"Hey hey hey, everyone!? Guess what!? It's the moment you've all been waiting for! The UA Sports Festival First Years Fighting Tournameeeeeeent!" Present Mic announced, as the crowd erupted into a riotous cheer while Cementoss, one of the UA teachers, finished creating the fighting stage for the tournament.
"And our first round is against the Mean Green Fighting Machine, Izuku Midoriyaaaaa!" Izuku walked in from one side of the stadium, looking left and right at the giant crowd of people. This was it. It's time to show what he's got.
"Versus the enigma, the unknown, the Mysterious Hitoshi Shinsoooo!" Hitoshi came in from the other side, rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand as he stared coldly at Izuku.
"What are you doing?" Aizawa asked dryly.
"Giving them nicknames, of course! We gotta pump'em up!"
"That's ridiculous," Vlad King muttered.
"And that's just we heroes roll! Now let's have the rundown listeners! Our contestants will face off one on one, using what they got! Last one standing moves on to the next round! Show us all that you got, 'cuz we got Recovery Girl on standby, and Cementoss there with Midnight to stop things from getting too lethal! Heroes only go in for the kill if there's no other option, and this tournament's not the place for that!" Present Mic explained.
"So those three idiots went and gave up this big chance of a lifetime, huh?" Hitoshi said, shaking his head. "What a waste."
"Are you both ready?" Midnight said, raising her whip.
"They could've gotten noticed by some pros and moved up in the world." Izuku tightened his fists.
"3!"
"Though I guess it wouldn't have mattered, whatnot with that Quirkless guy and his alien." Izuku gritted his teeth.
"2!"
"There's no pro who wouldn't want someone like that as an intern." Izuku tensed his legs.
"1!"
"Of course, he did cheat to get into UA, so it's not like he's earned it, right?" Izuku eyes widened.
"START!" Midnight shouted, cracking her whip.
"YOU TAKE THAT BACK ABOUT FURINJI!" Izuku ran towards Hitoshi screaming.
"I win." Izuku stopped in his tracks, freezing in place.
"Man, Midoriya's up against a complete unknown here, huh?" Eijiro said, crossing his arms as 1A and 1B looked down at the tournament from their combined box.
"Yea, that Shinso guy's the only General Studies student who got through all the way, huh?" Sen said. "Lucky bastard. Wish I got in..."
"Ojiro, Shoda, Rin," Hiroshi said, turning to the three students who dropped out. "Why did you get in a team with him? That Ishimoto guy and Tahenki girl were General Studies students too, so I would've thought he'd join their team."
"That's the thing," Mashirao muttered, his hands close to his face. "We really don't remember anything. It was all a haze until the end."
"I was trying to talk to Rin about teaming up with him, when he came up to us and said something," Nirengeki said, trying to recall what happened.
"And the next thing we know, the Cavalry Battle's over and we're in third place," Hiryu said, crossing his arms. "It's just not earned, you know?"
"I see..." Hiroshi said, as he returned his attention to the stage. "So does that mean-"
"What's this!? The battle's barely started, and Midoriya's just standing there!" Present Mic said, as everyone saw Izuku's arms going slack.
"Gah! That idiot!" Mashirao said, his hands on his head and his tail waving around in frustration.
"After we went and warned him about that guy!" Hiryu said, biting his thumbnail.
"What's wrong with Deku!?" Ochako said, as they watched their friend walk towards the side.
"It must be that his Quirk!" Fuka said, covering her mouth. "It must be some sort of brainwashing!"
"That type of Quirk can exist?" Hero asked.
"Apparently, and it seems like Midoriya's fallen for it!" Hiroshi said, narrowing his eyes as he stared down at the two fighters.
"Why aren't there fists being thrown!? I thought we were going to see some action!" Present Mic said, watching the two students standing in place. "What is going on!?"
"This is why the practical for the entrance exams are irrational," Aizawa said, sighing. "Given that this was going to be a Quirk vs. Quirk format, I went ahead and dug up the records of all the participants during the recreational games. Shinso lost out because he simply couldn't beat robots like the others. His powerful Quirk couldn't help him there."
"Hm, it's just like he says," Hitoshi said, frowning a bit. "I wasn't gifted like you or anyone else in the Hero Course. Now, turn around and walk out of the ring."
Izuku turned around, and slowly started to step towards the edge of the ring.
"What the-!? He's following Shinso's orders like a trained dog!? What's going on!?" Present Mic cried.
"His Quirk is Brainwashing. Anyone who responds to him when he uses it ends up under his control and follows his orders," Aizawa said, reading from the records.
"My mind... it's all foggy..." Izuku thought, as he struggled to force his body to stop walking. "Dammit, and after what Ojiro, Shoda, and Rin said to me... I'm sorry, Furinji... I... couldn't... make him... take back what... he said... I'm sorry, All Might... I... couldn't tell... the world... that I'm... here..."
"Nononononononononononono go back, Young Midoriya! Go back! Back!" All Might muttered, peeking from the entrance where Izuku had entered. He had gone down there to give moral support from the background, but the instant he saw Izuku going slack and the explanation from Aizawa about what happened, he became worried for his young protégé. This wasn't good. That Brainwashing Quirk of Hitoshi's was incredibly powerful. Maybe Aizawa is right, maybe the practical for UA's entrance exam wasn't the best.
Still, he needed to win. He needed to show and tell the world that the next Symbol of Peace is here.
"What can he do!?" Setsuna said, as she and the others leaned over the box's edge to look at Izuku. "Wake up, Midoriya! Don't disappoint the Curly Greens!"
"Was there anything else you guys remember?" Hiroshi said, trying to stay calm, though it was stressful to see Izuku walking mindlessly towards the ring's edge.
"I'm sorry, we don't!" Shoda said, biting his nails.
"Serves him right, 1A isn't-" Neito started to say before Itsuka chopped him on his neck.
"So I guess that's how we lost our headband, huh?" Yosetsu said, as he struggled to remember how his team lost theirs now that he thought about it.
"Wait... I think I remember something," Mashirao said, as he struggled to think. "I think towards the end, before the Calvary Battle ended, Shinso had us walking away from the fight, when I stubbed my toe against one of Todoroki's ice fragments. That caused me to wake up earlier than Shoda and Rin..."
"So we can assume that pain or a hard bump could be enough to shock a person out of Shinso's brainwashing," Fuka said, as she pulled at her hair. "But there's nothing for him to bump into down there!"
"If it were us facing that Shinso boy instead, maybe I could've taken over for you if you were brainwashed!" Hero said, also concerned.
"Maybe that could've worked, Hero, but right now, it's all on Midoriya!" Hiroshi responded.
"Come on, Deku, I know you can do it..." Ochako whispered, her hands together.
As Izuku's body took step after step, he looked to the entrance behind him. There, in the fog in his mind, he swore he could see All Might. What shocked him was that he saw 7 more pairs of eyes staring at him.
"Who are... those people?..." he thought, as he looked at the eyes. "What... is this feeling in my arm?..."
"Don't get me wrong, I like my Quirk," Hitoshi said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's just not hero material like yours, right? Or that Furinji-"
All of a sudden, a strong gust of wind blew from Izuku's left hand. It forced Hitoshi to close his eyes, and when he opened them, he couldn't believe what he saw.
"Mi-Midoriya broke out of Shinso's brainwashing! And with only one step right before he walked out of the ring!" Present Mic said.
"What!? How!?" Hitoshi said, scowling as he looked at Izuku's broken fingers. "You shouldn't have any control!"
Izuku stayed silent as he held his left hand. He didn't know how he did it, how he broke through. Maybe those apparitions he saw with All Might helped him. Could they be the previous wielders of One for All?
"He's not responding... dammit, those three must've told him what they could figure out! I have to make him say something again!" Hitoshi thought, as Izuku started to rush towards him. "You're lucky, aren't you!? Quirks like yours are suited to the type of hero work people want to see, right!?"
"I am lucky," Izuku thought. He activated One for All, this time making sure it was spread throughout evenly.
"People with nonphysical Quirks, people like me, we're not able to become heroes!"
"I used to think like that, too."
"That Furinji guy lucked out big time! For all we know, if I was there, I could've been that alien's host instead!"
"The reason I'm here now, is because I'm so lucky to have friends like Hiroshi, Fuka, Uraraka, Iida, Tsunotori, everyone! And a mentor like All Might to guide me! Which is why I can't lose!"
Izuku tackled Hitoshi hard, pulling the boy off his feet as he rushed to shove him out of the ring.
"Say something, dammit!" Hitoshi cried, as he struggled to free himself from Izuku's grip. Izuku's hands were tight around his shirt, as he lifted the boy over his head, and tossed him out of the ring.
"Dammit! Dammit dammit dammit!" Hitoshi laid on the ground, tears streaming down his eyes. "I was... I was so close... I guess... I should've expected this outcome..."
"Shinso... why do you want to be a hero?" Izuku asked, as he sat up and wiped his eyes on his sleeves. Hitoshi glared at Izuku, before getting up and turning around.
"We... don't always get to be the things we naturally admire," Hitoshi said, walking off.
"He's just like me in that way... just... just what do I say to that?" Izuku thought.
"Hey, Shinso!"
Hitoshi looked up, and saw his classmates waving at him, smiling. "You did great out there, huh?"
"Yea, you really had us on the edge of our seats! You hearing all these pros, right?" a girl said, pointing to the heroes behind them.
"Man, what a useful Quirk. I wish I had something like that."
"Imagine how many villains would be apprehended with it."
"UA really messed up with putting him in General Studies, didn't they?"
"That practical should really be changed to make it fairer to those without physical Quirks."
"Hey, Shinso!"
The General Studies students turned around and their eyes widened as they parted away for Hiroshi, who walked up to the side. "You're really something else, huh?"
"Th... thanks," Hitoshi said, unsure of what to say to someone like Hiroshi.
"You said it yourself, right? That if one of you guys left an impression, that they'd think of moving you into the Hero Course? 'Cuz I think I want to see you there! You've got a fantastic power, and I know that you'd be a great hero with it!" Hiroshi said, as the General Studies students and Hitoshi stared at him slack-jawed. "Give it your all to move up with us, right!?"
"Y... yea... Of course... I might have lost this time... but I promise you all... I'm going to become an even greater hero than you all... even greater than that alien!"
He took a deep breath, and sighed. "Hey, greenie, what's your name?"
"Huh, it's Izu-" Izuku said, stiffening instantly. Hiroshi raised an eyebrow seeing Hitoshi using his Quirk like that when the match was over.
"People stiffen up when they talk to me like that. It'd be easy to mess things up for you... so promise me that you won't lose so easily," Hitoshi said, smirking as he released his control on Izuku.
"Ri-" Izuku responded, immediately stiffening up again. Hiroshi chuckled at the sight, as Hitoshi released his control again.
"Ow!" Izuku said, as his fingers healed from Recovery Girl's Quirk while being wrapped in bandages to help keep them in place. He was in the stadium's medical office with All Might standing by him. There was a break between the matches, so he wouldn't be missing it yet.
"Honestly, I thought that with you learning that fancy control over your Quirk I'd be done with seeing you, but no! You had to go and break your fingers like that!" she said, shaking her head.
"Hey Midoriya, you doing okay?" Hiroshi said, as he, Fuka, Tenya, Ochako, Momo, Kyoka, and Pony walked in. "I didn't think you'd be breaking your bones again after we managed to get you to use your Quirk safely.
"That's the thing... I don't think I consciously did," Izuku said, thinking back to it. "When I was brainwashed, I saw... I saw eight apparitions, I think. One of them looked like All Might, but I couldn't tell who the other seven were... All Might, what do you think?"
"Spooky, I was a ghost!?" All Might said, his teeth clattering jokingly.
"You mean you don't know what happened!?" Fuka said, staring at the spooked Number One Hero, who chuckled a bit after he said that.
"No, I think I know what Young Midoriya's saying. What he saw were just the vestiges of the previous users," All Might explained. "I saw them once too, early on. They're just that, remnants of the those before you. They're not able to do interfere or do anything. It's the same in reverse. What you did out there, it's all you! Your own willpower's what let you break through Shinso's brainwashing!"
Izuku stared at his hands, unsure if what All Might was saying was true or not. Hiroshi apparently thought similarly as well. "Are you sure? How much of One for All do we really know? I mean, if I can have Hero in my head and aliens and other Earths exist, maybe we shouldn't write off that those apparitions are more than just that..."
"True, on other Earths there are such things as ghosts and the like, so it's entirely possible they exist here as well," Hero said, which Hiroshi relayed to everyone else.
"Ghosts are real now, too!? Now I'm ACTUALLY spooked!" All Might said, his teeth clattering genuinely this time.
"Oh man, I really hope those ghosts respect personal boundaries," Setsuna muttered, as she, Ochako, and Fuka shuddered.
"Yes, it would be... very troubling if they don't," Momo added.
"They better not be peepers!" Kyoka grumbled, crossing her arms and blushing.
"If I could touch them, I'd kick their butts!" Pony said, also blushing.
"Indeed, there must be some sort of ghost etiquette, like how there is for the living!" Tenya said, adjusting his glasses.
"So you really think that I saw-" Izuku said, sweat dripping off his head.
"Entirely possible," Hiroshi said, crossing his arms. "Let's think about it later, though. No use in worrying about it now. We should catch Sero's and Todoroki's fight, since that should be starting in several minutes."
"Young Todoroki, huh..." All Might muttered, catching Fuka's attention.
"Something about Todoroki worrying you?" she asked. "Honestly, he's always been worrying me with his attitude towards others, and just... in general. Like he's got something to prove."
"Todoroki does seem to have some sort of complex about fire..." Momo added. "He told us he wouldn't use his fire in combat after Iida asked him, and he snapped at Kaminari when he asked him why he wouldn't."
Hiroshi and Izuku looked at each other, wondering if they should mention anything, since it seemed like the others were on the ball about Shoto.
"Yea... his father's the Number Two hero, Endeavor," All Might said, to the surprise of all the teens but Hiroshi and Izuku. "We hadn't talked in ten years, so I tried catching up with him and asking how he was raising his son. But as always, he didn't want to talk. He did tell me something, though, which is what is concerning me. That his son Shoto is 'raised to beat me', whatever that means."
"... Hiroshi, Midoriya, do you two know anything about this?" Fuka asked, noticing the two's faces. "Did you two know that Todoroki's the son of Endeavor?"
"Well... I guess if you guys have been having suspicions, and Endeavor himself said it to All Might, I suppose we can fill in the gaps for you," Hiroshi said, to Izuku's shock. "Just promise me that you all don't talk to anyone else about this. We promised Todoroki we wouldn't say a word to anyone."
Hiroshi then filled everyone in on the conversation that he and Izuku had. Everyone laughed a bit at the beginning, with Shoto asking Izuku if he was All Might's son (who in turn was also shocked by Shoto's thought process) and if Hiroshi was asked to train him (which isn't too far off from the truth), but everyone's faces became grimmer and grimmer as he went on. By the end, they were all horrified, while All Might's fists were clenched and shaking.
"Wow, I always had a feeling that Endeavor was kind of a dick, but I didn't think he was that bad," Kyoka said, fiddling with her earlobes.
"I can't believe that he did all that! That's... that's deplorable!" Fuka said, her jaw clenched from anger.
"Poor Todoroki..." Momo said, her hands over her mouth.
"No wonder he's so aloof and distant," Ochako whispered.
"Oh man, no wonder he's got such an issue with his fire," Setsuna said, popping her hand off. "I think if I had an issue with any of my parents, I wouldn't be using my Quirk that much either..."
"Yea, he has it rough," Pony said, her usual energy and enthusiasm gone after hearing the story.
"Todoroki... Todoroki was suffering with all of that?" Tenya said, his eyes wide. "I... I was so careless in asking!"
"Endeavor... how could you stoop that low!?" All Might quivered. "If you wanted to surpass me... all you needed to do... was challenge me yourself!"
Recovery Girl sighed, and turned around. "Honestly, dragging me into more and more secrets that I shouldn't even need to be a part of! But still... I wonder if I could've helped him with his burn scar before it was permanent..."
"It's no excuse for him not giving it his all," Hiroshi said bluntly, to everyone's shock, though Izuku seemed a little more understanding.
"Don't tell me you don't feel for him at all, Hiroshi-" Kyoka said.
"No, I do. In fact, that's the reason why I want him to give it his all," Hiroshi said. "He's acting like his fire is Endeavor, that when he uses it, Endeavor is using it. But it's not. His Quirk is his, not Endeavor's. You said itself before in an interview a long time ago, right All Might?"
All Might opened his mouth, but he began to remember what he himself said long ago.
"Sure, Quirks are naturally passed down from parent to child, but that isn't the only thing that matters," All Might recalled, quoting that interview. "Blood ties don't matter. One must appreciate and understand one's own Quirk. That is what I mean when I say, 'I am here'."
"Exactly," Hiroshi said, crossing his arms. "He can't keep using just one half of his power. He's going to face someone that can beat him at half strength. Midoriya-"
Hiroshi turned to Izuku. "- I think that person needs to be you."
"You're wasting your potential, Shoto."
Shoto scowled as he walked past his father in the hallway on his way to the ring. He didn't waste a single word on him.
"You could've dominated the obstacle course and taken both of the 5 million point headbands if you weren't squandering your fire."
He kept on walking, trying to ignore his words. He didn't need to hear anything from him. He was wrong, and so was Hiroshi. He wasted time talking to someone who'd never understand what life with a Quirk was like.
"Grow up, Shoto. Your rebellion against me is the most misplaced thing I've ever seen. What you need to be focusing on is beating All Might! That's the reason for your being! Not to waste your Quirk!"
He stopped in his tracks.
"Is that all?" Shoto asked. "I don't need to use your Quirk in battle. Mom's Quirk is enough for me. I can beat everyone with just that."
"That might be good during your school days. But you'll hit your limit. And with that alien and his host around, that might much sooner than you think."
"Then I'll just beat him, too," Shoto stated plainly. Hiroshi wasn't anything without Hero. He needed to accept that truth.
"Where were you guys?" Denki asked, as Hiroshi, Izuku, and the others got to the Hero Course viewing box.
"Just checking up on Midoriya," Hiroshi said, shrugging. "It's been a while since he broke his fingers using his Quirk, so we figured that it'd be good to check up on him. They were on their way when I bumped into them after going to congratulate Shinso for a job well done."
"Yea, glad we're here to see Todoroki's and Sero's fight," Fuka said, smiling a bit oddly.
"You guys alright?" Sen asked, looking at them. "Did something happen down there?"
"No, nothing of note," Hiroshi said.
"Indeed, it was just odd to see Midoriya's fingers broken after he's attained more control over his Quirk!" Tenya said.
"Pipe down guys, they're coming onto the stage," Setsuna said, pointing to the fighting ring.
"On this side, we've got the unexpected but exceptional plain-faced Master of Tape, Hanta Serooooooo!" Present Mic announced, as the crowd cheered and clapped for the plain faced boy.
"Did he really need to call me plain-faced?" Hanta said, smiling nervously while he cracked his knuckles.
"And on the other side, he's gonna bring the heat while staying cool! Mr. Ice Hot, Shoto Todorokiiiiiii!" Shoto came walking from the other side, a grim look of frustration on his face. He glared at the commentator box, hating how Present Mic announced him like that.
"Man, I really didn't expect I'd get this far," Hanta admitted, chuckling. "I'm super lucky that way, I guess. I don't think I'll be winning here-"
"Are you both ready? 3! 2! 1! START!"
"- but I don't feel like losing either!" Hanta added, launching out tape from his elbows. They wrapped around Shoto, and he started to swing him out of bounds.
"Sorry about this," Shoto growled. A giant wall of ice sprouted from his right side, lowering the temperate of the stadium. The wall loomed over one side of the stadium, threatening to have hit the Hero Course kids. Even Hiroshi was surprised by the attack, having thrown himself over Setsuna, Yui, and Denki who were closest to him so that they wouldn't get hit. Luckily, no one got hit by the ice. Except for-
"F-f-f-f-fuck, dude, is-s-s-sn't this o-ov-verkill?" Hanta asked, having been frozen in the ice wall. His tape around Shoto shattered, freeing him from his restraints.
"S-S-S-Sero, c-c-c-can you m-m-move?" Midnight asked, the right half of her body also frozen.
"I-I-Isn't it obv-v-v-vious? O-of c-c-course not! Ow!" Hanta said, his teeth clattering hard.
"H-H-Hanta S-S-Sero is immo-b-bilized! Sh-Sh-Shoto To-Todoroki moves o-o-on!" Midnight announced.
"Sorry about that, I just needed to win-" Shoto half-heartedly apologized as he started to heat up his left hand to melt the ice.
"You giant idiotic jackass!" Fuka yelled from the stands, her Gale Breath Quirk carrying her voice. Shoto glared up to where she was, with a lot of pros looking at her as well. "What kind of move is that!? You could've hurt a lot of people with it!"
"I'm giving it my all-" he said, as the cameras focused on him and repeated what he was saying.
"There's a difference between giving it your all and knowing restraint! What would you have done if you used this move on a villain and got bystanders as well!? Hell, what would you have done if any of these people here got caught up in it!?" she yelled.
"I had enough control to make sure it didn't-" Shoto said, getting more annoyed.
"If you had such great control over it, than why didn't you just make sure it just captured Sero instead of being a giant fucking iceberg!?" she pointed out.
"O-o-oh sure, throw me under the bus like that," Hanta muttered. "C-can you hurry up and melt the ice?"
"I was annoyed by some things that happened earlier-" Shoto said, gritting his teeth.
"Oh, so that gives you leeway to go overboard!? God, it's so frustrating! You've got such a great Quirk, but your personality is absolute shit!"
"She's... she's got a point," a hero said, as more and more people murmured.
"Yea, that move really could've hurt a lot of people."
"It's a good move if he had more restraint."
"Despite how calm he looks, he must be a wee bit overemotional if he justifies doing this because he's annoyed..."
"He might be a talented guy, but he's got a lot of growing up to do if he wants to be better..."
Shoto couldn't believe it. All these pros were looking down on him now even though he won. He grinded his teeth. This was all those Furinjis' faults. Hiroshi annoyed him with that talk about how he's not giving it his all, and now Fuka's telling him the exactly opposite? What rubbish.
"S-s-she has a p-p-point," Midnight said, still frozen in place. "I-I-I'll let this s-s-s-slide for now, but if y-you try this move again to this e-e-extent, you'll be dis-disqualified."
"... Fine, I understand," he replied, as he started to melt the ice again. Those Furinjis are really getting on his nerves.
"Did... did you really need to say all that stuff to Todoroki?" Izuku asked, as most of the Hero Course students stared at Fuka wide-eyed.
"Of course! The only times heroes need to resort to dangerous tactics like that is when there's no other choice! It's like what I said to Bakugo and you during the Heroes vs. Villains exercise!" Fuka said, puffing her cheeks out and crossing her arms as she dropped herself into her chair. "He's talented, but he needs to learn restraint!"
"Isn't that a bit counterintuitive to what Hiroshi says? About giving it your all?" Yosetsu asked.
"Awase, I have a size-changing alien whose strength and speed stays the same at any size without a scale limiter," Hiroshi said. "If I gave it my all without restraint, everyone wouldn't even be standing. Giving it your all doesn't mean you get to recklessly endanger everyone and yourself. You have to do your best while understanding that your body and others have limits. You can't just go wild without a care."
"Still, Todoroki did have a remarkable amount of... restraint to be sure that no one did get hit by the ice," Hiroshi admittedly added. "You're gonna have to play it smart and careful, Midoriya."
"O-of course," Izuku said, gulping. This was what was waiting for him for the next round. How was he going to beat that?
"Hey, Hiroshi, Fuka, did you notice something about Todoroki?" Setsuna asked, as they looked at the half-and-half teen again as he melted the ice away.
"Yea... he's got bits of frost on his right arm that's he's also melting with his left..." Fuka said, having calmed down considerably.
"I wonder..." Hiroshi said, his hand on his chin. He looked to Izuku, who seemed to be sharing the same thoughts as him.
"Well, with all that ice gone now, let's get this next show on the road!" Present Mic said, as the crowd cheered.
"Here he comes, the man with an electric personality, the high wattage wonder, it's the Thunder Man Denki Kaminaaaaari!"
"That's a good one, I wonder if I should go with those for my hero name..." Denki said thoughtfully as he walked onto the ring.
"And his opponent, the mystery in the dark, the bird headed avenger, the terror that flaps in the night! It's Dark Wing Fumikage Tokoyaaaaami!"
"Not a matchup I would've wanted," Fumikage muttered, but Dark Shadow popped out of his chest. "But I shall give it my best."
"Are you both ready? 3! 2! 1! START!"
"Take this! Indiscriminate Shock 1.3 Million Volts!" Denki shouted, throwing his hands down to the ground. Electricity came out of his hands, covering the entire ring with electricity. The brightness of the electricity's light weakened Dark Shadow, though it kept up its protective hold around Fumikage. When the lightshow was over, Dark Shadow had shrunk down in size immensely, but Denki was stupefied, his thumbs up while he stared emptily into space with a dumb smile.
"Wheeeeeeey..."
Fumikage, while weakened, took this opportunity and tackled Denki, shoving the currently-mindless teen out of the ring.
"Kaminari is out of the ring! Tokoyami is moving onto the next match!" Midnight announced, as the crowd cheered and clapped.
"Wow, if Kaminari could've kept that up, Tokoyami might've been out," Hiroshi said, crossing his arms. "That lightshow took out Dark Shadow, so if it was just a while longer, he'd have gotten shocked."
"Y-ye-yea, but if he did, we wouldn't have this scene!" Kyoka said, stifling her laughter at Denki who was getting carried by robots on a stretcher since he was still mindlessly smiling.
"Maybe he should get some support gear that can redirect and store his electricity, right?" Fuka pondered.
"Yea, that way he doesn't need to constantly use it all in one super move like that," Hiroshi agreed. "Hey Iida, you're up against that Hatsume girl, right? How're you gonna handle her?"
"Indeed! In fact, I must go prepare myself soon for my own match!" Tenya said, as his arms flapped about robotically. "After all, I need to show my family that I'm a worthy hero!"
"And on this side we have the Pink Mechanic, the Brains to the Hero Course's Brawns, it's Miss Make-It Mei Hatsumeeeeeee!" Present Mic said, as Mei skipped onto the ring, decked out in the support gear she made.
"And on the other side we have- What the heck is he wearing? Support gear?"
Everyone looked, and saw Tenya walking into the ring dressed with leg bracers and strange wings on his shoulders.
"What is Iida wearing?" Kyoka said, looking down at him.
"Yea, I never seen him use that support gear before," Hiroshi said. "It wouldn't work with his costume's armor at all. Though the leg bracers might..."
"Don't you need to submit paperwork to be able to use support gear if you're in the Hero Course?" Setsuna said.
"Yea, it's what I had to do with my support gear," Fuka said, pointing to her boots, gauntlets, and mask. "But I don't think Iida did..."
"I'm sorry, but Hero Course students aren't supposed to have support equipment during the Sports Festival without approved paperwork!" Midnight said, pointing at Tenya with her rolled up whip.
"Really!? But Furinji and Aoyoma had theirs," Tenya pointed out.
"That's because those two both applied for approval!"
"I see! That's my bad... but Hatsume had asked me to wear these! She said that even though we are in different courses, it wouldn't be fair if she had her support gear while I didn't! She wanted to keep this as an even playing field, and I couldn't help but respect her sportsmanship! How could I not respect her earnest spirit!?" Tenya said.
"Yep! I totally want an even playing field!" Mei said, grinning widely.
"How naïve! I LOVE IT!" Midnight shouted. "I'LL ALLOW IT!"
"I suppose if both parties agreed on this, it should be fair, right?" Aizawa said flatly.
"Oh, so it's alright if 1A gets to do things like this, is it!?"
"Well I see no problem with it! So without further ado, it's the living racecar who'll be there in a blink of an eye, the Human Engine Tenya Iiiiiiiiidaaaaa!" Present Mic said.
"Are you both ready? 3! 2! 1! START!"
Tenya broke into a run towards Mei, ready to shove her out of the ring, when she started talking. "Amazing speed, Iida! Your legs must feel light thanks to those specialized leg bracers I made designed to help with mobility and speed!"
"What the- When did she get access to our PA system!?" Present Mic said, realizing that she was speaking through the stadium's speakers.
"A microphone?" Tenya said, as he closed in on her.
"But dodging's no problem thanks to my hydraulic attachment bars!" Mei said, as bars came out of her backpack, pushing her out of Tenya's way and slightly tripping him up, when the wings on his shoulders adjusted his posture. "And my automatic rebalancers can help readjust you without skipping a beat!"
"What is happening!?" Tenya grumbled, as he ran at her again, though she pulled out a gun much like the one that Hiroshi had used during the Heros vs. Villains exercise. He stepped to the side, and dodged a net that she fired from it.
"Ooooh, very fast reflexes, Iida! Normally this capture gun of mine's fast enough to get all sorts of people without a problem, but I guess you're even faster!"
"Now where are they? Where are the support companies seated?" Mei thought to herself, as she used her Quirk Zoom to home in onto the audience, scanning all the seats to find the support companies. She finally found them, and grinned even wider. One of the representatives there was a very tall woman with short blue hair, dressed in a very flattering green dress, a simple string necklace with a blue gem on the center, and white gloves as she held her hand over her mouth to hold back some laughter. The gentleman next to her was much shorter, even for the average adult, with neatly combed gray hair and neatly trimmed gray facial hair that didn't match his wrinkleless face, and was dressed in a sharp tuxedo with a green tie. He was laughing uproariously, finding her presentation entertaining. "Oh my god it's them! I knew that the Furinjis' parents would be here! I just gotta make this show leave a huge impression!"
"Is... is she just using Iida for advertising?" Izuku said, as everyone stared at the spectacle.
"From our interaction before the Cavalry Battle started, probably," Fuka said, shaking her head. "Iida really shouldn't have let her trick him into this..."
"I dunno, I think if mom and dad really were here, they'd love this," Hiroshi said, chuckling. "If she wanted to impress them, she probably just did."
"This... does not seem to be in the spirit of the Sports Festival, though," Momo said, as Kyoka laughed and wheezed.
"You 1A students keep ruining-" Neito said, before being silenced by a chop to the neck by Itsuka.
"I mean, the Sports Festival is all sorts of things for all of the different courses, isn't it?" she chuckled.
"Yea, those Business Course kids are using this whole event as a break essentially, and are talking about stuff like marketability, sales, and all that sort of stuff," Sen said, pointing to some Business Course students who were passing by with candy, snacks, and drinks to sell, talking about just that as they walked to some heroes who motioned to them that they wanted to buy some.
"I wonder what she would've given me if I were down there," Pony thought aloud. "Maybe some laser attachments for my horns! Or drills! Or some sort of explosives!"
"How... how long is she going to keep this up?" Ochako asked, watching Mei dodge Tenya as she continued to pitch her support gear and talents.
"Whew, I think they've seen everything I've got," Mei said, as she casually stepped out of the ring after several minutes of the game of tag she had with Tenya. "So I've done what I wanted!"
"M-M-Mei Hatsume is out of the ring! Tenya Iida moves on to the next round!" Midnight announced, still a little confused by what she just saw.
"YOU'VE DECEIVED MEEEEEEEEEEE!" Tenya yelled, halfway crouching down as he screamed at her.
"Yes... I'm sorry," she replied, shifting her gaze away from him with a halfhearted smile.
"You don't sound like it!"
"That was... certainly something else wasn't it, you two?" Present Mic said.
"She's definitely a natural saleswoman. I don't doubt that she's caught the attention of some support companies here," Aizawa replied, sighing.
"I take back what I said earlier, I'm glad that none of my students fell for her words," Vlad King muttered.
"Man, Iida must not be feeling great about that win, especially since his family might've been watching," Ochako said, as Hiroshi and Pony got up. "Oh right, it's your guys' turn next. Do your best, alright?"
"Of course!" Hiroshi and Pony said, smiling as they gave each other and everyone else thumbs up as they walked off to their waiting rooms. Minutes later, Tenya returned, his spirit broken.
"You alright, Iida?" Fuka asked, as her friend despondently sat down.
"... No," he said bluntly. "I'm certain that my brother and parents are ashamed of my performance!"
"Don't say that, I'm sure they thought that you did your best!" Izuku assured him.
"I suppose so..." Tenya muttered, sighing.
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
"Keep an eye out, everyone! This is the area we've been hearing sightings of Hero Killer Stain," Ingenium said over his radio, as he ran and jumped rooftop to rooftop. Unfortunately his agency was a little spread thin at the moment, since a portion of his sidekicks were assigned to security detail for the UA Sports Festival. "Sorry I couldn't make it, Tenya. I'm sure you're doing great," he muttered to himself. He had wanted to be there too, but the police had asked him to be on the search for the Hero Killer, since he was likely able to apprehend him with his speed and strength.
Not like he was going to turn it down, however. It was high time they took that insane villain in. Too many heroes, murdered by his hands. He looked down at the alleys when he noticed a figure in one of them, matching the descriptions they've managed to pooled together from the few witnesses the police talked to. "There!"
He leaped down, using his elbows' Engines to slow down his descent. He landed in front of Stain, and pointed at him. "Your killing spree ends here, Stain!"
The villain turned his head barely to stare at Ingenium. His face was triangular and flat, with his nose appearing to be missing, with a tattered cloth wrapped around his eyes like a mask. He had a blood red headband around his forehead and a similar scarf around his neck. He wore a sleeveless shirt with metal plating, baggy black pants, and armored knee-high boots. Bandages yellowed with age wrapped both his arms from the shoulder to his wrists, with long black wristbands and a watch on his left hand. In his hands was a large katana, and from what Ingenium's heard, he might have more blades hidden on his body.
"Another fake..." Stain muttered, as he turned to face him. "This society... needs to be rid of fakes like you!"
Stain threw several knives from his person at Ingenium, who barely had time to dodge them all, with one of them nicking him lightly on his less armored areas.
"Nice try, Hero Killer! It'll take more than that to take me down!" Ingenium's Engines roared as he charged at Stain, who leaped over him and grabbed on of his thrown knives. To his surprise, Stain licked the dirty blade, and all of a sudden, his body froze. "W-what the-!?"
"Send a message to all those fakes like you," Stain said, raising his katana above his head. "That you all shall be purged by me-"
"Wow, theatrical, who knew that the Hero Killer had such a personality?"
Stain froze, and looked around, attempting to see who the voice's owner was. He looked to his left, and noticed a strange shadow on the wall. The shadow stepped off, turning into a tall stranger with a black trench coat, black gloves, black spandex-like skin, armored boots and shoulder armor, and a strange unearthly helmet.
"You're quite the showman, sir!" the stranger said, clapping his hands together. "I tip my metaphorical hat off to you!"
"Who the hell are you!?" Stain growled, pointing his katana at him. Something was off about this guy. Very off. It wasn't like any villain or fake hero he's ever seen.
"Oh, where are my manners? The name many know me by is... Virus," the stranger said, giving a polite bow as a red V flashed on his helmet. A heavy aura radiated from him, weighing down on Stain and Ingenium. On instinct, Stain swung his katana down onto Virus's head, and it broke in half. "Oh my, quick to the point I see. Though I guess your point's broken now."
"What the-!?" Stain couldn't believe it. As worn and chipped as his katana had become over the years, it had yet to break on him. Just what was with this guy!?
"You see, Mr. Hero Killer, I've been reading your exploits quite a bit, and it intrigued me! I just had to meet you for myself," Virus said, as he stood straight back up. "It didn't take too long to see that bloody, bloody shadow of yours either. You just have to come with me and talk with me and my colleagues. There's so much we can learn about each other, don't you think?"
"Not interested, I need to take care of this fake. I need to leave him as a witness to my message!" Stain yelled. Virus looked at Ingenium, who was glaring at the two. He felt the incredible pressure from this guy, but he couldn't give in. Heroes don't give in in the face of threats like this.
"I see," Virus said, strolling over to the paralyzed hero. He gently lifted Ingenium's left arm, and with zero effort, bent his elbow the wrong way.
"AAAAAAARGH!" Ingenium yelled, as his broken elbow flopped to the side. He didn't have time to recover, as Virus repeated it with his right arm. "GAAAAAAAAAAH!"
With a kick as if he were simply nudging a ball, Virus's foot made contact with his stomach, knocking the wind and bile out of him as he rolled several feet away from the two.
"He... he just broke both my arms with only one hand! And that kick... how much power does this guy have if that was just a nudge!?" Ingenium thought, struggling to think clearly through the pain.
"I think that message is clear now," Virus cheerfully said. "Now, just come with me."
"No! I need to be the one who-"
"No no, I insist."
Virus placed his hand on Stain's chest, and began pushing him into the wall. Ingenium looked up from all the pain he was in, and what he saw was completely unnerving.
"GAAAAAAAAAH! WHAT- WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? AAAAAAAAAAARGH!" the Hero Killer yelled, screaming bloody murder. That was something he never expected to hear from someone like him. He saw Stain's arm flatten against the wall, with each push against it flattening more and more of his body until he was but a poster on the wall, frozen mid-scream. Virus's body turned into shadow, stepping onto the wall, with Stain's body soon turning into shadow as well, both vanishing from sight.
"What... what is going on!?" Ingenium said, as his sidekicks screamed into his helmet's radio, asking him what happened before he fell onto the ground, the pain finally knocking him unconscious.
ORIGINAL AO3 NOTES:
- These fights are pretty close to canon in a lot of ways, huh? Don't worry, we'll be getting more deviating canon fights in the next chapter.
- I figured that Fuka would've had a lot of words about what Shoto did in canon, since in her eyes it's pretty extreme, much like what she did with Katsuki and Izuku in the earlier chapters. Likewise, I feel like Shoto would see this as opposite to what Hiroshi said to him, to give it his all. Thing is, restraint and giving things your all aren't necessarily exclusive of one another. It's exactly what Hiroshi and Hero are doing, since their power unrestraint at human size would be incredibly dangerous, but even then, they're doing what they can do with their best efforts. She does feel for Shoto, of course, but even though she's now aware of his past, it's not necessarily an excuse for her 'cuz it's still dangerous regardless.
- Will we see actual ghosts in Ultraman Hero Academia? Who knows? I know, but I'm not telling.
- If you were wondering how nonaliens (or at least how those that aren't Virus's race) looked like when being transported, there you go. As you can tell, they turn into basically posters and it's not a very fun experience going from three dimensions to two.