Wake up at 5 A.M.
Eat breakfast.
Shower.
Take medicine.
Do your hair, brush your teeth, put on fresh clothes, and meet the world.
Be ready at 6 A.M., and head out to U.A. High School.
That was the everyday start for Toshinori Yagi, the man known as All Might by the public, the Number One Hero of Japan and the Symbol of Peace
A weak, skeletal man, that was Toshinori Yagi. The world didn't know of him, and did not need to either. It was a convenient disguise, eliminating the need to make something such as an alias or fake name to move around. In fact, he could pose as All Might's manager for meetings, easing up his life by allowing him to act as himself by proxy without wasting energy in his muscled form.
The large, herculean superman that reigned with a warm smile and gave everyone hope was All Might. He would appear and save people with one punch, defeat any foe that threatened the peace, and single-handedly, by his presence alone, managed to cull the crime rate of Japan to a measly 6%, and it was getting lower and lower every year. A future without evil may still be possible.
Such it would be, but unfortunately, neither All Might nor Toshinori Yagi had much time. The wound he sustained was fatal, truly fatal. At the current, he could maintain his form for four hours straight, six if he really pushed himself, though it was ill-advised.
"Today, I think I'll go over some basics with the students." Toshinori said to himself, walking casually towards U.A., looking through his papers at the same time. Though teaching was a new thing for Toshinori, he adapted to the role rather well. He was still rough around the edges, though; since he was a prodigy who never needed to properly learn since it all came to him naturally, he had no idea on how to impart his knowledge properly to others.
Fortunately, he had trusted friends who gave him tips and advised him on how to properly relay information towards the children. Unfortunately, Toshinori still struggled with words, but at least when it came to answering student's questions and being a supportive role model for them, they could not ask for a finer teacher.
"Toshinori!" Waking up from deep thought, Toshinori stopped, turning to see Tenko behind him. "On your way to U.A., I assume?" Tenko was the grandson of Toshinori's former master, Nana Shimura, which was the lynchpin that connected them together
"I am, Tenko. Good morning." Toshinori smiled warmly towards the young man, greeting him "You're up early I see."
"Well, Montsu kept barking. Woke me and Hana up. Mom thankfully is a deep sleeper." Tenko explained, beginning to rub some facial gel around his eyes, to deal with his allergies. "Hana took her for a walk, and I found it pointless to sleep for another hour. Thought I may as well head out."
The two had an amicable relationship, although it started out incredibly rough. With Toshinori being desperate for a successor, he enlisted the help of his close friend Naomasa Tsukauchi to locate any relatives of his master he was unaware of, leading him to Tenko. Ironically, Naomasa had become a close family friend ever since he discovered the crying five year old, a fact he and Toshinori had a good laugh about.
From then one, it was thanks to Toshinori's teaching that saved Tenko from losing his chance at obtaining a license and becoming a Pro Hero, due to his father's strong hatred and domineering control over his life. He personally gave him a recommendation to U.A., completely removing the need to take the Entrance Exam, and began watching over him through his school years. Eventually, Tenko achieved his dream, and became a Pro Hero, obtaining a license, working for an Agency, and eventually going independent.
One of the youngest Pro Heroes in history, outdone only by Hawks.
However, when Tenko found out the purpose of the training was his grandmother, and to become Toshinori's successor, he did not take it well. He saw it as nepotism, giving him special treatment and favors only because of who he related to, rather than his actual merits and skills. Unfair to the others who had also done their best to achieve their dreams. Knowing that, he felt unworthy of his license, but still wished to help people. He rejected One for All, to become Toshinori's successor.
Since then, Tenko excelled at search and rescue thanks to his Quirk, and received generous amounts of media attention thanks to his young age
But it eventually died down. When the next big thing came about attracting the people, it wasn't the eye-catching headline topic it was anymore. It was better that way, as it allowed Tenko to take time off the cameras. He began taking part time jobs as well, making extra money for his mother and elder sister, the latter who tried finding work herself, with little luck.
These days, however, with a U.A. teacher's salary, it eliminated the need for part time jobs and helped them be well-off these days.
Luckily, their relationship recently improved, even if a little. Tenko was more willing to speak with Toshinori, more so once he helped him become a part of the U.A. teacher faculty. Even if the original plan was to just be an assistant, and even if he was hurt by Toshinori's actions, he still trusted him, and kept his secret.
"Any interesting plans for today, Toshinori?" Tenko asked his grandmother's successor, finishing applying his medicine.
"Ah, just some back to basics," Toshinori said, performing a "meh" hand gesture. "The sports festival is within two weeks, so I want Classes 1-A and 1-B to be ready as they can be for it."
"Ah right." Tenko knew about the Sports Festival, in fact, he remembered his year's sports festival. He did not win, of course. In fact, he lost the cavalry battle. It was probably for the best, however, since if anything, Tenko would have dropped out of the battles. His Quirk was unkind towards people, and made fighting incredibly difficult. Luckily, he got a few offers who saw his Quirks potential in search and rescue, which is where he realized his Quirk's true potential when it came to saving lives.
"I'm honestly a bit worried…" Tenko said, having a sour look on his face. "My class isn't the worst, but also...I'm worried about...some students…"
"Bakugo?" Toshinori knew.
"Bakugo." Tenko nodded. "He's a brilliant student, he clearly trained himself and has begun to push himself more. If he faced that sludge man today, he would definitely win. Unfortunately…" He rubbed the back of his neck, before that rubbing became scratching, to which Toshinori gently grabbed his hand and stopped him, knowing that scratching was something Tenko should not be doing. "He's arrogant, loudmouthed, and has no filter whatsoever. I know that boy has a sense of pride, and a desire to better himself every day. When he sees a weakness in himself, he gets angry." Toshinori looked on at Tenko as he explained and assessed Katsuki Bakugo's strengths and weaknesses, feeling a sense of fatherly pride seeing Tenko grow into the role of teacher, clearly understanding what his students needed.
"My finest student, however…" Tenko's expression changed to a happy smile. "I think I would have to say it's Eijiro Kirishima, and Tenya Iida."
"Really?" Toshinori was rather astonished. "I would imagine it would be Shoto Todoroki."
"Shoto-kun is talented, I won't deny, but he's not sociable. A Hero can't always be a solo act. Teamwork is an important element," Tenko explained further. "But Kirishima and Iida, those two show extraordinary growth potential! Not to mention, they get incredibly well with everyone else in class. I would say, they have potential as leaders."
"I guess that's true enough… raw talent alone can't make a Hero." The irony wasn't lost on Toshinori being the one to say that, but he quickly smiled once more. "Well, I suppose it just means we have to do our roles as teachers, and help these students become the finest Heroes of Japan."
Tenko nodded, before awkwardly asking a somewhat sensitive question. "Have you found any candidates?"
Toshinori's expression softened a bit. Not quite sad, but not quite happy either. "It is difficult." Toshinori said. "Class 1-A and 1-B all have excellent people to look and choose from. Katsuki Bakugo, Eijiro Kirishima, Itsuka Kendo, Juzo Honenuki, there's just too many…" He rubbed his chin, awkwardly moving on. "Not to mention Sir Nighteye keeps calling me, trying to make us meet so he can introduce me to what he calls the perfect successor…"
"Isn't that good, though?" Tenko was still confused about Toshinori and Nighteye's rocky relationship.
"It's too awkward," Toshinori simply answered. "I'm not ready to see face to face again."
"Are you really an adult…?".
8 A.M., first class of the day began. Tenko Shimura stood at his desk, his students sitting down at their seats, before clearing his throat. "Two weeks, in two weeks, the Sports Festival begins. When I was your age, I participated within it. We went over it a few times already, but I think it's important to let you all know. Victory is not everything. Performance and determination is important, as well."
Tenya Iida raised his arm, always the first to do so, and Tenko gave him permission to speak ."Shimura-sensei! Did you win the Sports Festival?!"
"Nah," Tenko answered without wasting a second more. "I lost miserably, but I still got agency offers. Which brings us back to what I said before; victory is not everything in the Sports Festival."
Momo Yaoyorozu raised her arm, and was given permission to speak. "Shimura-sensei, will you be watching us during the Sports Festival?"
"Of course," Tenko smiled towards his students. "I would be proud to see my students, be they fail or win."
Tenko Shimura has become a teacher, and it brought him great joy. Despite his age, he showcased quick adaptability. In hindsight, Tenko was always a quick learner, it was his greatest talent. It made up for his Quirk being dangerous. He never wished to use it on a person, and never used it directly in a fight against a villain, opting for improving his physical performance and learning battle tactics to find any way to win, even if it involves running away.
"I want you all to stick together. This will test your abilities, solo and teamwork. Intellect, strength and Quirks all will be judged. Heroism, altruism, and camaraderie. Every part of you will be judged. You will give your first impressions to the Heroes watching as well, either on stage or through the TV. So… everyone! Do your best! Go beyond!"
"PLUS ULTRA!" The students shouted uproariously, in unison with their teacher, their combined enthusiasm shaking the very foundation of the school.
Recess came, break time for the students. All Might, buffed up and exuding the might of Atlas, drank tea by the window, reading the newspaper, sitting in the teacher's room. He looked out the window, seeing the students hang about, chatting among one another. All Might felt endless, pure joy seeing these students, his students, grow and become stronger, becoming finer Heroes each and every day.
But in his heart, he was anxious. Villain attacks at irregular hours became more common, and as a direct result, Heroes became more cautious, teaming up, forming official teams. Thankfully, it also resulted in Hero injuries facing them becoming less common. And yet, it was all too odd.
These Villains had similar themes. They all mentioned a "New Age" for villains, and they all attacked on their own, even when facing multiple Heroes. They said it like reading a script, following an act they practiced for hours and hours. Granted, each one had some variation at least, but the meaning stayed the same. All Might knew it was like a conspiracy theory, but he feared the worst. He feared his nemesis may be returning, and this was his way of giving a message to them, a warning for what's to come.
"All Might?" Midnight snapped All Might out of his trance. "You seem pale."
"Oh, do I? I guess I need more sun, then! Hahahaha!" He avoided worrying Midnight and his fellow teachers. "Midnight, my dear! How's your teaching the students going?" All Might immediately changed the topic.
"Class 1-A is doing diligent work." Midnight replied, blushing as she recalled her students. "My star pupil is Hitoshi Shinso! That boy is going to be a true Hero one day! Oh, the beauty of youth keeps me strong to continue everyday!" She giddily danced about in place. "Ah, what luck, a class full of cuties, who are as smart as they are adorable! I feel immeasurable pride, All Might!"
He didn't expect such enthusiasm, but he didn't mind it either. "That's excellent news!"
"Those kids are doing their best, yo!" Present Mic joined the conversation, loud and proud. "But I gotta tell ya, I'm scared of how many english curse words that Bakugo kid knows already."
"Does he now…?" All Might responds, trying to act surprised.
"Speaking of, me and Midnight are going to visit Aizawa after school today! You wanna join?" Present Mic was a close friend of Aizawa, as was Midnight, having been fellow students in the same school, albeit not all in the same school year.
"Ah, I appreciate the invite! But really, being here is already too much rest. I must do my work as a Hero still, you know!" All Might bellowed in laughter. In reality, he had to take rest time. Recovery Girl forced him to take a day off to let his body rest after working himself too much last week. He would say no, but All Might wasn't foolish enough to oppose her.
In the meantime, Class 1-A hung around together during recess time.
"Hey, Bakugo," Eijiro Kirishima, sitting on a bench in the school campus alongside his friend, Katsuki Bakugo, called out to the blondie. "You wanna team up for the Sports Festival?"
"Heh, you think I need a team up? I'll win that thing solo!" Katsuki arrogantly declared his assured victory.
"Actually, I hear one of the rounds mandates the formation of teams, ribbit," Tsuyu said, placing her finger on her lip.
"Kirishima! Round face! Thunder calves! You're on my team!" How quickly the tables turned.
"What?! Why would I team up with such a ruffian, when I can go for Shinso?!" Tenya said, directing his arms at Shinso.
"I really don't mind it, honestly. I can form a different team," Hitoshi replied, before turning to some of his classmates. "Hey, Tsu, Ashido, Sero, wanna join my team?"
"Aw yeah! I'll show you what's what for keeping me out of your team, Bakugo!" Mina declared, showing friendly rivalry with Bakugo's team for rejecting her.
"Sure, I don't mind," Hanta was more amicable, however.
"How do we know it's a four-team joint though, ribbit?" Tsuyu brought up a valid point.
"I read up on past festivals. They tend to be four team battles of sorts. Not actual battles per se, but battles nonetheless." Hitoshi explained, looking at his classmates, who seemed confused. "...Please don't tell me none of you did independent research on the last festivals." They awkwardly tried avoiding eye contact and answering that question, causing Hitoshi to rub his forehead in frustration and sigh.
"Uhm..." Momo spoke up first. "I did light research on last year's festival."
"Thank you, Momo, at least someone here is serious about this."
"What did you say, brainiac?!" Katsuki took Hitoshi's insult personally
"Don't feel bad, Bakugo. Just hope the Festival is mostly physical exams and nothing written." He sarcastically said
"You shit! I got good grades, dammit!" Katsuki shot back. "I got triple A's and S's! They don't even make S's, they had to invent them because of how good my grades were! My old hag gave me all the gifts because I kept bringing good grades!"
"You're so easy to read, man…" Hitoshi despaired.
"Hey, you chicks wanna join my team?" Minoru Mineta asked Momo, Kyoka and Toru, who immediately rejected and looking away in disgust.
"How about me?" Rikido Sato awkwardly and innocently asked, not expecting the girls to excitedly say yes, much to Minoru's extreme despair, causing him to cry tears of blood... if he could, anyway.
"Don't worry, Mineta, you pervert." Mezo Shoji cooly entered the conversation "You can join me, Koda and Tokoyami." He said, as the rock-like Koji and the crow-headed Fumikage waved at Minoru.
"I'd rather die than be on Team Sausage Party, are you kidding me?!" Minoru predictably reacted very negatively, but he couldn't say no, since he'd be left high and dry and with a probably worse team if he rejected this offer.
All the while, Shoto sat a bit farther from the rest of his class, looking at his phone, giving a faint smile as he read through the messages he was exchanging with Mikumo Akatani. They exchanged numbers not long ago, and in fact, still held onto the blazer he gave him. He let him keep it, so he felt bad returning it after being gifted it.
"Who are you talking with, Todoroki-san?" The ever elegant Yuga Aoyama slided into the conversation, though he knew to respect privacy, so he didn't peek at his phone. It was just personal space he didn't respect. "You seem happy, I never seen you smile so much."
Shoto's smile died in a nanosecond, as he closes his phone's screen and refusing to answer
"Don't tell me you got a girlfriend, man, I'd feel betrayed, but not surprised," Denki said. He was a failure of a womanizer, though he didn't want to admit to it, and felt threatened by Shoto's naturally better looks and being more popular in general. "I thought we made a pact to never date until we both found a girl for each other."
"We never talked until now," Shoto bluntly replied, shutting down Denki's unfunny jokes.
"Come on guys, give Todoroki space." Mashirao Ojiro said, knowing Shoto wasn't a fan of this sort of unwanted attention and invasion of personal space.
"You're right, it isn't elegant at all!" Yuga said, instantly creating distance between him and Shoto, shedding tears like a begotten lover who gave up on his princess.
Shoto stood up, taking his bag with him and began to walk away-
"Hey, half and half!"
But stopped once Katsuki called to him, turning to meet him eye to eye. "You better not lose, bastard. I'm the only one who's gonna beat you and show your punk ass what's what!"
"What is what?" Shoto seriously asked, glaring at Katsuki. It was not sarcastic, Shoto genuinely didn't understand what he's saying.
"...Well, the what is that you're not better than me just 'cause you got yourself the right genes from the Number Two Hero, of course!" Katsuki didn't expect Shoto to be so stiff.
"I thought I was your rival, man," Eijiro said, feeling left out in this confrontation.
"A man can have more than one rival, Kirishima!" Katsuki angrily replied to Eijiro, who looked at him puppy eyed and teary.
"Really…?! So we're still rivals?"
"You're making this awkward, dude, please stop that." Katsuki said, weirded out.
More hours passed, and the school day ended, same as always. An average day, with nothing of note.
However, when Shoto exited the U.A. school gate, also known as the U.A. Barrier which kept the pesky media reporters out, he saw, to his surprise, Tomura Shigaraki, known to him as Mikumo Akatani, on crutches and waiting for him outside. He wore a typical black school uniform, though his jacket was unbuttoned, and had a cast on his right leg.
"Shoto-kun!" Tomura called out to Shoto, who quickly went up to him. "I hope you don't mind me surprising you with this visit!"
"Mikumo-san, why are you here?" Shoto said, concerned at seeing Tomura out of the hospital "And what happened to your leg?" He said, referring to Tomura's broken right leg.
"Ah, well...if I said it you'd get worried so…" Tomura couldn't tell Shoto what truly happened, only give something vague. He couldn't let him know that Stain attacked him in the middle of the night while he rested in his room, breaking his arm through the window, and grabbing him, pulling him as he climbed alongside the building and to the hospital's roof, throwing him.
Stain grew impatient with Tomura, more so seeing him sit and do nothing in a hospital room, seemingly wasting time making friends instead of continuing his plans after he decided to follow him. It took a bit of convincing, but Tomura was able to subside Stain, by playing into his ego and goals.
"If you think something must be done, why not try and force change and attack Endeavor?" Tomura knew about Endeavor, the Flame Hero who was ironically known for his cold disposition and being rather unlikeable, yet managed to achieve the Number Two position, and to Stain, was the prime example of a fake Hero, who wasn't worthy of being so close to All Might.
It was that play into his ego and ideals that subsided Stain off him, though he gave a warning that he won't wait more patiently if he continues to dilly dally about. But before he left, Tomura requested him to break his leg, since he said it would benefit them both if he could get more information out of U.A. by playing up Shoto's sympathy, and perhaps the sympathy of others.
The hospital staff eventually found Tomura, who was crying and with a broken leg on the roof, as the silhouette of the villain was visible for a moment before he disappeared.
"Who's this?" Ochaco asked, referring to Tomura, back in present time
"Uraraka-san…" Shoto looked at Tomura, who was suddenly blushing furiously "Mikumo-san…?"
"Mikumo? Are you a friend of Todoroki's?" She asked the freckled boy, whose face only grew redder once Ochaco began talking to him, simply nodding. "Oh, that's fantastic! I was getting worried Shoto had no friends at all…"
"A girl…! Is talking to me!" Tomura told the truth, albeit it remained exclusive to his inner thoughts
"My gods!" Tenya was next, loudly making his presence known. "A friend of Todoroki-san?!" He excitedly yelled, his arms moving in even more bizarre gestures than usual. "It is a pleasure to meet you, whoever you are!"
"M-...My name is…"
"Oho, a friend of Todoroki's?" Yuga came onto the scene, cutting of Tomura before he could answer, and soon the other Class 1-A students gathered around the two, wanting to meet this so-called friend of Shoto Todoroki, the class lone wolf
"How did you and Shoto meet?" Kyoka asked.
"He saved me from a villain attack. The one where I entered the class with blood all over. It was mostly his, after he pushed me out of the way of the villain's bullet," Shoto casually replied, not even fazed by the words coming out of his mouth, which worried his classmates further.
"Wow! You saved him?! That's manly as hell, dude!" Eijiro complimented Tomura's bravery. "You must have nerves of steel!" Tomura's expression and body language shows a very nervous wreck who wasn't used to such a large crowd around him
"Truly, a Hero who could face the abyss." Fumikage nodded to himself, Dark Shadow nodding as well.
"Yes! Truly you are worthy of the title of Hero!" Tenya proudly exclaimed, flashing a wide smile.
As the class gathered and talked to the two, Katsuki simply looked back, confused. He was unable to see Tomura behind all of them, and couldn't care less, but sat back and waited for Eijiro to come back, since they promised to walk home together and get some drinks on the way back.
"That's truly admirable." Momo complimented Tomura as well, causing him to go even redder, if such a thing was possible, shyly covering his face with one arm, using the other with keep himself standing with his crutch, while Shoto casually grabbed his released crutch as it began to fall, supporting his friend wordlessly. "May I ask, what is your name, Saviour of Todoroki?" Momo requested his name, rather dramatically.
"M-...Mikumo...Akatani…" He muttered lightly, too nervous to speak up.
"Hey, give the guy some space!" Ochaco said, dispersing everyone to allow Tomura some breathing room "Sorry, go on."
"M...My name is…" Tomura took a deep breath, Shoto placing his hand on his shoulder to calm him down, a sight that caused some of the girls to gossip amongst themselves "My name is...Mikumo Akatani. It's a pleasure to meet you all, U.A. Students, Shoto-kun's friends."
"Shoto-kun…?!" The students were surprised Shoto had a friend, but were simply awestruck at Tomura referring to him by his given name in such a friendly and casual manner.
"Amazing!" Tenya continued to be his usual self, without an indoor voice. "I am truly amazed that a person such as you exists! I had heard of you! I saw you in the news when you were interviewed!" He said, realizing why the boy looked so familiar before. He was the one who saved Shoto, yes, but he was also the one who was on TV not long ago, interviewed for his bravery, but one thing stuck to Tenya during that entire interview.
"My body moved on its own." Tenya repeated the lines "That's what you said. To think you had the innate instinct within you to save someone."
"I don't deserve all this praise…" Tomura once again deflected compliments as usual, covering his mouth, blushing
"Cute…" Ochaco and the other girls thought to themselves, taken aback by how simply lovable Tomura came across.
"Hey don't put yourself down, man!" Eijiro encouraged Tomura. "What you did was what a real Hero does! You should be proud!"
"You would've been a great student here at U.A.!" Mina said.
"I agree. To save someone else, what a truly elegant thing to do." Yuga seconded that
"Yeah, you must have a lot of ladies chasing after you. Could you introduce me?" Minoru was quickly kicked by Tsuyu into the wall for his inappropriate comment, knocking the grape boy out. It was almost by instinct, too.
"No...really. You all calling me a Hero…" Tomura stopped blushing as hard, still traces remained, but a clear sadness became clear in his eyes. Katsuki couldn't quite see Tomura still, but he did get a slight peek at his fluffy, messy hair, squinting his eyes and leaning forward to get a better look. However, before he could get a good glimpse at him, All Might exited the U.A. Barrier.
"Ah, young Bakugo!" He said, noticing Katsuki, before All Might turned and saw the crowd of students that formed around Tomura
"I'm actually Quirkless… I gave up on becoming a Hero long ago…" Tomura said, as the students, All Might and Katsuki included, heard his somber words, with Shoto trying to comfort his friend further, being the one who already knew about it, and how painful it must be to explain it once more "I appreciate all your words… but I don't think this is possible for me, haha…" He tried to pass it off as nothing with a laugh, but the students could tell he was truly, and utterly, broken over his crushed dreams
"Nonsense!" All Might exclaimed, catching everyone's attention, with Tomura's being the one that stood out the most. The Symbol of Peace, casually standing in front of him, the man he swore to kill, right there for the picking, just for him, in a golden opportunity
But he held back, it was still too early, he hadn't even made his villain debut. Tomura had to be patient
"Anyone can be a Hero!" All Might said, as Tomura's expression became that of surprise and shock. "Why, any good deed makes you a Hero! Helping a kitten off a tree, helping an old lady cross the streets! Giving your neighbor a helping hand!" But that quickly faded, as All Might's words were not what he wanted to hear, they were just lines out of a commercial script, a calculated formula for children. "You don't need a Quirk to be a Hero, just being a good person makes you one. By default, this means you are all Heroes! Just not officially licensed ones."
These were not the words Tomura wanted to hear.
"All Might…" Tomura walked in front of the students, making himself come clear in view, as the students moved away to allow him to get closer, crutches and all/ "Can someone Quirkless, like me...be a Hero, like you?" He asked All Might the one thing he always wanted. Despite his goals and ambitions, All Might was still Tomura's idol from when he was Izuku Midoriya, still the man who forged this strong determination and gave birth to the glimmer in his eyes
All Might looked into the boy's eyes, simple, black. The very absence of color. It was the very definition of "dead eyes". He could tell, this boy's drive died already, but he asked him - nay - he begged him, a Hero who stood at the very top, to give him the definite answer, the final answer to this question that was burning in his heart for years, the thing he wanted to hear, from someone who would know it better than anyone else.
All Might got down on one knee, looking the boy in the face. "Young man, I understand you have a strong drive to be a Hero. You are the one who saved young Todoroki, aren't you? Yes, the boy in the interviews! You were nervous, but that's how everyone's first interview goes!" All Might said, trying to give it to him as delicately as he could, especially with the other students watching. This boy, in crutches from a broken leg, and underneath his clothes, a bullet wound from a villain's attack that could have killed him, was truly fit to be a Hero. He had the heart and spirit of one. All Might knew this, but that's what he feared, seeing children with big dreams getting killed because this modern world romanticizes the acts of Heroism. It was a necessity in today's world, but not mandatory.
"My body moved on its own" was what Tomura said in that interview, catching All Might's eye when he heard it. A common phrase spoken by some of the greatest heroes, when they made their first act of heroism, saving someone, helping someone, simply doing what was right.
The others, however, didn't always survive. A majority of them died from this reckless action, their body making the choice, rather than their rationality and mind, and a majority were also Quirkless people, wanting to be like those Heroes.
"But," It was hopeless. "a Hero is a dangerous occupation, young Akatani." It was futile and pointless "Even with a Quirk, it is. That's why Entrance Exams are overkill in some academies, such as U.A." Why did you even think the answer would be different this time? "You can always be a Police Officer, a Fireman! There are many other paths you can take to help people. Being a Hero isn't the only thing."
Being a Hero was Tomura's dream.
For all his life, it was his dream. While he stopped pursuing it, he never truly gave up on it. In his path of villainy, Tomura wanted to still see and learn about Heroes. He gave up on being one, but not the dream. He wanted to see great Heroes be born, he wanted to be among greater villains.
He lived in a paradoxical state of mind.
Torn between Izuku Midoriya, the boy who dreamed, and Tomura Shigaraki, the boy who accepted his fate and changed it in response to those crushed dreams.
He knew that it was foolish to still cling to it, he didn't want to kill it.
All For One, his sensei, told him it was foolish, but he didn't give it up.
Kurogiri, his mother, his friends, his teachers, all of them told him.
"You can't be a Hero", directly or indirectly.
"I understand," Tomura answered. He smiled, not a hint of anguish on his face, as if a stone was lifted off his heart, a heavy weight on his shoulders removed. There were no shackles holding him anymore "Thank you, All Might. I waited for that answer."
In the end, the one to kill this dream, was the one who started it.
"Well!" All Might stood up, the air reverberating like a mountain that suddenly grew in a second, shaking the earth with its might. A very jovial, optimistic mountain. "I must go, unfortunately! I must head out and get things ready for the Sports Festival!" As he said that, All Might took one leap, leaving the scene as fast as he came in.
In doing so, however, he cleared the view for Katsuki and Tomura to meet eye to eye. The two simply looked at one another. Tomura's face was that of a boy who reunited with an old friend, one he hasn't seen in a decade. It was joy, in the simplest manner of the word.
However, in contrast, Katsuki's face was pure terror and shock, confusion. He felt disoriented, his entire body beginning to lose balance, his vision blurry. Was this Izuku Midoriya? Standing in front of him? Izuku? Deku? The Quirkless loser Deku? That Deku? Good for nothing?
The same fluffy hair. The same smile, same freckles. Soft, round features. Weak silhouette, short, and those dumb red sneakers.
But those eyes, those were not his eyes. The green, almost emerald color they had was gone, replaced by a clear black. Dead, fish-like eyes that haven't been getting sleep in the last few years, and that was before he noticed the eyebags.
A ghost from his past, alive and well, in the flesh, breathing the same air as him.
He could almost swear he heard him refer to Katsuki by a name he hasn't heard in years.
"Kacchan."
"Hey, Bakugo, you alright?" Eijiro, the first to notice that he seemed unwell, asked Katsuki, snapping him out of his turmoil and simply looked at Eijiro with a frightened look. Without saying a word, Katsuki walked away, his face twisting, quickly taking the first turn and going out of sight. "Hey, wait man!"
"D-...did I do something…?" Tomura acted concerned, worried he may have somehow offended Katsuki by his mere presence.
"Sorry, Bakugo's a bit of a weirdo when it comes to new people," Eijiro said, chasing after Katsuki.
"Well, tell him I'm sorry too!" Tomura yelled to Eijiro, before turning back to the others "Well, it's been a pleasure to meet you all, but..."
"Of course! It would be rude to get in the way of your bonding time!" Tenya said, beginning to disperse the other.s "Come now! Make room!"
"Actually, I was gonna say I don't mind if you guys join. We're just going to get some drinks and grab a bite to eat." Tomura said "Well, if Shoto-kun doesn't mind, I mean."
Shoto was surprised for a moment, before answering. "I...suppose more people wouldn't hurt," he awkwardly said. "Mikumo-san seems to wish for more company."
"Well then! I suppose whoever can join us can come!" Tenya then rebutted himself, beginning to gather the students back together, who only thought to themselves about how Tenya already prematurely decided he's accompanying Shoto and Tomura.
"Hey, Bakugo, where are you, dude?" Eijiro in the meantime went out to look for Katsuki, calling out and looking for him. He soon heard a rather viscous liquid sound, coming from an alley between two buildings. Upon further inspection, Eijiro saw Katsuki, gagging and vomiting among trash cans and bags. "Bakugo?! Are you okay?!" He quickly tried to get closer to Katsuki, before he quickly turned around, slapping Eijiro's hand away
"Stay the fuck back!" Katsuki yelled, before his cheeks swelled up, vomit building up, retching on the earth again, losing strength in his legs and falling on his knees "I…" He felt Eijiro's hand on his back, patting him to comfort him despite his angry outburst.
"You get food poisoning, man? That's not like you, you got a steel stomach for anything."
"That's…" Katsuki retched up again, vomiting some more "That kid… he shouldn't…" He brushed his hair, clearly in a panic, tears down his cheeks due to the intense vomiting, or emotional duress.
"What are you talking about, Bakugo?" Eijiro kneeled down next to Katsuki, helping him stand up. "You can talk to me. If something's happening, let me know."
Katsuki simply looked at Eijiro, before looking away, wiping his mouth with his uniform's sleeve, and wiping his eyes and face with the other sleeve. It was still unusual for him to remember that, in his time in U.A., he has made true friends who don't abandon him the minute they don't need him anymore.
"I…" Katsuki still struggled to speak. "I had a bad stomach." It would be difficult to explain the situation anyway, he thought. How could he? Explaining that his childhood friend, Izuku Midoriya, was Mikumo Akatani, who he didn't even know was going by Tomura Shigaraki now. Even then, was that really Izuku? Or just some doppelganger? A coincidental look-a-like?
It was probably best to leave that for now, more urgent things were soon.
"I should get some rest."
"You should! You've been overworking yourself to death for the Sports Festival!" Eijiro placed his arm around Katsuki's shoulder. "Listen, training is important, but you gotta be moderate! Overkill ain't good! Too much of something good can be bad!"
"Yeah, like you're one to talk," Katsuki snarked, flashing a smirk
"Come on, I at least make sure to get rest," Eijiro shot back "Well, not that it matters. In two weeks, the Sports Festival begins! We're gonna kick serious ass, dude! And each other's, probably." He said, as the two friends began walking away, continuing their day as they planned, hanging out with each other, and preparing further for the Festival.
And so it came, U.A. Sports Festival. One of the most popular annual events in the country and the world in general. Humanity always enjoyed friendly competition, via sports and olympics, but with the birth of Quirks, the equation changed, and became more exciting.
Students of all Grades participated within the tournament. They wore the school's gym uniform, as to avoid their Costumes giving an unfair advantage, forcing the students to rely on their own Quirks and raw skill.
The first event was a race, an obstacle course, of which only the 42 top students could pass onto the next round; the cavalry battle, a team-up battle where the goal was the accumulation of points from the "rider" of the other team, who wore a headband with a designated value point.
Class 1-B seemed to clash quite a bit with 1-A, especially when instigated by the blonde weirdo Neito Monoma. Most found him rather annoying, rather than intimidating, however, compared to their class rep, Itsuka Kendo.
But those events came and went, and the true main event began at last, the battle tournament. A showcase of fighting prowess. If one wishes to be a Hero, they must know self-defense. The villains they could face would not give them the time of day.
Among the first round battles, Momo Yaoyorozu faced Fumikage Tokoyami, but unfortunately lost. Tenya Iida was fooled into a very elaborate showcase of inventions by the genius inventor Hatsume Mei, the eccentric gadgeteer of U.A., in order to catch the eyes of sponsors
And at this moment, Katsuki Bakugo was about to face Hitoshi Shinso.
Many of the Heroes watching, including the Number Two and Number One Heroes, and some muttered amongst themselves. They gauged all the students, seeing what skills and talent they showcased. This opportunity was one the students couldn't lose, the chance to further their careers from an early stage by getting the eye of Pros, especially with so many eyes on them thanks to the Sports Festival's reputation.
"And now!" Midnight announced the fight, as she had for the previous battles beforehand "The zombie-like Hitoshi Shinso will face off against the ever explosive and chaotic Katsuki Bakugo!" She declared, getting the audience excited. They did not know of Hitoshi, since he kept a relatively low profile, but Katsuki was gaining attention for his talent, and being the boy who made the bold declaration of besting All Might and dethroning him.
All Might watched from a private viewing room, one located above the audience stands, out of the view of everyone else, with the Principal, Nezu, at his side, sharing a cup of tea with his friend "Doesn't this seem unfair…?" Toshinori, in his true withered form, commented on this match up
"I admit, Hitoshi Shinso proves the Entrance Exam needs some rework to accommodate less combat oriented Quirks, but this situation can't be helped." Nezu commented, taking a sip of his tea. "You see, All Might, a villain isn't going to go as easy as Bakugo will in this fight. Even if we make the Entrance Exam fairer towards Quirks like Shinso's, it doesn't change that villains will show him no mercy if he can't make use of his Quirk, thus compensation for his weaknesses have to be done," he explained. "I believe, however, that Shinso has great potential, and a chance at winning, even if Bakugo knows how his Quirk works. He saved someone during the Entrance Exam and accumulated enough Rescue Points. A real Hero in the making."
"Alright, you two lovelies!" Midnight shouted. "Battle to the sounds of youth!"
And so the battle began.
But neither moved.
The air was tense, and the audience looked on in awe. They could only muster what strategies and forward thinking these two were having, already being ten steps ahead in their mind on how this battle was going to go. Especially with Hitoshi, the relative unknown of Class 1-A, as his Quirk wasn't as well-known to a majority of them.
In reality, however, Hitoshi simply yawned, waiting for Katsuki to make the first move, while Katsuki waited for Hitoshi to open his mouth, so he could take that opening.
It was a simple psychological warfare.
Hitoshi knew that Katsuki expected him to speak, try to get him to fall for his Brainwashing, but not answer and use that moment of dialogue to attack when Hitoshi's defenses were down, so he waited for him to attack, so that he could immediately counter attack, or dodge, using the one chance he had to get victory via ring out. He was already ahead of him.
Unfortunately, Katsuki expected Hitoshi's first move to be the most important one, since he wasn't particularly known for his physical strength, and Katsuki knew how his Quirk worked, so he must have something up his sleeve, a deciding factor in the first move, no matter how slim, that will grant him victory. Katsuki simply waited for Hitoshi to act first, the two in a metaphorical headlock and aware of the importance of their first action.
To put it simply, the two were stuck in a quiet struggle.
After the first five minutes, the audience lost interest, being rather bored. They began chatting amongst one another, about other topics of conversation, clearly no longer caring about the two boys. Even Present Mic was struggling to keep interest, when all he had to comment on was two kids standing and staring at one another in the world's most intense game of redlight greenlight, but without any player to call greenlight.
Suddenly, however, the silence finally broke. "You know, you really lose your one advantage when people know your Quirk." Katsuki said, as the audience finally became interested again, finally seeing some progress "You should work on that. Avoid the media, like Shimura-sensei, that way you can keep that information under wraps." Katsuki was aware of Hitoshi's Quirk, and that the minute he spoke, any verbal response would be game over. He could just command him to "walk" and get a win by ringout, not even needing to raise a finger, his hands would still be in his pockets in that casual posture since the match began "You can't brainwash more than one person at once, but you should try and hone that. If you can somehow expand it to be heard by people in a wide radius and affect just a few of them to your limit, you could basically completely change a battle in a second."
Hitoshi didn't answer. He could see right through Katsuki's ruse. Trying to distract him by giving him these tips and advice, something he's never done for anyone. It was completely unlike him, it was so against the very nature of everything Katsuki Bakugo was, that Hitoshi almost begged for him to throw an insult to offset how wrong it felt.
Katsuki took one step forward, still fully on guard, despite knowing Hitoshi had no combat abilities, and no possibility to guard against any attack he threw at him. He might be able to dodge, since he developed quite the athletic build after joining Class 1-A. "Shimura-sensei," he continued, "is a good teacher."
The aforementioned Tenko Shimura was watching among the audience, intently looking at his students facing each other, well aware of what Katsuki was trying to do. He was a clever boy, his aggressive nature was at least advantageous in making his opponent doubt him, but he got the unfortunate pairing of facing Hitoshi, who was even more clever. Tenko knew the students better than anyone else in these stands, and to him, it could be anyone's win.
"Your Quirk would fit a villain," Katsuki continued, taking another step forward, causing Hitoshi's eyes to wince momentarily, breaking his expressionless streak. "But you yourself don't. I don't think the Quirk makes the person. If anything, the fact you chose to be a Hero despite what people may have said, proves you're fit for Heroism."
That wasn't a lie.
Hitoshi knew Katsuki respected people with strong Quirks, but more so people with determination and drive to chase their dreams. He respected Eijiro Kirishima, someone who was as loud as he was strong, sticking around Katsuki and being probably the only person who could stand and manage him, for that exact reason.
He valued people who were like him, but also unlike him. He'd just never admit it outright. Hitoshi is probably the only student who figured that out.
Katsuki Bakugo respected Hitoshi Shinso. Someone who managed to pass the Entrance Exam by just being a Hero, not particularly strong, or even talented, just heroic.
Hitoshi raised his arm, finally making his move. "Bakugo." Hitoshi flashed a smile, before lowering his arm, raising his middle finger up towards Katsuki, the famous "birdy" "Eat shit." He sneered arrogantly, his smile now a wide shit-eating grin.
Predictably, Katsuki's reaction was simple fury, he was about to shout in rage as well, but quickly placed his hand on his mouth, before using his right hand to create an explosion, boosting himself forward "Shinso!" He couldn't say it out loud, but he did think of many creative swears and curse words, ones the world will sadly never get to hear
As he shot forward like a rocket, Hitoshi simply stood in place, and seconds before impact would happen, Hitoshi bent to the side, avoiding Katsuki's head on attack, expecting the blonde bastard to keep flying into a ring out, just as he hoped, but Katsuki quickly released another explosion in front of him, stopping his advance and shooting himself backwards.
He wanted to yell, but he wasn't aware if there was some sort of "cooldown" to when Hitoshi started speaking when someone answered for his Quirk to work. So, to be safe, he kept his mouth shut.
Katsuki didn't waste much time after, rushing at Hitoshi again, but stopping dead in his tracks when Hitoshi said three words:
"I give up."
Hitoshi dropped the match, much to everyone's surprise and disappointment. "That was my only chance at actually beating you, any further and I'll just regret it." His reasoning was sound. Katsuki knew how Hitoshi's Quirk works, and despite being a brute, was smart enough to keep his mouth shut and completely avoid falling for it. His taunting will get a response, just not the verbal ones he needed.
"Huh?!" Katsuki, of course, didn't take that well "Fuck you mean you give up, asshole! Fight me on, bastard!"
"I...I guess Hitoshi Shinso has dropped out! Our winner is Katsuki Bakugo!" Midnight announced, much to the bewilderment of everyone present and watching on TV or the audiences, with the slowest and most boring match of the event so far.
"No, shut up!" Katsuki kept complaining, refusing to leave even as Hitoshi simply walked off stage, eventually he had to be dragged away, refusing to accept this kind of victory "I'll kick your ass Shinso, you fucking watch me, you zombie looking insomniac, I'll show you what Monopoly looks like when you cheat at it! You goddamn sleepy-eyes bitch, just wait until I get these assholes off me, I'll give you the meanest beatdown!" It was a very embarrassing display for Tenko, who covered his face in shame, while his mother Mitsuki simply laughed at her son's predicament from the comfort of her home with Masaru nervously twitching.
A few more matches occurred, of note was Tenya Iida fighting against his good friend Ochaco Uraraka. While the gravity girl put up a good fight, having a plan in place, she unfortunately lost to Tenya and his superior speed. Though, there were no hard feelings amongst them, if anything, the battle strengthened their bond, and gave them a new drive to get stronger.
Unfortunately, Tenya then lost to Eijiro, who's solid body knocked Tenya down when they clashed multiple times.
Finally, the semi-finals began, and Katsuki's turn came again, this time a fight against the one he would call his best friend, Eijiro Kirishima.
"Hmm…" In the audience, Tenko kept watching. He was looking forward to this match up. Class 1-A's greatest shield, Eijiro Kirishima, Hardening Quirk, and one of their greatest hard hitters, Katsuki Bakugo, with his Explosion Quirk. It could be anyone's win, just like Katsuki's last fight. "What will you do, Katsuki… Eijiro…" He muttered to himself.
"I think it's Bakugo's win." Tenko looked next to him, seeing Tomura sitting on the seat next to his own, his crutches on his knees. "Defense can't do much when this isn't a timed battle, but pure offense with good dodging can go a long way in any fight." He noted. "That's not to say Kirishima has no chance though. If he can leverage his defense and own strength, he has a shot, especially with Bakugo's own defenses not being on the same level. In an endurance match, Kirishima would definitely be the victor."
Tenko simply looked at this boy, rather surprised at this analysis of the two, before realizing it hadn't ended, and Tomura simply mumbled on, analyzing and deducing every possible outcome of the match before it even began.
It was pretty frightening, Tenk thought, since he has never seen a boy so young showcase such analytical skill and depth in thought. At this point, no one else existed in Tomura's world when the mumbling began. It was probably best to ignore him and let him be.
"And now! We begin the semi-finals!" Midnight once again declared, getting momentarily distracted when seeing her girlfriend, Mount Lady, in the first row seats of the audience, doing a "call me" gesture, clearly wanting to arrange some plans for later. Midnight quickly composed herself and continued. "One of the festival's stars, the aggressive delinquent with big dreams, Katsuki Bakugo!" Katsuki simply arrogantly smirked when the audience's cheers "And his opponent, the one who chose to chase after his idol, following his footsteps and succeed him, Red Riot, Eijiro Kirishima!" Eijiro on the other hand, simply waved to the audience, rather bashful and humble, a stark contrast with Katsuki.
"And now!" Without wasting much time, Midnight began the fight "START!".
"Come on, Bakugo, show me what the future Number One is made of!" EIjiro immediately began with a taunt, his body hardening like solid, cracked steel
"You're gonna regret that, Kirishima!" Katsuki returned the favor in kind, launching himself forward with his explosions, moving through the air like a missile of pure rage and pride "I'm not Number One yet, but neither are you!" He used his explosions again, this time to boost himself more, but also to start spinning, increasing momentum, the myriad of explosions and heat beginning to look like a flaming saw blade.
Eijiro simply took a stance, bracing for impact "Bring it, Bakugo!" In mid-air, Katsuki clashed with Eijiro, whose feet were planted in the ground, the explosive boy's attack being an open palm strike, working up a sweat by all his spinning and body movement, and the momentum he gathered making the impact stronger and the explosion he unleashed stronger and larger as a result. Eijiro simply stood and tanked it, his feet shattering the ground as he refused to budge, surprising Katsuki his face emerged from the smoke unscathed, with only his gym uniform in tatters.
"I've been working on this one just for this match, Bakugo!" Eijiro declared, quickly sidestepping while Katsuki was still in mid-air, grabbing him by the abdomen, pulling him closer, his arms wrapped around his stomach "This is a move inspired by the great Masked Wrestler Hero, Taiga Kamen!" Eijiro declared, as Katsuki tried freeing himself, but Eijiro's arms remained solid and kept him in place, like God-restraining chains imprisoning the Heaven-bound deity to the earth.
"Red Supplex!" He loudly exclaimed, his back bending as he created a full bridge, showing surprising amounts of dexterity that was unexpected for Eijiro, crashing Katsuki's head into the ring's pavement. Because of the imperfect angle and execution, however Eijiro hit his head on the pavement as well, which caused large cracking around the ring
"Kirishima...did you really…" Mina watched from the sidelines, embarrassed at Eijiro's butchering of his hyped up finishing move.
The audience themselves were in bewilderment, though Taiga Kamen had innumerable tears gushing down his cheeks, proud to have such a passionate fan.
"Gah, let me go, Kirishima, you bastard!" Katsuki yelled out, bothered by Eijiro's arm still holding him, upside down and dazed from the impact to his head.
"I'm stuck…" Eijiro embarrassingly said "I practiced this, but I never actually put it to actual use until now…" He awkwardly chuckled.
"You fucking dumbass! You're making us look bad, I'll kill you!" With that, Katsuki initiated a larger explosion than normal, forcing the two to separate. As the dust cleared, the two boys were on the other ends of the ring, separated once again. "Alright, Kirishima, I'll show you a new move too!" He declared, rushing forward at Eijiro.
"Let's go! Ultra manly!" Eijiro rushed onward as well, and the audience got excited as well; a much better display from Katsuki compared to his match against Hitoshi
When the two finally came into each other's range, Eijiro stomped the earth with one foot forward, his right arm cocking back, his waist twisting, before unwinding back, air rippling through his fist as he gathered momentum, aiming right for Katsuki's head, who dodged to the side without stopping his advance, a scratch across his cheek from grazing Eijiro's arm, unleashing an explosion on Eijiro's abdomen.
"Come on, Kirishima, that all you got?!" Katsuki roared, quickly placing his hand in front of Eijiro's face, exploding another burst of flames in close range, but Eijiro merely emerged from the smoke, like a furious dragon.
"Against you, I have to go even beyond." He replied, quickly striking Katsuki in the gut with a kick. "You know my speed is unaffected by my Hardening, right?! Some Quirks like mine sacrifice agility for the sake of defense, but not me!" Eijiro proved his point by following up his kick with both his hands meeting above his head, striking Katsuki into the pavement "Strength, Speed and Defense! I got 'em all!" He bent his upper body forward, raising one leg upwards, almost looking like an axe kick, beginning to send it down onto Katsuki.
But before it could make contact, Katsuki pressed his hand on the pavement, unleashing two explosions, one that created a cloud of smoke, and another that helped boost him out of the kick's path, said kick dug into the pavement, annihilating it into a sea of cracks and shattered stone.
Due to the smoke, Eijiro, and the audience, had no way of seeing where Katsuki went. Eijiro kept his guard up, but despite his gusto, maintaining his Hardening began to tax on him, his stamina being drained every second he kept it up.
"Here it is, Kirishima!" Katsuki declared, as a red glow became clear to the audience "I practiced this one when you weren't looking just to keep it a surprise!" The smoke cleared, as Katsuki rushed forward from behind Eijiro, his right palm glowing a brilliant crimson.
"Ultra!" He shouted, as Eijiro turned around, raising his arms in a defensive position, but when Katsuki's palm got closer to his hardened skin he could feel the heat exuding from it "SHOT!" The red palm fired like a spherical beam, the impact of it sending Eijiro flying out of the ring, with the shock to Katsuki's arm causing it to go numb, nearly dislocating his shoulder, a feeling he was familiar with from when the sludge bastard held him captive.
"A-...And with that, Katsuki wins by way of ring out!" Midnight declared, as Eijiro got back up, dusting himself off. He felt his arms nearly scorched from Katsuki's attack, and his hardening went into a "cooldown" after exerting himself further to defend against that. More than likely, even if he didn't get ringed out, Eijiro wouldn't have been able to continue the fight for very long.
Eijiro looked at Katsuki as the audience cheered him on, giving his friend a smile and thumbs up for his victory, as Katsuki returned a small smirk.
"Bakugo began developing a new technique, huh…" Tenko said. That last move was something even he hasn't seen before. Concentrating the Explosion in his palm without releasing it, causing it to intensify in heat and firepower, compressing it and then releasing it into one powerful blast, but the shock to his arm was something that stopped it from being truly powerful and useful. From the looks of it, he would need to rest his arm before it can be used, period, struggling to even lift it or his fingers.
"He's going to make amazing progress." Tomura spoke again, his mumbling having stopped when the match started. "He's been refining his Quirk all his life, but never went further to improve it since he never faced challenges that forced him to, but here in U.A., he's not the only one with that talent anymore, so he pushed himself."
"...How do you...know that?" Tenko inquired, surprised at Tomura's accurate deduction/
"Ah!" Tomura realized he was talking to himself out loud again. "I'm a friend of Shoto-kun's, you see!" Tomura immediately covered the basics, flailing his arms in a panic "He talked to me about Bakugo-san and I just deduced that from what I've seen and heard!"
"You are Todoroki's friend?" Tenko caught onto that, more so that Tomura referred to him by his given name "Are you perhaps Mikumo Akatani? I heard my students mention you often."
"Ah." Tomura flailing ceased. "So you're Shimura-sensei?"
"You didn't even know…?"
"I assumed you were just a curious Pro Hero." Tomura replied.
"Well, regardless of that. I'm glad to know Todoroki is making good friends." Tenko said, crossing his arms "That was pretty apt analysis. You're quite observant, Akatani-san."
"Thank you. I've been making even more notes throughout this whole festival!" He excitedly told Tenko, showing him his notebook. Rather messy notes, where the sentences began and ended was all over the place, small illustrations and such to accentuate his points, including some odd abbreviations and acronyms that only he understood, some sort of code for him to save up on time. From what Tenko could understand, this boy was very thorough. Not only did he make many assessments and theories on the Quirks he's witnessed so far, he's tried deducing potential weaknesses and more uses from everything he's seen.
This boy was clever. He managed to accurately theorize that Hitoshi's Quirk didn't work because Katsuki refused to speak, and even covered his mouth, so he won't reply only after Hitoshi began to speak himself. It wasn't perfect, however, because despite this accurate theorycrafting, Tomura didn't know what Hitoshi's Quirk was. It was the first battle round, after all, so Hitoshi didn't get a chance to showcase it properly, and even in the cavalry and obstacle course, he had the help of the friends he made in Class, eliminating the need to use Brainwashing.
"This is incredible," Tenko said. "You managed to write all this from watching so little?"
Tomura blushed, nervously scratching his cheek. "M-...My brain operates too fast!" He said, rejecting the praise again "When I see an interesting Quirk, or any Quirk really, I get excited!" He said, clasping his hands together "I just get a strong desire to know everything I can about them! I want to know how they tick and function. I just…" He looked on, as the Finals we're about to begin, Katsuki Bakugo vs Shoto Todoroki. "I get...dreams of having them myself."
Tenko simply looked at the boy as if he was odd, but simply awkward. Nothing worth concern.
"The Final Round!" Midnight proudly declared, the audience uproariously cheering, excited for the finale of this event.
"A fight between Class 1-A's two shinning stars! The Class of the Heroics Department that was taking U.A. by storm!" She directed the audience towards Katsuki "On the right! Katsuki Bakugo! He demonstrated viciousness but also surprising sportsmanship in his own unique way! The violent star of U.A.!"
She directed the audience to Shoto next "And on the left! The Ice Cold King! Son of the Number Two Hero!"
"She's really getting into it, huh." Tenko was taken aback by how hyped Midnight was getting. It must have been the attention.
"A worthy introduction towards the finest of my children." A gruff voice from behind caught Tenko off-guard, looking back to see the fiery hero of Japan, the Number Two, Endeavor "It will showcase to you the power that will surpass All Might. I refined it to the point of perfection. Shoto will not lose."
While they didn't say anything, it was obvious from Tenko and Tomura's expressions that they did not take kindly to how Endeavor spoke of his son.
"Shoto Todoroki!" Midnight introduced Shoto, as the two boys came onto the stage.
"Alright, you cuties! I expect this to be a great climax to our long day! Show us, the spirit of U.A.!"
"Go beyond!" The audience joined in on the school motto, the chant that always told the students to never settle for mediocrity and push themselves to surpassing themselves beyond their limits.
"PLUS ULTRA!"
The battle began, as Shoto made the first move. A casual step forward with his right foot, pressing lightly on the earth, as a cataclysm of brilliant blue ice shot towards Katsuki, with the goal of completely encasing him and finishing the fight the second it began
Katsuki boosted himself into the air, high enough to completely avoid the ice. "You're so predictable, Todoroki!" Katsuki said, referring to Shoto by name, catching the fire and ice boy by surprise as a result "I'm gonna show you! And your old man! What the future Number One Hero looks like!" He arrogantly exclaimed, making sure Endeavor would hear, shooting forth towards Shoto.
More ice shot towards Katsuki as he descended at Shoto like a bullet, with Katsuki focusing on dodging. Pillars of cold chased him, like a single man facing the onslaught of an army, their shape being blunt, not for striking, but for trapping. That was Shoto's strategy in every fight. He would begin with his ice, trying to capture his enemy within it, neutralizing and ending the fight as fast as possible, and if that failed, would simply go for larger and larger attacks.
It was predictable and easy to counter if you're his classmate, who watched him every day, learning his tactics and mindset. Was it arrogance? Or was it something else? Something that made Shoto have these stale, uncreative and boring yet perfectly practical tactics. He didn't have imagination, only victory in mind.
"You piss me off, Todoroki!"
When the distance between them closed further, an ice wall was erected between them, a defensive barrier. Katsuki spun around, his feet hitting the ice barrier, almost standing on the side of it, before quickly holding his hand against the ice, his other hand holding his wrist, preparing for the recoil.
"SHOT!" he exclaimed, a single, concentrated explosion blasting a hole through the barrier. An explosion that was only effective in close range, and a weaker version of Ultra Shot, allowing him to penetrate through and continue his advance towards Shoto.
"Hmph!" Shoto scoffed, placing his left foot forward, raising his right leg upwards, surprising Katsuki, who never saw him make so many physical movements before. It was an idea proposed by "Mikumo", since he could generate ice, he could manipulate its momentum further with bodily movement. Shoto already knew this, of course, but Mikumo gave him the idea of employing a mundane stratagem from ancient times.
A feint.
Katsuki panicked, as anyone who knew Shoto would, going on the defensive and stopping his tracks. The surprise and unpredictability of Shoto's movement immediately made him worried that something was up, expecting some kind of new attack he's never seen before. It wasn't unthinkable, since Katsuki had done the same for the sake of this tournament to hide his "trump card", so logically, the other students may have done so as well.
But Shoto's foot hit the ground, and no ice came out, as Katsuki realized he fell into his trap, leaving himself open to an attack.
Shoto lunged forward, opening his palm in close range to Katsuki. "Shoot." A square, rectangular pillar of ice shot out of his palm, striking and pushing Katsuki back, with the intent of ringing him out.
"That's dirty…! Half and half!" Katsuki unleashed two explosions, destroying the pillar, and boosting himself to the left "Are you holding back even more?!" He unleashed a truly tremendous blast from his hands, shooting at incredible speeds forward "You think this is all you need to beat me?! What a joke!"
Shoto scraped his foot against the ground, sending a wave of crystalline ice towards Katsuki, trying to stop him in his tracks "I want to see that fire!" Katsuki began running on the ground, using his hands to tear through the ice with sufficiently stronger explosions. However, despite his body working out, the colder atmosphere began to make sweating difficult, his explosion weakening further and further. With one more explosion, he shot into the skies again.
He quickly took off his gym outfit's top, wrapping it around his right arm "I'll kill that ice of yours, over and over. Over! And over!" Gravity began to take its course, sending Katsuki back down towards Shoto. "You're gonna need more than that!" When ice shot at him again, Katsuki used very little explosions, only employing them to dodge them, before beginning to run across the ice.
"Your body isn't immune to this cold either! In fact, you're probably the most affected!" Katsuki exclaimed, leaping from the ice once he got closer, using a single explosion from his left to get onto Shoto's left, landing on the ground. His movement became stiff, and his ice became slower, because, as Katsuki predicted, he began succumbing to the side effects of his own ice, the ice he inherited from his mother. Without his father's fire, he couldn't manage and offset the temperature of his body, but Shoto's hatred for his father was too intense to allow for that.
The cloth wrapping around Katsuki's right hand began to burn away, revealing his crimson palm. "Ultra!"
Shoto looked on, his body didn't move fast enough, and his ice came from the right, leaving his left side exposed to this attack. "Shot!"
"Shoto!" Tomura called out to Shoto, right as Katsuki's attack hit him, the explosion sending him flying. However, instead of flying out of the ring, he gritted his teeth, and flames began to creep across his arm, his hair and eye. "Burn him!"
With his body temperature regulated, Shoto generated tremendous amounts of ice behind him, using it as an anchor to halt him from flying off and losing.
"Ah." Katsuki grinned widely, despite his right arm now becoming numb for several minutes due to Ultra Shot. "So you finally decided to use your flames, huh, bastard?"
"I…" Shoto took a deep breath, his flames growing more intense, and his ice spreading out more.
"Shoto!" Endeavor suddenly rose from his seat, his bombastic nature frightening everyone sitting close to him. "That's right, Shoto! Show them your power! The power I honed for you!" He smiled madly, sporting an energetic and powerful pose, laughing all the while, as everyone watched on in confusion.
"I never knew Endeavor was such a doting father…" Toshinori muttered to himself.
"Fire…" Shoto looked at his left hand, seeing the flames, and all he could think of was the times he could have used it, but most of all, the time when he first met Tomura, and how he froze up despite his intent to cauterize the wound to save him. "To use this fire… I'll make it count…!"
"That's right." Katsuki was ready for more. One arm or two, it didn't matter, he hasn't given up yet. Shoto's gym uniform began burning off, revealing an injured left abdomen from Katsuki's last attack.
"I'm not going to be… my father!" Shoto declared, spreading his fire and ice more.
"What're you gonna do then, you bastard Todoroki?!"
"I will be!" Shoto's expression intensified. "A Hero!"
"Good answer," A voice echoed, catching the ear of every audience member, and the two fighters. "But, unfortunately, the young Heroes of today, will have premature careers." The voice continued, as a black cloud began forming above the sports festival stadium, and gigantic walls of multiple solid elements began forming, steel, stone, gold and so on, sealing the exits of the stadium.
"What's going on?!" Toshinori panicked, jumping out of his seat, as another black cloud began forming in the room with him and Nezu. A pitch black figure, with an exposed brain and no lower jaw, complete with a skull-like face, walked out of it. It lacked arms, only stumps, and only had a pair of torn pants on its body, and a monitor on its chest
"All Might." The voice that came from the monitor shook Toshinori to his core, the voice of his archenemy. "I hope you won't do anything rash, because I assure you, much worse will happen if you jump out that window like the Hero I know you are." Just as the voice spoke, figures began pouring down from the dark cloud above the stadium, villains landing among the audiences and on the fighting ring.
The audience members began to panic, some trying to escape, yet the villains quickly employed their Quirks to capture and restrain them, while forcing the Pros to stop lest they harm their hostages, the entire scene becoming chaotic and fearful, monstrous and cataclysmic.
Between Shoto and Katsuki, landed two monsters, a creature with large yellow lips and an almost beak-like mouth, with an exposed brain and pitch black flesh, scars on its body, and torn pants, while the other was more monstrous, with an exposed brain like the first one, but also multiple arms sprouting from its back, with chainsaws and hammers, among other tools, sprouting instead of "hands" at the edges.
"What the fuck? What are you doing?! I'm in the middle of something here, asshole! Get the fuck…!" Katsuki stopped when the creature turned to face him, its bugged out eyes staring at him, and he could swear, when it looked at him, that thing smiled "...fuck…?"
"What on earth?!" Tenko quickly got out of his seat, as many people began screaming on the scene, the situation getting out of hand faster and faster, however, multiple cloaked figures emerged around him and Endeavor, one even holding a gun against Tomura's head, who to the two Pros was a simple boy named Mikumo Akatani, whose frightened and tearful expression was loud and clear.
"Don't move, sir. Especially you, Number Two." One of the cloaked figures said, a familiar voice, as he removed his cloak, revealing himself to be Ricochet Rico, out of prison and freed again. "Wouldn't want this ol' kid to get his dreams all splattered on the seats?"
Tenko reluctantly did as they said, but he knew that their target wasn't him, but the Number Two Hero.
"What are you villains doing here? Do you have a death wish?" Endeavor said, threatening the two, his flames not subsiding whatsoever.
"Hold on there." Ricochet said "We're just 'ere for a hostage situation. We don't want no killin'."
"The words of a villain are empty." Endeavor said.
"Endeavor, stop this." Tenko said, trying to have Endeavor cooperate, for the sake of Tomura and the other audience members who weren't Pros.
"Right as we speak," the other cloaked individual said with a more feminine voice. "The other Pros are being held hostage like you, but unlike them, they don't have the second rank of the country. If you don't want to watch children, parents and other Heroes die senselessly die today, and for the world to see, you will sit, Endeavor."
Though defiant, Endeavor sat down, crossing his arms. "What do you want?"
"Nothing too specific." Another of the cloaked figures said. "We're just following our boss's orders."
"Why...why are you here? What is this?!" Toshinori shouted at the chest monitor creature "What is the meaning of this, All for One?!"
Sound Only was the only thing he could see on the monitor, but behind it, he just knew that monster was smiling in glee.
"I am doing well. Thank you for asking." All for One calmly replied, despite seeing the sheer rage and fury on Toshinori's face "How are your wounds, old dog?" Toshinori clutched his abdomen, feeling it sting.
"So this is All for One!" Principal Nezu spoke up, acting as his usual calm self, clearly an attempt at keeping the situation calm and contained, especially knowing Toshinori's hatred for All for One. "I finally get to meet you, by proxy. Tell me, what is this creature?" He asked, speaking with utter nonchalance.
"Nomu." All for One replied, as if having a friendly conversation "Do you like it? I assure you, creating this was very difficult. It was not my idea, but I had to abide by it when he told me his plan."
"His plan?" Nezu noticed All for One's particular wording. "You're following someone else's plan? An accomplice? A leader, perhaps?"
All for One chuckled.
"No, Principal Nezu." He said.
"It's my student."