(A/N: Formatting reminder: "Dialogue heard through a sound system." ... "PRESENT MIC'S DIALOGUE HEARD THROUGH A SOUND SYSTEM." )
...
The rest of lunch passed by fairly normal. The group of friends ate and talked about the Sports Festival so far. Their successes and challenges. Izuku was able to ask Hitoshi how he faired in the second round. The purple haired teen recounted his experience working with the 1-B students and filled the greenette on any new observations he had of their Quirks. It was good to hear that they didn't judge him on his Quirk and actually utilized it in their plans. His Brainwashing helped them score some of their headbands when the others' Quirks didn't work.
Though some of those on the affected teams apparently weren't too happy about it. Hitoshi told him about a particular blonde boy with a tail who had looked at him with a guarded glare after he was released from the hold of his brainwashing and Tetsutetsu already had their points. From his description, Izuku figured he was referring to Ojiro in 1-A.
I hope Ojiro-kun was only mad that his team lost their points and that it wasn't because of Hitoshi-kun's Quirk. This is a competition and everyone is using their Quirks and skills to fight as hard as they can. Hitoshi-kun has every right to use his Quirk same as everyone else.
He'll be damned if he lets anyone make Hitoshi feel insecure about his Quirk. Hitoshi was his friend. A friend who had dealt with years and years of Quirk discrimination. Whose only goal ever was to be a Hero despite everyone seeing him as a Villain. A friend who also revealed how his team was the one to take Mineta's headband.
It sucks for Shouji-kun, but…I do not feel sad for the other. Speaking of, I should probably let Aizawa-sensei know he tried to get the girls of 1-A to dress up like the visiting cheerleaders.
Izuku was sure that given the man had kicked the boy out of his class due to peeking into the girls' locker room, he wouldn't take too kindly to this either. A sentiment Izuku shared after having to ward off the pervert twice in one day.
Soon, the bell chimed for the end of lunch and a general announcement went out that the festival would be resuming in ten minutes. Plenty of time for everyone to finish eating and make their way back to the stands. Students returned to their class prep rooms to regroup, or in the case of the Support Course, those that remained in the running to gear up again. All in preparation for the second half of the Sports Festival.
It wasn't long before the crowd was mostly settled and the students were requested back out to the field. Those who would be moving on to the next round, consisting of thirteen students from the Hero Course, one from General Studies, and two from the Support Course, were ushered forward toward the stage while everyone else hung back. Midnight took the stage once more as Present Mic began announcing.
"WELCOME BACK, SPORTS FAN! IT'S TIME FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE FIRST YEAR SPORTS FESTIVAL!"
The crowd cheered and hollered in excitement.
"BEFORE WE GET TO THE THIRD ROUND, WE'VE PREPARED SOME RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT EVERYONE ONE CAN PARTICIPATE IN! WHICH IS GOOD NEWS FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T MAKE THE FINALS, GIVING THEM ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE!"
Many, but not all, of the students who were not finalists seemed excited for the coming games.
"I HOPE YOU ARE ALL AS PUMPED AS I AM!"
"No one can be as pumped as you."
"WE EVEN INVITED CHEERLEADERS FROM AMERICA TO GET EVERYONE'S BLOOD PUMPING IN EXCITEMENT! SO MUCH 'PUMP' AND CIRCUMSTANCE!"
"I hate you."
"NO, YOU DON'T! YOU KNOW YOU LOVE ME!"
"No, I don't."
"TELL THAT TO OUR FIFTEEN YEAR FRIENDSHIP!"
"What friendship?"
"ERASER, NO!"
On the edge of the field, said cheerleaders were shouting and dancing as the crowd went wild while the two commenting Heroes bickered like an old married couple. Again, more fuel to the fire that was Izuku's theory about their relationship.
So, those were the uniforms that pervert wanted the girls to wear? Izuku thought, eyeing the design consisting of high white socks with teal stripes, a short-pleated orange skirt with white and teal accents, and a mid-drift orange tank top with teal stripes and 'UA' across the chest.
It made Izuku mad. Those women chose to be on the cheer team and to wear those uniforms. While Mineta had tried to manipulate the 1-A girls into wearing them against their will. He was definitely going to be bringing that up with Aizawa.
"LET'S ENJOY THIS LITTLE RECREATIONAL SIDE GAME INTERLUDE, EVERYONE! 'CAUSE ONCE THEY'RE OVER, WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE FINAL EVENT! THE SIXTEEN STUDENTS FROM THE TOP FOUR TEAMS OF THE PREVIOUS ROUND ARE GOING TO BE DUKING IT OUT IN SERIES OF ONE-ON-ONE BATTLES!"
"So, it's a tournament, huh?" Kirishima commented with a smirk. "We're finally getting a chance to really show 'em what we're made of. I watch the finals every year on tv, and this time I'm actually here! Man, I am so pumped!"
Me too, Kirisihima-kun. Me too.
"Is it a tournament every year?" Ashido asked next to the red head.
"Well, the finals are always some version of a head-to-head competition," Sero answered. "But they like to switch up the format every year. Last year was a foam sword fight I think."
At this point, Midnight cracked her whip and drew everyone's attention to her. Once she had it, the R-rated Hero produced a box with a hole in the top.
"In order to decide who will fight who in the final event, our sixteen finalists will be drawing lots! Once we have our matchups, we'll move on and enjoy the pleasure of the recreational games before the tournament begins! Our finalists have the option to participate or not in those activities. I'm sure there are a number of you who would rather save your strength and stamina for the coming battles. Now, let's start with the first-place team…"
One by one, starting with Todoroki, each student drew a piece of paper from the box. On that paper was a number from one to sixteen that determined their placement on the bracket. Izuku didn't know if it was rigged or fate or whatever, but of course he would draw the number one out of the box.
Great, this means I'll be up first for the start of the third round. Definitely going to take the time to strategize against who I'll be facing.
"Excellent~," Midnight cooed as the last of the lots were drawn and everyone's numbers were recorded. "Look to the screens, my lovelies, and take a look at the bracket. These are your opponents!"
Please not Katsuki. Please not Katsuki! Please not Katsuki!
Hesitant green eyes looked up at the screen to see who he would be facing first and couldn't help but sigh in relief.
One-on-One Battles Round One Lineup
Midoriya Izuku VS Kaminari Denki
Shouda Nirengenki VS Ashido Mina
Todoroki Shouto VS Sero Hanta
Iida Tenya VS Hatsume Mei
Yaoyorozu Momo VS Tokoyami Fumikage
Shinsou Hitoshi VS Shiozaki Ibara
Kirishima Eijiro VS Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
Uraraka Ochaco VS Bakugou Katsuki
It was a miracle. Katsuki's name was nowhere near his own and in fact was on the opposite side of the brackets at sixteen. Though Izuku was relieved for himself, he did feel bad that Uraraka would have to face the explosive blonde so early. He knew she was strong and could take care of herself, but this is Katsuki. The greenette cast a concerned look in her direction with a few fleeting ones to her future opponent.
"Uraraka?" Katsuki questioned to himself aloud. "Who the hell is that?"
Said girl gave an offended squawk though Izuku wasn't at all surprised. Katsuki had always classified anyone he deemed lower than himself as 'extras' and never put any effort to remember an 'extra's' name. You were lucky if he acknowledged you with a nickname, moving you above the 'extra' title. No matter how bitter the nickname 'Deku' was for Izuku, at the very least it was a step up from 'extra'.
The other finalists took in who they were going to be fighting. Some griped like Kirishima and Tetsutetsu, who had very similar Quirks and would probably result in a standoff until one wall of defense cracked under the other. Others declared they would give it their all like Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu. While others like Ashido talked trash talk to their opponent to pump themselves up which Shouda took in stride with his own determined look.
Izuku turned his attention back to the screen, his mind already starting to strategize.
Kaminari-kun, huh? With his Electrification Quirk, that makes my escrima rods and gloves useless for offense, but they could still work for defense. I'll have to watch out for his Indiscriminate Shock move. My Jet shoes should come in handy to keep my contact with the ground to a minimum. I'll also have to consider…
A flick to his arm broke Izuku out of his muttering storm. He looked up to see that it was from Hitoshi beside him while Mei was no longer standing next to him. Over the crowd, he could hear Present Mic talking again.
"WITH THE MATCHUPS DECIDED, LET'S PRESS PAUSE ON THIS TRACK FOR THE MOMENT AND GET ON WITH THOSE THRILL-A-MINUTE AND PULSE-POUNDING SIDE GAMES!"
"Come on," his purple haired friend said, beckoning with his hand. "They're going to be starting the side games soon so we gotta get off the field. You can strate-mumble in one of the waiting rooms."
Izuku gave a nod in reply and then scanned around for where Mei had gone. He found her head of pink dreadlocks next to Iida, the inventor already chatting and trying to outfit the other with some of her 'babies'.
Huh, I guess that's a good way for Mei-chan to show off more of her babies, Izuku thought as he and Hitoshi left the field. By having both her and her opponent using her inventions during one fight, she would be able to showcase as many as she could.
The two Hero-hopefuls headed through the halls and to one of the waiting rooms for the finalists. From their room, the pair could still hear Present Mic announcing each game as they started. The activities consisted of a variety of games usually played during sports festivals. Scavenger hunts, tug-a-war, three-legged races, team jump roping, etc. All great opportunities for students who didn't make the finals to show their skills as well as have fun.
While the majority of the students participated in the games, the finalists did whatever they needed to prepare for the coming battles. Whether that be also joining the activities, resting, refueling, hyping themselves up, or calming their nerves. Everyone had their own ways of psyching themselves up and be ready both physically and mentally for the trials ahead.
As for Hitoshi and Izuku, they chose to spend the time discussing their relative opponents' Quirks and possible strategies of attack using their own skill sets. Although Izuku didn't have one of his notebooks with him, he had the information memorized anyway and incorporating whatever new observations they had, whether from Hitoshi or himself, their discussion was well informed.
All too soon, the side games were finished and the time had come for the one-on-one battles to begin. After a last check of his gear, Izuku walked with Hitoshi through the halls to the tunnel that led out to the field. They arrived as Cementoss was putting the finishing touches on the arena using his Cement Quirk.
"Alright," Cementoss said. "That will do. I'm done here."
"THANK YOU, CEMENTOSS! HEYA, LISTENERS! ARE YOU READY?!"
The roar from the crowd was answer enough that they were excited for the third and final round. The one-on-one battles were the most viewed part of the entire Sports Festival.
"HECK YEAH! IT'S TIME, SPORTS FANS! WE'VE SEEN THEM OVERCOME EVERY CHALLENGE WE'VE THROWN AT THEM SO FAR! OBSTACLES COURSES AND CAVALRY BATTLES ALIKE! NOW WE GET TO WITNESS THEM FIGHT IT OUT IN THE ONE-ON-ONE TOURNAMENT!"
Hitoshi placed a comforting hand on Izuku's shoulder. Green eyes met purple as he turned to face his friend.
"IN THIS THIRD AND FINAL ROUND, OUR FINALISTS HAVE ONLY THEMSELVES TO RELY ON! NO MATTER WHAT COURSE YOU ARE IN, WHETHER HERO, GENERAL, OR SUPPORT, NOW IS THE TIME TO EMBRACE OUR SCHOOL MOTTO!"
They crowd let out their own 'Plus Ultra' at the mention of the motto.
"STRENGTH! SKILL! COURAGE! WISDOM! SPIRIT! HEART! IN THESE BATTLES, THEY WILL NEED TO USE 'EM ALL IN ORDER TO RISE TO THE TOP!"
"This is it," Izuku breathed out, confident in his strategy but still nervous none the less. There were a lot of people out there and this was televised. The greenette wouldn't be one in the crowd this time and would be practically standing alone in front of everyone.
"You can do this, Izuku," Hitoshi said, his hand giving a reassuring squeeze. "We've both made it this far and now we can prove ourselves to everyone who doubted us."
"I-I know," Izuku stuttered, wringing his gloved hands together. "I just hope we can get through enough of the one-on-ones to do that. I'm worried that if we get out too fast then we'll miss our chance. The odds are slim enough in catching the principal's eye and being offered to transfer in the first year. If we miss and have to try again next year, I don't have anything to confirm if a transfer in the second year is even possible. Plus, I…"
"Izuku."
"Wha…" Izuku replied, eyes glazing over for a moment before Hitoshi let his mind go.
"Relax, you've got this," Hitoshi insisted, brows furrowed in determination. "We've trained for this. You've built, tested, and trained with your gadgets for this. You have the same drive as I do to show them that they were wrong to judge us. And I know you have the brains to outsmart that defective Pikachu out there."
Izuku couldn't help the snort that came out of him. Green eyes filled with as much determination as the purple ones had.
"Y-you're right," Izuku said, hands fisted in conviction. "I can do this. We can do this."
The greenette held out a fist bump to his purple friend who wasted no time in returning it. With one last squeeze to the shorter boy's shoulder, Hitoshi steered his friend around toward the tunnel opening and gave him a friendly push forward. Taking one more steeling breath, Izuku slowly walked toward the end of the tunnel, waiting for Present Mic to announce his entrance.
"LET'S GET RIGHT TO THE FIRST MATCH! FIRST UP, A COMPETITOR THAT HAS BEEN HELPFUL TO HIMSELF AND OTHERS, MIDORIYA IZUKU FROM THE SUPPORT COURSE!"
Putting on his mask while keeping his goggles on the top of his head, Izuku walked out of the tunnel and on to the field as the crowd cheered.
"VERSUS THE BOY WHO HAS SPARKED OUR INTEREST, KAMINARI DENKI FROM THE HERO COURSE!"
From the other side of the arena came Kaminari who hosted a confident smirk on his face.
"THE RULES ARE SIMPLE! YOU CAN WIN ONE OF THREE WAYS! EITHER BY KNOCKING YOUR OPPONENT OUT OF THE RING, IMMOBILIZING THEM, OR GETTING THEM TO CRY 'UNCLE'!"
Ok, that's simple enough…though easier said than done.
"DON'T HOLD BACK IN THESE FIGHTS! BRING ON THE PAIN! WE'VE GOT OUR VERY OWN RECOVERY GIRL ON STANDBY! SO PUT THOSE MORALS ASIDE AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO FIGHT DIRTY!"
Recovery Girl is here?! Well, I haven't met her yet but I'd bet she doesn't appreciate you telling us that.
"BUT OF COURSE, NO GOING FOR THE KILL! THAT'S IS A BIG NO-NO AND YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED!"
Izuku snorted at that. He knew that Katsuki wouldn't be happy with that.
"REAL HEROES' FISTS FLY TO CAPTURE VILLAINS, NOT KILL THEM! NOW LET'S CRANK IT UP TO ELEVEN AND GET THIS PARTY STARTED!"
Both Izuku and Kaminari walked up into the fighting arena. The blonde was sizing him up while Izuku turned his attention to Midnight. The R-Rated Hero, ever wanting to find out who Izuku's crush was, gave suggestive and inquiring looks between him and his opponent. Izuku rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly to which she responded with a shrug and a smirk.
"READY?!"
Izuku turned back to Kaminari as he fitted his goggles over his eyes. His opponent stood across from him, a confident smirk on his face.
"BEGIN!"
...
In a none disclosed area of Japan, a pale blue haired man-child sat in a dark room lit only by the glow of a computer screen. Tomura scratched his neck in annoyance at the idiotic Hero pageantry put on before the start of the PvP rounds of the UA Sports Festival while Kurogiri stood dutifully silent behind him.
"Now pay close attention, Shigaraki Tomura," Sensei's voice said, coming from the same monitor. "The finalists of this bread-and-circus charade may very well become obstacles for you in the future. Observe and learn as much as you can from these government sponsored fights between children."
"What a load of crap," Tomura muttered to himself, all while watching the live cutscene as told.
Personally, he figured that he shouldn't have to worry about a bunch of kids. They weren't even involved with his current campaign anyway. However, when Sensei gave him a task, it was usually for a reason, even if Tomura didn't find out what it was until later. Like unlocking hidden quests or achievements. So, he knew that watching these final matches was something Sensei believed were important and had purpose.
"Patience, Shigaraki Tomura," Kurogiri said from behind him. "Perhaps the 'admin' you seek is amongst the finalists."
"Hmm," Tomura hummed in thought as he scratched lightly at his neck.
The warper of his party had a point. If the admin was among the final sixteen, this would be an excellent opportunity to see him at work and collect some stats. Which he wouldn't be surprised if the admin was, what with that Analysis Quirk he had. He would be able to pick his opponents' Quirks apart and unlock how to counter them with ease.
I know the admin isn't in the Hero Course and is actually in Support as we thought. Which means that of the few in the sixteen that aren't in the Hero Course, between the two Support and one Gen Ed NPCs, the only possible option is this Midoriya Izuku. That is…if the admin did actually make the final sixteen.
The decayer focused on the decked-out Support student as he entered the ring for the first match of the first round. The boy's face was hidden under some sort of mouth guard and goggles, but his unruly green hair was no longer covered by a hat. At least there was one more feature Tomura could add to his possible character description.
The kid hadn't shown any sign of a Quirk so far, relying on his Support Items as an assist. But an Analysis Quirk wouldn't necessarily have any obvious physical traits since it's connected to the mind. Tomura hummed to himself in thought, playing with the theory of this green kid being the one he's been looking for.
Show me, Midoriya, Tomura mused, red eyes fixated on the green haired teen on the screen. Are you the admin that I seek? Or will you prove to be merely another NPC?
...
Denki wanted to be a Hero. He always had. They were cool and trendy and helped people. Everything he wanted to be and do. So of course, he wanted to be a Hero. He wanted to be seen as the cool and trendy Hero that was there to save others. And with an Electrification Quirk like his, he had a sure-fire way to do that if he didn't say so himself. And here he was. The third round of the Sports Festival.
Let's just say he was thrilled. Despite being worried about making it through the past two rounds, he was here in the final event. Ready to 'electrify' the crowd with his Quirk. He even was in the very first battle against some guy from 1-H. The kid wasn't even in the Hero Course and hadn't shown his Quirk yet. Just used Support Items. And how good could those be against his electric attack?
Yeah right, Denki thought confidently. I've got this in the bag.
He may not be the brightest when it came to academics. Ok, that was an understatement. His academic record was poorer than others who made the Hero Course. Finding himself easily bored and distracted when the content didn't catch his interest. Not to say he was dumb or anything. Academics in general just were not his strength!
Denki was pretty smart actually. His smarts were just more…selective. He loved to learn, but only those subjects that interested him. Like literature and art and music. Cool subjects. Ones that lead him to have a larger vocabulary than others realize and pops up from time to time.
Another thing that was a strong point was his Quirk. Electrification. How powerful is that? Denki didn't know what his opponent's Quirk was, but if he could defeat robots in the Hero Practical with ease, what chance did the other boy have against him?
"READY?!"
Denki assessed the greenette across from him. Broccoli boy may have gadgets, but I'll bet I can fry anything he throws at me. He so had this.
"BEGIN!"
...
Midoriya Izuku VS Kaminari Denki
As the call to start rang out through the stadium, Izuku readied himself into a defensive stance. He had a plan to deal with Kaminari's widespread electric attack, though he hoped his opponent would show more creativity with his Quirk.
A Hero shouldn't be a one trick pony, right Aizawa-sensei?
"You're from Support, right?" Kaminari called out, his stance still appearing casual despite the match having already begun.
If he acted like this in front of a Villain, they would take advantage of it. I'll have to add a note about that in my notebooks.
"Yeah," Izuku replied through his mask, still in his defensive stance and not wanting to make the first move.
"I think it's pretty obvious which one of us will win already," Kaminari said with a confident smirk. "I mean, we're both in the first battle. But with one in the Hero Course and one in Support…the winner of this is clear."
Izuku didn't reply to that. Keeping his stance, he grabbed the two escrima rods on either side of his belt and connected them to turn it into a staff while his opponent was talking.
"So, no hard feelings," Kaminari continued, eyeing what the other was doing but apparently didn't feel the need to do anything about it. So self-assured that his Quirk would be enough. "It's nothing personal, right?"
Still Izuku didn't answer and instead activated his shield so it fanned out into its circular form. It may not be the best defense against electricity, but the straps of the arm brace for it acted like grounding straps. Enough to protect him from any stray sparks that escaped from what he had planned.
"Woah, is that a Poké ball?" Kaminari asked, eyes on the shield.
Slightly confused, Izuku spared a quick glance at his shield. Activated, it was circular in shape with a line running diagonally across, one half white and the other half red with the rest of the shield being the typical metal gray color. Where those lines neared the edge of the shield, they curved to follow the shape of the edge and tapered to a point. In the center was a circle that was mostly black with a half-white-half-red line through it that actually had a hidden 'Q' that appeared as a circle to have been crossed out as a subtle reference to his Quirklessness.
"Huh," Izuku huffed out. He never thought of his shield looking similar to a Poké ball before, but it kind of did. Funny how that happened. Green eyes flicked back to his opponent, a hidden challenging smirk on his face. "What of it? Afraid I'll try to catch you, Pikachu?"
Thanks for that, Hitoshi-kun.
"P-Pikachu?" Kaminari sputtered, blushing slightly before squaring his confident smirk back on his face. "Heh. Well, it doesn't matter. 'Cause this match is going to be over in an instant!"
Izuku noticed how Kaminari's casual stance became more focused. Yellow sparks of electricity started to emit around him as he charged up his attack.
Is he going to…?, Izuku thought, eying his opponent's movements. He knew he would only have seconds to react. But he was ready.
"Indiscriminate Shock…"
Of course, he is, his thought continued, sighing internally. He jammed one end of his staff into the arena floor in preparation, hard enough for it to stand on its own.
"…one point three million volts!"
As Kaminari moved to aim his hands towards the ground, Izuku simultaneously extended the staff to its full length and activated his Jet shoes to jump up high above the arena floor. The electric attack spread across the ground and was attracted to the staff like a lightning rod. Up in the air, Izuku brought his shield in front of him to protect himself from any stray sparks as he flew up to the apex of his jump.
Bringing his shield up cut off Izuku's view of his enemy which could be considered a risky move. But the damage that electricity could do to the human body was no joke. Especially when one did not have a Quirk that gave them a certain level of immunity to it. So, he accepted the risk, keeping as much of his body behind the shield as possible as he fell back down to earth. With his legs partially extended, his Jet shoes cushioned his landing and kept him hovering off the ground.
Upon landing, the greenette crouched behind his shield and waited for anything to signal the attack was done using his other senses. The dying down of the crackling of electricity paired with a dumb sounding laugh was good enough for him. Peaking around his shield, Izuku was met by the sight of Kaminari having once again short-circuited himself after only one attack.
We really need to either address how to fix this or focus on him using a slightly lower voltage while in battle. Ending up like this would be a huge disadvantage in a real Villain fight.
Still hovering above the ground, Izuku pulled his staff out of the ground and used it to poke the hindered electric user out of the arena one stumbled step at a time. He had no way of knowing if Kaminari could still run electricity through his body in this state and didn't want to take any chances. Poke after poke, with a few corrective prods here and there, Izuku got his opponent to cross the line.
"Kaminari is out of bounds!" Midnight announced with a snap of her whip. "Midoriya is the winner and is moving on!"
Once the end of the match was announced, robots programmed to help injured contestants came onto the field. Izuku helped maneuver Kaminari onto the stretcher and walked with them to Recovery Girl. He wanted to make sure the other boy made it there alright, even though he knew the blonde would remain like this for an hour.
Izuku was so focused on helping his opponent that he didn't really register what Yamada was announcing nor the roar of the crowd at his win. He was only focused on helping the other. Helping like he always wanted to do.
...
Tumblr blog name: ja0-s-blank-canvas-fic
Notes extension: post/636309508674682880/chapter-42-sports-festival-the-third-round
(and as a reminder on what Izuku's support items look like ;) )
Izuku's Sports Festival Support Items: post/633159898680721408/blank-canvas-fic-izukus-sports-festival-support