Toshinori Yagi looked toward the field from his teacher-exclusive spectator seat. This was a very important match, in part because it was his own mediocre teaching put against his own teaching. But, the real reason why this was an important match was because of Midoriya and his challenger, the fighters themselves. He had asked Midoriya to take up the mission to show the world that he is here. Something that had now come into conflict with Hearn's quest, to show the media that the villains she fought were no joke. Shifting blame and critique to the resources being invested in the school.
Contrary to what she had been told, Nezu had more plans than merely convincing the media. They were tools for negotiation. When they understood what All Might had come to realize about her, they would know how badly they needed more heroes. More security, better measures.
There is a lot that the school can afford, but its funds are not infinite. If they are to preserve the peace, they need to show they have the capability to keep everything safe. Even the schools.
Her adaptation, deadliness, versatility, reactions, speed and remarkable physical strength for a student of that age were what Nezu mostly wanted people to take in. And having understood the changes to her quirk registry, he also wanted to, less so, show how easily she snaps. Just like she did at the incident at U.A. The invading villains did not receive much mercy from her, but even then, she still lost.
All Might frowned as he thought about the last part. It sounded malignant when thought of. But the Principal made it sound far less so, this would be the consequence of her fighting a frustrating opponent, which would likely come sooner or later. When the hero really thought about it, he couldn't find much bad in it, but he couldn't shake that it was mean in some way.
Especially since she was facing someone he knew she didn't like.
His sight sharpened as the young hero and heroine walked out from the opposite ends of the arena field. The crowd kicked into full gear, shouting, likely thousands of eager eyes locked with them both and the screens.
Among Toshinori's eyes, there was another pair, those of a rather mysterious spectator.
Carefully digging the tip of her teeth into the cotton candy, she held between her index and middle finger. Kasen tore off a small piece and hastily devoured it.
"Hm?" She hummed and directed her eyes first toward the girl. Wondering if she would put any of her tricks to use.
She hadn't instructed her much, there wasn't really time. Another part of her wanted to see her struggle, to know if she was worthy the knowledge. But the pink-haired girl was gratified with what she had hinted at. Maribel Hearn would have to learn to channel her supernatural power through her body to bolster it. Learn to use it as part of herself and perhaps lash out with it.
If she's great enough, she may forego the exhaustion, too.
Kasen's eyes wandered to the other combatant. A boy, shorter than the girl, a bit more muscular but nothing spectacular by his mere image. He hid a great reserve of power. She could discern it. Any youkai, hermit, magician and so on could, to an extent. There was a limit to how well one could feel, but in open air, it wasn't all that troubling.
So he's like All Might?
She leaned back a little and watched with a keen eye.
Neither of them knew what was more deafening, the crowd, Present Mic or the wind blowing into their ears in the gigantic arena.
"I have a feeling that this will be a match to remember! Both hailing from the hero course..."
Maribel had a glare as cold as a Siberian winter wind as she gazed thoughtfully across the field. Her unreasonable anger lacking rationale, but feeling justified in spite of it.
If he really is as timorous as I think he is, now is the time to confirm it! I won't let someone like that get the better of me, in a fight or anytime else.
"She took second place in the obstacle course and did her best against the villains at USJ. And now, she is back to prove her worth once again! MARIBEL HEAAAAARN!"
The girl brought her palms up to her flowing hair and gently ran her fingers through it. A breeze blowing right into her face just in time to send her four red ribbon-tied blonde locks majestically flowing in the wind. Balling her hands into fists, unusual power coursed through every nerve, and thereafter her muscle. An unending tenseness on her face.
"And he who took third in the race! Her own classmate and quite a physical powerhouse! IZUKU MIDORIYAAAAAAA!"
Midoriya walked up the stairs and into the arena. His fists were clenched, and he was prepared to activate One For All, intent on honing it to a state where he could keep it active for more than a short period and its percentage perfectly in his control. He knew he could win if he played things right, and early enough with the ideal timing, so that wasn't what he was most concerned with.
His true vexation was what he desired to do. Mend his relationship with Maribel, somehow. It was quite hard as he had scarcely grasped what he had done wrong.
Part of him was eager and part cowardly. He knew very well she would dislike him even more for trying to help her. It couldn't be helped that he desperately wanted to discover what troubled her so. It was simply in his nature. He could be intrusive, yes, he knew that. But breaking the ice was a good way to make things easier for people, was it not?
Unless it is it too personal to talk about. Like my connection with All Might. I need to decide! What should I do?
...
...
...
"Will they be force the best out of each other!? Only one way to know! STAAAART!"
Midoriya's eyes narrowed. I've seen her fight, I believe... she'll come from behind!
Maribel briefly stood on her heels.
Then, a gap enveloped the girl in a visual instant, shifting location her in the process. Midoriya's body began to shine faintly as green lightning erupted around him. He spun on his heel, to find himself staring right at her as the gap closed around her. He didn't have the time to spew a word in this opening second of the fight. However, if he used One For All to stay in the fight, he would. Aiming to jab with his left fist, he halted his spin with his right foot and drove recklessly his arm forth. The air howled between the two as the girl pivoted on her left heel and swung her hand up just before his hand. Her movement wasn't all that impressive to Midoriya in the state he was in right now. Timing was what made the difference between the two.
A threatening grimace was plastered over the girl's face.
In front of Midoriya's fist, a gap opened up, the inside of it a weird twisting of light leading just past where the fist was heading. It shot onto his hand, fitting itself around him like some sort of flesh eating worm and then squeezed. Hard enough to terribly hurt, but not enough to injure. Suddenly, the gap began an intense dragging, sending Midoriya into a swing against his will. The girl exploited her gap to swing the boy in a half-circle, both of their eyes meeting each other in the moments all of this was occurring. Time slowing to what seemed like a crawl for them both.
What the-...!
The young inheritor of One For All thought. Stopping any other thoughts as he had felt a moment of genius. He had little control over his quirk, but what he had managed to use let him catch glimpses he normally wouldn't.
The space that she was using, it led right in front of her! I'll try...
His expression changed from surprise, to confidence. As he began to finish the half-circle, Maribel started looking bothered, but Midoriya acted faster than her suspicion could keep up. His thumb and index finger touched each other, a nail gently digging into the soft side of his thumb. Those fingers erupted in a blaze of light, and Maribel's eyes shifted. The gap seemed to bubble as his overwhelming power became that much more intense.
...12%!
Out from the other end of the gap came a rush of wind. It was an opening Maribel had neglected not due to lack of trying, but to make the attack speedy. She did not believe anyone would abuse that kind of weakness, at least, not so quickly.
The girl enjoyed not a breeze, not a storm, but something more akin to a thrust. A narrow hole funneled the wind into a tiny point, making the exit particularly violent as it impacted her chest.
"Hrrnh!" She paused, the gap proceeded to spit out Midoriya's fist. His momentum was still sustained, thus sending him rolling until he caught himself on his feet. One For All deactivated after. As if on cue, Maribel was knocked back more than a couple of meters, and off of her feet too. Landing on the arena floor with a soft thud. "-Kuh..." She spat, quickly pushing off of the ground with one arm into an upright position. The girl felt the place where she was hit with her hand, only to see that it was okay, and then fiercely locked eyes with Midoriya. It was hard to tell if she felt any pain from it, Midoriya shed a drop of sweat. He knew this would be a tough fight.
That should've hurt...
"Already we've got quite the N-I-C-E A-C-T-I-O-N!" The english teacher announced over the speakers. Both of the fighters ignored it completely. But the spectators all cheered.
They stared at each other, Midoriya communicating far less viciousness. Simultaneously, it seemed that the girl was doing a good job of containing it. Then, she began walking toward him.
With his strangely soothing, youthful and outreaching voice, the boy tried talking to her again. "You have something important to keep from others, don't you?!"
She didn't stop walking, maintaining a threatening body language, but she did speak. "Is that so?"
Sidestepping her passively aggressive retort, he continued. "Even if you don't want to talk, and you don't have to, why are you angry at me?! I don't want you to be!"
The girl paused in her walk and stood straight, taking a breath, looking pacified for a moment. There was a sliver of time where Midoriya would be allowed to talk.
"Is it just because of how I am?!" He spoke out to her, not afraid to speak from the heart.
Maribel gradually turned to the side with an unchanging face. Then, she burst into a stance, followed by a spinning motion as she raised her leg. Midoriya was distracted by her apparent betrayal of trust and did not think to activate his quirk in time to counter. Her vicious kick flew through a spontaneously created gap and struck him in the face with her shin. "Gngh!" He yelped as he was struck, bloodying his nose and knocking him back. He grasped it in hurt. The girl shifted the leg back into position, stomping down and looking at him again. She started walking leisurely in his direction, and he lift up one hand to fight whilst the other held his bleeding nose.
Even though bloodied and almost dazed, he still talked. A few tears streaming down the side of his face, likely from pain. "Ah-ow! ...I-is it because of how YOU are?!"
She stopped again and sighed impatiently, as if she was releasing fumes. No longer so intent on hiding her contemptuous anger, it was her turn to talk. Their dialogue wasn't all that loud, it was just one where desperate outreach and unpleasant memories clashed. Her delivery was cold, intent on keeping their brief conversation low.
"You keep acting like a scared kid whenever you aren't caught in a moment to be a hero. Have you even had any friends before attending this school? Why do you let Bakugo push you around? It's pathetic."
It was a relentless barrage of questions that Midoriya couldn't find the answer to, at least not in the heat of battle. The girl broke into a full sprint, not sweating, not panting. It was odd to look at, but Midoriya had to think rapidly. He tensed his muscles and activated his quirk, green lightning coursing through him as he felt like he settled at a particular number.
5%.
His entire body crackled, and the girl finally got close enough to attack. Initially, her attack was obvious, a jab with her left.
With increased reaction speed, Izuku began to think. Usually, she follows up an attack with a warp gate, so if she wanted to hit me, she wouldn't be so close. Iida told me that she seemed to get sick by overusing her quirk. But already? It didn't take this quick when I saw her during All Might's class!
Come on... 17%!
His bones started hurting, almost cracking under the pressure, but this was all just for a mere moment. He shot forth, and it was like time became a snail's crawl for the two of them.
Slowly, Maribel's eyes turned to track him, widening in surprise as he moved quite rapidly. Not the fastest she had seen, but faster than she could move to respond to. Those faintly glowing orbs of hers grew in surprise as he traveled closer and closer. Aiming for her face, perhaps as petty revenge, perhaps not. She looked...
Terrified.
It made Midoriya reminiscence...
...
"...It reminded me of Noumu's death blow. Sometimes it comes back to me, and when it does and my quirk is active, it flips a switch in my head." Explained she.
"I won't do it again. I promise." Said he.
...
...
Weaving his fist downwards, Midoriya came awfully close to landing a blow in her stomach. A high-pitched hiss became apparent to him just then, and a blast of wind burst out from the side. Hard to see, as the originating gap would be flat to him in how it was placed. After his passing, it made mysterious ripples in the air and ceased to be, very unlike how she usually got rid of them. His hand was blown a slight bit to the side and he instead stepped forth to strike the air right next to her, almost off-balance. A cloud of dust reaching far behind her was kicked up by his attack. Cracks appeared as it struck right into the stone and deflected off of it.
Midoriya felt his control of One For All slip, and a jolt of pain resulted. The quirk deactivated due to the surprise this wrought. In his moment of weakness, Maribel glanced back in stressful bewilderment at the dust cloud and then back to him. She stomped firmly into the ground and through a gap, right onto his head. Not delving her foot all the way to the ground with him, but knocking him over, nonetheless.
"And Midoriya-san goes down! Get up you! You can do it!"
The girl felt like smiling smugly, but there was something in her heart.
A few drops of sweat ran down her forehead, born purely from her shock. She ran her eyes across the spectator seats for a moment.
The crowd talked, a lot. There was nothing she could make out among them, but the thought of her not knowing their opinion scared her.
What if everyone watching catch onto how I feel? They wouldn't be so receptive to me anymore, no doubt.
Is it worth being like this because he acts like that?
It seems he's trying to make the best out of himself, why do I have a problem with him?
I don't need to be angry to win and be satisfied.
Ultimately, am I not just ill-treating him for reminding me of myself?
Damn this quirk...
She was stressed in some way. The emotional pressure of the audience's watchful gaze, combined with her reason for being this harsh in the first place made her feel abhorrently guilty. It might be none of them knew anything about their personal quarrel, but she couldn't shake the paranoia. She knew it was petty and frankly childish of her to look at him this way. And she didn't know what to blame, herself, her quirk or him.
Maribel Hearn carefully removed her metal-soled shoe from him and gently kicked him as he haphazardly crossed his arms on the ground to defend himself.
"All Might likes you, doesn't he? Then get up."
As if on command, he shot up and stumbled back a little to make distance from her. Holding his bloody nose for a moment, which had almost stopped bleeding. There was a slight wound from her attack to his head, but nothing substantial. A scraping at worst. His eyes were stern, and he was on guard.
In comparison. Although her lustrous hair was a little messy thanks to the wind and the passing of Midoriya's energetic attacks, it kept its consistency thanks to her colorful ribbons. There was no visible damage to her but a red, wet spot at chest-level under the standard uniform that they both wore. It told Midoriya all he had to know, his initial attack had hurt.
...
...
...
Breaking the ice, the boundary girl started talking, close enough to be in person. It seemed that she had calmed, although the underlying vexation with him persisted in her tone.
"Midoriya-san."
His brows softened.
"Just me fight me seriously. Right now, I don't care about dialogue."
"That's for later."
She showed him a smile and raised her eyebrows, presenting him with the idea that she had totally changed moods. The idea that she'd talk to him later. Truly though, it was a lie, she wanted him off of her back. Even if she felt guilty.
That was all she said, Midoriya was slow to come with a response just then and couldn't come to find one before she walked backward. Creating a five-meter space between them.
Confounded by her sudden twist of attitude, Midoriya's face cycled through an emotion of satisfaction and then confidence. Entering a stance most befitting of someone with All Might's quirk, he was ready to initiate the fight for real. The actual fight.
Izuku felt he had won, in a sense. With both of his arms raised in front, he roared out his challenge. "COME AT ME WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT!"
She scoffed and entered a stance of her own. It was extremely likened to Izuku's, quite the telling similarity. No doubt as to who had trained them.
The girl tilted her head a little to the right side and mentally prepared herself. She'd look more friendly and trustworthy to him that way. Small details like these are what made people tick.
If I fully intended to, I could defeat him at any point by relocating him out of the arena with a gap, therefore causing a ring out... Even so, I wouldn't. The Principal wanted me to show the people and the media my ability to fight, not my ability to succeed within these arbitrary rules.
And even so...
But I'm not so sure I could do that anymore. Each time he powers up his... or All Might's quirk near any of my gap, it buckles and becomes extremely burdensome to maintain. This might be more difficult than I hoped for.
With a deep breath, she knew the time had come. Now, there would be an actual fight.
"Seems like that was just the first act! Well, let's give it up for the second one, who will take it home!?"
A glint of light reflected in her purple eyes. Earlier, he expected me to come from behind. If I multitask, I might be able to throw him off and land a powerful strike. I think it's about time I exhibited the destructive side of my quirk.
And another in a set of green pupils. Her mobility has me beat, even with One For All. That doesn't mean I can't pressure her at a high percentage. I'll force her to confront me up close.
Maribel did not retain good focus on fighting at the moment. Her reactions were precisely on point and she had adequate training, but that would only become fully effective in a state of flow. Extreme focus, a human ability to act almost without thinking. Something you had to work yourself into. Substituting what almost amounted to unlocking one's present potential had to be actual plans.
Flipping a switch in her mind, she fluently created a gap between places high in the air, turning it into a border space the size of a big truck.
I'm open right now, so I have to divert his next action.
Midoriya started to shine softly as a tendril of green lightning ran across his body.
5% for the body, 10% for the arm!
"Detroit Smash!"
He aimed and let loose with his quirk. The wave of air parted everything before it. Dust from his previous attack was kicked up and scattered. The wave produced a clean hole through the thin layer of cement dust, in the middle of which he could see his opponent. That meant his aim was precise.
It was hard to divert a ton of attention from her border space, but Maribel created another gap to her side and moved it to take her through. Too quick for her to move away from with her legs. The gap took Hearn out of the way of his attack, to the left of it. Izuku flowed his arm back into place and his stance, about to swing again. Split-second actions and movements like these made the fight almost a blur to any ordinary watcher.
Clenching his muscles, he began training with his quirk in the heat of combat, spiking its output in moments to prevent any sustained damage.
5%... 10%!
Another jab, another shockwave. "Detroit... Smash!"
She looked fierce again, on guard. Midoriya knew she'd do something and was ready to counter in close combat if need be, pulling back his fist into position. As the wave of air was about to pass halfway, Maribel moved one entry gap down in front and destroyed the back of it as quickly as she could. The speed at which it forced its way back into the atmosphere sent the air colliding with her opponent's attack. Blasting right through it with its intense but short-lived pressure. Dust previously sent soaring around the arena washed over Midoriya, which meant he couldn't see.
"Look at all that destructive power!"
A quick strike from above.
Maribel remember and felt exactly where he was, thanks to her quirk, so her next plan was to deliver a powerful hit. The boundary girl performed a standing jump and flew right down and through a gap. Dropping just above the fading dust cloud and plunging into it as if diving from a cliff into the sea.
But suddenly, the cloud of dust burst away with enough force to suspend her in the air for a couple of moments. Using One For All, Midoriya had made his fist the source of a dust-clearing air blast.
I can feel it clearly now. That must be All Might's quirk. Not some descendant, it's not different. What the hell? How is it possible to have the exact same quirk?
The girl pondered as she flew through the air, she was in a bit of disbelief if she was honest. But now was not the time to get lost in emotional thought. Attention shifted to the ground, and Maribel used her quirk to create a gap in the way of her fall.
Almost like a trampoline, the girl flew into the air again, this time only three meters off of the ground. She spun around and then proceeded to land with her chest facing down. Legs and hands barely having time to position themselves. "Gnh..." She grunted and stood up, a little slowly.
I can't lose him!
Maribel had been confused by her landing. Looking around and hearing clear footsteps, she attempted to find Izuku. Turning around just in time to find him right behind her.
20%!
Gritting her teeth, the girl pushed forward and put her hands onto his shoulder, pushing off of Midoriya to evade his blow. His fist brushed against her outfit as she narrowly dodged it, tearing off the fabric of her uniform's shirt around her stomach. Just by passing.
She stopped her momentum and glared down at the shorter person. Smashing her right palm against his head and attempting to use his own velocity to swing him feet-first into the air. "HIYAA!" The girl yelled on instinct.
Part-way, Izuku swung his mighty fist to the side and the intense force impacted her in the same place that he brushed past earlier.
Interrupted in the middle of her attack, her yell turned to a gasp as she was tossed far back, flying. Meanwhile, Midoriya landed on his back and heaved himself up at a record pace.
I'm going to be ringed out!
She thought, her head was spinning and it was difficult to think.
Maribel swung her hand to the side, putting an odd stop to her spinning in a way even she was confounded by. There was no lingering on that, however, as she created a gap behind her that transported her forward. The girl flew through the gap and landed on her feet, metal soles grinding and screeching in the process. Hearn leaned forward as best she could in order to counteract the momentum with her weight, and eventually stopped her movement. Briefly, she turned to the side and stretched one leg back, smaking her still without compromising her balance.
Close. Her inner voice spoke again, there was a five-meter gap between her and the edge of the arena. Maribel had no idea how much power he was using, but she had seen him use more at other times.
Must be dangerous if he does. She looked down at her chest, part of her shirt and undershirt had been torn to pieces. Her midriff and her side were now more easily visible, badly bruised by Midoriya's connecting blows and the bleeding from the match's first now became more apparent. She looked back at Izuku and saw he was in a charge, already halfway to her and in the middle of the arena. Shining brilliantly with the power of his quirk.
Even if he doesn't get to me, it'll still give me less breathing room! She thought and began to sprint as fast as she could, too. Maribel used her quirk to pull open a gap just next to Midoriya and jumped up. He was about to stop and respond, but she was a little bit too unpredictable, her feet came out first and collided with the side of his face. Making him stumble to the side with nary a bruise on his cheek, his quirk had prevented heavy damage. To land, she bent her legs down just before she landed. She wasn't stable at all, but avoided falling by swinging herself to the side and moving to stabilize herself after that.
"Midoriya's quite tough." Aizawa commentated.
Both she and Midoriya had a fierce staring contest as they recovered from both blow and imbalance. There was a feeling they both shared, a thought. I feel like this is the match point!
Slashing through the boundaries, Maribel opened one gap, clearly visible to them both. It led just behind Midoriya.
He sharpened his eyes and glanced behind himself, about to move. She won't expect me to pull her out of it!
Known unknowns! He fears the attack and will aim to interrupt it. The girl thought, staring cold-eyed at him as her fist began to move toward the gap. He spun around more rapidly than she herself could fight, swinging at the gap and causing it to bubble. Passing so close to it with his quirk sorely vexed her, it was almost like hitting those gaps hit part of her. She pulled her fist back, letting go of the gap and causing it to cease existing. Midoriya stopped looking where the gap was and turned his head slowly to her in confusion. Even with his quirk, he wasn't as used to combat like this.
And with a split second extra to act, for him to turn back to fight me, I'll attack!
Burrowing through space with her fingers, Maribel seamlessly created a gap, flowing into the action almost naturally. Positioned a meter away from his head to avoid being disrupted by his quirk. It took only a moment for her to hit Midoriya right into the side of his head as hard as she could. But for some reason, he didn't budge, she saw no damage and Midoriya barely even shook. No, he didn't even bother looking at her.
Midoriya had almost selfishly decided to ignore Maribel when the circumstance allowed it, because he felt very little. Full Cowling at 8%, hurting and hard to keep at a consistent level, was enough to turn a hard hit into a soft slap.
Even at just this percentage, she's having trouble... Even if we should try our best, even if this is a fantastic opportunity to get some experience... I shouldn't toy with her! 5%!
Enlarging the hole, she had created, she moved it past her and effectively teleported behind Midoriya. Hearn began striking him repeatedly from behind straight in the head, ruffling his hair. Landing three super fast hits before her opponent spun around and grabbed her arm. Now, he looked serious, not angry.
The fight had worked her into a bad mood as it went on, even though she had tried removing such an attitude from her mind. Instinctively, she tried to yank herself out of his grip to no avail. Trying to kick herself away from him, only dragging him a little bit along before he stopped.
I've gotten carried away!
It happened for only a moment, but Maribel panicked and tried to bash Midoriya right in the face. But without the aid of her more advanced techniques, there was no hope in damaging Midoriya with his guard up. Those were supposed to be weapons that Maribel didn't want to bring out until even later matches. Maribel's mental state had caused her a of misfortune.
8%!
His other hand took a hold of her arm. Setting his left leg down to the side, the future hero, Deku kicked his right off of the ground and began a spin. "RAAAAAAGH!" He roared as best he could, in the vein of Kacchan and threw Maribel to the other end of the arena field. The girl spun with a diagonal trajectory, hitting the ground with a thud and a pained grunt.
A few more drops of blood now littered the cement.
Once again, only a few meters away from the edge of the arena. Gradually pushing herself into a standing position, the girl didn't bother breathing. Running her fingers through her hair, she pulled it all back. Delivering a glower to Midoriya, who looked prepared to charge again.
Always the same distance! HE KEEPS DOING THAT!
...Is he toying with me?
It might be he just wants to learn to use his quirk... In that case, I shouldn't even give him a breath to do it.
Midoriya began making several leaps in short succession, he looked unused to his speed, but it didn't prevent him from moving swiftly toward her.
"Grr..." She grit her teeth.
In a tantrum, Maribel held her hand out and opened a gap a few meters above her. It aimed down at Midoriya and the field, and it made him pause for a moment. Gaps in space always had two points of entry, as far as Maribel was concerned. The second one was on the opposite end of the field. Both grew a little in size before she expanded the space inside.
Like turning on a vacuum cleaner, a howl of the wind, exactly like that of a powerful gale began pulling at Midoriya from behind and in front. He hadn't made it far enough to be pulled up into either of the gaps, but that wasn't her plan. Damage to the arena had created pebbles, rocks and dust. She'd use some of the advice snipe lent her and repay him for the first attack this match, just harder. Nothing could break the expression she wore right now.
Inchmeal, the boundaries broke apart, as she carefully returned the fabric of space to normal.
"W-what? It looks like Maribel's gaps are disappearing, but why?!"
The crowd made a sound of worry, they were definitely talking about what was happening.
Overextending her quirk while in a single area, repeatedly and on a large scale, would inevitably make it hard to manipulate it. That's because the boundaries become weakened. It's like how Doremy explained the boundary between real and dream world. If she continued, the attack would fail inevitably and remove any means of her fighting with it for at least twelve minutes.
There was no thought to be made, now. She was out of options, angry and reluctant to use any of her new tricks on Deku. Arrogance or strategic thinking had led her into a corner.
So, with nothing left to do, she put one leg forth. Pushed and started to run straight ahead at her opponent.
Present Mic became wilder, and so did everyone watching. "Maribel's heading straight for him, is she about to fight him up close!?"
Midoriya's eyes widened in puzzlement, and he merely stood there. His quirk active, with the boy trying to keep it active at 5%.
"Why did you stop?"
It didn't take long for her to cross the twelve-meter distance between them, where upon her first instinct was to prepare a fake-out. Pulling her right fist inwards and moving her legs into position for the her supposed hit.
"H-hey!" Midoriya was quick to raise his left arm to block it, confident in his abilities. But that strike would never come. Instead, Maribel quickly shifted on her right foot and sending a left hook into the side of Midoriya's head, before he could move his hand into position. He grumbled, but it was largely ineffective.
"Gyah!" She knew he was resilient, but battering someone in the head would at least be irritating. Hearn decided to then dodge his next attack preemptively, putting her right foot down rather hard and facing Midoriya with her side.
"HRAH!" Came his reprisal from the arm he tried to block with. This is what Maribel had relied on to make dodging him easier. Despite his incredible speed, she could buy precious split-seconds by making his fist take longer to travel. First, the right foot pushed off of the ground with considerable power and then her left one too. Making her jump just a little to the side again and nimbly avoiding any glancing hits.
The boundary girl had almost moved behind Midoriya's original position.
She was a little slow to wind up another hit. The girl weaved to the side and tried to sock him in the head again. Even if it didn't do much. It connected, surprisingly, but it left Maribel open to an attack of his. With a swing of his right arm, her extended own limb flew out to the side forcefully.
"Kngh!"
Midoriya groaned in pain for a moment, losing his shine, but then regaining it. This was a tiny tick of time where she could return her arms in place, and barely did so before Midoriya began to pressure her. Hit after hit, she could react to every single one, but not move briskly enough to counter them. Not without overextending her quirk.
A left hook, Maribel raised her bruised and battered arm to counter it. Right hook, Maribel tried to weave to the side, suffering a glancing blow to her hip. It kept going, one to her stomach, another to the elbow.
"Guh-...! Ha-a-a..." She whined as she took the hits.
It was extremely difficult to stand her ground, and she was already forced two meters back within seven seconds.
He remembers to avoid the head! There's at least something I can give him credit for. Much appreciated for letting me save my attention. I can use you like a puppet! You don't kick, you punch, and I'll take everything advantage I can get out of you!
Back then, she asked nicely, but now it was a chance to take back the fight. Maribel brought her arms closer, focusing on her upper body. Shoulders, chest, gut, waist. As his assault continued, his expression stiffened and he looked like he was trying pretty hard. And Maribel stopped being relentlessly pushed, reacting ahead of almost every strike.
The boy himself was now getting irritated, not out of anger, but because he desperately needed to win this.
...I'm sorry! But I have to win this! Everyone's giving it everything they've got!
I'm going to have to break two fingers to ring you out!
Izuku was honestly quite eager to get this over with by now. Increasing his power again, he grabbed his right arm and held it up. Two of his fingers pressed against each other, they both emitted compressed air as his hand passed through the air.
"DELAWARE..."
Approaching thirty percent, his arm made uncomfortable cracking noises only for him to hear. It was hard to dictate how it moved, and it became a blur due to his largely unenhanced reactions. He stopped just before her. A meter from her neck, shoulder and head. This was a mistake, and Midoriya recognized it just too late.
Hypersonic, extremely powerful, anything in front of it would be blow away and out of the arena. His fingers flicked forward.
"...SMASH!-..." He yelled out, about to stop himself mid-word.
There was nothing Maribel could do but stare at the blur that was happening, widen her eyes in surprise and genuine fear, then be blow away.
She screamed as she was sent flying, the massive blast giving her what would almost amount to a minor concussion. But she knew full well what happened, and it reminded her of violent death.
There was only one way to save herself from it all, her quirk, so she used every last ounce of focus she could muster for her next move. Open a gap, open multiple gaps. Maribel flew through many of them just to kill her velocity. Within a few instances, she slowed down enough to land on both feet. While the worst was over, what remained was still enough to almost knock her over. All she could do was hold on until the wind passed. Glancing down told her that she wasn't out yet, but it was hard to tell with the wind forcing her eyes close.
WERE YOU JUST TRICKING ME?! AIMING FOR THE HEAD?!
...USE ALL MIGHT'S QUIRK ALL YOU WANT, I'M NOT GOING TO SPARE ANY EFFORT!
Leaning forward to brace against the wind, Maribel kept her eyes closed and tried to focus her aura to the bottom of her spine.
Midoriya stood holding his two fractured fingers the seconds after his attack. It hurt like hell. He knew the pain and it was hard to get used to. Normally, since he'd gained more control over his quirk, he'd above going all out. But this was an occasion where it was suitable, if he had gone above thirty, he was sure he'd break them. All or nothing, as it seemed he was too strong for them to be blown off anyway.
Coming to terms with the pain. Midoriya opened his eyes to see the dust, rocks and wind passing by, flying off of the main battlefield. Only one thing stood, his opponent. Just inside the ring.
It happened very often when a big crowd was present, a big cheer. This was just the moment for such, as it seemed her continued survival had hyped everyone up.
"HOW IS SHE STILL STANDING?!"
Necro Phantasia - Crossfire Barrage - Crow's Claw
Fury, rage and animosity was all that was left on her face. Maribel breathed repeatedly, deeply and closed her eyes. The expression on her face became clearly sterner, and Midoriya felt she was more confident now. It was clear she had trouble standing even with the small amount of the wind she still felt. Hearn looked hurt all over. Mostly bruised, but there was clear bleeding on her face and her arms. No doubt from the rocks he'd sent flying.
She can't still continue? Can she? Midoriya wondered, he was also worried that she would hurt herself even more if she continued fighting.
Looking on over at him, her eyes remained purple. But that wasn't all, an almost mystical aura now spread from Maribel, which Midoriya felt like a midnight breeze. A couple of seconds later and a wind brushed past him, a faint violet shine surrounded her as she stood up straight. This sequence of events was almost finished with a burst of power, as the glow turned into a flame for a moment. Doing away with the wind that had been pushing her completely.
Last, the flame-like aura she was clad in subdued itself to a tight glow around her body. Stomping on the ground hard enough to crack it for meters around, the girl cringed in pain and then pushed forward. No longer running, but gliding. At speed of a jog at first, but then not unlike the suddenness of a passing train, her approach was quick. At a power of five or eight percent, he could only see her properly when she was still.
12%!
She traversed the distance between them in no time. He didn't have much time to think and powered his quirk up again, flying forth with a left strike. But this time, Maribel didn't even look at it. She swerved under it faster than she had traveled and her arm became a blur as it hit his left arm. Even with One For All, it hurt a lot, and Midoriya cried out and almost keeled over. Like usual, he lost control of his quirk and shook in pain. Stumbling back. But he wasn't the only one. Maribel's glow ceased and spilled out around her in tiny strips of energy, only for her to hold herself and clench her teeth in pain. Whining.
An instant later, both of them snapped out of it and threw themselves toward at each other. The girl erupted in the same violet, flame-like aura, the next instant turning into a barely visible light over her body. As if there was a lot of power welling inside her that she was bottling up. Midoriya's quirk presented itself in a similar light. Haphazardly activating as an explosion of faint light, mint-colored lightning coursing around his body and steam erupting off of him. They both met up close once once more, Maribel being the faster to move.
...5% ...15%!
Midoriya decided to strike prematurely to getting close, trying to catch her early. And by all means, he should've hit. Those ghostly orbs serving as her eyes swerved into motion to see where he was aiming. Widening as they did. Centimeters from connecting with her, she moved back, gliding two meters. Then she was outraced by the shockwave of air, but surprisingly, stood her ground. Not even her clothes were torn by the attack, as if some supernatural force had protected it. The boy could only cringe in pain after, his arms sore from the work put on them.
Moving her arms to her face at a breakneck pace, she rubbed her face of some blood and pulled her disheveled hair back into place. Fascinating was the frantic speed at which her arms moved.
Speaking as if it was casual conversation, the girl fancied herself a mild grin of satisfaction. The edge of her lips rising to a fair bit up her cheeks. She looked calm, cold and as if she had been untouched. "I'd rather avoid being pummeled anymore. I'll let you ponder on the fight, as a spectator."
Her arm instantly shifted from her side to a swing. No sound was made, but Midoriya felt himself caught in something. His legs and his torso seemingly separated, but there was no pain resulting from it. Rather, it disorientated him utterly.
Wh-
Maribel walked closer, and he raised his fist despite his odd situation. Holding it out over the separation and trying to hold it ready to strike down at Maribel.
One, two... Just as his arm started extending, she leaped from her position and landed a knee in his gut as an almost-blur. Hearn wasn't gliding, she must've been flying.
"GNAH!" He cried out as he was forced into soaring five meters above the arena. Leaving the gaps behind to break apart thanks to the exhausted boundaries. Maribel landed back on the ground the instant thereafter, as if she was thrust back upon it.
She looked up, cold anger in her eyes, plotting eyes. Though she felt provoked, Maribel no longer contained the same frustration as before. Midoriya used One For All to stabilize his spin while in the air and reared his entire arm back.
"DETROIT...!"
Her eyes sharpened, and she shot out a hand.
Both crowd, teachers and announcers seemed to be getting quite talkative as this occurred.
Stress and eagerness could be found in both their actions, but the girl was subtle about it. Her aura focused itself as if pressured to the tip of her sore hand, a spear. All of it bunched itself up into a hand-sized bullet of energy. Hearing a click in her mind, Maribel shot it straight at Midoriya. Morphing into a beam of shining power. Visible for a quarter of a second, it struck furiously its intended target. There was a car-sized, colored-indigo explosion above the battlefield, with no dust to create smoke. The glowing mass of spiritual power swiftly faded, leaving Midoriya to fall onto the ground.
She followed him with bored eyes and tracked every bit of the fall. Just before, she snapped a gap into existence just below him. Leading out just next to where he was supposed to land, but upwards. Letting him drop into it and 'bounce' up. She destroyed the gaps after that. Causing him to land on the ground with a thud after most of his velocity had died off.
With a sigh of relief, she relinquished control of her aura and experienced a jolt of pain. Closing her eyes and gasping for a moment, after a bit, she took a deep breath. Abandoning the focus on her quirk.
Song End
Maribel opened her eyes, now golden. Before her laid a broken and battered Midoriya.
I got carried away again! Damn quirk! It can never just work practically, there are always these cursed drawbacks...
In spite of her bleeding, the girl felt as fresh as she was at the start of the fight. Only stressed.
I need to calm down.
The girl stretched and straightened out. Crowd quite loud as she did.
What will they think? Or the classmates? It's not like I was subtle, the fruits of behavior is right in front of me.
...It feels like he asked for it, bringing his fist right up to my face like that. Liar.
"Uh..." Midnight paused for a moment, before swinging her whip. "Midoriya is unconscious! K.O! Hearn moves onto the third round!"
"Midoriya-shounen!" Toshinori couldn't help but call out as he saw victory being declared. He got off of his seat and moved up to the exit, wanting to meet him as soon as possible and see to it that he recovered.
And somewhere else among the spectators. Still with food in her fingers, the hermit on the other side of the arena couldn't help but comment on it. She grasps it quickly...
Two robots with an attached medical bed moved up the stairwell to the arena with specially designed gear to do so. Rolling over to the two fighters at a brisk pace. Once arrived, they slowed down and shoved the bed under Midoriya and carried him.
They 'spoke' with an eccentric and robotic voice. A message that was written into it, of course. "THE SCHOOL WISHES FOR YOU TO VISIT THE NURSE. FOLLOW US IF YOU CAN."
Absentmindedly nodding, finding herself 'out of it', she began to walk away to where they had come from. And the bed rolled along with her.
Here's some trivia about the chapter.
Midoriya is constantly held back in this fight due to his heart and his own fears. If he had relied on a higher percentage that he'd have a harder time keeping active and didn't focus on punching, or avoiding her head, she would've been down much easier. He's also focused on not breaking anything if he can, if he decided to use a fully powered punch, it would've also been over much quicker if it was up close.
Reading from the reviews, you might also notice that Midoriya is experimenting with OfA already and can control it to an extent. This is a development I've pushed along since chapter 10, and it's mostly hidden in dialogue, at least up until the Cavalry Battle. He has rather sloppy control and even if he's fresh into the fight, usually can't keep 5% going for so long. His controls drops significantly around 10%, and a hard nudge (like Maribel gave him toward the end) can knock him out of it.
Maribel also held herself back, but only as an advantage of future opponents and to allow a good fight where people would see what she could do. Which was what Nezu wanted. If she was serious with any fighter, she could move them out of the ring. Well, unless Midoriya was already coursing with power. I'd intended to get into why OfA interacts strangely with her gaps, but that's for later.
Power-wise, Maribel with this power-up is very fast and much more mobile than a lot of characters. Midoriya would need to be close to 15% to consistently react to her, though he could still do it at a lower and more manageable level. Her melee attack power is much less, but she makes up for it with another thing. Forming her spiritual power into a spear, or a bullet, she can now do Danmaku. Congratulations. She's new to it.
In Touhou, there isn't such a thing as focusing aura (at least in the way I've constructed it). But for this story, I've created some mechanics for it in order to give some sense to both human and youkai being able to act like they do. Some do it naturally, some don't. I'm aware that there is references to aura and spirit in Touhou, and that's generally what I'm aiming for. As Maribel gets better with it, the mechanics of it will fade from the story.
I have no idea if what I've written is adequate, and honestly I don't feel as if I figured out their strategies well enough. They're both largely inexperienced and act on impulse.
As for the narrative behind battle, I felt like having Maribel find dislike in aspects of herself and feel guilty was something I'd have to do. Truthfully, she wants to become a better person, but her quirk and some of her own pride is an obstacle to that.
With that, I hope people find at least some satisfaction. Next are some less important matches, and then the final stretch on the arc.