Hiroshi took several deep breaths as he walked down the hallway. This was it. The finals. Him against Izuku. An alien host versus All Might's successor. This was going to be a test of how they've both progressed.
So why wasn't he feeling it? Was it because of the fight with Katsuki?
Sure, it was intense, but he beat him. He got payback for Fuka and Setsuna, and he showed him how big the difference between them was.
So what was bothering him?
"I don't blame you for being upset with the circumstances of our fight with Mr. Bakugo," Hero said, as Hiroshi stared at the ground as he walked. "I wish it would've been different as well."
"Hopefully, this won't affect our fight with Midoriya," Hiroshi said, shaking his head. "He deserves us to give this our best. He's fought tooth and nail to be in the finals."
"Indeed, let's give Mr. Midoriya a good challenge."
Hiroshi smiled, but still, he was unsure.
Izuku clenched his fists tight as he walked down the hallway. He was here. The finals. Up against Hiroshi. Even if he and Hero were vastly stronger than him, he wasn't going to give up.
But he had noticed something in Hiroshi's eyes before they went to their waiting rooms. Confusion. Uncertainty. Frustration.
Was it because of his fight with Katsuki?
Did he lose sight of what he would do after fighting Katsuki? He was extremely focused on getting to that fight, even when he calmed down to avoid going overboard. But now that he won... does he even have a goal for the tournament?
He knew what he needed to do. This was more than just a fight for the finals. This was a fight to test how all three have grown, and if they lost sight of that, then he to remind them of that.
Inko held a brown paper bag to her mouth, hyperventilating even though Izuku's match against that Ultraman Hero boy had yet to begin. She had been proud of his progress throughout the Sports Festival, but when she realized that his final fight was going to be against a teen with a literal alien inside him that grants him all sorts of powers, she couldn't help but become extremely anxious.
Truthfully the anxiety had always been there since her son managed to get into the school of his dreams. She knew that the life of a hero was difficult, and that they were going to get hurt, but even so, the idea of her son being hurt was... frightening, especially when he didn't have a Quirk for so long in his life. Not to mention that villain attack weeks ago.
Her cellphone began to ring, and she picked it up. It was Mitsuki, to her surprise. The two hadn't talked for months, not since that Sludge Villain Incident their boys had gotten into. "Hello, Mitsuki?"
"Hey, Inko..." she said, sighing. "So... Izuku's in the finals now, huh? You doing okay?"
"Y-yea, thank you asking," Inko said, forcing herself to calm down. "I'm... sorry about what happened to Katsuki. That must've been frightening-"
"It was. But honestly... I think the little brat needed a wakeup call, and that fight was it," Mitsuki replied. "I... never did really apologize for what Katsuki's done to Izuku, have I?"
"I-It's not your fault-"
"We know that's not true. Masaru and I had let all that praise get to his head as a runt, and it turned him into a complete asshole. We took too long to realize what a big mistake we made until we... we saw him hurt that Furinji kid's sister. We should've been better, or at least taught him why he shouldn't use his Explosions near compressed air containers."
Inko gulped. It was terrifying to see Katsuki hurt someone like that so badly. Even the playground fights when he and Izuku were kids weren't that bad. It was no wonder her brother was so furious. But to think that someone like that could be fighting Izuku...
"You did your best raising him," Inko assured, sighing a bit as she smiled. "You kept him safe, and that's important."
"... Thanks, Inko," Mitsuki sighed. "And don't worry about Izuku, I'm sure he's going to win against that Furinji kid!"
"Yea..." Inko said. The two said their farewells and hung up on each other. Hopefully she was right. Or at the very least, he won't get any broken bones...
"Man, who would've thought that the final fight would be Midoriya and Hiroshi?" Nirengeki said, as they sat in anticipation for the final round.
"I mean, Hiroshi was kind of a given, since he and Hero are just so strong, but Midoriya's just keeps surprising us!" Mina said, puffing her cheeks impatiently.
"This is unfair, why do two 1A students get to be-" Neito said, before getting chopped on the neck by Itsuka.
"Hopefully it'll be a more cheerful fight than Hiroshi's fight with Bakugo," Kinoko whispered.
"I don't know if we could really call fights 'cheerful'," Itsuka chuckled. "But yea, I hope it won't be nearly as tense... or hollow feeling."
"Truly a fight between David and Goliath," Fumikage said, while Shihai nodded in agreement.
"A battle between a Titan and a mortal..."
"Hero and Hiroshi is most definitely a mountainous obstacle for any one of us here to climb," Reiko said.
"I can't believe we're classmates with those monsters!" Minoru said, before getting smacked in the face by Tsuyu and punched on the head by Kosei.
"Don't call those two a monster!" Kosei scolded. "He's nowhere near the level of terrible like Bakugo!"
"That's very rude, Mineta," Tsuyu added, shaking her head.
"Hm..." Mirio said, his hand on his chin in thought. "That Midoriya kid's certainly interesting... I've been seeing some clips of him online alongside Hero and Furinji, and while he's not that much to look at, he's got some moves!"
"Yea, yea! He's got that green electricity all over him! It's all like, 'whoosh'! 'Crackle crackle'!" Nejire said. She put a confused finger on her bottom lip however. "But he's never shooting that out. Wonder why..."
"I don't think it's really electricity. Rather, it's more like a sign of him using his Quirk?" Mashirao replied. "Before it was these red marks that appeared on his skin, but I guess while he was training, it changed form."
"Yea, I wonder why that happened," Toru said, her sleeves moving to show that she was crossing her arms. "Do you think it's got something to do with him developing his Quirk late and figuring out more about it as he goes along?"
"Maybe! That makes a lot of sense, I think," Hanta said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Quiet! I think they're about to start," Sen said, looking at the ring. "We can't miss this. This is gonna be a good fight..."
"So you think that Midoriya kid's gonna die?" Daichi said, crossing his arms.
"Probably. There's no way that he'd beat that Ultraman Hero kid," Kosuke grumbled. "Not like we could..."
"Quiet you two, I want to pay as much attention as I can to this fight," Kirika growled.
"What? So you can ogle at your crush? Alien-loving weirdo..."
"I SAID QUIET YOU IDIOT!"
Hitoshi sighed. So, it came down to the person who believed in him and the person who promised that he wouldn't lose. This was... going to be difficult to see. He wanted both to do their best, but he had a feeling that deep down, that it was going to be Hiroshi's win.
Mei bit her lip as she waited for Hiroshi and that green-haired kid she worked with at the Cavalry Battle to come onto the ring. That fight with the explodey guy was tense, and she really hoped that Hiroshi had enough time to move on from it so that he wouldn't accidentally destroy that green-haired kid. But the way that Hiroshi looked after the fight... he seemed so lost.
"Mind if we take a seat next to you, Hatsume?"
Mei turned around and saw a boy with spiky white hair with green tips, a girl with short brown hair and headphones, and a boy with spiky brown hair and eyebrows walked up to her. They were also wearing UA gym uniforms, but were also from the Support Course. They were Senku Ishigami, Yuzuriha Ogawa, and Taiju Oki, the only ones who Mei bothered to remember because of their likeminded nature of inventing. Well, at least with Senku, Yuzuriha and Taiju were just his support crew, but Senku believed in teamwork a lot, which she can respect.
"Oh, hey you three," Mei said, as they sat next to her. "Thought you guys were going to be spending the rest of the tournament down at the lab working on gear."
"We were, but these two really wanted to watch this last match, especially since we missed that grudge match between that Hero guy and Bakugo guy," Senku said, leaning back against his chair.
"Aren't you interested, Senku!?" Taiju asked. "That Hero guy's so cool! I can't believe we didn't watch those matches in person! And he's an alien! He could take you to space, right!?"
"Yea, he and that Furinji boy are so different from everyone here," Yuzuriha said, smiling a bit. "Plus, he's Quirkless just like you!"
"Tch, like Quirklessness is something to really bond over," Senku said, shrugging. "But he is tenacious, I'll give him that. Maybe we can get in his good graces and get his support, since he is one of the kids of the Furin-Kazan Corporation's co-owners, right Hatsume?"
"Yep! Confirmed myself during the Cavalry Battle!" Mei said, proudly. "And I saw the Furinjis' parents in the crowd, and they were eating up my performance in the tournament!"
"Excellent, we'll reel him in and convince him to become our ally..." Senku said, snickering maniacally.
"Aaaah, there he goes again," Yuzuriha said, sweating a bit though she smiled and chuckled. "You two are so alike."
"Hahaha, always thinking of the future!" Taiju said, though he noticed Mei's odd expression. "Are you alright, Hatsume?"
"Yea, it's rare to see you ever downbeat about anything," Yuzuriha said, also noticing her unusual expression.
"Oh, uh, yea..." Mei said, her characteristic grin growing a bit small. "I just... I mean while I didn't end up on the Furinjis' team, I just... felt really bad about what happened to Fuka, and Hiroshi's... concerning me with his behavior."
"That's right," Yuzuriha muttered, remembering the rounds where Fuka's back was burned by Katsuki, and Hiroshi's and Hero's utter dominance in his. "That... must have been scary to see in person."
"It... it was," Mei admitted. "I never felt anything like it before, and well..."
"I get it," Senku said, shrugging. "Watching an alien wrecking anyone, regardless of personality, has to be tense."
"Well, hopefully this fight will be more fun for everyone!" Taiju laughed. Mei, Senku, and Yuzuriha stared at him. His boundless optimism and simpleminded nature was truly something to behold.
"Says the guy who hates fighting himself and couldn't make it through UA's practical exam," Senku snickered.
"Those poor robots were getting beaten up, though! And fighting isn't always the answer!" Taiju cried. "But at least I did well on the written exam to get into the Support Course!"
"Yea, barely," Senku said, shaking his head. "But that straightforward simpleminded thinking is something useful in our field."
Mei laughed as she and her friends chatted a bit, before noticing that the two finalists were arriving onto the field.
"Man, if I didn't know who to root for during Deku's and Iida's fight, I definitely don't know who to root for here!" Ochako lamented, as everyone sat and waited to see their two friends walk onto the field.
"Yea, I mean, sure, Hiroshi and Hero are gonna be dominating this fight, but Midoriya's definitely not going to slack off!" Pony said, bouncing up and down anxiously in her seat.
"I mean, it's not going to be an absolute slaughter like Hiroshi's fight with Bakugo, right?" Kyoka said, fiddling with her earlobe.
"Hiroshi and Hero are at least going to fight Midoriya with the best they got," Setsuna said, though a part of her did worry that his earlier fight was still affecting him.
"Those two are certainly among the strongest out of the entire Hero Course, and Midoriya has been improving greatly, even during the tournament," Momo said matter-of-factly. "No doubt it'll be a spectacle to see."
"I just hope that Hiroshi can stop being so tense," Fuka said. She touched her back. It wasn't nearly as sensitive as earlier, but it still stung. "He's relapsing back into bad habits..."
"Stop touching your back!"
"I'm sorry, I just need to make sure that I'm really healed!"
Katsuki woke up and shot straight up from where he was laying. He was on a cot in the room where he and his parents had that meeting with the faculty and the Quirkless bastard's and airhead's parents. He turned around, and saw his mom and dad sitting nearby him, with small smiles.
"I... I lost..." Katsuki said, as he forcefully recalled his fight. "I... I-"
"It's alright, Katsuki," Mitsuki assured him. That was a tone he hadn't heard in a while. "Heroes sometimes lose, and that's alright."
"Not me! I don't lose! I can't lose!" Katsuki cried, his fists tightening. "I- I didn't even lose to him while he was at full power! He kept holding back! That- That-!"
"He did it to make sure you didn't get hurt," Masaru said, holding his son's hand gently. "Heroes need restraint as well, which is something you need to learn. And hopefully those remedial lessons will help with that."
Katsuki growled as he pulled his hand away. They couldn't understand. He failed to live up to his goals. He failed to live up to expectations. He failed. Period.
He looked around the room and noticed a TV monitor that wasn't in the room earlier when he was in it. It was broadcasting the final match, though it was still a few minutes beforehand. He grumbled, and turned more to face it. He'll at least have the satisfaction of Deku getting destroyed by Hero.
"Hm, the final fight, huh?" Death Arms said, crossing his arms. "Seems like wouldn't be nearly as exciting as the last one."
"I don't know," Kamui Woods said thoughtfully. "That Midoriya kid's done unexpectedly well during the whole Sports Festival, hasn't he?"
"I guess you're right," Death Arms shrugged. "But will he be able to hold up against that Ultraman Hero kid?"
The two turned to face Mt. Lady, who was uncharacteristically quiet now. "Something on your mind, Mt. Lady?" Death Arms asked.
"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" Mt. Lady shouted, though that was a lie. She had begun to think more about Hiroshi and Hero. Those two were getting more and more attention, especially with how they were doing in the Sports Festival. They were already overshadowing her to begin with. Very soon no one was going to pay attention to her. Unless-
"Hey, it's starting!" Death Arms said, snapping Mt. Lady out of her thinking.
"So it's that Hero asshole and that All Might fanatic fighting..." Tomura grumbled, as Virus watched the TV intently.
"Indeed! Those two did well to get there, didn't they?" Virus said cheerfully. "Their competition was stiff, but they've truly shone! And the bigger the light-"
The red V and I flashed on the aliens' helmets. "- the bigger the shadow."
"We're finally here, good listeners! It's the final round of the First Years' tournameeeeeent!" Present Mic said, as the crowd's excitement reached an apex. Hiroshi walked onto the field, taking in several deep breaths. Time to give it his all to fight Izuku.
So what was keeping him down?
"And coming in hot, here comes the World's First Alien Hero, Hiroshi Furinji and Ultraman Herooooo! Not only has Ultraman Hero been showing off what he's got, Furinji's been too! He's shown guts, he's shown smarts, he's got what it takes!" Hiroshi looked across the field, and saw Izuku walking towards him, his mouth tight and brow furrowed.
"But can he be a match against the Mean Green Fighting Machine, Izuku Midoriyaaaa! Despite his looks, he's been keeping up neck to neck with Furinji and Hero! Who's gonna come out on top!?"
"Are you both ready?" Midnight asked, looking at the two participants. Hiroshi nodded as he slicked his hair back and his eyes turned green, though Izuku was a little more hesitant to answer.
"Is something the matter, Mr. Midoriya?" Hero/Hiroshi asked, puzzled.
"No... it's nothing, I'm ready," Izuku said, nodding as he let One for All flow throughout his body.
"Alright then... 3! 2! 1! START!" Midnight announced. Hero/Hiroshi and Izuku charged at each other, and began to throw and dodge each other's punches.
"Right off the bat, the two entered a fistfight! Look at them go!" Present Mic cried, as Izuku landed the first hit, knocking Hero/Hiroshi back a bit. "And Furinji and Hero are the first ones down!"
"Damn, what's going on..." Hero/Hiroshi grumbled, getting up and charging at Izuku. Izuku leaped over, and kicked him in the back.
"Why are you waiting to change!?" Izuku said, as Hero/Hiroshi tried to regain his balance. "Change right now!"
"If you insist!" Hero said, before handing control back to Hiroshi.
"Hold your hand and call out-!"
"HEROOOOO!"
In a flash of light Hero in his Original form took Hiroshi's place, and he clapped his hands together as a sphere of water-like energy formed around them.
"Herorum Geyser!" The sphere of water-like energy shot out in a geyser, though Izuku managed to leap over it and towards him. Hero crossed his arms, and a shield formed over him, though Izuku used it to jump off into the air, knocking Hero back and allowing him to land another hit. Hero staggered back, as Izuku continued on his assault
"What's going on!? Hero and Furinji keep slipping up and letting Midoriya land several hits on them!" Present Mic said, as people began to mumble amongst the cheering. "What on earth is happening with Hero and Furinji!?"
"Hm, seems like they're still rattled by their fight with Bakugo," Aizawa thought to himself. "Furinji did bring up a lot of things that happened in the past involving someone like Bakugo, so it must still be affecting him. And he was focused on that fight in particular... Maybe-"
"Hm, it seems like Furinji's problems came back up at the worst time for him," Hound Dog observed, as everyone in the teacher's box looked at him. "That fight with Bakugo must've shaken him more than he thought. It brought up all those old emotional scars he's shared with me during our sessions..."
"Yea, and judging from how he reacted about that comment about him 'cheating' his way into UA, he must be doubting himself as well, even though he's been showing his resourcefulness and quick thinking during the Sports Festival," Power Loader replied.
"Young Hiroshi..." All Might grumbled. Even with all the progress he's made with Hound Dog, Hiroshi's issues had yet to be resolved. The boy needed more guidance.
"Oh my, seems like Ultraman Hero and his host are out of sync," Virus said, shaking his head. "Such a shame. And they were doing so well, too."
"Why would they be out of sync?" Tomura grumbled. "Aren't they invincible? Why not just break that All Might fanatic and get it done with?"
"I suppose it might have something to do with that previous fight of his," Kurogiri suggested, wiping a glass.
"Exactly! The boy might have won the fight, but he lost something else!" Virus said, clapping for Kurogiri understanding it.
"What the hell would he have lost?" Tomura asked.
"A challenge to overcome."
"Why's Hero doing so badly?" Pony asked worriedly, as they watched him and Furinji perform poorly.
"He mentioned that he and Hiroshi have to be on the same page in order to fight at their best," Setsuna muttered, as Izuku punched Hero across the face. "So something must've thrown one of them off..."
"Bakugo," Fuka said, realizing it quickly. "That fight with Bakugo must've done it."
"Why? They won!" Kyoka said. "Those two beat Bakugo at his own game, so why would they be thrown off by it?"
"Hiroshi did say all those things right before the match, and that outburst near the end was worrying," Ochako said, remembering how upset Hiroshi had become.
"That must be it!" Setsuna said, snapping her fingers. "It must've dug up all those old memories before Hero came into the picture! Not to mention that after beating Bakugo, he might've lost a reason why to fight!"
"He did focus in on that revenge aspect," Momo muttered. "That would probably throw someone into a funk if they succeeded, especially if the way it happened was as intense as that fight."
Fuka stared at the TV, as Hero was forced into the defensive. "Come on you two, you promised us and Midoriya to give your best..." she whispered.
The Hero Course students stared down as they watched Hero stay on the defensive while Izuku kept the pressure on him.
"What's going on with Hero and Hiroshi?" Itsuka muttered. "This fight shouldn't be this one-sided, even if they're holding back power!"
"Do you think it's because of that fight with Bakugo?" Mina fretted, watching as Izuku zipped around Hero and landing a kick before sprinting away.
"Maybe all that stuff Hiroshi talked about is still affecting him..." Sen said, crossing his arms. "Honestly, it really never occurred to me how being Quirkless affected his life..."
"Yea..." Denki said, scratching his head. "That was some... really rough stuff he said..."
"He did have a point about how some terrible people with strong Quirks end up getting rewarded for them," Juzo added. "Like we've lived with Quirks all our lives, so we never really got to experience the same sort of life he did."
"That's true..." Nejire said, sticking her tongue out in thought. "He's the first Quirkless person I've met..."
Shoto shifted his eyes away. He was all too familiar with that perspective. He lived with walking proof of it in his home, after all. Maybe... maybe Hiroshi understood him much more than he gave him credit for.
"Shit, this hasn't been good, what's going on with us?" Hiroshi said, as Hero blocked a punch and threw one of his own, though Izuku dodged it. "What should we-"
"Use all of your forms!" Izuku demanded.
"What?"
"What?"
"Use all of them! Muscle Hercules, Flash Hermes, Burst Helios! Use all of your forms and come at me with your best!"
"Mr. Midoriya, what are you-"
"This fight confirmed my suspicions, but I noticed it, ever since you came back from your fight with Kacchan, Hiroshi!" Izuku said, elbowing Hero in the gut. "You've... you've looked so lost! You beat Kacchan, but you don't know what do to now, do you!?"
"Hiroshi, is that true?" Hero said to himself, grabbing Izuku's head and kneeing him, but he took this opportunity to grab Hero by the leg and lift him up over his shoulder. Hero rolled over before stopping on his feet.
"I... I..."
"Hiroshi, you focused so much beating Kacchan for Fuka that you didn't think about what you'd do against me, right!?" Izuku said, as Hero put up another barrier, though he leaped over and struck the alien in his back. "Throughout the entire Sports Festival, you've been telling us to give it our all, so you need to too!"
"RIght now, you've lost something to focus on! A challenge to overcome! Which is why-" Izuku leaped into the air, swinging his right foot at Hero's head, "- I want you to focus on beating me with your best! And in return, I'll focus on beating you with my best!"
Hero blocked it, though he was knocked back a bit. "So come at me with everything you got! Muscle Hercules, Flash Hermes, Burst Helios! Use all of them, and I'll beat them all the same!"
"Is Midoriya serious?" Kyoka said, her mouth agape. "He wants Hero and Hiroshi to use all of their forms? That's overkill!"
"I mean, in a way it is..." Fuka said thoughtfully. "But in a way, it isn't... Hero and Hiroshi have ready been holding back a lot of power, and using all of their forms would open up for a lot of strategies... Maybe he was right earlier, maybe those two are holding back a bit too much..."
"He hadn't needed change forms too much during this tournament, since most of his plans involved swiftly ringing people out like Iida's," Momo pointed out. "So it's not like he's been holding back too much, since that is a viable strategy."
"Didn't you say before that the two only changed forms if they need to?" Ochako asked.
"Yea, since it takes a lot of energy to switch between them," Fuka explained. "It's why whenever Hiroshi changed into Hero, that they'd change into one form and stick with it during a fight unless absolutely necessary."
"So do you... do you think he'll do it?" Pony asked, biting her lip. "
"I don't know... but this might snap him out of his mood," Setsuna said, her hand on her chin. "Midoriya's challenge might just be what he needs..."
Katsuki gritted his teeth as he watched the fight. Deku challenging that Quirkless bastard and his alien to use all of his power? If he hadn't done it for him, then he definitely wouldn't do it for Deku. There's no way that he'd consider Deku a more worthy challenge than him, right?
There's no way in the world.
Hero stood there, staring at Izuku, when Hiroshi started to laugh inside his head.
"Hiroshi-?"
"Man, what was I doing? Midoriya's really coming at me with his best, in fighting and in words," Hiroshi said, sighing. "And he's right... I think after I won against Bakugo, I just didn't have anything to focus on without my past getting to me. And here Midoriya is, challenging us to do our best to beat him right here, right now. And who are we to deny him our best? So let's do it, Hero!"
"Alright, you wanted to face all of our forms?" Hero chuckled, as he stood up, and light covered him.
Inside Hero's mental dimension, Hiroshi held his arm out as he turned the Hero Hand's dial. "ORIGINAL! FLASH!"
"Wind faster than a flash of light!" Hiroshi called out, slamming his hand onto the stylized H. He reared his arm back, threw his hand into the air, and yelled, "Fly UP! HEROOOOO!"
"FLASH HERMES!"
The light shattered, and Hero now stood in his Flash Hermes form. He lowered himself to the ground, ready to sprint towards Izuku. "I hope you're ready, Midoriya! The two of us are going to come at you with everything we've got!"
"Wouldn't have it any other way!" Izuku said, grinning. The two began to charge at each other, each throwing a flurry of punches and kicks that they each avoided, while a gust of wind followed Hero's movements.
"Looks like Midoriya's getting a repeat of his fight with Iida! Hero and Midoriya are neck to neck in this combat of speed!" Present Mic said, as the atmosphere of the crowd began to pick up again. "But can Midoriya keep up!?"
Izuku began to be forced to dodge more and more, until he managed to duck. In the split second he was low to the ground, he drew out a little more of One for All, and landed a solid punch against Hero, sending the alien flying back a few feet, though he remained standing. "Hm, so even though I'm faster than you, you edge me out in terms of strength in Flash Hermes, even when I'm on the Human Scale. Truly interesting, Mr. Midoriya!"
"Not bad yourselves, you two! You're fast! I had a hard time keeping up!" Izuku said, wiping off some sweat from his forehead.
"This is... incredible! Midoriya's incredible!" Hiroshi said in Hero's head. "So if Midoriya's stronger than us in Flash Hermes, we should try matching him in strength!"
Light shone around Hero, as his silhouette changed.
Inside Hero's mental dimension, Hiroshi held his arm out as he turned the Hero Hand's dial. "FLASH! MUSCLE!"
"Muscles that can move mountains!" Hiroshi called out, slamming his hand onto the stylized H. He reared his arm back, threw his hand into the air, and yelled, "Shake UP! HEROOOOO!"
"MUSCLE HERCULES!"
The light around Hero scattered, as his muscle mass nearly matched that of All Might's in proportion. The crowd went wild upon Hero's change, as he cracked his knuckles.
"What's this!? Another form!? That's what you're all thinking of right now, isn't? Well, I actually knew about this one! Iiiiiit's Muscle Heracles!" Present Mic said, as Izuku charged at Hero.
"Actually it's Muscle Hercules," Principal Nezu clarified.
"I was close enough!" Present Mic said, as Izuku began to unleash a flurry of punches and kicks. Hero took them, as he threw slower but stronger punches. He made contact with Izuku's gut, who was knocked back by the force of the punch, but managed to keep himself from flying out of the ring. Izuku began to run around Hero and the ring, landing attacks while leaping back before Hero could react. He tried to run after him, but realized that the green-haired boy was much faster.
"I see... even if Muscle Hercules is stronger, it's no match in speed for you!" Hero noticed, as Izuku zipped around. "Then maybe I should give you less running room!"
Hero stomped onto the ground, and stone spikes began to grow out of the ground. Izuku dodged them, only for Hero to keep on creating more and more ground spikes, as he lost more and flat ground to run on.
"If that's your game, I'll level the playing field some more!" Izuku shouted, as he increased the amount of power he was drawing from One for All throughout his body. He swung his fist, and yelled "SMAAAAAASH!" as he destroyed several of the ground spikes, bringing the ring back to "normal" as he went back to his normal threshold.
"Speed and strength, you're a match for Original, Muscle Hercules, and Flash Hermes... so I guess I'll go in with-"
In Hero's mental dimension, Hiroshi held out his arm as he turned the Hero Hand's dial. "Muscle! Burst!"
"Fire that blazes brighter than a sunburst!" Hiroshi cried out, slamming his hand onto the stylized H. He reared his arm back, threw his hand into the air, and yelled, "Burn UP! HEROOOOO!"
"BURST HELIOS!"
Light covered Hero once again, and he slimmed down from Muscle Hercules to Burst Helios. Hero slammed his hands onto the ground and yelled, "Sunspot Rupture!", as pillars of explosions came out of the ground and towards Izuku. He jumped over them and towards Hero, who held out his hands.
"Sun Flare!"
Light and smoke came out of his hands, but Izuku dodged it, though Hero's hand came out of the smoke, and grabbed him by the collar and tossed him over his shoulder. Izuku took this opportunity to use one of the remaining ground spikes to bounce off of, and tackled Hero, knocking the two off their feet. They rolled onto the ground, with Hero kicking Izuku off with a light explosion.
"It'll take more than an explosion to take me down!" Izuku cried, as he bounced back towards Hero and slugged him with his right fist. "I've lived with Kacchan's explosions, so I've gotten used to them!"
Hero backed away, getting some distance between them, and generated a small ball of light and fire between his palms like earlier. "Sun Grenade!"
He clapped his hands together, and a bright light and cloud of smoke burst from them. However, Izuku came sprinting towards him, drawing out even more power from One for All. The two collided hard, with Hero being sent backwards though he stopped short of the ring's edge.
"Not bad, Hero!" Izuku said, wiping off the dust and sweat from his face as he breathed heavily as he stood back up. Fatigue was catching up to him, as well as the multiple times he's drew out more of One for All.
"Not bad yourself, Mr. Midoriya," Hero said as he stood, when light began to cover him. "But it looks like cycling through all those forms and using all those techniques drained a lot of my energy... It's all up to you, Hiroshi."
Soon enough, Hiroshi stood where Hero was once was, taking in deep breaths and sweating heavily. "Heh, you're really are... something else, Midoriya."
"Right back at you," Izuku said, grinning as the green electricity of One for All dimmed and flickered before disappearing. "And it seems like... I've hit the limit of my Quirk as well."
"Incredible! It seems like they've both hit their limits!" Present Mic said, as the crowd went wild.
"That Midoriya kid managed to keep up with that Furinji kid and Hero!"
"He did tie with him during the obstacle race, but still-!"
"What are those two going to do now that they're worn out, though?"
"Well, I'm not about to give up now," Hiroshi said, smiling as he readied himself.
"Me neither!" Izuku responded.
The two charged at each other, and begin to throw regular punches and kicks, blocking and dodging whatever attacks they could.
"What in the world!? They're still going at it!" Present Mic cried out, as the crowd cheered the two teens on.
"There can only be one winner, right? Of course they'd want to settle who it is!" Vlad King said.
"True, but they're certainly not going to let this be an easy win!" Principal Nezu laughed.
Katsuki's jaw had dropped as he watched the fight.
He really did it.
He went ahead and took on Deku's challenge to use all of his forms.
And Deku actually managed to keep up with him.
How was this possible?
Katsuki's fists tightened. Deku, of all people... was a challenge to someone who bested him. Someone who was supposed to be a pebble, now a boulder in his way to become the greatest hero like everyone expected. And he failed to win even once during this Sports Festival, like what the Quirkless bastard said. Even the victories he did get hadn't felt like victories. Everyone criticized him for what was an accident, and even when he fought Lizardface fair and square, everyone still was against him.
His world kept crashing around him. And he didn't know what to do.
"He... he really did it," Fuka said, as everyone stared at the TV. "Midoriya actually kept up with Hero's forms!"
"Yea Deku!" Ochako said, grinning. "Not that like, I don't want Hiroshi and Hero to lose, but he's doing so great!"
"Midoriya's like a smoothie of Hero's abilities!" Pony said, bouncing up and down in her chair. "He's not faster than Flash Hermes, but he's stronger! He's not stronger than Muscle Hercules, but he's faster! And he's stronger and faster than Original or Burst Helios!"
"No wonder he gave Hero a challenge. Hero's basically able to put it all into one stat or the other, while Midoriya's able to use it all at once!" Kyoka said. "But man, they both look exhausted... why are they still going at it?"
"I think..." Setsuna said, watching as the camera caught quick glimpses of the two boys' faces. They were smiling, both excited about the challenge they were facing from the other. "That they're both... having fun."
"Holy shit, they're still going!?" Denki said, watching the slugfest between the two tired boys. "They both look tired as shit! Are they even human!?"
"Well, I guess Hiroshi technically isn't," Tsuyu said, watching Hiroshi knee Izuku in the stomach, only for Izuku to punch him in the side. "Since he is Hero's host."
"But for them to keep going... shouldn't Midnight stop this match now?" Mina said, as the two boys backed up from each other, only to get back into throwing punches. "They look like they're both ready to just pass out!"
"Look at the big screens!" Eijiro said, pointing to the giant screens around the stadium. "They're both... smiling?"
"I don't think I've ever seen those two excited like this before..." Itsuka said, as they blocked and threw punches.
"I don't blame them, this fight's... this fight's getting my blood boiling too!" Sen said, completely entrenched in watching it.
Yui looked as the screen flashed to Hiroshi. A grin had spread across his face, as he and Izuku kept on trading punches. He was having... fun. She smiled, watching the two give it their all.
"Those two are inhuman," Senku said, as the crowd around them kept cheering the boys on. "How could anyone keep up fighting like that?"
"They look like they're having a lot of fun, though," Yuzuriha replied, looking at the big screens which flashed glimpses of them, showing wide grins as they kept going at it.
"Man, I want to meet that Midoriya guy now, too! He's got to be super cool to be able to keep up with a guy like Furinji!" Taiju said, grinning.
Mei watched as the two kept trading punches one after the other. Whatever feelings of concern she had were gone now, as there was a fire lit in Hiroshi's eyes that had returned from his previous fights.
Inko kept breathing in and out of the brown paper bag in front of her face until it popped, joining the many, many other paper bags laying at her feet before she grabbed a new one and repeated the process. But as the camera zoomed in and showed glimpses of the boys, she noticed something.
Her son was smiling.
His opponent was also smiling.
He was having fun fighting this Hiroshi Furinji boy, and it seemed like he was having fun as well.
Inko remembered what Izuku told her about him, how he was an incredible person, that even though he was Quirkless like how they thought Izuku was for so long, he was able to chase his dream of being a hero like he did. Because someone believed in him...
Sure, that someone was an alien and that was after the boy died saving his friend and was promptly resurrected, but that didn't change the fact that this boy started off the same way as her son. It was no wonder those two got along so well. Two boys who recently gained powers, one through a very rare late life manifestation, and one chosen by an alien as an award for his courage... so different in temperament and personality, but so alike in origin.
She stopped breathing hard, and a smile grew on her face. Her boy... was really growing up with a fine friend.
"You tired yet, Midoriya!?" Hiroshi said, landing another punch against Izuku's cheek.
"Nope! Don't count me down yet!" Izuku retorted, kicking Hiroshi in the gut.
"Those two... if they keep dragging this out any longer, I'm going to put a stop to it," Midnight decided to herself. Those two were getting exhausted, and there was no point in letting it continue on like this.
After a few more punches and kicks, the two had backed away from each other, both breathing hard. Izuku wiped the sweat and dust off his face, while Hiroshi cracked his knuckles and joints.
"Looks like... it'll only take one more punch to take you down, Hiroshi!" Izuku said, readying himself.
"Same for you, Midoriya! It's all going to ride on this last punch!" Hiroshi responded, rearing his fist back. The two took one more deep breath, before running at each other one last time.
"This has been incredible!" Izuku thought to himself. "I've never had this much fun before! I think-"
"Midoriya's amazing!" Hiroshi thought. "He's managed to keep up with us, Hero! I think-"
"- That I've found the person that I want to surpass!"
The two boys landed their final punches across the other's faces. The two stood still for what seemed like an eternity, as everyone watched to see who won.
Izuku grinned, as he fell onto his back, exhaustion finally catching up to him.
"Looks like... it's your win, Hiroshi," he said, as Hiroshi forced himself to stay steady and standing.
"Yea... but you certainly didn't make it easy, huh," Hiroshi replied, grinning.
"Izuku Midoriya has fallen and cannot continue! The winner of the First Years' Sports Festival is... Hiroshi Furinji!" Midnight announced, as the crowd screamed and cheered for the victor and his opponent.
"That was so close!" Ochako said, as the room cheered for Hiroshi and Izuku. "But that was so incredible!"
"Midoriya and Hiroshi really gave it their all here, didn't they!?" Pony said, jumping up and down. "They were so incredible!"
"I still can't believe that Hiroshi was pushed so hard by Midoriya!" Kyoka said.
"Those two crazy idiots!" Fuka said, though she was grinning while she was saying it. "Just how much power did Midoriya start pulling out to keep up with Hiroshi!?"
As the room cheered and chatted about the match, Setsuna smiled, watching the TV screen focus on Hiroshi. He was grinning ear to ear as he let himself fall to the ground like Izuku. It seems like those two found something that they had been looking for.
A person who can drive the other to be their best.
Katsuki fists were tighter than ever before. The Quirkless... no, that Furinji had really gone and fought Deku with his best with his alien, and Deku actually managed to not only keep up with him, but push him to the edge. Unlike him, who couldn't even budge him in just one form.
What did this mean? Was he... weak?
He had to push himself more than ever before, so that he could beat those two and take his place as the greatest hero, a hero that could never lose. But thanks to that stupid punishment over what was just a mistake that anyone could've made, he wouldn't be able to. This wasn't fair. The only solace was that he could train and use his Quirk while exercising, but what was the point if he wasn't able to actually fight?
And just what made Deku so different that Furinji wanted to come at him with all of his and his alien's power, when he barely got a fight with just a part of it?
"Those two truly shined, didn't they?" Yuga said, a sparkle popping out as he winked. "But not as much as I could have!"
"Midoriya was incredible! He just kept going and going, even at the end!" Mina said, hopping up and down in her seat.
"And Hiroshi and Hero really turned things around when they actually started cycling through their forms!" Toru added. "Those two really pushed Midoriya too!"
"I wonder why he didn't do that with other fights..." Denki said, his hand on his chin.
"Maybe it drains a lot of energy?" Eijiro suggested. "When he changed into Muscle Hercules at the USJ, he did seem especially tired after it wore off."
"That's... a good point," Manga said, as a thinking bubble appeared on his face. "He might've been just conserving energy this whole time to try and give his best later."
"Would be smart to hold off on changing forms if it takes up a lot of energy," Itsuka said, shrugging. She chopped Neito on the neck, noticing a scheming sneer on his face.
"I gotta say, those two juniors of ours are going to be something else, aren't they, Hado, Tamaki?" Mirio said, laughing. "Their futures are very promising!"
"Yea yea! I wanna ask those two so many questions!" Nejire said, leaning over the railing as Hiroshi helped Izuku up after regaining some energy.
"... so scary," Tamaki whispered. "... but their light's just as bright as yours, Mirio..."
As the viewing box talked about how those two did so well, Shoto took a look at his left hand. There's no more doubt. He'll need to take all the help he needed so that he could be a challenge to Hiroshi and Izuku. Be it by going to Hound Dog for some sessions, or finding someone who could teach him how to use his fire.
But not before he sees that person again.
"What an ending! Truly magnificent!" Virus said, clapping as Illne joined him too. "To think, that Midoriya boy could be a match for Ultraman Hero and his host! He's certainly provided the challenge they needed! How absolutely... enlightening..."
"What fucking bullshit!" Tomura screamed. "That All Might fanatic could actually fight that Quirkless bastard and his fucking alien like that!?"
"How troubling," Kurogiri muttered, picking up another glass to wipe.
"Virus is right, this has been enlightening to see," Tomura's Teacher said through the monitor. "These boys... are people to keep an eye on."
"Thank you for agreeing with me, my good sir," Virus said, giving a curt bow to the monitor. "You see, Shigaraki? We've learned quite a bit from watching this!"
"I don't care about those two, just that they're nuisances to get rid of as soon as possible," Tomura growled, scratching at his neck. But his mind wandered to that Bakugo kid again. Someone like that... was way more interesting...
Virus chuckled as he turned his attention to the TV again. The gears of his mind spun and spun, as he thought about all that he saw, and all that he could do with the information he's learned so far...
Some Time Later...
"It was a rocky road to get here, but it's time for the awards ceremooooooony!" Present Mic announced. The crowd clapped and cheered for Hiroshi and Izuku, who stood on the first and second podiums respectively, while Katsuki stood on third by himself.
"Why's that guy third?" someone muttered.
"Yea, that Iida guy should be there right now..."
"I want to clap for those two, but at the same time I'd be clapping for him..."
Katsuki gritted his teeth and his fists tightened as he stood there. How infuriating. He at least earned third place... right?
"Normally, we'd have Iida share third place, but he had a family emergency to get to. So I hope you all understand," Midnight said, slightly placating the crowd. Hiroshi and Izuku glanced at each other, both still worried about their friend, since it was a terrible coincidence that both Hiroshi and Tenya had a sibling injured today.
"What a shame, he was really pumped up about this, too," Tsuyu said, as the Hero Course students murmured a bit.
"I guess Fuka and their friends are still in her room," Manga said, crossing his arms. "I hope her back is-"
"Hey guys," Fuka said, as she, Momo, Kyoka, Pony, and Ochako joined their classmates. She had a new gym uniform shirt on, though this one was noticeably bigger than the one she had on before. "Sorry for worrying you all earlier."
"Fuka!" they said, as they clamored around her.
"Glad to see that you're back on your feet, Fuka," Itsuka said, about to pat her back but then remembering that her back was burnt.
"Yea. I'm still gotta keep my burns covered with bandages and gauze, apply burn ointment for at least a week, and wear loose clothing, in addition to, you know, sleeping on my stomach and leaning forward while sitting," Fuka said, tugging at her oversized new uniform. "Hopefully I'll be able to get a new uniform that's more my size later."
"And now without further ado, it's time to hand out the medals! And presenting them is you know who-" Midnight said, when a familiar muscular blur of red and blue flew in the air.
"I AM-"
"- it's the Number One Hero, All Might!" Midnight said.
"- HERE WITH THE MEDALS!" All Might said.
"Oops, cut you off there, sorry," Midnight apologized, as All Might slightly shook in embarrassment at being interrupted like that.
"Man, the First Years were really something else, huh?" someone in the audience said.
"Figures All Might would be watching them, especially with that Furinji kid and Ultraman Hero."
"Young Bakugo! You did rather well throughout the Sports Festival. You showed your strength and drive to do your best," All Might said, placing Katsuki's medal around his neck. "But you need to understand that everyone, including myself, needs to hold back some power at times. Not only to protect others from harm, but themselves as well. Take heart, however, and learn from this experience."
Katsuki grumbled. Even the Number One Hero was looking down on him like that, huh...
"Young Midoriya! Against all odds, you've faced off against strong opponents, and managed to come so close to victory! You've truly shown the world that despite your appearance, that you are here!" All Might said, a hidden tone of pride in his voice as he placed Izuku's medal around his neck. "You've done many people proud, my boy!"
"Th-Thank you All Might!" Izuku said, tears streaming down his face as he wiped them off on his sleeve. "Th-That means so much to me!"
"And Young Furinji and Mr. Hero," All Might said, coming to Hiroshi and Hero. He placed the medal around Hiroshi's neck, who felt the engravings on it with his thumb. "You two were truly spectacular. You made full use of not just Hero's powers, but your own skills as well. You've shown to the world, that despite your beginnings, that you truly are hero material, and belong with your peers! The only thing you could do better, is keep your emotions in check. An overemotional hero can be dangerous to not just themselves, but to others as well."
"I... I understand," Hiroshi replied, understanding that he was talking about his feelings towards Katsuki.
"Just know that there is no shame in letting in more people to help you handle them. Heroes should be able to support each other in times of need," All Might said, giving the steel blue-haired boy a quick hug, but whispered in his ear quickly, "And I see that you and Young Midoriya... have found someone to chase after."
Hiroshi smirked and chuckled, as he returned the quick hug and glanced at Izuku. "Yea, I guess we both did."
"And there you have it, everyone! The winners of this year's Sports Festival for the First Years!" All Might announced, as the crowd cheered for the three winners, though some reluctantly for Katsuki. "But they're not the only ones who've done well! Each and every single one of you have shown that you've got what it takes to be heroes! The road to heroism is hard, it is rocky! But by competing against one another, encouraging one another, and supporting one another by pushing each other to better yourselves, you can take the seeds of your future, and become marvelous heroes! Now, let's have one more cheer to finish this Sports Festival, shall we!? Everyone-"
"PLUS ULTRA!" the students shouted.
"- GREAT WORK, AND KEEP IT UP!" All Might said.
The students and crowd shouted in disbelief at the unexpected cheer. Hiroshi just laughed, and shook his head.
"It was supposed to be 'Plus Ultra', All Might!" Midnight said, holding back some laughter while 'scolding' him.
"O-oh! But they did great work! I thought it would be right to acknowledge that!"
Everyone was back in their classrooms after they changed into their school uniforms, though Fuka was allowed to wear the oversized gym uniform, since putting hers one might've been a little too tight for her. Hiroshi sat in his chair, holding his first place medal and staring at it for a bit before putting it away when Aizawa walked in.
"In light of the Sports Festival, you will all be getting a break starting from next Monday to Wednesday," Aizawa said, surprising the class. "Normally it'll only be two days in addition to Sunday, but because of certain things that happened, the faculty had decided to give you all an extra day."
"When you come back, we'll have scouting reports and the like from people like pro heroes for you all, so you can look forward to that after you enjoy your time off."
"Oh thank god, that'll be enough time for my back to heal up," Fuka said, as they were dismissed for the day. She went to pick her bag up, only for Hiroshi to pick it up her for.
"I got it, sis," he said, smiling a bit.
"I can handle it myself," Fuka said, rolling her eyes.
"Oh? Do my ears deceive me? Those words sound familiar," Hiroshi joked, as Fuka punched him lightly on his arm.
"Cut it out. But thanks."
"There's our winner!" Setsuna said, ruffling Hiroshi's hair with a detached hand as Pony joined them. "I knew you guys had it in you!"
"Yea, thanks, it's still unbelievable, you know?" Hiroshi replied, as they joined Izuku, Ochako, Momo, and Kyoka outside to walk to the station. "To think, that I really got to stand up there at first place..."
"You deserved it, Hiroshi," Momo congratulated.
"Yea, after all that happened, you and Hero really showed that you got what it takes," Kyoka added.
"Thanks... but right now, I'm worried about Iida... I hope things aren't too bad for him and his brother," Hiroshi admitted, thinking back to their missing friend's injured brother. Hopefully he wasn't too badly injured.
"Tensei! Tensei!" Tenya yelled, opening the door to his brother's operating room.
"Tenya, calm down! He needs to rest! They just finished treating him a while ago!" his mother said, insisting that he calm down.
"Hey, Tenya," Tensei said, smiling a bit. He had woken up just a few minutes before they came in. Both his arms were in large heavy casts, with hole for his Engine's mufflers to poke out of, with them being suspended in the air by slings. His stomach had a patch of cotton over it, covering the incisions the doctors made. "Sorry about worrying you..."
"He's lucky," the doctor said, approaching Tenya and his mother, who was using him to keep herself steady, woozy from seeing her oldest son in such a state. "His elbows were broken and he suffered some internal bleeding in his abdomen from a kick, but his ribs and spine are fine. Any higher or harder they could've been broken. He'll be able to return to hero work after a few weeks off, though considering his Quirk is in his arms, he might need to go through some physical therapy."
"What... what happened?" Tenya whispered, struggling to hold back tears at seeing his brother in this state. "Who did this to you!?"
"Well, technically it started when the Hero Killer managed to paralyze me somehow..." Tensei said, recalling what happened. "He licked my blood from a knife he threw that nicked me in one of my unarmored spots, which somehow caused it..."
"Then he broke your arms and kicked you in the stomach!?" Tenya finished, clenching his fists. He'll... he'll never forgive-
"Actually, no," Tensei said, doing his best to make a shrug with his shoulders. "It was someone else... This guy... this guy had an aura unlike any villain I've ever seen. With just one hand, he broke my left arm by bending it back without any effort. Same with my right. And then he kicked me in the gut like he was just nudging a dog away. If it had been the Hero Killer, he'd have definitely crippled me far worse than him... even so, he was afraid of this guy, too."
Tenya sweated. So it was two people responsible for his brother's injury?
"This guy... he called himself Virus. Just who is this guy..."
ORIGINAL AO3 NOTES:
- And there we have it folks, the ending of the Sports Festival Arc! And boy, this was also just as fun to write as the Hiroshi vs. Katsuki fight! Figures that it would be another long one, huh?
- I really hope that the idea that Izuku could be a match for Hiroshi works. Like I established the whole "energy draining" thing during the USJ chapters when Hiroshi was a little tired from changing into Hero's Muscle Hercules, and I personally kinda imagine that Izuku was able to push himself to like, 10-13% using One for All by the end of this tournament, since he constantly kept edging it enough to draw more during his fights. And that for the most part, Hiroshi and Hero being out of sync for a while did exhaust them.
- I always wanted to incorporate the Dr. Stone characters into my fanfics. I love that series just as much as I do with MHA, Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and Super Sentai. Don't worry, no worldwide petrification will be happening here. And they'll be appearing in "Building Up A Hero!", too. Not quite in the same way, but they're there.
- If people are wondering why Muscle Hercules didn't just destroy Izuku in the fight, remember that he's operating on the Human scale, meaning that his strength for the moment is weaker than it was at the USJ. Like I imagine that like, Human scale Original is about one-eighth to one-fourth of All Might scale across the board, Human scale Muscle Hercules is about one-third to one-half of All Might scale on strength but one-sixteenth to one-eighth speed (while Human scale Flash Hermes is the reverse), and Human scale Burst Helios is weaker all across the board at about one-eighth to All Might scale. And Izuku's basically stays balanced in comparison, so he'd be edging out all of them except for Original in terms of abilities, being faster than Muscle Hercules, being stronger than Flash Hermes, etc..
- I figured that it'd be like Saturday when they have the Sports Festival? Since when I think of big events, I usually think of it being near the end of the school week rather than in the middle. But I'm not Japanese, so I wouldn't know. I wish they had more definite dates in canon to make it a little easier to understand.