"Are you both ready? 3! 2! 1! START!"
Shoto immediately created a giant wall of ice. One that didn't risk touching the audience, since he'd be reprimanded and possibly disqualified if he repeated his move in the first round (much to his discontent), but large and powerful enough to take Izuku out-
"You missed!" Izuku shouted, having dodged and moved to Shoto's left. Shoto started to swivel on his left foot, creating a shield of ice on his right hand, but Izuku matched his movement, punching his left arm hard. Shoto groaned and scowled, before stomping his right foot down and creating a series of ice spikes. Izuku leaped into the air before landing on the tallest spike, before using it as a foothold to jump off of towards Shoto, moving towards Shoto's left side and delivering a kick to his shoulder.
"Dammit!" Shoto growled, struggling to keep his fire from coming out of his left side. He repeated his ice spike move, only for Izuku to keep dodging it. "Stand still!"
"No!" Izuku yelled, landing another attack onto Shoto's left side. "Not until you use your full power!"
"What!?" Shoto yelled.
"What's this? Is Midoriya challenging Todoroki to use his fire!? Wait a minute... that's right! This entire Sports Festival he's only been using his ice to fight! What's with that!?" Present Mic said.
"Something about a pledge to never use his fire during a fight," Aizawa sighed. "I've kept telling him that it's irrational to rely on only one half of your Quirk, but he's refused to listen."
"You mean to tell me that he's only been going at half power? How unsportsmanlike!" Vlad King replied. "A hero without restraint is dangerous, but a hero who doesn't try giving it their all without using every aspect of their Quirk is as well! What if there's a situation where his ice won't be enough!?"
"I think we're about to find out, you two!"
"Give it my all, restrain myself, use my full power, not use my full power! Make up your damn minds!" Shoto grumbled, as another wall of ice spikes came out of the ground. This time, instead of avoiding them, Izuku used just a bit more of One for All to break through the ice, making sure that it wasn't more than his body could handle. He tackled Shoto in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.
"Haven't you been paying attention to what Hiroshi and Fuka have been saying!? Giving it your all isn't about using all of your power at once! It's about using every aspect of your power while knowing how much you can handle it and how much others can too!" Izuku cried out. He lowered himself to the ground and leg swept Shoto, knocking him onto the ground.
"I learned the hard way! I spent so long breaking my arms and legs before realizing that instead of using all of my power at once in one limb or one finger, that I should spread out what power I could handle throughout my body!"
"Shut up! I don't need to use my fire!" Shoto cried out. "I promised to never use my fire!"
"Do you really think that's hero material!? To hold that much back!?"
"Make up your minds!"
Shoto slammed his right fist onto the ground, creating a wave of ice that he rode on towards Izuku. "There's no point in using my fire when my ice is enough!"
"Is it, though!?" Izuku said, as he leaped into onto the wave of ice, using it to run towards Shoto before punching him in the left arm. "Then why have I been able to get through!?"
Shoto grunted as he fell off his ice wave, rolling across the ring before creating a block of ice to stop him from rolling out. The impact also knocked some wind out of him. As he struggled to get up, he began to hear the murmurs of pros nearby.
"So this kid's been only using one aspect of his Quirk?"
"That's a waste, his ice is plenty strong, but he could do so much more if he used his fire as well."
"Maybe he had some sort of training accident, since he's got that burn scar..."
"Sure, but it's like that Ultraman Hero kid and that green kid had been saying; if he's restraining himself while only using one part of his power, he's not going to be of much help, right?"
Shoto gritted his teeth, as he glared at Izuku.
"Aren't you feeling it, Todoroki?" Izuku said, as he shivered, the drop in temperature starting to affect him. "Aren't you feeling the frost on your right?"
Shoto's eyes widened as his right arm began to twitch from the cold ice forming on it. "Wouldn't using your fire balance that out?"
"Come on, Midoriya," Hiroshi said, watching the TV. "Break through the ice around his heart. You can do it."
"Mr. Midoriya is really driving him to the wall, he has to realize that he needs to use his full power eventually," Hero said.
"Yea, and that frost on his right side... it's just getting worse and worse. If he doesn't use his fire, he's going to suffer hypothermia."
"He's- He's really pushing Todoroki to his limits!" Ochako said, as they watched Izuku leap and dodge all of Shoto's ice as frost started to overcome him.
"Looks like we were right about his right side's ice with his left side's fire," Fuka said, as Setsuna nodded.
"If Midoriya keeps this up, Todoroki will really need to use his fire!" Kyoka said.
"Come on Todoroki, you can do it," Momo whispered. "Your fire doesn't belong to Endeavor."
"Keep it up, Midoriya! You can do it!" Pony yelled.
"You can do so much more if you use your fire, Todoroki! Realize that!" Tenya shouted.
"Stop. Annoying. Me!" Shoto shouted, as much ice came out of his right, though it came at Izuku much slower than before.
"Your reaction time's getting slower, Todoroki! Quirks are just an aspect of our body! Sooner or later, you're gonna hit the limit of what you can do while you're holding back!" Izuku said. "So use it! Use your fire!"
"You- You don't understand anything!" Shoto said, as he stubbornly used his ice. As he fought, some early memories began to appear in his head against his will.
"Stop it, he's only a child!" his mother yelled, blocking his father from hitting him again. "He's only five!"
"Child or not, if he wants to be a hero, he needs to toughen up!" his father shouted, as Shoto cried and cried. "So get up! And give it your all!"
"You're right that I don't, I don't know your full story besides the bits you've said before!" Izuku said, breaking the ice, though it was much easier to do than earlier. "But I don't think that if you're aiming to be Number One, that you can do it without giving it your all!"
"I can!" Shoto said, as each succeeding wave of ice was becoming slower and smaller. "I won't use my father's power! I won't let him win!"
"I... I don't wanna be like dad!" Shoto cried, crying into his mother's chest. "I hate him! I don't wanna be like him! Someone who hurts you mom!"
"... But... you still want to be a hero, don't you?" she said, softly. "After all, it's-"
"You're not denying your father anything by using just your ice! The only person you're denying is yourself!" Izuku shouted. "So use your fire already!"
"Never!"
"Stop looking at your siblings," his father said, pulling Shoto away from the window, who was watching his brothers and sister playing ball. "They live in a different world than yours... so come on, and get to training. And for once, give it your all this time."
Shoto's right arm and leg shivered and quaked, as he struggled to stay standing. Izuku dodged his last row of ice, and punched him in the gut. "You're not going to win if you don't! You can't reach Number One without trying your best!"
Shoto growled as he covered his fist in ice, resorting to close combat for the first time, though he was no match for Izuku, who kept dodging his sporadic punches.
"I-I can't trust myself anymore, mom!" Shoto's mom said over the phone in the kitchen. Shoto peeked into the kitchen, watching her. "E-every time I look at the kids, every time I look at Shoto's face... I just see his! I... I-"
"Mom?" Shoto asked. His mother turned her head towards him, her eyes full of hatred and fear.
"Stop holding back!" Izuku shouted, as Shoto tumbled across the ring. "Use it!"
"I-Incredible! Midoriya's managed to avoid all of Todoroki's attacks like nothing, and Todoroki hasn't put a single scratch on him! What will Mr. Ice Hot do now!?"
"His fire-"
"Where's... where's mom?" Shoto said, tears streaming from his unbandaged right eye.
"She's in the hospital. She won't be coming back for a long time," his father said dispassionately. "The nerve of her... injuring you like this during an important time..."
Shoto's tears changed as he gritted his teeth in anger. This was all his fault. All because of him and his stupid fire. From that day on, he'll only be giving it his all with the ice his mother left behind for him. He promised to never use his father's fire again-
"It's not his fire! It's yours! It's your Quirk, isn't it!?" Izuku screamed. "I don't see Endeavor down here, do I!? I see you, Shoto Todoroki! It's your Quirk, not his! Do you really want to be a hero who doesn't try his best!?"
"I don't need your advice! I know what I want to be!" Shoto snapped, as he thought back to the conversation he had with Hiroshi, before another memory filled his head. "I want to be- I want to be-!"
"You're acting like the fire you make is your father when it's not. I don't see Endeavor here right now, do I? I see Shoto Todoroki."
"Sure, Quirks are naturally passed down from parent to child, but that isn't the only thing that matters," All Might said in an interview. Shoto watched the TV with a smile. His dad wouldn't have let him watch something with All Might, but his mother was there, helping him sneak in this broadcasted 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'."
"That's right, Shoto," his mother said, smiling. "You still want to be a hero, right, Shoto? It doesn't matter that he's your father. It's you... it's you that gets to decide what you want to do. It's your Quirk, not his. You're Shoto Todoroki, not Endeavor."
"I... I want to be-!"
Shoto cried, tears streaming down his good eye, as he remembered his mother's last smile. How could he have forgotten it? Fire began to spring from his left side, burning away his gym uniform as he recalled his dream.
"A hero... who'll live the life he wants," he said, remembering what he said that day. "A hero... who'll give it his all, even with the fire he hates... A hero... who'll make his mother smile... That's... that's the hero I wanted to be-!"
"You're doing it, Todoroki!" Izuku said, smiling. "You're finally letting it out!"
"You're... you're insane, you know that?" Shoto said, as a smile came to his face. That was something he hadn't done in years. "To keep insisting to use my fire? I don't know... if I'll be able to do this again soon... but I suppose that right now... you deserve my best try, after helping me remember..."
"That's all I want!" Izuku said, gearing himself up for one more attack. "I'm coming at you hard and fast, Todoroki!"
"... Thank you," Shoto said, raising his left arm. "For letting me remember."
"Wait, I just realized something," Hero said.
"What is it?" Hiroshi asked.
"Wouldn't heating cold air in an instant cause it to expand rapidly, making a large explosion?"
"FUCK I FORGOT ABOUT THAT!"
"He's doing it!" Fuka said, as everyone cheered that the half ice-half fire boy finally broke the chains holding him back. "He's going to use his fire, he's-"
Her eyes opened wide remembering something. "He's going to cause an explosion!"
"What!? What makes you-" Kyoka said, as Momo and Setsuna came to the same realization.
"Wait, if cold air is heated in an instant-" Momo said.
"- it expands rapidly-" Setsuna said.
"- causing an explosion!? MIDORIYA-!" everyone shouted.
"Midnight! We have to stop those two!" Cementoss said, realizing what was going to happen, slamming his hands onto the ground.
"I know! We can't let this happen again!" Midnight said, ripping a part of her tights off.
Izuku leaped towards Shoto, rearing his fist back before releasing a powerful punch that created wind from its pressure, while Shoto pointed his left hand, releasing a blast of fire. Walls of cement got in between the two, but in an instant, they were destroyed by an explosion, and everyone down there was knocked back.
"HOLY SHIT ANOTHER EXPLOSION!?" Present Mic shouted. "But how-!?"
"All that cold air was heated in a second, causing the air to expand-" Aizawa said, realizing what happened.
"- which makes an explosion! He could've avoided this if he actually knew how to use his fire!" Vlad King shouted, as the stadium started screaming again. The clouds of steam cleared, however, and everyone saw the two boys on their backs on the ground.
"To... Todoroki, you alright?" Izuku moaned, as he sat up, and saw that he was out of the ring. "Oh man, I-"
"I'm fine," Shoto responded, sitting up and seeing he was out of the ring. "Damn, I-"
"- guess I lost. Wait, what?"
The two looked at each other, and realized that they were both out of the ring.
"Wait... so is this..."
"A tie!?" everyone shouted.
"What a turn of events! Todoroki managed to come from behind and make this into a draw for him and Midoriya, who had the edge this entire fight!" Present Mic said. "Though I guess with this second explosion, this tournament's-"
"Oh, I wouldn't say that it's canceled yet."
"Principal Nezu!? What are you doing here!? You're the MC for the Third Years-"
"- who've finished their Sports Festival just a while ago."
"Oh right, that break..."
"So I figured that I'd join you three in commentating for the First Years, since they've yet to finish their tournament!"
"Don't you think that a second explosion that hurt two more participants demand-"
"I... I think I'm okay," Izuku said, getting everyone's attention. "Just kinda banged up from being shoved out of the ring unexpectedly like that."
"... I am as well," Shoto followed, checking himself. "Any frostbite I was suffering is gone thanks to that blast of heat, and my left side is fine now. "
"I see. So I think that since neither contestant were actually harmed, I think that the tournament could continue!"
"Alright, if that's the case... How shall we determine who gets to move on? Do you two want to-"
"SHOOOOOOOTOOOOOOOO!"
Everyone looked at the source of the scream, and saw Endeavor, who had came up to the bars of the stadium's seating to yell. "You've did it! You're finally accepting your fire! You're one step closer to-"
"Midoriya, it's your win."
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?"
"A-are you sure!?" Izuku said, all the confidence he had during the fight suddenly dissipating upon hearing Shoto say that.
"Yes... I... I need to reevaluate a lot of things, and I don't think I could... perform well in the following rounds... Don't think that this is admission of defeat, though," Shoto said, as he looked at his left hand. "I have zero intentions... of being left behind by you, and especially Furinji."
"I-I wouldn't have it any other way!" Izuku said, giving a bow to Shoto. Endeavor ground his teeth, though he realized that his son had a point, and he stormed away.
"Shoto Todoroki has dropped out! Izuku Midoriya continues on to the semifinals!" Midnight announced, as the crowd cheered. "Now both of you go to Recovery Girl to get checked!"
"Midoriya you did it, you insane idiot!" Setsuna said, praising him while hitting him on the head. "Now don't make us worry like that again!"
"Sorry, I didn't realize that cold air getting heated that fast would make an explosion!" he said as Recovery Girl checked him for any injuries, though it seemed like the worst he got was a couple scratches and some bruises. "At least it wasn't too big, right?"
"It knocked you both out of the ring and destroyed several walls between you two," Kyoka said flatly. "But at least neither of you got hurt."
"Speaking of, when is that boy coming in to get checked? I need to make sure he's alright!" Recovery Girl huffed.
"Hopefully he's just wandering a bit in the hallways, thinking," Fuka said, touching her back with her left hand. "Ow! Still sensitive..."
"Don't touch your back!" Recovery Girl scolded.
"I just hope that he'll stay on this road..." Tenya said. "He'll make a great hero now that he's willing to use both sides."
"You better get ready, Iida, your fight's coming up soon," Ochako said, watching him adjust his glasses.
"Of course! Hopefully this one won't be so embarrassing..." Tenya said, as he took a quick look through his phone. "Hm, still no returned calls or messages... I suppose that my brother's just busy on patrol."
"I'll excuse your loss for now, Shoto," Endeavor said, having found his son again while he was wandering the halls. "For now, I'm just happy that you finally acknowledge your fire. We'll sharpen your control, refine it, empower it. You've finally put aside that ridiculous rebellion-"
"I haven't put aside anything," Shoto said, frostily. "In that moment... I remembered something bigger than you. And I need to ask myself more about it."
He walked off, ignoring his father, who simply scoffed and headed back to his seat. Shoto wandered a bit more, until he ran into someone he didn't necessarily want to meet either.
"Yo, Todoroki," Hiroshi said, smiling a bit. "You're... looking a lot better."
"... What do you mean?" Shoto said, narrowing his eyes.
"I mean that you finally acknowledge that your fire's yours," Hiroshi said. "Or at least... partially for now."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't think you're really fully over this, you know? Just because you used it once here, doesn't mean that you've gotten over your issues over your fire. Not to mention your issues with socializing and making friends," Hiroshi said, approaching him. "But it's definitely a good first step. So here's my suggestion. Talk to Hound Dog."
"What-"
"Hound Dog's a guidance counselor and a certified therapist, he'll help you sort out any issue you're having," Hiroshi said. "Well, besides finding someone who'd be able to teach you to actually use your fire and help you restrain it. And try making friends, you know, they can help you in a lot of ways."
Shoto remained quiet.
"Look, I know I'm probably not the best person to talk to for you, especially after our first talk, but trust me when I say I do want to help," Hiroshi sighed, shrugging. "You're a talented guy, Shoto, and I don't think you're bad at all. You just... need some more guidance, and from someone that isn't just your father. So please, at least consider, you know?"
"... I'll think about it," he answered, walking past him. "I just hope you take your own advice about guidance, since you're aiming to face off against Bakugo."
"Trust me, I'm well prepared for it," Hiroshi said, closing his eyes as he headed back to his waiting room. "I'm well prepared..."
Shoto sighed as he walked into the stadium's medical office, and saw the rest of Hiroshi's friend group there, though Tenya was missing, no doubt going to his waiting room to prepare for his match against Fumikage.
"There you are," Recovery Girl said, walking over to him. "Now just take a seat while I look over you."
"So you're finally putting your all into using your Quirk, huh?" Fuka said, smiling a bit. "Always noticed that you only used your ice before then. Any reason for that?"
Shoto turned his face away from her.
"I see. You don't need to say anything yet, I can probably surmise that it involves that scar of yours. Guess we can be scar buddies, even if mine are supposedly going to disappear, which I don't necessarily think will happen, even with the immediate treatment," she said, sighing. "Probably will have some noticeable red marks at least."
"... I'm sorry that happened," Shoto said, touching his own scar. "Burns... burns are never good..."
"It was an accident," Fuka said. "I'm just glad that no one else got hurt."
"... I met your brother just a bit earlier," Shoto said, catching everyone's attention. "He seems... better. He asked that I look to Hound Dog for some guidance for my... issues involving my fire and in general."
"I think you should, Hound Dog's great at his job," Fuka said.
"It's alright if you tell us, too. You don't need to right away, but we're here if you need it," Setsuna said, looking at him. "Because honestly, it seems like you could use some friends."
"Friends, huh?" Shoto said, remembering Hiroshi's words earlier about needing friends. "I... I'll think about it... thanks."
He looked at his hands. After all this... after all this he needs to tell her.
"Yo! Endeavor!"
Endeavor turned around, and saw All Might standing behind him as he walked. This time, though, the fool's characteristic smile was gone for some reason. "Let's talk."
"I'm in no mood to talk," he scowled, walking off.
"I understand what you meant earlier. About your son being meant to beat me."
"Hm?"
"How could you raise your son like that? Treat him as... as nothing more than a tool to beat me?"
"Why do you care? He's my son-"
"He's a CHILD, Endeavor!"
Endeavor was taken aback by that outburst. He's never seen the Number One Hero like that.
"He is a CHILD, who should be nurtured with love and understanding about himself and others, and here you are, treating him as nothing more as some- some TOOL to beat me! If you really wanted to beat me, all you had to do was challenge me yourself!"
"It's none of your business on what I do-"
"But it is mine."
Endeavor looked behind All Might, and saw the Ultraman Hero host coming from behind him.
"Your son told me about what happened with him and that scar of his a while ago," the boy said, giving Endeavor a hard glare. "While I don't think it's an excuse for him to hold back that much when he's trying to be a hero, you doing that isn't right. I told All Might about it, since it concerned him, especially when he mentioned his conversation with you to me."
"I won't be taking you to the police, Endeavor. For now, at least. If you continue your treatment of Young Shoto like that, I will intervene. Take this time to reflect on your decisions."
The Number One Hero and the alien's host walked away, leaving Endeavor in the hallway alone. So those two understand, now, do they? That- That rebellious son of his! He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. No matter. The boy will come to realize that only he's capable of training his fire. And he won't be spilling anything about this to him, either. No need to bring any outsiders to this at all.
"Now that the ring has been repaired and deiced- again- it's time for the second quarterfinal match! From the dark this guy comes in, ready to pounce on his opponents! Dark Wing Fumikage Tokoyaaaaaaami!" Present Mic announced as the raven-headed teen walked onto the ring.
"This cacophony of people... I shall not disappoint," Fumikage muttered, as Dark Shadow popped out of his chest. "Though this is by far a much better matchup than last time..."
"And here racing to get back his pride and dignity, is the Human Engine Tenya Iidaaaaaaaa!"
"I do not wish to be reminded of that," Tenya said, gritting his teeth in shame. "This is my chance to actually show off without being a total fool!"
"Are you both ready? 3! 2! 1! START!" Midnight shouted.
Tenya revved up his engines, dodging Fumikage's Dark Shadow as it stretched and lunged for him. He weaved around and behind Fumikage, grabbing him by the back of his shirt's collar. "RECIPRO-BURST!"
The power he put into his legs went into high gear, and he broke off into a powerful run, pulling the raven-headed boy off the ground as Dark Shadow tried to grab at the ground.
"Dark Shadow-!"
Tenya tossed Fumikage out of the ring, who landed on the ground before Dark Shadow could grab him.
"Fumikage Toyokami is out of the ring! Tenya Iida moves on to the semifinals!" Midnight decreed, as the crowd cheered.
"Damn... you simply got the best of me," Fumikage said, as smoke billowed out of his leg's engines. Tenya offered his hand to help him up, which he accepted. "Good luck against Midoriya, Iida."
"Yes..." Tenya said, thinking back to his friends, but then to Hiroshi and Momo, since they'll be fighting each other next now. "Though right now, I suppose that luck should go to my other friends as well..."
Hiroshi took a deep breath, as he walked down the hallway. He needed to win this, but he knew that Momo deserved a fair fight.
"Are you ready, Hero?" he muttered.
"As ready as I'll ever be. But are you sure you still want to go through with this?"
"We're already past the time to decide whether or not to go through with finishing the tournament. We need to, at least to teach Bakugo a lesson. This is the only time we can do it."
"Alright, but I'll immediately take control if need be during this fight."
"Of course."
"And coming in strong, is an unbeatable teen and his invincible alien! The World's First Alien Hero, Hiroshi Furinji and Ultraman Herooooo!" Present Mic announced as Hiroshi walked onto the field, giving a polite wave and a small smile to the cheering crowd.
"And up against him is the girl who can create anything! Miss Million Momo Yaoyoruzuuuuuu!" Momo walked onto the field, as she stared head on with Hiroshi. He did seem significantly calmer than earlier.
"Are you sure you don't want me to-" Momo began to say, before Hiroshi put his hand up.
"Yaoyoruzu, it's alright. I'm calm now," Hiroshi said, giving her a genuine smile. "Besides, you deserve to show off, right? So let's give it our best."
Momo clutched her hand over her heart, and sighed. "Alright, Hiroshi."
Hiroshi ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes, letting Hero take over. "Let's have some fun, Miss Yaoyoruzu."
"Are you both ready? 3! 2! 1! START!" Midnight cracked her whip. Hero/Hiroshi charged towards Momo, who created a large rod from her midriff to push him away, while creating another one in her right and a shield on her left. The large rod dropped out of her as she swung down towards the possessed teen, who rolled away from her. He noticed the dropped rod she used to push him away, and grabbed it, blocking another attack from her before tackling her and pushing her towards the edge of the ring.
Momo repeated the move she used in her fight with Eijiro, stopping herself from being pushed any further. Another cannon formed on her midriff, but Hero/Hiroshi let go and stepped to the side to avoid the cannonball. Hero immediately ceded control back to Hiroshi, who reared his arm back.
"Hold your hand and call out-!"
"Not so fast-!" Momo shouted, as she made a net gun and fired it at Hiroshi.
"HEROOOOO!"
Light flashed around Hiroshi, and he sidestepped the net, having changed into Flash Hermes. In a burst of speed, he picked up Momo, lifting her over his head as to not let her keep her foothold. She attempted to make an anchor from her hands to stop him from moving, but he moved fast enough that he reached the edge and tossed her gently onto the ground.
"Momo Yaoyoruzu is out of the ring! Hiroshi Furinji and Ultraman Hero are in the semifinals!" Midnight announced, as the crowd cheered.
"Sorry about that, Yaoyoruzu," Hiroshi said as he changed back. He gave her a smile and held his hand out. "But you know, you did pretty well."
"It was much shorter than I would've liked," she sighed, though she took his hand and smiled. "But it was longer than I expected. Good luck, Hiroshi."
"Thanks," Hiroshi said, though his smile went small. "But the one who really needs it now... is-"
Setsuna took deep breaths as she popped her joints while walking down the hallway. She knew that for the most part, Katsuki was probably going to win. His destructive power could damage a lot of her body parts while they're separated from her, which would force her to regenerate them, draining her of energy and leaving her wide open to an assault. But she had to take risks, for Fuka. She won't forgive the permanently pissed-off prick for what he did. And if she's going to lose, she's going to go down swinging hard.
"Coming from this side, is the lord of lizards, the scaly wonder, Lizard Queen Setsuna Tokaaaaaage!" Present Mic announced, as the crowd cheered and clapped for her.
"And her opponent is Katsuki Bakugo." The crowd swiftly changed tones, booing and jeering the ash blond teen as he appeared.
"What the hell!? Where's my moniker!? Where's my intro!?" Katsuki demanded.
"Fine fine... And it's the guy with zero restraint, Explosion Man Katsuki Bakugo."
The crowd only booed louder. Katsuki growled. What a bunch of idiots.
"Are you both ready? 3! 2! 1! START!"
"Hey guys," Hiroshi said, opening the door and walking in to see his sister and friends. "How're you feeling, Fuka?"
"Better, but definitely not going to be sitting up for a while... or able to wear form fitting clothes, so it's going to be baggy clothes for a while," she replied, as her eyes became fixated on the TV monitor.
"So you've been able to watch the matches here, huh?" Hiroshi said.
"Yea, it's the only way I can see them for now, right?" Fuka said.
"What about you, Hiroshi?" Momo asked, looking at him. "Are you really feeling better?"
"I am... sort of. I'm still going to beat up Bakugo for what he did if he wins, but I'm better off than earlier," Hiroshi sighed, as he sat down on the ground to watch the TV monitor. "I just... I just hope that Setsuna is going to do alright."
"I'm sure Tokage will! She's tough!" Pony said, puffing her cheeks out. "She'll be able to handle Bakugo no sweat!"
"At the very least, she's not going down without a fight," Fuka muttered, as they watched Setsuna split her body into pieces to avoid Katsuki's Explosion.
"That was close!" Setsuna said, as her body parts flew around Katsuki and struck him in the back. He growled as he turned around and started launching Explosions towards her. She flew up to the sky, as he followed, propelling himself with his Explosions. He held his hand out and fired one at her. She managed to dodge it, and landed a punch to his gut, disorienting him for a moment.
"Take this! Cretaceous Crash!" she shouted, as several body parts flew at him, slamming him in almost every spot of his body.
"Fucking lizardface-!" Katsuki cried, as he readjusted his fall, landing onto the ground. He looked up to the sky, and noticed that Setsuna was recalling her body parts, and she spun around in the sky, falling for a bit before she pointed her legs at him.
"Mesozoic Meteor!"
She launched her lower torso, sending it flying towards Katsuki in a strong kick. He launched a Explosion into her legs, making her wince as she felt her legs get slightly burned and knocked to the side. She made her legs stand up from the attack, and she landed back onto them, reforming her whole body.
"That's not the only trick I have! Paleozoic Punch!" she yelled, launching her fists at Katsuki. He propelled himself to the side with an Explosion, before sneering as he watched her hands fly back to her.
"I get it. There's a time limit as to how long you can separate or something, is there!?" he yelled, as Setsuna separated her body parts again and flew at him. He held his palms close together, a sphere of light forming between them. "And the smaller they are, the harder they get to hit! So what if I hit them all at once!? STUN GRENADE!"
The sphere of light exploded between his palms, creating a blinding explosion that sent all of her body parts flying away from him. Setsuna screamed as she closed her eyes, but this allowed him to grab her detached head, and slammed it to the ground. Sparks flew from his free hand, as he sneered maniacally.
"This is my win, lizardface!"
"... Fine, I surrender," Setsuna spat out, her cheeks squished between the ground and his hand.
"Setsuna Tokage surrenders! Katsuki... Katsuki Bakugo moves onto the semifinals!" Midnight announced, reluctant to let the explosive teen to move on.
But instead of the cheers he expected to hear, he only heard boos and jeers.
"Do you think that just because you won this fight that you'd get approval!?"
"You still have a shit personality!"
"You're only lucky that Ultraman Hero kid wanted you to stay in this tournament so he could teach you a lesson!"
"Those- Those-!"
"Wow, no love for Bakugo, is there?" Present Mic mused.
"You're one to talk, you barely talked him up," Aizawa sighed.
"I don't blame him. Bakugo makes it hard to like him," Vlad King pointed out.
"I understand that, of course. Bakugo needs to grow up and actually learn some restraint for once."
Katsuki gnashed his teeth. How come this victory... didn't feel like a victory at all?
"Don't think that because I surrendered that I'm weak," Setsuna said, as her body parts reattached themselves to her. "You're certainly stronger, sure, but that doesn't matter if people don't actually trust or like you."
He glared at her. How dare she talk to him like she was better, like she-
"And besides... The person who's going to beat you... is someone who's an infinitely better hero than you'd ever be."
Izuku, Fuka, and the others looked to Hiroshi as Katsuki and Setsuna walked off the field. They saw his fist tightened, and noticed that his nails were so deep that they could draw blood if he clenched them any tighter.
"Hiroshi, are you really-?" Izuku started to say.
"I'm... I'm fine," he answered, taking a deep breath. "I'm absolutely calm. But it looks like... it looks like I'm gonna be beating Bakugo up for both Setsuna and Fuka now. You're ready for that, Hero?"
"Of course."
"Heh... Midoriya, Iida, you two best get to your waiting rooms now and prepare yourselves for your match," Hiroshi said. Izuku and Tenya looked at each other. That's right, they're fighting next.
"... Good luck, Midoriya," Tenya said, smiling.
"Same to you, Iida," Midoriya said, returning it. The two walked towards the door when Setsuna opened it, a bit scorched from her fight. "Agh, I'm gonna be feeling this for a while, aren't I?"
"Just come here, dear," Recovery Girl said, planting a kiss on Setsuna's cheek, who shivered as it left her face.
"Eugh, not gonna be used to that," she muttered, as she felt all the scratches, bruises, and slight burns disappear. "But at least I'm feeling better now. And you two, do your best, alright?"
Izuku and Tenya nodded, and the two went off in separate directions to their waiting rooms. Setsuna sighed and she turned to Hiroshi. "So... looks like it really is going to be a grudge match between you two, huh, Hiroshi?"
"Yea... And I'm gonna teach him a lesson that I'll make sure he'll never forget," Hiroshi said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath again. "He's not going to be winning another fight."
"Dammit, it's so frustrating!" Denki said, leaning back against his chair. "Bakugo's complete shit, but he's got a strong Quirk! It's just not fair!"
"I know," Mashirao said, sighing. "And he's smart enough to use it strategically too, so it's not hard to see why he got to be in UA."
"Still, I wonder if he'd have gotten in if he had gone through an interview like us recommended students did," Juzo said, thinking thoughtfully. "I'm sure that if he did, he would've been denied on the spot."
"Kinda wishing he was, now, that way he couldn't have gotten in in the first place," Sen grumbled, when everyone noticed Shoto walking in. "What took you so long, Todoroki?"
"... Just needed some air," Shoto replied, taking his seat. "So... Furinji against Bakugo, huh... He must be glad that it's happening..."
"Honestly, me too, if only so that Furinji and Hero beat the tar of out him," Kosei muttered.
"Yea, hopefully those two will teach Bakugo a lesson in humility," Itsuka said, crossing her arms.
"I-Isn't that a bit harsh?" Eijiro asked.
"Come on, Kirishima! Are you really trying to stick up for Bakugo!?" Mina said, as everyone looked at him.
"M-maybe!? I don't know! Maybe if he had a friend, he'd be a better-"
"Kirishima, the guy's personality is like a combination of an angry Pomeranian and a bag of flaming shit," Denki said flatly.
"How crude..." Yuga said, disgusted at the imagery. "Very unrefined..."
"Unrefined as it is, he's got a point that the dude's just not a good person to get along with," Yosetsu replied.
"I pray that he finds his path of redemption soon..." Ibara said, her hands in her lap and her eyes closed.
"Honestly, if Mr. Furinji does end up crossing the line, it would be much more understandable than Mr. Bakugo," Jurota said, scratching his chin in thought. "Mr. Bakugo had no reason to hurt Miss Furinji as badly as he did, whereas Mr. Furinji would be justified in beating him badly."
"... I just hope that after this, Furinji can start to smile again..." Yui whispered quietly, no one but Itsuka hearing her. "He... he deserves to smile..."
"Hahaha, how entertaining!" Virus said, clapping as he watched Katsuki walk away after his victory over Setsuna. "So it'll be that Bakugo child versus Ultraman Hero and his host? Now that will be a battle to see!"
"That boy..." Tomura said, Katsuki's behavior having caught his complete attention. He leaned his elbow onto the table, only to slip and hit his head on it thanks to the flattened Stain, who slipped and fell onto the ground. "AUGH! Do something about this poster man! Put him somewhere else, like the trash!"
All of a sudden, they heard something akin to grumbling. They looked, and noticed it was coming from Stain.
"Oh, seems like he's gained some awareness to his situation," Virus said, picking Stain up and draping him over a chair. "Shouldn't take too long for him to get back to normal."
More grumbling came from the Stain poster, whose head flapped over the back of the chair.
"Gross," Tomura muttered, turning away from Stain.
"Now now, that is no way to talk about a guest," Virus laughed. "After all, you can learn quite a bit, don't you think, Shigaraki?"
Tomura scoffed, and turned away from Virus. Virus turned his head to the TV again, ready to watch the match between Izuku and Tenya. "And learning... is always important."
ORIGINAL AO3 NOTES:
- Since Izuku gained better control over One for All in "Ultraman Hero Academia", his fight against Shoto was a lot more even, arguably more in his favor until the whole "heated cold air makes an explosion" thing happened. Shoto for the most part was knocked out of the ring with Izuku this time around since he was pushed harder in using them, and I imagined that he wouldn't have regained enough stamina to actually use his ice again after using his fire.
- Hound Dog is certainly getting busy, isn't he? First Hiroshi, then Bakugo, then Izuku, and now potentially Shoto? Definitely has a bigger presence, now.
- While the fight between Izuku and Shoto did take up the majority of the chapter, the part I had the most fun writing was Setsuna's and Katsuki's, as short as it is. Mostly because I actually really, really like Setsuna, and I felt like the fact that despite winning, Katsuki doesn't feel like it really was a victory since NO ONE was really celebrating him for winning. Plus, had fun taking the piss out of him for a bit, even if I do actually find him an interesting character.