"Alright! Thank you all for waiting so patiently! I hope you're excited because it's time for the second round! Joining us from our list of top contenders, we have Shoto Todoroki, the son of Endeavor! And his opponent, from the same class, who hasn't really stood out much: Class 1A Historian Izuku Midoriya!" The two students entered the arena, staring each other down.
Their brief and intense history was on full display, as Todoroki had explained to his classmate the tragedy of his past, and the relationship he held with his father. Closing his eyes, Midoriya began to breathe deeply, slightly spreading his legs and bending his elbows. I wish I had more time to practice this...but...
"Let's get right into this battle! Begin!" Present Mic yelled as a Midoriya began to emit a dim glow.
"That's a lot of power trapped inside of one point! No wonder it breaks your bones!" Bulla's words had echoed through his head ever since they spoke earlier that day. She's right. Up until now, Ive been using One For All like it was some kind of special move...but it's more than that. It's my Quirk, and I need to summon it all at once, throughout the whole fight! A strong wind rushed over the arena, shocking Todoroki. "One For All: Full Cowl!" Midoriya said finally meeting his opponent's gaze.
"So, this is a new trick you've learned, Midoriya?" Todoroki asked, standing tall and proud with his fittingly cold glare.
"No. This is my Quirk, Todoroki. This is the extent of my ability!" As the words left his mouth, a large wave of ice shot out from Todoroki's feet. Midoriya pressed his fingers onto the ground before hopping forward at the full speed of 5%. Briefly ducking as a means to avoid the ice, Midoriya swung his arm, ripping through the ice and knocking the chunks away with a substantial shockwave. As Todoroki raised his arms to protect his ice from flying chunks, Midoriya partly filled his vision past his arms, and as his eyes widened, Midoriya cocked his arm.
"Woah! Midoriya rushes his classmate! What an incredible speed! Has he been hiding this the whole time!?" Present Mic announced as all eyes were on the contenders.
I can't believe it! Now of all times, he learns to control One For All?! All Might thought to himself as he watched his successor intently.
Suddenly, a massive wave of ice shot out in front of Todoroki, and Midoriya just barely managed to step out of the way. As the ice began to sprout additional icicle spikes, Midoriya stepped off the ground and managed to avoid any major blows. However, several spikes zipped past, leaving numerous cuts and scratches across his face and body. Before Todoroki could launch any more attacks, Midoriya held his middle finger under his thumb, powering it up to 100% before flicking his finger, unleashing an incredible force of wind.
"Despite his speed, Midoriya can't get close to Todoroki! However, he's breaking through those ice barrages like their made of crackers!"
The ice shattered and caused Todoroki to fly back, crashing on the ice he created behind him. An icy-cold gale erupted through the stadium, substantially chilling the crowd. "S-So much power...!" Bulla said through her teeth, wrapping herself in her arms. "So this is his Quirk, but it looks like he's managed to control it more than what I've heard. Meanwhile, I have to deal with my worst enemy if Todoroki wins... Cold air..." Suddenly, a small light began to emit from Bakugo's hand. As he held it out, Bulla could feel the warmth from it. "Well, aren't you a gentlemen." She told him with a smirk.
"Shut the hell up, dammit!" He yelled. His face flushed a deep red as he contemplated leaving the stadium entirely.
Midoriya breathed heavily, assessing his situation. Thanks to Brief, I have a much better chance at winning this. But I only have seven more big strikes like that.
"I see that you've learn to control that Quirk of yours. However, you still need to break yourself to counter my ice." Todoroki said as he straightened out. "How long will you be able to hold out like that?" His rhetoric question was backed by another wave of ice. As Midoriya jumped to the side, a second wave began to close in.
"Man, that kid's better than your average pro, already..." One hero from the stands mentioned.
"Well, he is the son of Endeavor!" Another mentioned in response.
I need a moment to concentrate! Midoriya thought to himself as he fired of another Smash from his finger, blowing away both waves of ice as he winced in pain. Come on, dammit! He thought to himself as he began to feel the power of One For All surging through him. One For All: Full Cowl! As he powered up, Midoriya jumped leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding a large wave of ice as it barrelled past him.
Suddenly, Todoroki slammed his hand on the ground, causing the floor beneath them to submerge under a wave of ice. Midoriya's eyes widened as several large icicles rose from the ice-floor, and with little options, he clenched his fist, allowing the power to surge in its entirety.
As the icicle waves met their mark, Midoriya slammed his fist against them at full strength, obliterating the oncoming attacks, as well as the sheet below them, and sending an overwhelming frozen gale throughout the stadium.
"Holy crap that's cold!" Bulla said, shivering even harder.
"His power is overwhelming..." Yaoyorozu said, holding her hand over her mouth. "It almost reminds me of All Might..."
As the frosty dust settled, Midoriya's hand remained outstretched in front of him. Breathing heavy, he allowed his shattered arm to fall to his side. From a pile of rubble, formed by his own attack, Todoroki pushed a large icicle off of himself. "That was much bigger than the last ones." He said, his frozen intimidation seeping through Midoriya's skin. "I appreciate you dragging this out for as long as you have. But I think it's time for us to get serious."
"Todoroki..." As another massive wave of ice shot forward, it shattered once again, knocking Todoroki even further back, once again filling the stadium with ice. As the dust settled once again, he could see that Midoriya had thrown another punch, this time with his left arm. "You're the one not being serious!'
He broke his other arm?! How does he plan to fight? Todoroki thought to himself. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Do you think you can win without your arms!?"
"What's wrong with you, Todoroki?! We're all fighting with everything we've got, because we want to be heroes! And yet, here you are... You're holding back! You're not using you fire!" He yelled, dashing forward. As he approached, he could notice that Todoroki had been shivering on his right side. "Look at me, Todoroki! Do you really think you can win by only using half of your strength!?"
"Shut the hell up! Why are you going so far!? Did my bastard-of-a-dad put you up to this?!" Todoroki bit back. "Look at you, Midoriya! How do you plan to win in the condition you're in!" He asked as green-tinted lightning began to bounce off of his foe.
"Todoroki... I want to do good things for people... I want to save people, and when they see my smile, they'll know that everything is going to be okay... I want to be strong enough to call myself number one! That's why I'm going to win!" In a flash, somehow unable to react in time, Todoroki began to fall back as a searing pain spread throughout his head. "I'll surpass you!"
As his dazed eyes finally focused, he realiized that his opponent slammed his head against his own. Several images of his childhood flashed through his dizzy mind. Images of his father, and the abuse he suffered, and the images of his mother crying, before her eyes finally were dried of tears, but filled with hatred. Hatred...towards him. As he picked himself up, holding himself with his hands on his knees, he felt the cold sensation begin to overwhelm him. "N-No! I won't rely on his damned fire Quirk!"
"It's yours!" Midoriya screamed, desperately trying to reach out to his classmate. "It's your Quirk, not his!" He told him as he slammed his knee into Todoroki's gut, causing him to hunch over before slamming his head into his opponent once again.
All of a sudden, through the creeping ice in his mind, Todoroki's oldest but most fond memory began to sear to the service. A memory that had long-since been forgotten. A memory of him and his mother. "Remember, can be the kind of hero that you want to be."
Slamming his foot to the ground, the ice across Todoroki's right side began to steam and thaw, and in an instant, his left side erupted in a brilliant flame. "Midoriya... I want to be a hero, too!"
"Much better!" Bulla said to herself as the temperature in the stadium began to rise.
"So hot...!" Uraraka yelled as the flames roared from the arena.
"This flame... It's incredible..." Iida chimed to himself, holding his hand over his mouth.
"YEESS SHOTO!" Endeavor suddenly yelled, stepping down from the steps of the stadium. "THIS MARKS A NEW ERA FOR US! YOU'LL FINALLY LIVE UP TO THE REASON I CREATED YOU!"
"And Endeavor calls out words of...encouragement? What a doting parent!" Present Mic chimed in as the battle came to a brief halt.
"Amazing..." Midoriya couldn't help but smile at the raging embers before him.
"In this hopeless situation..in your condition... Helping your opponent... Which one of us isn't being serious, again?!" Todoroki called out to his classmate as he slammed his foot to the ground. "Don't blame me for what happens next, Midoriya!" Suddenly, from the ground emerged an great ice wave, one much bigger than those before it.
Midoriya followed suit, slamming his foot to the ground. This is no time to hold back! The cloth around his leg began to tear away as the full power of One For All rushed through him.
"We have to stop them, Midnight! They could kill each other!" Cementos called out to his partner as he began to form several cement walls towards the stadium.
As Midnight pulled a strip of her fabric away, releasing her aromatic cloud, Midoriya straightened himself, leaving in front of him his only working leg. If this is all I can do, than so be it! He thought to himself as he flew forward. In response, Todoroki unleashed a massive heat wave around him, and in less than an instant, the cement walls between them shattered, and a massive explosion erupted from the arena, blowing the teachers away.
"How am I supposed to commentate when I can't see a damn thing!?" Present Mic announced angrily as the teachers picked themselves up.
"Being a hero isn't all about power... But honestly, these two are amazing..." Cementos mentioned as he stood up.
When the dust finally clear, all eyes widened, and it was revealed that Midoriya's crippled body was lain helplessly on the ground against the back wall. "Midoriya is...out of bounds... Todoroki advances to the semi-finals!"