Reminder from last chapter: Izuku won his fight with Shinsou but his quirklessness was revealed at the end of the match by Present Mic.
As soon as he steps off the field, Izuku is acutely aware of all the eyes on him, of the whispers behind his back. He's used to being stared at for being some sort of freak, a relic of a long forgotten age but the intensity of the eyes on him now feels much, much heavier. He swallows the lump in his throat and continues on like he isn't bothered by them.
The main worry now is that they'll try and pull him out of the matches. Heavens knows they normally don't have a problem letting kids beat the hell out of each other on live TV but, of course, it's different now that he's quirkless.
"Midoriya Izuku, would you please come to the commentator's box?" Comes from the loudspeakers in the tunnel and he takes a deep breath. Well, here it comes, they were going to try and talk him out of competing. His anger burns warm in his chest, well let them try to stop him. He knows his rights; Yuuei got rid of the ban on quirkless students three years ago so there's nothing but their own prejudices in his way.
Izuku holds his head high as he stalks up to the commentator's box. Present Mic is narrating another of the matches but there are several others up there as well. Izuku recognizes Class 1-B teacher, Blood King and Chiura-sensei is there too. Sitting next to Present Mic is a man wrapped almost entirely in bandages. Really? They're going to tell him he can't fight when this man clearly should be in the hospital?
"I'm not going to back out. I'm going to fight in the next round and nothing you say will make me change my mind," Izuku announces before they can say anything.
"Be reasonable, son," Blood King says in a grinding tone. "No one can deny you've done well so far but we can't guarantee your safety in upcoming matches."
"And you can for everyone else competing?" Izuku snaps back. Normally he'd be mortified to be talking to an adult, a pro hero no less, with such disrespect but he's too angry to care right now. "I've sweat and bled to get this far and you're not taking it from me. I'm going to fight and I'm going to earn that open seat in the hero course."
"Interesting," the dark haired man mumbles through his bandages. "You know Heroics has never taken a quirkless student before, right?"
"First time for everything," Izuku answers right back. "No one thought one hero could single-handedly decrease crime rates either and yet here we are." The man nods to himself before retreating from the conversation.
"Are you even aware of who you're going to be fighting? What kind of power you're up against?" Blood King hisses, kneeling down a little bit so he's closer to Izuku's level. "This isn't some Gen Ed punk, you're up against Todoroki Shouto, son of the second most powerful man in Japan. Even the fastest and strongest would have a hard time against him. You're a smart kid, you have to see your chances are impossible."
Todoroki? That's who he'd be fighting? Izuku admits the thought absolutely terrifies him; Todoroki's performance in the obstacle course and the cavalry battle had shown that he's incredibly skilled with his quirk. But Izuku couldn't back down now, it would mean that all of his hard work meant nothing, that Shinsou's loss had been pointless.
"I'll be ready," Izuku nods. "I'm well aware of the fact that it will be difficult but a real hero doesn't back down from a fight no matter how strong their opponent is." Izuku narrows his eyes, "with all due respect, sir, there isn't a thing you can do to stop me." Blood King wearily turns to Chiura-sensei who's got the barest hint of a smug smile on his face.
"I told you he wouldn't back down, let him fight. I guarantee you the boy will cause a bigger stir if you try to pull him out now. Besides, he might even show Todoroki's son a thing or two."
"Well I think you're mad, kid!" Present Mic says enthusiastically, spinning around in his chair as the previous match concludes. "But I gotta say I kinda dig it, don't you, Eraser?" Izuku gasps quietly, that was Eraserhead, the underground hero capable of temporarily erasing quirks, who also happened to be the homeroom teacher of 1-A and one of the teachers injured at USJ. "Sure Midoriya, you can compete, just don't sue us when you break all your bones!"
"Thank you," Izuku answers. "I can't promise to win but I can say I'll put on a good show." He walks out of the room with his head held high, ignoring the whispered comments behind his back.
The first round is still going on so he has time to plan for his upcoming battle. Izuku is lost in thought as he walks down the hall, still conflicted about how to feel about Todoroki. Izuku is, of course, in complete awe of the power the other boy possesses but he'd seemed so sad when he'd spoken to Izuku. He'd looked like Shinsou had the day those older kids were bullying him; like he knew that there's nothing to be done about all the awful things in his life. Izuku wonders if he could-
"So you're the quirkless kid everyone is talking about?" Izuku feels his heart skip a beat as Number Two Hero, Endeavor, rounds the corner and stares down at him with indifference. The heat and disgust radiating off the hero is almost enough to make Izuku step back but he forces himself to stand his ground. "Pathetic, I was hoping my Shouto would have a more impressive match-up to demonstrate his skills but I suppose it can't be helped."
"You couldn't possibly understand but my son is destined to surpass All Might himself; he shouldn't have to waste his time on people like you," Endeavor sneers. "I know I can't expect much from a quirkless brat but, for both your sakes, try not to lose so disgracefully." With that said, Endeavor moves past him with an aggressive stride.
"Quirkless or not, I still beat your son in the preliminaries," Izuku says harshly. "And Todoroki may not have beaten All Might but he's already surpassed you, not that it's difficult or anything. Excuse me, I need to prepare for my match." He turns and walks away before Endeavor can respond. Izuku makes sure not to hurry away, taking careful measured steps and keeping his trembling fists still at his side. He didn't want Endeavor to interpret his shaking as fear when all Izuku can feel is rage.
XxX
"And now folks, we've got what is sure to be an interesting, but ultimately short, fight!" Present Mic screeches. "We have in one corner, the boy who defied the odds, and the advice of his teachers, to be here. You all remember the quirkless General Education student who came out on top in the preliminaries, Midoriya Izuku!" Izuku stretches out his arms, letting Mic's words roll off of him like water. The old him would have been discouraged but he's different now; he knows who he is and what he's capable of.
"And then we have one of our rising stars in 1-A, the boy who turned this stadium into a giant popsicle in the first round and the son of the Number Two himself, Todoroki Shouto! Be sure to go easy on him, eh Todoroki?"
"Stop demeaning the students and let them fight," Eraserhead chimes in. "This match is far from over, Midoriya has proven himself to be a strong opponent and Todoroki would be wise to keep that in mind."
"Alright, moving on!" Midnight says, holding up her whip. She gives Izuku a pitying look. "Last chance kid, no one will think less of you if you bow out now." Izuku sighs with frustration as he reaches behind his back and pulls out his bō, whipping it out to its full length before settling it in his hands. "Well, it's your funeral. Start!"
During the time before his match, Izuku had carefully observed Todoroki's fight with the 1-A kid, Sero. Izuku's main advantage is the fact that everyone, probably Todoroki too, will be underestimating him. Judging by how Todoroki had appeared after he'd created that huge iceberg, Izuku would guess that was probably at or near his upper limit. But Todoroki most likely wasn't going to go that big against little, quirkless him if only because it's a waste of energy.
Besides all that, it takes Todoroki a few seconds to build up that amount of ice. And a few seconds is all Izuku needed.
Midnight barely finished announcing the start before Izuku is charging forward towards Todoroki as fast as he absolutely could. They aren't too far apart and Izuku reaches the other boy quickly, soon enough that Todoroki still hasn't finished forming his ice. Flinching at the sudden proximity, Todoroki throws a much smaller ice wall up, one which Izuku is easily able to climb using the cleats in his boots to get to higher ground.
Izuku raises his bō and whips it hard across Todoroki's face. Izuku ignores the quiet crack and the look of surprised pain on Todoroki's face. Rikimaru-shishou had been right, Izuku can't afford to play nice right now, not if he wants to win. Izuku hits the ground while Todoroki stumbles back a bit and he maneuvers the bō to hit Todoroki in the gut. Todoroki chokes and huddles over himself, taking a few more steps back.
Izuku hates himself a bit to keep hammering in on someone clearly in pain but this is his one and only chance to prove himself and Todoroki could wipe him out if Izuku hesitates for even a second.
"Woah! Are you seeing this? Midoriya is not going down without a fight and is really pounding in on Todoroki. This guy isn't playing around, he's here to win!"
He charges again and Todoroki has semi-righted himself, wiping some spittle from the side of his mouth. He eyes Izuku with a cold gaze, the same look he gave when he'd initially challenged Izuku. On the ground below them, a pillar ice begins to speed towards him rapidly. Izuku mostly is able to dodge but winces as part of the ice hits him in the head, scraping his forehead and part of his left eyebrow.
Ignoring the pain and blood dribbling down into his eye, Izuku pushes himself forward and closes the distance between him and his opponent. Todoroki has put out another stream of ice but, like before, Izuku climbs it and jumps down to confront Todoroki. He delivers a strong kick to his chest and Todoroki stumbles back into his own ice wall.
Todoroki steadies himself and brings up his right arm to shoot more ice but Izuku is already in his face. He slams Todoroki's head hard into the ice, with enough force to crack the wall before grabbing the front of his opponent's uniform and flipping him to the ground. Todoroki gasps as he hits the floor with a loud thunk.
"What is going on?" Present Mic announces even as the cheers in the audience begin to swell. "Am I dreaming? Am I actually seeing a quirkless kid slam Endeavor's son around like some sort of ragdoll? I have got to say, folks, I am starting to get excited, you go Midoriya!"
Izuku pants with exertion, wiping away the blood from his eye before making his way over to his opponent. There is no way Izuku is going to actually beat Todoroki in terms of skill. His only hope is to keep pounding on him, keeping Todoroki off balance so he couldn't get in any serious attacks until Izuku could get him out of bounds.
Todoroki is on his knees when Izuku is there again; he kicks him in the stomach and forcing Todoroki back down. But not before Todoroki gets the chance to ice the ground beneath him. Izuku yelps as he loses his footing and hits the ground with a painful thump, mere centimeters from his opponent.
They blink at each other for a second before Todoroki is scrambling up; he glares heartily down at Izuku, looking ready to end it. Luckily, Izuku's staff is within reach so he has enough time to grab it and smack Todoroki's hand away, causing the ice to go awry. The hit wasn't intended to harm so Todoroki recovers quickly but it gives Izuku time to get to his feet and charge him again.
"His strategy is sound, Midoriya knows he can't beat Todoroki on his own so he's continually attacking his stronger opponent so he's unable to produce a significant counterattack. His moves aren't random either, they're the product of diligent training as he makes the most of his equipment and his surroundings." Eraserhead comments.
Izuku grits his teeth as he pulls back and delivers a strong punch to Todoroki's face; he feels the boy's nose break beneath his fist. Todoroki growls and sends a column of ice into Izuku's gut. Izuku coughs and his bō drops limply from his hands and bounces on the ground. Ouch, he's pretty sure something broke there.
Todoroki rushes him again, bringing up his right hand to try and freeze Izuku in place but Izuku manages to dodge through sheer luck. However, the motion does cause him to fall to the ground again which aggravates his ribs. He looks around for his staff again, but Todoroki lightly kicks it away before Izuku can reach it. He also creates a large ice wall behind Izuku so he can't retreat, effectively trapping him.
"You're good, I'm sorry I underestimated you," Todoroki pants, bringing trembling fingers up to his broken nose. Izuku's frowns, Todoroki's whole right hand and bits of his face are pale and covered in ice. His breath is fogging in the air with a hushed chill. He's overexerting his ice, he hasn't been able to make anything big but between his efforts now and the last few events, it's clear Todoroki's starting to feel the effects of his quirk. "But I'm afraid this match is over now."
"You're using your ice too much," Izuku hisses, swiping at the blood in his eye as he shakily gets to his feet. "Why aren't you using your fire to regulate your temperature?"
"You know why," Todoroki says darkly. He spares a moment to nod over to the stands where Endeavor is an obvious, fiery presence. "I'm not going to give that man the satisfaction. I got this far without using his power and I'm not about to start now."
"That's bullshit," Izuku hears himself say as he rushes his opponent, fueled by a sort of righteous energy. Todoroki's movements have been progressively slowing down so Izuku is able to grab him by the front of his gym uniform and throw him into another patch of ice. "You won't give him the satisfaction? You claim that you're going to beat me when you won't even bring out all of your power?"
Izuku gets in close and pulls Todoroki forward before slamming him back into the ice, almost as if he could shake some sense into his opponent. The other boy responds with a punch to the jaw that manages to push Izuku back. Todoroki throws some more ice but it's smaller than it was before and it's easy to dodge. The quick movement is really aggravating Izuku's injuries but his fury keeps him going.
"Look at me!" Izuku shouts, gesturing to himself. "You've barely put a scratch on me! The quirkless idiot who dared to challenge the strongest kid in the hero class." Izuku gets in another punch, "All I have is my fists, my brain and my staff and I'm actually beating you." He yells as he runs forward but Todoroki is starting to get his equilibrium back and dodges, using the opportunity to get behind Izuku and kick him down to the ground. He rolls aside before Todoroki can ice him in place but not too far that he can't deliver another kick to Todoroki's knee which causes him to partially fall.
"You're the one who challenged me to give everything I had, remember? I've kept up my end of the bargain, it's you who's falling short!" Izuku scrambles to his feet, almost falling in his haste and kicks Todoroki across the jaw so he falls flat on his back.
Izuku reaches down and hooks Todoroki's right arm behind his back with Izuku's arm wrapped around Todoroki's neck as he starts to drag his opponent back over towards the edge of the ring.
"You think you can beat me using only half your power?" Izuku shouts because he's angry and he's pumped up on adrenaline and can't seem to stop. The arrogance of it all infuriated him, but not as much as the knowledge that Todoroki was hurting and no one else was doing anything about it.
"What happened to you wasn't right but you shouldn't let him get in the way of your dreams." Todoroki is struggling within his hold but Izuku is beyond caring right now. "If you want to beat me, you're going to have to give me everything you've got!"
Shouto wasn't really sure what he was expecting in this match but Midoriya Izuku certainly wasn't it.
He'd taken the green haired boy's success in the obstacle course as coincidence but he couldn't deny the other's skill once Midoriya had placed first again in the second event. Earlier that morning, Todoroki had announced to Bakugou that he intended to beat him but, somewhere along the way, Todoroki's opponent had shifted to the General Education student no one had heard of before.
But Midoriya had been different outside of the ring; quiet and kind and looking very much out of place. He'd been jumpy and emotional when Shouto had privately discussed his reasons for not using his fire. It was almost hard to believe this was the same person who'd ruthlessly rammed his foot into Shouto's gut just minutes earlier.
Present Mic's announcement after Midoriya's first match that he didn't have a quirk had surprised Shouto. At the time, he'd simply shrugged it off. His old man wouldn't care about his victory over some quirkless kid so Shouto could afford to go easy on him and save his strength for other, tougher battles.
He had never miscalculated something, someone, so badly in his entire life.
From the moment this battle started, Shouto has been kicked and punched and thrown around with terrifying precision. Endeavor made sure that he'd had the finest combat training, sure, but quirk training had always taken priority which meant Shouto focused more on distance fighting. Midoriya had obviously noticed this and taken advantage, getting and staying close so Shouto couldn't accurately use his ice. The fact that his vision keeps shifting and his thoughts are a bit muddled from a likely concussion really did not help matters.
Midoriya has him in something of a headlock now and is trying to drag Shouto out of bounds and out of the competition. He struggles in the hold but Midoriya's grip is strong and the only way out is to actually hurt the other boy. But the words Midoriya is screaming in his ear seem to slow him down more than any physical injury.
"If you really want to be a hero then you won't let me win!" Midoriya shouts as he continues to drag Shouto. He's so confused, Midoriya wants to advance, right? So why? Why is he poking at all the ugly, painful parts that everyone else has been content until now to ignore?
"You know nothing," Shouto chokes out and decides he's through being dragged around. His right hand is still trapped behind his back but he forms ice on it anyway.
Midoriya is close enough to him that Shouto can see one green eye widen in surprise and pain as the cold seeps into him. Midoriya wrenches Shouto's body to the side so his right hand is free. Before he can think, Shouto brings that frozen hand up to the one around his throat. This time, Midoriya yelps as he pulls his arm free, a coat of ice now covering that arm and part of his hand.
"You think I don't know what it feels like to be trapped in a life you hate because of how you were born?" Midoriya demands, swinging the partially frozen arm at his face. Shouto dodges and it hits one of the ice walls. Midoriya winces but most of the ice on his arm breaks off, revealing red, swollen skin already in the first stage of frostbite.
"But I'm here, Todoroki," Midoriya emphasizes as he breaks off to the side to grab his staff before charging back. "I didn't let all the people who said I was useless keep me down."
The staff comes down over his head but Shouto is prepared this time, he reaches up with his right hand and catches it before it hits him. Metal is an excellent conductor and it freezes easily; the chilled metal begins to crack under his frozen grip. Midoriya abandons it in his hand and pulls back to deliver a powerful kick to Shouto's chest. Shouto staggers backwards and the frozen staff partially shatters from the impact while Midoriya grabs the intact end of the staff and breaks it off. He then whips Shouto with it across the face, using it as some sort of escrima stick.
"Are you going to let that man control your life?" Midoriya demands and he continues to smack Shouto over and over again. Shouto is vaguely aware that they're nearing the edge but a larger part of him doesn't care. All the matters is what Midoriya is trying to tell him. "It's your power, Todoroki! If you think you can be a hero without giving everything you have then I'm going to drag you out of this ring and take your place!"
Shouto is so disoriented, he doesn't know what to think or what to feel. Midoriya is still smacking him around and Present Mic is getting more and more excited as the crowds begin to cheer louder. His body is half frozen and he's broken and bruised and terribly tired. But despite all that, somewhere inside, he feels warm.
When was the last time anyone had ever told him to do something for his own sake? People have praised him for his quirk, sure, but it always seemed in connection to that man. But now, it's his, isn't it? His to use, to save, to win. The warmth in him spreads until he feels his skin prickle as the ice on his skin melts and his uniform burns.
Midoriya gasps slightly and takes a step back as Shouto's left side blazes. Shouto has never felt so at peace when using his fire, his fire, in his entire life. And Midoriya, that absolute madman, he's grinning.
"Even though you say you want to win; you go out of your way to help your opponent." Shouto says, reveling at the warmth on his skin, like the feeling of the sun on a summer's day. "Which one of us is crazy?"
"You're going to be a great hero, Todoroki." Midoriya responds, wiping his bloody face into his shoulder and smoothing out his grin into a thoughtful expression. He's probably recalculating his strategy now that Shouto is using his fire. And Shouto just wants to shake his head. Who is this guy? This General Education student who beat him up and rubbed his face in his trauma until he brought out Shouto's full power? Now that the odds against him are worse than ever, he's still looking to win? Midoriya Izuku is unlike anyone Shouto has ever met.
"Shouto!" Endeavor shouts from somewhere in the stands. He hears his father go on about how Shouto will finally achieve his ambitions or something. But the words hardly seem to reach him, Shouto can't even bring himself to care. All that matters is the ice, the flame and the warrior before him.
"I hope you know what you're in for; I won't be going easy anymore." Shouto responds as he brings a hand up to wipe the gathering tears in his eyes. "You don't deserve anything less than my best." Midoriya smiles at that and charges again, his broken staff is held out in a manner made to deflect but, in the end, he goes low. But Shouto has finally learned, he shoots out some ice at Midoriya's feet causing him to slip and tumble to the ground. His staff rolls out of his hand as Midoriya quickly scrambles back to his feet while Shouto stalks forward.
"It's not over yet, I'm not backing down!" Midoriya runs up the jagged edges of one of the other ice walls and uses it to gain the high ground. He leaps down, avoiding Shouto but trying to kick his legs out from under him. Shouto manages to dodge it but it causes him to stumble backwards.
But that's okay because Midoriya has missed the fact that Shouto has been rapidly cooling the air around them. Shouto grits his teeth as he tries to dodge the flurry of punches while he lowers the temperature. Their breath is fogging in the chill as Midoriya punches him hard enough to put Shouto on the ground.
Shouto's forcibly reminded that despite his elation, he's in quite a bit of pain and his head injury makes itself known with stark clarity. His vision swims as three versions of Midoriya descend on him and it's instinct that has him igniting the cooled air around them. However, even he wasn't prepared for the explosion that occurs.
It booms, cracking the pavement beneath them and shattering the ice walls all over the stage. Shouto is forced down by the blast and he's not sure he has the strength to push himself back up again. His ears are ringing and his eyes burn so he closes them as he waits for the inevitable. That's it, he's done. When Midoriya recovers, Shouto won't be able to stop him from dragging him out-
"Midoriya is out of bounds!" Midnight announces, "Todoroki advances to the third round!" Shouto opens his eyes with a gasp and angles his head upwards. The smoke is still pretty dense but as it clears, he can see Midoriya shakily pushing himself up just outside of the ring. His clothes are blacked and smoking but he doesn't seem too badly hurt. Shouto's head falls back to the ground as he wonders at the disappointment he feels. He won, that's good? Right?
"Not like we expected any other outcome; I knew this fight was a bad idea." He overhears Midnight say to herself as she tries to clear the smoke with her whip. How can she just-? Despite his injuries, Shouto gets angry; actually beyond angry, he's furious.
Did she not watch the fight? Did she not see Midoriya wipe the floor with him during the first half? He has more skill and determination than most people Shouto has met, including some pro heroes. And besides all that, Midoriya should have had the victory long before. If he hadn't insisted on forcing Shouto to confront his problems, he probably would have won.
It's completely unfair that Midoriya has to stop here; Shouto can't think of anyone more suited to be a hero. But because he lost, people aren't going to look at him twice. They'll say Midoriya's success so far was a fluke and let him float back into obscurity. That spot in 1-A will be filled by someone with a fancy quirk who may or may not deserve it all the while Midoriya is left in General Education, his talent wasted and unspent.
"Aw man, that's too bad to hear! I was kinda rooting for him too. Anyways, what a show! Put your hands together for our two contestants, especially to Midoriya who showed us the meaning of determination!"
"Todoroki," he hears Midoriya cough as he staggers back over to where Shouto is still sprawled. "Todoroki, are you okay?" One concerned green eye, the other is still squeezed shut from the blood, looks down at him as Midoriya kneels and looks him over with a stressed out expression.
"Oh man, your nose looks bad and I think you might have a concussion. I'm sorry, I just wanted to win so bad." Shouto fears for a second the boy is going to start crying but instead Midoriya pastes on a watery smile. "Let's get you to Recovery Girl, we need to get you ready for the third round. I'm sure your next fight will be a lot tougher but don't forget about what the quirkless kid was able to do."
"Alright, we need to clear off the stage for the next fight. Todoroki, can you stand?" Midnight says; she doesn't even look over at Midoriya. So he can blame it on his concussion or Midoriya's bloodied face that still manages to look kind despite his loss, but either way, Shouto isn't responsible for what comes out of his mouth next.
"No, I can't. I'm going to have to forfeit."
"What!?" Midnight and Midoriya yell at the same time. "You won Todoroki, you beat me! Of course you have to go on!" Midoriya says, looking more than a little panicked. He looks up at Midnight who seems quite flustered herself.
"Todoroki, you'll have time to recover before your next match. Please think before you make such a hasty decision! This is one of your only opportunities to show off your skills to get scouted. If you quit now, you'll be giving up your chances for the future," Midnight says sternly.
And what of Midoriya's chances? Shouto can't help but think bitterly. The fact is, if Midoriya stops here then he'll likely never get another shot at Heroics. Shouto had his father's connections and a seat in the country's best hero school. He could give up this opportunity to make sure Midoriya had his.
Even without all that, Shouto is severely injured. Even if Recovery Girl is able to patch him up, he'd be a poor showing in the next event. Not to mention he still needs time to sort through all his thoughts now that the rush is fading. His father will give him hell for this, he's sure, but his opinion seems to matter so little right now.
"I'm certain I cannot continue. Midoriya should go on in my place," Shouto slurs slightly through what's probably a broken jaw. Midoriya scrubs at his bloodied forehead and looks down at Shouto with glistening eyes.
"Hey, what's going on down there? We're starting to get restless!"
"Uh," Midnight says into the microphone, giving Shouto one last look. "Todoroki says he is unable to continue. Midoriya wins on technicality and will be advancing to round three."
The crowd absolutely explodes and Present Mic is going wild himself, shouting how unbelievable it is. Todoroki looks at the stunned expression on Midoriya's face as the crowd begins chanting his name. Present Mic was right, this boy is unbelievable; Shouto couldn't wait to see what he does next.
"Jeez, what am I doing," Midoriya says, shaking his head. "You're still hurt, you need to get to Recovery Girl. Are you sure you can't walk?" If he tried, Shouto probably could get to his feet. Instead, he shakes his head no and winces at the pain it causes him; Midoriya looks even more distressed. "Okay, just hold on. I'll take you there myself, let me know if I'm going too fast."
And before Shouto can ask what he means, Midoriya grabs his arms and hooks them around his neck. He lifts Shouto up a bit until he can put his hands under Shouto's knees. Midoriya grunts a bit, but otherwise is steady as Shouto is transferred to his back. And then he stands up and, completely bypassing the medical bots, speed walks off the field with a determined look while Shouto dazedly wonders what's happening.
"And will you look at that folks! Midoriya is carrying his wounded opponent off the field! We're seeing something real special here! What strength! What sportsmanship! Midoriya Izuku is just full of surprises! This Sport's Festival is going down in history, that's for sure!" Present Mic gushes as they exit the field. Shouto just sighs into Midoriya's back, feeling strangely peaceful despite the pain and the loss. But if he had to lose, he's glad it was to Midoriya.
"Midoriya," he mutters into the boy's back once they enter the tunnels leading away from the field.
"Hey, it's okay Todoroki, we'll be there in just a minute." Midoriya answers, huffing under Shouto's added weight and probably his own injuries as well.
"I expect you to win the next two matches," Shouto says sleepily. "And I better see you in 1-A when classes resume. Don't disappoint me," he feels Midoriya chuckle.
"I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best."
Ta-da! Now things start to get interesting as we break off from canon. This is the second chapter that got written all at once and it was an adventure. It still remains one of my absolute favorites in this series. I really hope you like it and Izuku's 'win' felt believable enough for you. Tune in next week for the world's reaction to the stunning victory and the next battle!