"Hey grandma, can I be a hero?", a small girl with purple hair asked.
"Why yes. Why wouldn't you be?", an elderly woman asked as she drank tea.
"But my Quirk can only absorb the traits of a thing. It's not flashy like the heroes on TV"
"Dear, having a simple Quirk doesn't mean that you won't be a good hero. All you need is a good heart and you'll be a wonderful one. And grandma will always be here to support you"
"You'll support me all the way?"
"Yes I will. Who wouldn't support her granddaughter's dream?"
The purple-haired girl smiled and hugged her grandma. 10 years have passed and Nozomi Kido was walking towards the arena.
"She can be as tough as steel! From the hero course: Nozomi Kido!", Present Mic introduced.
Nozomi looked at the crowd and smiled. She even waved at her classmates.
"Her frenzied state is dangerous! From the hero course: Akabayashi Kemochi!"
A girl with red hair and two small horns walked up the stage. They stood around 2 meters away from each other.
"Nice to meetcha Kemochi!", Nozomi said.
"Just call me Akabayashi", she replied.
"Then call me Nozomi!"
"Deal! And no hard feelings when you lose kay?"
"Same to you!"
"START!", Present Mic shouted.
Nozomi touched the concrete ground and she coated herself with concrete armor. Meanwhile, red mist circled around Akabayashi and her red eyes glowed.
"Frenzy 10%!", Akabayashi shouted.
She ran at a fast speed towards Nozomi and threw a punch. However, Nozomi blocked it. Nozomi then swung a right hook but Akabayashi dodged. She got hit by a punch from Akabayashi to her stomach.
It hurts but not as much as Daichi's punches!, Nozomi thought.
Nozomi grabbed Akabayashi's arm and gave her a head-butt. With her solid head, Nozomi's attack caused Akabayashi to be momentarily dizzy. But that moment was enough for her. She punched her face and then kicked her legs, causing her to lose her balance. Nozomi then pinned her to the ground.
"Got ya!", Nozomi told her.
"Or so you think! Frenzy 15%!", Akabayashi shouted.
Using brute strength alone, Akabayashi escaped. She put some distance between her and Nozomi. Nozomi was surprised by the sudden increase of her strength but she managed to remain calm. She readied herself for Akabayashi's next move.
Akabayashi charged at a faster speed than before.
She goes faster too?!
Nozomi blocked her punch and she felt her armor cracking.
No way! That much power?!
She kicked her away but Akabayashi easily closed the distance again. Akabayashi unleashed a barrage of punches and Nozomi avoided some of them. Those that she couldn't avoid left cracks in her concrete armor.
Nozomi punched Akabayashi's face but she received a blow to her stomach. She didn't mind the pain. After all, that was what Eijiro taught her.
We got similar Quirks you know? That means I'll teach you my style of fighting, she remembered Eijiro's words.
Just be manly and fight them straight on! Even if your body is breaking apart, you must continue fighting and directing all of the villain's attack to you! That way, those you want to protect will be protected!, Eijiro told her.
Nozomi gladly accepted Akabayashi's punch and then she punched her to the face. They exchanged blows. Nozomi would punch her after receiving a blow from Akabayashi. That continued on as she felt her armor peeling away and the pain intensifying.
She then ducked and touched the ground. Her concrete armor was repaired and she returned to exchanging blows with the frenzied girl.
"You're fun! I guess I can have fun with you! Frenzy 20%!" Akabayashi shouted.
More red mist surrounded her and her horns seemed to grow longer. Nozomi was alarmed. Akabayashi charged at her at a speed so fast that Nozomi couldn't react in time. Nozomi received a powerful blow to her stomach and her concrete armor immediately cracked.
Her vision blurred.
###
It was a rainy day as she sat silently. Tears wanted to fall from her eyes and yet somehow, they didn't.
"Grandma…", Nozomi muttered.
She was already 10 years old by that time and now she was all alone in the world. Her parents were regular people who died due to a villain attack. The only family she had was her grandmother. The person who supported her was now gone.
Her life was not easy. She moved from place to place as she was passed around by her distant relatives. It was until she was 15 when they decided that she should just live alone. They would just send her living allowance and would check up on her if they want to.
The only thing that remained with her was her dream: to become a hero. She applied for UA and fortunately, she got accepted even if she had a simple Quirk. Nozomi wanted to become a symbol. A symbol for those who believe that they don't have the potential to be a hero no matter what their Quirk is or what their circumstances are.
###
Nozomi clenched her fist. She was already tired. Fighting Daichi drained her and now she was fighting a strong opponent. She saw that Akabayashi was about to punch her and so she dodged it.
Power… I need power!
The only opening she saw only allowed her to do a right swing but she knew a right swing wouldn't be enough to knock her out. She needed more power. That was then it happened.
Her right hand turned into a hammer. She was surprised by the sudden change of her hand. Nozomi was so surprised that she missed her chance to attack.
Akabayashi punched her in the face. Her armor cracked and she fell down on the ground. Nozomi's armor disappeared. Nagusawa approached her and looked at her.
"Nozomi Kido is unconscious. Akabayashi Kemochi wins!", Nagusawa announced.
The crowd cheered and the red mist surrounding Akabayashi calmed down. Her memory of the fight was hazy but she knew that Nozomi fought a good fight.
"I haven't had a fight like that in a while. Hope fighting you again", she said as the infirmary robots took her away.
Hey everyone! It's a-me Seraquin! That was Akabayashi and Nozomi's fight with Nozomi's backstory. I actually wanted Nozomi to win but Akabayashi's Quirk overwhelms her. Also,I decided this was a good chance for Nozomi to find out that her Quirk had other tricks. Anyways… It's time for Kuroi and Mitsuji's fight! Let's watch and see who'll win! (Even I don't know who would win. I'm still conflicted.) Hope you enjoyed and leave a review!