, eyeing him from head to toe much as the explosive boy did the same for him.

It was odd. Up to this point, the American was dreading to face the explosively angry boy in the tournament, or any part of the Sports Festival in general, but now his apprehension had abandoned him. He didn't know whether this was because of already going through the motions of dread beforehand, a side effect of learning Lesson Four and Tusk evolving, or simply his instincts taking over, but it was comforting. Of course he was still wary of Bakugo's staggering power, but now that he sat across from him, holding his penetrating gaze without a single blink, his fear and uncertainty was replaced by a sense of calm and confidence. While the probability of winning this duel was slim even after everything that happened in his last match, Johnny was determined to give it his all and come out on top.

And if he did fail, then he would make damn sure that Bakugo would have to work for his victory.

"Oi, Horseshoe!" yelled Bakugo. "If you wanna back down, now's the time to call it quits. Cuz I'm not going to hold back even for someone like you!" Suddenly his lips pulled back into a vicious grin, his crimson eyes sparking to life with a fiery, eager blaze. "But you're not the type to back down, aren't 'cha?!"

"If you already knew my answer, why the hell did you bother asking in the first place?" snarked Johnny, rolling his eyes at Bakugo's radiant bloodlust. "I would be disappointed if you held back on my account… hell, I would beat your ass if you did! I don't want a pity win!"

Despite knowing how suicidal it was to poke Bakugo's overwhelming ego, Johnny meant every word he said. In a way, he was grateful that the explosive youth was taking him seriously since the beginning of the tournament, no, since the start of Sport's Festival. Even with his disabilities, Bakugo still treated him as he did everyone else. As normal as one could get while acting as an egotist of the highest degree at any rate: like a total jerkass. He doubted that Bakugo even noticed his own behavior, but the blond didn't give special treatments or special favors to anyone and the irony was not lost on Johnny. He expected no less from the explosive youth.

What he didn't expect, however, was instead of a raging blood vessel popping on the side of his peer's head, was his foe letting out a chuckle. An ominous chuckle as Bakugo's lips pulled back into a vicious and very menacing smile. There was angry aggression in his eyes, there no was doubt about that, but something absolutely predatory swirled in them that made Johnny shudder. He couldn't tell what was worse: Bakugo's explosive temper or his unquenchable thirst for competing to be the best. Yet there was one thing he was certain of: a combination of the two was by far the scariest thing he seen from the explosive boy—which a small, distant part of his mind was now regretting for provoking such a dangerous quality out into the open.

"Like I told you before, Horseshoe…" he started, pulling his hands out of his pockets, small explosions popping to life in his palms. "Like you have any chance in hell of beating me! Time to put in your place!"

"Hmph! We'll see about that, Bakugo!"

"What a fiery exchange between these two boys!" exclaimed Present Mic. "I've seen some rivalries in my days, but I can feel their intensity radiating all the way up here!"

"While I'm not normally one for rivalries myself—always preferred to have more friends than enemies—but I can't deny such a fierce clash of wills is a breath taking sight to behold," commented Mountain Tim. "I don't think it's wise to hold back such overwhelming spirit, do you?"

"Not at all, my zombie cowboy! But what do our lovely viewers have to say about this!" A roaring chant answered the Radio Hero without hesitation, nearly everyone demanding for the match to start in earnest.

"Get on with it already…" muttered Aizawa, sounding a mix of half drowsy and half irritated by his friend dragging out the tension this long.

"Well you heard the mummy man! Let's kick this match between friends off with a bang!"

Johnny would've snorted at that last bit, but all his concentration was solely focused on the spikey haired blond. Clenching Slow Dancer's reins tightly, beads of sweat budded to life at his temple as time slow to a crawl. Tusk materialized behind him in its first form, chiming softly as it clung to its user's shoulder, but Johnny didn't pay him any attention. If he got distracted right now, even for a mere moment, then it would be game over.

"Ready…! Set…! BEGIN!"

Whipping his reins like a crack of a whip, Johnny held tight to the appaloosa as she jumped forward to meet Bakugo's wild charge. Literally flying across the ring with explosive bursts from his palms, the aggressive blond wore a maniacal grin as he already halved the distance between himself and his prey. This didn't faze the American as he snapped a hand up to fire off a few rounds at the flying egotist.

Not batting an eye at the oncoming barrage, Bakugo merely shifted an arm to the side to change trajectory without slowing down a heartbeat. But Johnny wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily. Leaning off the side of his saddle, he unloaded an entire hand's worth of nail-bullets at his classmate before shifting Slow Dancer's reins so they could get around him.

Bakugo, however, proved just why he was considered one of the top five students in their class.

With incredible ease, he zipped across the air in all directions, avoiding all the nail-bullets before hurling himself over the appaloosa and her young jockey. Grinning from ear to ear, he twirled around with a bright explosion flickering to life in hand as he aimed at Johnny's exposed back. "DIE!" he roared, unleashing a powerful blast without any hesitation.

Yet as the air just started to heat up, Johnny rolled out his saddle entirely, dangling from its side while still holding Slow Dancer's reins. Whipping his hand upward, the paraplegic aimed at Bakugo… only to pause when he noticed another bright, heated wave sent directly at him. Biting back a curse, Johnny yanked himself on the reins before delivering a mighty slap to Slow Dancer's hide. Screaming at not only her master's touch, but also the deafening blast, the appaloosa jumped to the side, swinging Johnny off the ground just as it exploded into dozens of tiny chunks.

Twirling around in midair, Johnny clenched his teeth as he yanked himself forward with the reins, slamming into the side of Slow Dancer, knocking a bit of air of him in the process. Without wasting a second, he scrambled up the saddle before twisting around to face his tenacious adversary. An annoyed grimace adorned Bakugo's features as he slowly stood up from the small crater he left in his wake. Crimson eyes narrowed as they locked on the paraplegic, he immediately got ready for another assault.

"I figured he might've caught onto my fighting style after watching my last fight, but what the hell?!" thought Johnny. "To adapt so quickly… no wonder Midoriya considers him next to unstoppable." Clicking his tongue, he briefly glanced at his fingernails. Most of the nails were starting to rapidly grow back, some already nearly their original length and ready to be used once more. Which was a huge relief since he wasn't entirely sure up to that point whether Tusk would continue to regrow his nails quickly after its evolution. It was a blessing to be sure since he was going to be needing it throughout this entire match. Though he knew that simply trying to gun down Bakugo was next to impossible, he was too tenacious and powerful to go down like that… That's why the American already thought up of a few strategies beforehand, with a little help from Midoriya of course.


"Kacchan's the type who'll try to crush his opponent instantly," explained Midoriya, flipping through his notebook before landing on his Bakugo's section. "An all-out attack—preferably starting with a right hook. He'll hold nothing back and—!"

"I figured that out already," said Johnny, cutting Midoriya before he went into another barrage of intense mutterings. Any other time, he wouldn't have really minded such a habit, but right now he needed his friend to focus on helping him. Especially since he only had a several minutes before going onto the ring. "What I really want to know is if Bakugo has any weaknesses and anything else I should watch out for."

"R-Right, sorry!" Clearing his throat, the mossy haired boy flipped a page from his notebook. "Kacchan really is strong. Not just physically and Quirk-wise, but he's also really sharp. He doesn't make the same mistake twice in a fight and will exploit any flaw that is presented to him. You really have to watch out for him keeping up and close, obviously, but also when he tries to maneuver around you. He'll probably attack any blind spot that's exposed to his explosions for their maximum effect. As for when he's angry… well… When his rage hasn't blinded him, he'll think of a dozen strategies to utterly annihilate his competition... In fact, sometimes his anger actually makes him even sharper! When he really wants to be beat someone… there's no stopping him.

"But he's not invincible like All Might or nearly as brilliant like someone as Aizawa Sensei. His stubbornness and pride sometimes forces him to focus too much one specific target. Like in the Battle Trial at the start of our term! With Tusk's new ability, I'm sure you can catch him off guard while all his concentration is directly at you! Though if that doesn't work… then there are only a few alternatives I can think of."


Stroking a still missing nail off his right pinky finger, Johnny flickered his gaze passed Bakugo, watching as a hole trailed across in the inner stadium at a menacing pace. The explosive youth didn't see it coming, his eyes glued solely on the cripple's frame as he took two menacing steps forward, looking all too much like a slasher villain from a cheesy horror movie. But the American couldn't deny that Bakugo truly gave off a very bloodthirsty aura that sent a shiver down his spine.

Suddenly Bakugo spun on his heel, swinging a glowing hand to unleash a devastating burst. Tiles and chunks of concrete were blasted into dust, leaving behind a smoky plume and a fresh, blackened scar across the ring. The hole that tried to sneak up on the explosive youth was no longer to be seen. Whether it was because of his blast or running out of time before fading away, no one could say.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice your little trick, Horseshoe?!" demanded Bakugo, smoke trailing from his hand as he snapped a heel around. "Did you think really I'd fall for the same crap you pulled with the—!"

Whatever else he had to say died on his lips, his eyes growing till they were saucers as Johnny rushed Slow Dancer directly at the angry blond.

"Not for a second!" yelled Johnny, raising a star covered hand up high. He knew that Bakugo had quickly adapted to Tusk's new ability, so he had to improvise his and Midoriya's plans quite a bit. Several nails burst off the American's fingers, buzzing across the ring like killer wasps as they closed in on their target.

Growling like a wild animal, Bakugo jumped to the side as the nails tore lines out floor. Spinning around with explosions lighting up in his palms, he ignored a nail that nicked his right cheek, barely registering a hot crimson line trailing down, and lunged forward. Seeing the violent boy flying like a cannon ball directly at him, Johnny shot off two more shots—not missing the chance to take a few pot shots whenever he could—before rolling to one side of his saddle once more.

The nails, however, soared over the Bakugo's head as he changed trajectory once more. His feet skidded across the floor for a moment before he completely slid under the old appaloosa. The paraplegic only got a brief glance of a glowing palm pointed directly at his back before he was sent flying. The air whooshed out Johnny's lungs, forcing him to choke down the smoke that now came from the back of his burnt clothes. He wheezed in any small bit of clean air he could get, all the while clinging to his horse's reins like his life depended on it. Hell, it just might if he kept getting blasted like that.

He never truly had been hit directly by one of Bakugo's explosions before, not even during the battle trial, and it felt like he was hit by a freaking monster truck. Just what the hell was up with Bakugo's explosions?!

Slow Dancer screamed in pure fright, kicking up her forelegs for a moment before slamming them down to thunder across the ring. Johnny only had barely a second to take in the situation before being flailed around. Feeling his muscles strain against the whip lash, he gritted his teeth and gave the reins a powerful yank. The appaloosa let out a bellowing neigh, dancing up on her hind legs for a moment, before settling down just alongside the edge of the ring.

Though he was still feeling a bit winded from the explosion, Johnny quickly climbed back into Slow Dancer's saddle before urging her into a run. Not a second later, the area behind them exploded into a dusty flurry as Bakugo went on a war path after them. Cursing under his breath, Johnny twisted around, wincing at the flurry of pain still fresh on his back, before emptying a hand's worth of bullets at his pursuer. Yet as Bakugo burst around each bullet, the cripple shot out several toenails imbued with the golden rectangle. Smashing into the floor like falling comets, the newly formed holes immediately rushed to intercept their prey. With a hail of nail-bullets constantly harassing him and now living holes inching closer to crawl up his feet, the only path left for him to escape without injury was to retreat backwards… or so what everyone thought.

With a vicious growl, he swung both arms downward before a thunderous detonation consumed him. A tornado of smoke and tiny debris swirled across the ring, swallowing both the flying the nails and the inching holes in its wake.

Holding his Slow Dancer's reins tightly, least she bolt under in terror at the constant deafening blasts, Johnny squinted at the dusty smog before noticing a shadow flicker across the ring. Feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, the young American snapped his head up and was met with a dreadful sight.

Lips peeled back into a vicious smile, Bakugo rose high into the sky like a rocket. Reaching his peak just short of the complete height of the stadium, he floated for a mere second before pummeling back to the ring like a flaming meteorite. Explosions lit up his palms, increasing his speed as he made a beeline straight towards Johnny, his eyes, while wild, were filled with an unbreakable determination.

Tasting the bitter dryness in his mouth, Johnny swallowed as he watched Bakugo glide closer and closer him by the millisecond. There was nowhere to retreat, no way he could truly defend himself if he stood his ground… leaving him with one last alternative. Tightening his grip on Slow Dancer, Johnny let out a challenging howl before forcing his appaloosa into a run. Raising a star-covered hand just Bakugo raised his own, sky-blue eyes meeting blood red for a brief instance, he shot nearly all the nail-bullets he had as blinding explosion burst from his classmate's fingers.


Feeling the stadium rock for what felt like the umpteenth time now, Midoriya held his notebook tightly to his chest as a powerful wave of heat and dust washed over the stands. No matter how many times he seen it, Kacchan's Quirk never ceased to amaze him with such awesome and tremendously powerful explosions. Yet he was more than a touched concerned for Johnny. Seeing the cripple charge headlong into that blast was nothing short than insane! Frantically his eyes peered across the ring, heavy smoke covered the whole thing while decently sized chunks of concrete lay brokenly all around grassy inner stadium. Feeling his heart clench, Midoriya nearly jumped to his feet when a smoky outline came into view.

Slowly the blackened dust faded away, revealing a head of spiky blond hair and an almost permanent angry scowl. Bakugo stood atop a sizable crater at one end of the ring, looking none the worse for wear except for the cuts and grazes he received from his opponent, before quickly twisting on his heel. Following his gaze, Midoriya watched as the rest of the smoke dissipate to reveal a certain trembling horse standing at the very edge on the other side of the ring with her rider clinging completely off the side her saddle. Smoke and blacken smudges stained his already torn gym clothes, but other than that, he didn't look any worse than he already had before the massive explosion. Though his entire body trembled violently as he hoisted himself up onto Slow Dancer's back.

"H-How did he make it out of that?!" demanded Kaminari, his jaw hanging wide open. A similar reaction, Midoriya noted, from nearly everyone in the stands, unable to tear their eyes away from the foreign student.

"It's because he charged forward instead of taking a step back," said Gyro, earning himself more than a few curious, if not disbelieving, stares from the majority of his classmates.

"What're you talking about, Gyro?" questioned Hagakure. "Johnny met that blast head on! He should've been blown out of the ring or at least thrown of his horse!"

"Not necessarily," interjected Yaoyorozu, her eyes intent as she watched Johnny straighten in his saddle before charging Bakugo once more. "Johnny was most certainly almost thrown off his horse, there's no doubt about that, but he managed to escape the full extent of Bakugo's range just in time."

"Wait, I'm confused," interjected Kirishima, his eyes flickering between Yaoyorozu and the explosive chaos coming from the ring. "How'd Johnny escape Bakugo's range? I don't see how he could've escaped a blast like that by charging right at it…"

"He didn't…" muttered Midoriya, clarity blooming in his head as realized what Gyro and Yaoyorozu already figured out. "He didn't meet Kacchan's blast head-on, but simply ran underneath it!"

"Huh?!" yelled his classmates, all eyes now locked on him.

"Kacchan's blast would've taken out anybody caught in it, but he shot it at an angle. The full power of the explosion would arc in one direction. Not to mention with Kacchan using several explosive bursts when he glided toward the ring, he couldn't have changed its trajectory at the speed he was going. Johnny must've noticed this and decided to get out of the blast range by charging underneath it! That said, it was a risky move since the sheer force of the explosion that spread across the ring nearly threw him off Slow Dancer."

"Wow…" gulped Sero, watching the young jockey dodged a barrage of explosions before retaliating with a hail of nail-bullets. "Johnny must have nerves of steel to do something that ballsy."

"No kidding," said Ojiro. "It's almost scary how determined Johnny can get at times like these… then again, when facing someone like Bakugo, I think that's the only thing he could've done just to survive a few seconds longer."

"Bakugo is pretty much like a natural disaster," said Tsuyu, "but I'm surprised Johnny has lasted this long against him."

"It's a testament to his tenacity, Asui."

Blinking at the familiar purring voice, Midoriya turned to the side, along with the rest of his class, to see the fanged smile of Hotei. Bandages were wrapped tightly around both his injured arm and leg and even around his chest, but there was no hint of a scratch or mark on the rest of his body. Though he looked more than a little tired as he settled down into his seat, folding his legs over each other. The curly haired youth was a little surprised that Recovery Girl would allow the catboy out of the nurse's office at all after what happened.

"If there is anything I've learned from Johnny, it's to never underestimate his tenacity and determination," continued Hotei, his fluffy red ears twitching slightly as his eyes flickered to the American. "That was my mistake early on and it led to my defeat."

"Hey, you were great out there, Hotei!" yelled Tetsutetsu, reaching over to give his classmate a firm slap on the back, eliciting a slight cough from the redhead. "Just seeing you stare down a charging horse was badass!"

"You would've won to if Johnny's Stand didn't evolve just then," Kuroiro pointed out. "His Stand is powerful, but if you weren't caught off guard by its transformation, you could've taken him down." Several other students from Class B echoed his statement with their own variations, praising how awesome the catboy was in his fight.

Humming at their words, Hotei's tail flickered two and fro before leaning back into his seat. "Perhaps…. But I doubt it. Even if Tusk hadn't turned into a giant pink dragonfly, I think Johnny would've found a way to beat me." A purring chuckle blew passed his lips, the slits of his eyes narrowing as he watched with keen interest at the raging battle down below. "His resolve was stronger than mine. That was the ultimate deciding factor of the fight, not just his Stand."

While some of the students of Class B tried to deny Hotei's words, continuing to say how he could've won in the end, Midoriya slowly turned his attention back to the current battle taking place. "Resolve…" he muttered. It was the perfect word to describe the scene that was unfolding before him.

Both boys fought ruthlessly, neither of them willing to give each other a moment to rest or think. Explosions and nail-bullets flew this way and that, effectively tearing more chunks out of the ring as the seconds dragged on. Yet both Bakugo and Johnny refused to yield even as their bodies wore several new cuts and charred clothes. Though Midoriya noted that one wore more holes and burnt fabrics than the other.

"Although…" said Hotei, causing Midoriya to blink as he turned to face him once more. "After seeing these two go at it like ferocious beasts…. I don't know who's going to come out on top… Both Bakugo and Johnny have unbreakable resolve and the tenacity to back them up. It could go either way at this point… but no matter how it ends, I can tell this match is going to end soon… and more than likely brutally."

That earned him more than a few nods from not only his classmates, but from those in Class A as well. Even Midoriya couldn't help but agree with him. Both Bakugo and Johnny were the very definition of an unstoppable force. Yet unlike the famous theoretical and philosophical question with the unmovable object, the forest green haired youth knew that there could only be one victor here. And despite knowing both boys for some time, he couldn't tell who was going to advance in the end…


Despite the burning itch in his lungs, Johnny twisted to the side, narrowly escaping yet another explosive fist aimed for his face. Within the same breath, he fired off three nail-bullets from his right hand before nudging Slow Dancer away from the explosive blond. Bakugo swirled in the air, easily knocking two of the nails out of the air with a heated blast, yet the remaining one managed to punch on through and nick his shoulder. Growling at the indignity, he chased after both jockey and horse, intent on crushing them then and there.

Grimacing at only managing to do something so minor to the angry youth, Johnny briefly looked down at his fingers. Only five nails remained on both hands, with three quickly growing back while the remaining two were missing all together. He had to use a couple of golden spin nails after already using up all his toe-nails earlier, but that proved to be a waste considering how Bakugo easily was able to avoid them. It still amazed Johnny just how adaptable the short-fused could be, especially combined with his overwhelming power and cunning. He could see just why Midoriya respected him so much… to which a part of Johnny grudgingly admitted he felt the same. If only a tiny bit for his skills and determination at least.

Though at the moment that part was deeply buried under an ocean of adrenaline as he tried to stay alive a few moments longer.

Clenching his teeth, he glanced to the side for a split second, trying to judge what little distance remained between himself and his aggressive pursuer. Not far enough for Johnny's liking as Bakugo was almost on top of him! Needing no other motivation, Johnny started to turn around, a nail spinning to life in one hand… yet he stopped when he noticed Bakugo dip to the ground. Blinking at the action, he watched as the spikey blond's feet tapped the ground, his arms twitching for a split second before resuming to use his hover mode.

This perplexed Johnny. Ever since the match started Bakugo had been pretty much flying none stop in order to avoid the danger that was the living holes of the Golden Spin. For him to even touch the ground, even for a single millisecond, was only because he had been grazed by a nail-bullet. So why would he touch the ground of his volition?

"Unless… his Quirk's starting to strain him," thought Johnny, his eyes widening as realization hit like a hurricane. He doubted that Bakugo's hover mode would cause such exertion, but the constant powerful and quite large explosive blasts were another issue. While they didn't seemingly tucker him out—the cripple wondered if anything could break down the angry boy's bottomless endurance—but the pure force exploding out of his palms must've done a number on his arms. Or at least Johnny hoped so. And if by some chance that this was the case, then he couldn't pass up this golden opportunity.

Feeling the inkling of a risky, but potentially game changing plan form in the depths of his mind, Johnny steeled his resolve.

Turning around, he shot off a couple of nail bullets before circling Slow Dancer along the edge of the ring. Naturally Bakugo expertly dodged the inconvenient barrage before shooting off a powerful blast at his foe. It missed by a hair, but its heated force nearly sent Johnny flying. The appaloosa screamed, kicking wildly against the concrete, threatening to step outside the white line of the ring. Holding back a budding curse in his throat, Johnny quickly yanked his horse away from the edge.

Whipping his head around, Johnny watched Bakugo gave chase once more. Though once more he was starting to dip little by little to the floor.

"Now!" Whipping his reins, Johnny changed Slow Dancer's direction on a dime before charging straight at the explosive youth.

Not flinching at the rampaging horse, Bakugo grinned viciously as his feet touched the ground for a moment. "Is that the best you got, Horse—!?" Before he could finished the insult, his eyes grew wide with a sight that left his mouth hanging open.

Twisting his entire body forward, Johnny braced himself as he let go of Slow Dancer's reins before being thrown across the ring. Barely making out the muffled shouts and startled gasps coming from the stands—not that he cared even if he could—the paraplegic sailed straight at his foe. The sheer audacity of his actions must've stunned Bakugo as he stood rooted to the ground for a brief second before making a move to escape.

But it was far too late.

Whipping his hands forward, despite spinning wildly through the air, Johnny aimed as best he could before unleashing nearly everything he had. Most were shot haphazardly, missing their target by several feet or flying over his head completely, but a few managed to slice at his sides, drawing thin redlines in their wake. This caused Bakugo to flinch ever so slightly… and that was all the distraction Johnny needed before completely crashing into him.

Both of them smashed to the floor with a thunderous thud, tumbling across the ring before settling in its center. Johnny wheezed as the air left him for a brief second, yet even as his lungs burned and begged for breath, he knew he had precious little time to waste. Forcing his aching body into semi-upright position, the paraplegic grabbed at Bakugo's right arm. Much like how Gyro had taught him since the beginning of their training, he twisted his fingers quickly, causing the blond's flesh to twist and arc back along with his limb. Johnny didn't know how long he could hold the spin with that particular technique, since he was still relatively new to Lesson Four, but if he could disable his limbs for even a fraction of a second, then he would jump at the chance.

Not waiting for the arm to full pull back, he lunged to grab the other… only for a fist to smash into the right of his face.

Feeling his teeth clatter as pain spread across his cheek, Johnny only had a moment to see Bakugo's burning, crimson gazer glaring down before another fist slammed into his head. The explosive hothead roared as he wailed against the cripple, showing no mercy as he pummeled his foe all over. Even throwing in a few minor explosions to boot! Yet Johnny refused to let go of him.

Tasting a hint of copper in his mouth while the scent of smoke and burnt clothes clogged his nostrils, Johnny returned Bakugo's barrage with one of his own. Both boys grappled and wrestled into a vicious melee, rolling across the ring as they both tried to pin the other, but neither managing to get a good hold on the other for long. The cripple had fired off a couple nail-bullets, but with the way Bakugo struggled against him, they flew over their intended target before smashing into a nearby wall.

Letting a vicious howl, Johnny slammed a well-aimed fist into Bakugo's gut before making another grab for his arms. Yet before he could even twitch, a glowing fist appeared in his face.

Not having the chance to even blink, a fiery blast explosion blinded him, sending him flying back across the ring. Rolling across the concrete before skidding to a stop, Johnny laid on the cold floor, a high pitched ringing now echoing in his ears. His entire face felt numb and more than a little frazzled, but nothing seemed to be broken. Flicking his tongue across his teeth, he was glad that nothing got knocked out either. Black spots filled his gaze as he stared up at the sky, his entire body ached, demanding that he rest for a second, but he refused even that temptation. Pushing himself into an upright position, Johnny turned his gaze towards Bakugo, ignoring the warm feel of blood trickling down the side of his head and out of one of his nostrils.

Gulping down any air he could get, Bakugo quickly stood up with a hand pressed at his gut. His heated gaze, however, never once left Johnny's fallen form.

Johnny didn't flinch away from that penetrating glare, merely locking eyes with Bakugo before spitting out a bit of blood mixed with saliva. He knew this was his last stand, he was too weak and tired to try to ride Slow Dancer at this point. But even then, he refused to give up.

After all, he did have one last trick up his sleeve.

"Well?!" he called out, eyes fierce and burning with a familiar dark flame as he held up a hand, a nail-bullet ready to be let loose. "I can still fight! So come at me already, Bakugo!"

Crimson eyes burned brightly as a vicious smile spread across Bakugo's face. "Right! Let's do this, Johnny!" With an explosive pop from his palms, charged at his downed prey. It only took a few seconds for him to cross half the ring, a glowing fist raised and ready to end the match then and there… yet by the time he took his sixth step, two holes climbed onto the ring and made a beeline for him. Though that did little to slow the ashen blond down, let alone made him hesitate.

Whether they actually intercepted Bakugo or not mattered little to Johnny. All his concertation, everything he had left was put into his last nail-bullet spinning on his finger and his target. Closing his left eye, which was starting to blacken and swell just a tiny bit, he took a deep breath and watched as Bakugo stepped into the perfect range while the holes made a beeline for their target

Without any hesitation, doubt, or anything holding him back, he fired point blank at his foe.

The bullet soared across the ring… only to miss as Bakugo swiftly leapt high over it with a blasting burst, narrowly avoiding a hole that was a mere inch away from his feet. Roaring wildly, he surged forth with a glowing fist before smashing into Johnny's chest. The American wheezed for but a moment before being flung back by another explosion.

Sailing in the air with a trail of blacken smoke, Johnny crashed just outside the ring. Coughing hoarsely, he barely made out the shocked screams from the crowd, as well the concern touch from Midnight as she knelt by his side. With what little strength he had left, he raised a trembling hand, letting her and everyone else know that he wasn't dead. Letting out a relieved breath, the Rated R Hero stood up.

"Johnny Joestar has fallen outside the ring!" she declared. "Katsuki Bakugo moves onto the third round!"

The roar from the crowd seemed like a faint buzz to Johnny's ears as exhaustion started to take hold of him. He hurt all over and it was only by pure will power that he managed to stay awake, at least for the moment anyway. Though the bitter taste of defeat stung worse than the pain he endured just now. It was a familiar feeling, one he had the misfortunate of encountering more than once in his life, but as much as the humiliation burned him, he knew that it was a fleeting pain. As his vision faded to the black abyss that was exhaustion, he vowed to do what he always done whenever he was faced with defeat.

To learn and adapt in order to progress further towards his ultimate goal. One way or another…


By the time Johnny woke up, he was met with the stern gaze of Recovery Girl. One look was all he needed to know that she was very unhappy with his injuries. Especially after she just fixed him up before the second round. She didn't lecture him too much this time, but even as she continued to patch him up, she firmly insisted that he not get into any more trouble for the rest of the day. Not that Johnny had any intention to—he was exhausted and, after all, out of the tournament—but her words sent a chill down his spine regardless.

Since most of his injuries were taken care of already while he was unconscious, it didn't take long before Johnny was given permission to leave the Nurse's office once more. Though not without a few bandages wrapped around his brow and a patch on his cheek. From what he gathered from Recovery Girl, when she wasn't examining him and administering her Quirk, his injuries were not completely terrible, but still quite intense. Several cracked ribs, more than a few first to second degree burns, and dozens of bruising flesh. The list went on for dozens of minor injuries, of course, but Johnny didn't really care all too much. After all, he suffered far worse—though he made it a point not to utter that around the old nurse who healed to him.

Wheeling himself back to his Class's A stands where the third round was already underway, winching a bit as his sides hurt from the exertion—a little reminder from Recovery Girl to not to do anything foolish while his body healed naturally—he was greeted by the joyful cries of his classmates. They smiled and patted him enthusiastically—much to his body's aching discomfort—before congratulating him even as he wheeled himself to his normal seat beside Gyro. Yet he soon stopped when his eyes landed on a familiar ashen blond.

Bakugo lounged forward in his seat, his eyes intent as they stared at the ring. Though his crimson gaze flickered for a brief moment to the paraplegic. A scowl adorned his features, but oddly enough, it didn't seem to hold any real malice or anger. Not batting a single eyelash, Johnny locked eyes with him. There wasn't a single scratch or scar that marred the aggressive boy's flesh. Was this because they were minor and healed quickly under Recovery Girl's Quirk? Or perhaps he didn't need a reminder like the American? Either way, Johnny didn't dwell on the subject for too long. Instead he simply held the blazing crimson gaze for a moment, barely making note of the tense stares from his classmates who watched on uncertainly, before giving Bakugo a nod. There was no point in goading the hotheaded boy or spouting some petty cliché about "getting even". He lost fair and square and that was that.

For a wonder Bakugo didn't go into a rant or prideful boast about his victory over him, though his scowl made it difficult read his true feelings. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Johnny simply rolled himself over to seat himself beside Gyro, finally turning his attention on what he missed during the third round.

He blinked when his eyes landed on a familiar head of fluffy green standing not too far away from a burning blaze that surrounded a certain white and redheaded boy. While Midoriya's swelling and broken fingers and arm concerned Johnny, it was Todoroki that completely captured his attention. From the fire flowing from his left side to the smile that split his lips, it was truly a sight to behold. After everything he heard, everything he witnessed from the distant youth, whose hatred for his father ran deep, Johnny was more than a little shocked that Todoroki would use his left half at all. What the hell did he miss while he was in the nurse's office?! While his mind continued to grasp the full weight of what just happened, a tiny part of him wondered if Midoriya had something to do with this…

Barely making note of a proud roar coming from the Stand, who Johnny was more than certain came from Todoroki's father, the Flame Hero, Endeavor, the light-brown haired youth watched as the fire grew ten-fold. Not only that, a powerful shockwave blew across the ring as Midoriya's right side burst with energy. So much that the fabrics of his clothes burst apart, revealing bulging muscle and glowing red lines. Both Midnight and Cementoss step forward, aiming to end the match, but it was too late.

Charging forth at the same time, both boys flew across the ring, ignoring the cement pillars in their way, their arms raised and ready to unleash their final attacks. The moment they did meet in the middle, a blinding blast, more powerful than anything the stadium had yet seen, erupted and shook the whole arena. Johnny held onto his chair as powerful gales pushed him back into one his classmate's knees. Ignoring the strangled yelp behind him as the air settle down, he blinked at the sight before him.

Sliding along a very dented and cracked wall, Midoriya hit the flood with a soft thump while Todoroki, looking none the worse for wear, stood breathlessly in the middle of a much destroyed ring. It took a moment for the crowd to realize just what happened before erupting in thunderous cheers for the white and red haired winner to this epic conclusion.

As he watched Midoriya get carted off to the Nurse's Office by some helper bots, Johnny wished his friend a speedy recovery. He knew that Recovery Girl would most certainly have more than a few words with the reckless successor to All Might, especially considering the obvious drawbacks he inflicted on his arms and hands this time. Johnny refrained from following some of his classmates who immediately headed to the Nurse's Office, feeling that his curly haired friend deserved some rest after all the pain he endured just now. Not to mention he didn't want to be on the receiving end of Recovery Girl's cane so soon after being let go from the Nurse's Office. Still, it had been a valiant effort from Midoriya and one that Johnny approved of… though his mind was still trying to wrap around what he could've said to provoke Todoroki's flames.

Glancing at the icy-hot boy, Johnny watched as he started to exit the ring. Gone was there any hint of the smile he once wore just mere moments ago, returning back to the neutral line he often wore. Yet there seemed to be a sort of calm about him… and a hint of uncertainty. As Todoroki disappeared into the dark hallway, Johnny made a mental note to figure out this perplexing change in the ace student.

As soon as the ring had been cleaned up and be remade by Cementoss, the rest of the tournament seemed to go by surprisingly quickly. Kirishima proved his worth by tanking more than a few of Bakugo's blasts in the next round, but he didn't last very long before the ashen blond overpowered him. Ida literally made quick work of the vine haired girl, Shiozaki, while Tokoyami utterly crushed Ashido despite her best efforts. The semi-finals proved to be just as quick as Todoroki and Bakugo effortlessly swept their competition. Though Johnny noticed that the former had yet to use his fire side again…

When the final match had arrived, it was something for the ages. Literally starting with a bang, Bakugo proved to be aggressive as ever, but as the fight dragged on, he fought like a man possessed. In turn, Todoroki proved to be exceptionally versatile with dealing with the angry youth. Walls of ice sailed across the ring, geysers of frost erupted everywhere, and a literal glacier rushed to meet their target. Yet everything was scattered in a hail of icy rain by Bakugo's powerful explosions. By the time the climax arrived, the wild boy sailed through the air, twirling around in heated fury and ready to unleash his ultimate move. In that instant his icy-hot rival's left side started to flicker to life… only to die immediately just before blasted out of the ring.

As the dust settled, everyone was shocked by the outcome, but none were more furious than the victor himself. He stomped over and demanded a rematch from his unconscious classmate, only to quickly get knocked out by Midnight's Quirk. While the crowd cheered for the victory, Johnny quirked an eyebrow at Todoroki's fallen form being taken away by the nurse bots. Just what was that all about? He knew that his classmate was acting strangely since Midoriya's match, but that was just bizarre. Especially after his declaration to win the tournament… did he abandoned that goal earlier or was this something unrelated?

So many questions buzzed around in Johnny's head, but they went unanswered as he wheeled to the inner stadium along with the rest of the first years for the award and closing ceremonies. As he lined himself up with his peers, he was treated with the most amusing sight he seen all day.

Chained to the first place pedestal like some vicious animal was none other than Bakugo. Clamped to his face was muzzle that muffled the angry rants that tried to escapes his lips as he glared with towering rage at Todoroki who stood on the second place pedestal. This only reinforced his image of a wild beast lashing out at his captors. So much so that every student, including Tokoyami who stood on the third place pedestal, tried not to get too close to him in case he broke loose.

Unlike the others, however, Johnny found this hilarious. While his exploding fury was honestly an impressive, as well intimidating, sight to behold, seeing Bakugo completely restrained and flailing against his chains was just so ridiculous that the American couldn't help a chuckle escaping his lips. Though he had the good sense to cover it up with a hand. Johnny doubted that the ashen blond would notice his amusement at the moment, but he didn't want to have to look over his shoulder for the next few weeks in case his short tempered classmate decided he wanted vengeance.

As the fanfare died down, Midnight started off the ceremony with introducing the winners. Though she mentioned how Ida, who had tied with Tokoyami, couldn't attend because of a family emergency came up. This peeked Johnny's curiosity since he managed to catch his class president talking to Midoriya and Uraraka just before he left. He couldn't hear what he told them, not with the deafening cheers from the crowd ringing his ears, but he could see the clear anxious worry on his face. It didn't take a genius to figure out that whatever trouble his family was in, it was quite serious. Though he had a hunch that Ida would tell his classmates something more specific later, Johnny had a bad feeling that still gnawed at his stomach.

Suddenly a blaring horn shook the American out of his thoughts as he, and everyone, looked up to see a familiar shadowy figure descending from above.

"I am… HERE WITH MEDALS!" "He's everyone's hero, ALL MIGHT!"

Landing gracefully like the ultimate hero that he was, All Might snapped his head to Midnight, who her held hands up in apology for cutting him off. Giving her a thumbs up, the legendary Symbol of Peace wasting no time before starting to hand out medals. Both Todoroki and Tokoyami received their medals humbly from All Might with the hero sharing a few words with them, congratulating them for their effort and encouraging them to continue to grow into exemplary heroes.

By the time All Might reached the winner of the Sports Festival, Bakugo had one hell of a terrifying face. It was bad before, but it now it was just plain horrifying. And it only got worse as All Might popped off his muzzle, allowing the enraged youth to go into a rant about refusing his victory, claiming that it was a sham. He even tried to lean away from the gold medal in All Might's hands as if it were poison, but the hero prevail by simply hooking the ribbon in the boy's mouth, effectively shutting him up.

Johnny didn't even try hide his chuckle that time.

"Well! These are your winners!" announced All Might, drawing an approving cheer from the audience. "But hold on, everyone! Everyone here today has the potential to be standing up here! As you all witnessed! Competition! Encouragement! Pushing each other climb higher and higher! The sprouts of today will grow into the heroes of tomorrow! In that spirt, let's have one final cheer!" Pointing at the sky, All Might grinned brightly as the sun shined down upon him. "Everyone say it with me! One, two, and…"

"PLUS ULT—!"

"THANKS FOR THE HARD, WORK!"

"We're supposed to say, 'Plus Ultra', All Might!" chided Midnight, as well more than a few other staff members.

The ultimate hero flinched, bowing his head sheepishly before saying, "Oh right… It's just they really did work so hard and…"

Johnny tuned out whatever else he had to say, simply breathing a sigh of relief that the festival was finally over. Despite his failure to win the tournament, his anxiety over failing had melted away for a while now. He had a feeling that making as far as he did gave him enough credit to continue to be in the heroes course, especially after having his Stand evolve in front of everyone. Just thinking about the giant pink dragonfly caused his mind to race for a moment, as well mingle with the other issues that came up during the tournament, but he tiredly dismissed them for now. He was too exhausted after the hell he endured and all he wanted to do now was simply sleep for the rest of the day. With that in mind, Johnny followed after his classmates and left U.A's stadium, still echoing with the cheers of the excited audience, behind.


Tomura Shigaraki turned off the monitor that displayed U.A's Sport Festival in disgust. Just watching the final boss give such a tacky speech made him want to vomit. In the end, the whole show was a complete waste of his time. Everything else simply made his stomach roll in revulsion, especially the brat with the moss green hair. His on little speech to the icy brat was almost exactly something like All Might would say. The only things that interested him were the extremely hotheaded and violent blond… and the cripple who fought like a madman. The latter continued to intrigue Shigaraki, never before had he seen such a vicious fighting style—other than the spiky blond that is—from a wannabe hero-in-training. With such disregard his own safety no less! But the real kicker was his Stand… somehow he made it evolve like something out of a Pokémon game. While his information on Stands was limited, seeing such a sight impressed the messy light blue haired boy… especially with how destructive those living holes were.

"I see you enjoyed the festival, Tomura." Blinking at the sound of his master's static filled voice, the scarred face youth turned to the monitor beside him. "I myself found it fascinating… to think that Stands could continue to evolve much like Quirks could. Truly a testament to the will of humanity…"

Shigaraki huffed at that. Will of humanity? Perhaps, but judging from the dark flame that burned in the American's eyes, then humanity was truly more disturbed than he grave it credit for. Still, he couldn't deny that resolve, that pure unbending and vicious spirit that threatened to crush anything in its path, was interesting...

"You're intrigued by Johnny Joestar's Stand, Tomura. I can't blame you. It's shame that it's not a Quirk… Seeing it in action makes me want to add it for my own collection. Ah, well. Perhaps something could be arranged in the future. For now, let's go over the Sports Festival together."

"Yes, Master…"


"This year's youngsters were certainly something," said a certain man in an expensive suit, seated down in a comfy, plush chair with a wine glass in one hand.

"I couldn't agree more," answered another man in an expensive outfit, though an silk scarf adorned his neck, fingering it lightly before he pushed back his glasses. "These kids these days are truly special. Such wonderful and powerful Special Abilities each of them have, they truly are the future of this world."

"Speaking of power, I noticed that among the potential kid heroes-in-trainings, Katsuki Bakugo and Shoto Todoroki stand out as the best candidates for scouting among heroes," noted another man, this one had long hair that obscured his eyes, but didn't impede him from tapping away on his personalized laptop. "There are dozens of other kids, of course, but we should keep a close eye on those two."

"I can already see those two making headlines when they grow older," predicted a long haired woman, playfully tapping her chin as she closed her eyes. "Just thinking of what kind of stories they have to tell—be it from the past, present, or the future—already is giving me goosebumps."

"Speaking of stories…" said the first man, tapping his wine on the table as he pushed a button to have his large, wide screen T.V. to zoom in on a particular light-brown haired student who rode on a horse. "I can tell this one has quite a few already under his belt."

"Oh! Johnny Joestar, was it? He does seem like an interesting character, especially since he made it into U.A. despite his disabilities and kept up with his other heroic classmates. With a Stand no less! Who knew such a thing could evolve! This scoop is already worthy of front page material if Bakugo's victory doesn't take center stage."

Humming at the woman's words, the man took a sip from his glass, savoring its taste as he watched the boy fight against Galileo Hotei. "Hmm… Johnny Joestar is an interesting boy… especially for one who doesn't have a Special Ability."

That immediately brought his companions to pause.

"Are you certain?"

"How can you tell?"

"How did he even get into U.A. without one?"

The man smiled to the three, like an older brother would to siblings who yet to see the big picture. "Since the start of the festival, Joestar only used two things: his horse and his Stand. Not once was his Special Ability mentioned by the commentators or shown off by the boy himself even when the situation called for it. And considering his disabilities, I doubt he would hold back for a second in this sink or swim competition… especially with the level of determination he displayed."

"…But if he doesn't have a special ability, then why should we bother him?" asked the woman, looking confused as she stared at her brother.

"Ordinarily, you would be right, my dear—if he really was simply someone without any special powers, then he would be no concern of ours. But he still has the power of a Stand."

"I'm not sure I'm following," admitted the long haired man.

"It's not that hard to follow. Stands are like Special Abilities. While our own powers have been growing for the last few generations, now making up the majority of the world's population, these Stands are new and starting to spread amongst the populace. Who knows, maybe one day they'll rival the number of those who have Special Abilities. But… But right now, they in a very crucial stage. Unlike our powers, which are regulated heavily and unfairly by society, Stands are still so blissfully ignorant of such restrictions." The balding man took another sip from his wine before his lips split into a thin line. "I fear that with this debut from not only Joestar, but Hotei as well, they will soon suffer the same injustices as the rest of us. Being forced to hold back and conform to the demands of a society that doesn't care for them! Oh yes… I've seen it in the boy's eye. He already faces that injustice already… and I will not allow him, or those with Stands, who are our cousins when it comes to Special Abilities, to be forced suffer such a cruel regulations."

Suddenly a dark mark spread across his forehead and over his eyes, his lips turning upward as he raised a toast to his companions, who also smiled in complete understanding for their Supreme Leader's wisdom. "In the name of Destro, I, Re-Destro, will see to it that this generation will be one where our dream of liberation will come forth for all with Special Abilities. Be they Special Powers or Stands, none shall be left behind when the day of glorious return finally arrives!"


"Hmm that kid seems to be quite the energetic lad, don't you think, my dear?" asked an elderly man who stared at his old T.V.

"Yes, dad," answered a girl who was about sixteen. "He seems pretty cool despite his abilities."

The old man nodded as he watched the replays of the foreigner fight the catboy. He was fast and quite tenacious and his skill with riding a horse was masterful. The old man would even dare say the American was prodigy alongside the Italian when it comes to riding. His Stand was also quite the sight, evolving and giving the young paraplegic the edge he needed to win his match… but there was no grace or true refinement with his abilities. There was no doubt that he was skilled, but the old man could tell that the boy could be oh so much better.

Stroking his short, white beard, he studied the T.V. for a moment before muttering, "That won't do at all… maybe I can take him on and spread his wings a bit…"


Staring at the cracked T.V. in his rundown apartment, a shadowy figure held back a yawn as he watched the Sports Festival with keen interest. Every student who made it to the tournament had caught his eye at one point or another, but it was the cripple that really captured his attention. Seeing the dark frown the boy wore during one of his matches, the anxiety and fear of nearly losing said fight, and the self-deprecating expression he had at one point… it was all the right signs that shown he was the perfect candidate for the shadowy man.

"I think I found my first guinea pig…"


Author's Note: Welp! Sorry for making you all wait, but here it is! The newest chapter! I have to say, I had fun writing this conclusion to the TOURNAMENT ARC! (Yeah that Joke will never get old!) Anyway, I tried my best to make the fights thrilling and well paced for everything. Speaking of which, Hot Pant's fight with Todoroki was originally going to be longer, but I decided against it. Why? Because Todoroki's AOE attacks are way to powerful for the Crossdresser. Though he was wary of her attacks at first, he easily overwhelmed her in the end. It was a bad match up and one that proves that Hot Pants has a long way to go in her hero studies.

As for the cameo of the Meta Liberation Army, I couldn't resist. The current Villian arc is just so good in MHA at the moment, I couldn't help giving them a scene in at the end. Hell, due to how good they are, I already got a few plans in store for them and what they might do for the angtsy crippled Stand User. Also I originally debated whether they would treat Stands like Quirks, where they see Quirks as needed to be free and without any restrictions or prejudice against them, I ultimately decided that the MLA would treat Stands like Quirks due to their similarites. Not to mention Re-Destro has a point at the moment: Stands have basically next to zero restrictions placed on them by society at the moment due to how rare in comparision to those who have Quirks. But with Johnny, Gyro, Hotei, and Hot Pant's debut as Stand Users, society now their eyes on them. Sooner or later, laws might be put into place to restrict them like Quirks are, but that ultimately depends on the current actions of the students. Maybe. So Re-Destro logically, as a "Champion of Liberation and Freedom", wants to to make that doesn't happen... though his methods and fantacism is something that I sincerely doubt any Stand User would appreciate if they ever found out who he is or what he's done...

As for certain scenes that came up at the end of the arc, like Todoroki's character's development and Ida's brother getting attacked by Stain, I decided to merely reference them for now. The pacing would've got too long and I wanted to wrap up this conclusion at reasonable pace. BUT I will say that I will delve more into both Todoroki and Ida's developments more in the next few story arcs, especially through Johnny's point of view.

Speaking of the next arc... well, I already left a few hints and foreshadowing of characters at the end. I originally planned for more foreshadowing of other characters, but I decided against it, because I wanted to leave a few surprises for the next arc and other threads taht will be expanded in further arcs down the line. Also I didn't want to spoil anything major just yet! As the new original arc that will be coming up... hehehe, just sit tight and you'll be in for quite a few surprises! In all seriousness though, I will say that while I plan for a few chapters to be big in the next arc, I'm going to try not to make it too long since I want to hit the Hero Killer arc before the end of the year. No promises will be made if I will make it till that end, but I'll try.

Speaking of the schedule, I'm considering putting off the next chapter off until late August or early September. Why? Well, I need a small break to relax and unwind from writing. I know that might annoy a few people, but I need these breaks to recharge my brain so I don't fry myself. That said, I'm also considering on writing a personal project of mine. Just a side story I'm writing for a friend, and will not be posted here on this site, but I don't know if I will be writing it or not. Cause again, I want to relax for a bit. With all that said, I will still try to get something done somewhere in September or earlier!

Now for the musical reference for the this chapter's title: Let's Go Crazy. It's a song by Prince and I thought it was fitting since it fits the theme of a chaotic and fast paced match up against the two most tenacious students in Class A. Both are going all out in this fight and they pull some crazy stunts just for a chance of victory!

Last but not least, it's time for Review responses!

D3lphoxLov3r: Thank you for kind and awesome reviews for each chapter! I really appreciate them very much!.

Wendel Santana: As you wish!

Stickmanreader: I always try to wrap up things in the most fitting way possible!

KAKYOINOVERHEAVEN: As I have already stated, no. The corpse parts are not in this version of the universe.

Pherix2003: No problem! And thank you for liking my last chapter!

mastergamer14: I'll consider it. Sounds interesting.

Guest #1: I honestly don't know since I haven't made any plans for President Valentine yet. I might at some point, but not right now.

DR: Thank you for your heartfelt review! I really appreciate it, my friend, especially with your advice about the character lines. I personally try to make sure that Class A, all of the Class, gets as much screen time as possible as would the main cast of this series, but I get your point on trying to limit their dialogue. Though I feel like if some characters say something, other characters might have a response to them. Sometimes anyway. But, again, I get that it does feel cluttered at times and I'm trying to limit that from now on, a bit mind you, so that scenes go smoother and well paced. Other than that, thanks for your kind words about my writing style!

kerrowe: I remembered the toes alright! :P As for Todoroki... well, without going into too much detail at the moment, perhaps later in a chapter or two, let's just say that his childhood and relationship with his father is ...rough to say the least. It has gotten better in recent chapters in MHA, but right now, strained is a very light word to describe their relationship.

netapel: Thank you! I hope to continue to make this story GREAT! :3

ConnivingG: I'm glad I was able make the last chapter worth it for ye!

jalen johnson: Thanks for your continued support! I really appreciate it!

Hercules8: I really tried to make Hotei into a cool and, more importantly, good character! I'm glad that people like him! :3

Trey Alexander: I knew that with each evolution of Tusk, I had to give each version a good intro that would not only wow the reader, but also anyone who saw them. After all, they not only my favorite Stand, but one of the most powerful things in the universe. Well, later anyway. :P At anyrate, I love your description Bakugo's fight with Johnny. So perfect and I hope I lived up to that expectation!

Guest #3: Glad you liked it and I hope this chapter pleases you as well!

Abhinav Chhetri: Now that would be a interesting crossover. Don't know if I will ever do it due to my schedule and other planned projects, but thanks for giving me the idea none the less!

18: No. This story is based on Part 7, not part 8.

Guest #4: Interesting. Not sure if I will do that, considering all the other stuff I'm currently doing at the moment, but I will consider your idea none the less.

Mossy Duck: Once again, I can't thank you enough for your kind words and continued support! Seeing your review has kept me going when I started writing this latest chapter! Also you hit the nail on the head for the respect I wanted to portray between Johnny and Bakugo. Both are kinda assholes, but they do come to respect each other's strength over time. Though Bakugo doesn't show it often, I really wanted to show that with minor details like him saying Johnny's name instead of calling him "Horseshoe". After seeing such resolve like Uraraka had against him, it's only natural that Bakugo would come to respect such burning determination. Though I'm sure both of them will bicker at each other still. :P Also I hope this chapter will satisfy you! And also, while I didn't address Ida's brother directly yet, merely made a reference for him, I will dive more into that little mess later. And rest assured, Johnny is not going to like it one bit due to his own childhood trauma.

I believe that's everyone! With all that said, thank you so much for continuing to read this story! It really means a lot to me and I hope you continue to read in the future! Until then, I hope you all have a wonderful and exciting day!

Sincerely, Count Chaos