Chapter 10: Trick of the Mind
[Ruby Rose vs Tenya Iida]
{If I'm being real here, after a spectacle like that, the rest is gonna be a bore I feel.}
{Miiic…}
{Anyways! Let's get going! Our next match is gonna be between two of 1-A's speedsters, Ruby Rose and Tenya Iida! I wonder how this fight's gonna go down.}
Ruby takes a few deep breaths and tries to ignore the roaring crowd around her.
"Rose," came Tenya's voice. "Your sister is watching this too, yes? And so is my brother. So, pay attention to me and this fight so that you and I will perform at our best! Let's make Ingenium and Golden Hearth proud!"
Ruby smiled and nodded, keeping her eyes on Tenya.
{Ready? …}
Tenya and Ruby ready themselves and everyone waited on bated breath, curious to see how this fight is going to play out as well.
{…Go!}
The first to their move was Tenya, his Engines roaring to life as he ran headlong towards Ruby. She grounded herself, being ready for something. Tenya then started circling around Ruby, picking dust and smoke. Ruby rushed to put on her goggles to protect her eyes. She saw Tenya had leaped in the air and was about to land a kick. Ruby jumped out of the way. When the dust starts to settle, Ruby uses this moment to make distance between her and Tenya.
Tenya speeded after her and just as he reached her, the girl leaped to the side to dodge. She somersaulted on the ground and quickly got back on her feet just to see Tenya slide skid as he made a turn towards her again. Ruby bursts in the air for an airborne kick. Tenya lifts his arms in an 'x' form just as Ruby's foot makes contact. The impact made them both flinch back away from each other.
{Ooh! And the force knocks them back!}
Ruby landed on her feet. She takes a hold on the needle end of her rope before she bursted forward. Tenya reared up for a kick and knocked Ruby back. She steadied herself, holding on to her extended rope. Tenya gasps when he sees Ruby's rope wrapped around his ankle.
Present Mic was amused at the sight.
{Well, well, well, what do we have here?}
Ruby yanks the rope hard and the force of the tug makes Tenya lose his balance. Ruby charges at him, pulling out more of her rope.
{Looks like Rose is planning to immobilize her opponent with her own capture weapon! Doesn't that sound familiar? Something tells me she's got inspired, right, Eraser?}
{…}
"I gotta make this quick…" Ruby thought to herself. However, Tenya was able to catch himself, throwing his hand out to stop his fall. He grabbed the rope and pulled. Ruby gasped as she was pulled forward and Tenya started to grab more of the rope.
{Wah oh! Looks like Iida is about to turn Rose's weapon against her!}
In response to this turn of events, Ruby bursts into a cloud of rose petals and starts to pull in one direction. Tenya continued to hold on to the rope, facing the opposite and started his Engines to give him a boost against Ruby's Petal Burst.
{A tug-of-war?!}
"A test of strength…or endurance?" wondered Toshinori.
"I'm rather perplexed by Rose's Quirk," Ozpin said. "How was she able to have a hold on her rope in this state?"
"There's still room for exploring," Qrow commented. He smiled at the notion. "Can't wait to see how this goes."
"This is actually unexpected," Mina marveled.
"How so?" Tokoyami asked.
"Didn't Iida beat Rose in the 50-meter dash?" Mina questioned.
"That was back on our first day of school," Sero pointed out. "Rose has improved since then."
"Yeah, but so has Iida. Remember his Recipro Burst?" Kaminari brings up.
"You actually remembered that while in 'jamming-yay'?" Jiro asked, genuinely surprised.
"Of course, I do!"
"From the looks of things, this match could go either way," Tokoyami said. "Right now, it's to see who will last the longest."
"I'm practically at the edge of my seat, this is so exciting!" Ochako squealed. "What about you, Deku…Huh?"
"BothIidaandRosehavespeed-basedQuirksthoughtwithdifferentfactorssuchasIidaisanEmittertypewhileRoseisaTranformationtype," Izuku muttered under his breath as he wrote in his notebook in a frenzy. "IidasQuirkispoweredbyorangejuiceandRosesispoweredbyherownstamina. WearentsurewhichwilllastthelongestasitdependsonhowmuchfuelIidahasleftandthenumberoftimesRoseusedherQuirk…"
"Been a while since we've seen this," Kirishima observed. Weiss sweatdropped at the sight.
Both Tenya and Rose strained against each other's pull and tug at the rope, physically straining from the effort. Even their Quirks are starting to show signs of faltering, Tenya's Engines begin to sputter and Ruby's image can be seen flickering in and out from her cloud of red petals.
{This could be it folks! Who's gonna give first? Will it be Tenya Iida, Ruby Rose, or the rope?}
Not long after Present Mic announced this, Tenya's Engine pipes started to sputter more frequently until it shut down all together. He gritted his teeth. "Damn it…" He felt a stronger tug. "Uh oh…"
Tenya was flung back, his grip on the rope still present, and he finds himself hurling towards the red cloud. He collides and is somehow engulfed by the cloud. The 'impact' causes the cloud of red and blue petals to twist, swirl, and roll around the arena like a stray ring going down hill. The power behind the swirl even left marks on the concrete ground. A few seconds of chaos later, the red/blue swirl starts going in a straight line towards the edge of the arena, much to the worry of the others in the stands.
{This doesn't look good! If they continue, they'll both be disqualified!}
Either out of sheer will or running out of stamina, Ruby somehow cancels out her burst in the madness, a shower of red and blue petals falling from her and Tenya respectively. They stumble down on the ground, rolling until they reach the edge. Everyone waited as the dust cleared for any announcement.
Finally, Midnight spoke. "Tenya Iida is out of bounds! Ruby Rose is the winner!" Ruby gasped and sat up. She sees her feet were mere inches away from the border, while Tenya lies with his upper body crossing the line.
"Whoo-hoo! Way to go, Ruby!" Nejire cheered.
"Your sister is really moving up the ranks," Mirio said to Yang.
"Yeah," Yang said, smiling. "You're doing awesome, Ruby!"
Ochako let out a sigh of relief and sat back down in her chair. "That almost scared me."
"Yeah, me too," Jaune said, calming his racing heart.
"They were so close to getting disqualified. That was intense," Kirishima said.
Blake also breathed out a sigh, laying on her back on the floor.
"Ruby…you know how to worry people," she muttered.
Ruby helps to steady a disoriented Tenya.
"Are you gonna be okay, Iida?" she asked him.
Tenya nodded. "Yes…I just need a moment to regain my bearings…" He takes a moment for the world to stop spinning before he faces Ruby. "Congratulations, Rose."
"Thanks, Iida. I hope this fight was a little better than your previous one."
Ruby helps Tenya to his feet. "And it was. You kept me on my toes and I thank you for that."
"What are speed buddies for?" Ruby smiled.
Tenya blinked owlishly. "…Speed buddies?"
Ruby paled. "…Sorry. That sounded a lot cooler in my head…"
Tenya cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. "…Well, in any case, I hope you're prepared for the next round."
"Huh?"
"Don't you remember? Following Sero's defeat and mine, you'll be facing Todoroki in the next round," Tenya pointed out.
Ruby's mind went blank as Tenya's words repeated in her mind. "I'll…I-I'll be fighting…To-To-To-To…"
"Rose?"
"To-To-To…To-To-To…"
"R-Rose, are you all right?"
Izuku was thrilled for Ruby, happy that she was able to advance to the next round. And as much as he wanted to come out and congratulate her, he needed to prepare for his fight against Shinso. During his preparation in the waiting room, Ojiro and Nora came by to speak with him again.
"We just wanted to wish you luck, Midoriya," Ojiro said.
"Thanks, I appreciate that," Izuku said. He notices that Nora still looked conflicted. "Valkyrie?"
"...I…I really am sorry about this, guys," she apologized.
"Valkyrie," Ojiro said.
"If I had kept my mouth shut, then Midoriya wouldn't have to deal with that guy," Nora bemoaned.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Valkyrie," Izuku insisted. "Although…"
"Hm?"
"...I wonder how a fight between you and me would have gone," Izuku said. Hammer or no, Nora seemed to be a very tough girl, stronger than Jaune, maybe.
Nora grinned at that. "That's a good question! I can bench five of me and you…have your Quirk, even when you are holding back."
"F-Five of you?" Izuku asked, looking at the girl, who was shorter than him.
"Yep! Good luck out there. We'll be rooting for ya!" Nora chirped, back to her peppy self. Ojiro nodded.
"...Thank you. Both of you," Izuku thanked.
[Izuku Midoriya vs Hitoshi Shinso]
{It's time for the next match! This time featuring two underdogs of their respective classes! Hero Course Class 1-A's Izuku Midoriya vs General Course Class 1-C's Hitoshi Shinso!}
Izuku stood firm, taking in deep breaths to mentally prepare himself. "Remember what happened to Ojiro and Valkyrie. Remember what they said…"
"Hey." He looked at Shinso, who was smirking. "I bet you saw what happened with Valkyrie."
"What…?"
"At the start of the match, she said that tail guy warned her about me, saying that she planned to have me sprawled before I could utter a word," Shinso smirked, his tired eyes trained on Izuku. "Didn't work out for her, obviously. I told her how some of you guys aren't cut out for the hero class. She didn't like that one bit. She was easy to rile up."
'I tried not talking. I really did! But then, he said something about you guys and–!"
Izuku curled his fingers into a tight fist.
"Valkyrie…she…"
{Ready? …}
"Back to that tail guy…" Shinso continued.
{Go!}
"...don't you think he was dumb for throwing away his chance like that?"
And it was at that moment, Izuku saw red. He rarely ever got angry, and when he was, he's usually quick to ease off. But, Shinso's remarks towards Nora and his disrespect towards Ojiro's decision struck the wrong cord.
Growing up…Izuku didn't have a lot of friends…or any friends, really. Izuku had always wondered what it was like to be a part of a friend group. He'd always promise himself to be a good friend to anyone who'd give him the chance…To always be kind and have their back…something he had wanted growing up…
And Ruby gave him that chance. That day…in that abandoned park…Izuku got to experience what it's like to have a true friend after so many years of jeers and ridicule. And that only grew afterwards. He somehow found a friend in his idol, All Might, and once he attended UA, his number of friends steadily started to climb–
Ochako, Tenya, Tsuyu, Weiss…Class 1-A…
They are all Izuku's friends.
And to hear someone mock and make fun of any of them…
Started to make his blood boil.
Izuku's face changed to that of fury at Shinso's comments and began to move forward.
"What did you say?!" Izuku exclaimed.
Then, Izuku abruptly stopped. It was as though his mind was suddenly plunged into a deep fog. It felt hazy and weighted, like someone had put a blanket or bag over him. He couldn't comprehend, he couldn't react, he couldn't…
Think.
At the sight of Izuku's blank stare, Shinso's smirk grew.
Izuku's sudden halt confused Toshinori back in the stands.
"Young Midoriya?" he muttered.
{What's this? Midoriya has suddenly stopped in his tracks! What's going on?}
"Crap!" Nora exclaimed.
"No!" Ojiro shouted. "Augh! After everything we told him!"
"Midoriya!" Ruby called out.
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
Izuku Midoriya
Quirk: One for All
"Smashes villains with a superpower passed down from one generation to the next."
— Affiliation: UA High School Hero Class 1-A Student
— Birthday: 7/15 (Cancer)
— Height: 166 cm
— Blood Type: O
— Likes: Pork Cutlet Bowl, Quirks, Analyzing
— Color: Mint (3EB489)
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
Hitoshi Shinso
Quirk: Brainwashing
"Allows him to put someone in a state where they are forced to obey whatever he commands."
— Affiliation: UA High School Hero Class 1-C Student
— Birthday: 07/01 (Cancer)
— Height: 177 cm
— Blood Type: AB
— Likes: Cats, Cycling
— Color: Lavender (B57EDC)
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
"I have attempted to get into the hero course, but my Quirk doesn't work on machines," Shinso said. Izuku didn't respond, his vacant gaze still present. "So, why don't you leave the arena?" Izuku turned and started to walk back to the stairs. "You should have kept your mouth shut. I win. I will get into the hero course."
{Hey…what's going on?! Izuku Midoriya is heading out of the arena! What gives?!}
{Brainwashing.}
{Huh?}
{It's Hitoshi Shinso's Quirk. It allows him to brainwash whoever responds to him. That may not be all that impressive at first glance, but in reality, it's a powerful Quirk. Unfortunately, the entrance exam was playing favorites to those with combative Quirks, therefore overshadowing many hopefuls with conciliatory Quirks.}
"Brainwashing, huh?" Mercury inquired curiously. "That's actually a very useful Quirk."
"Too bad UA got him first," Emerald said. She has her phone out with the Note app pulled up. She goes to type Shinso's name on a list of sorts, just below Tokoyami's name.
"That's what Shinso made me do when we fought!" Nora declared.
"Brainwashing…So, that's Shinso's Quirk," Ochako said.
"Midoriya will lose at this rate!" Tenya stated. At his statement, many of Class 1-A shot up to their feet and called out to Izuku to snap him out of it.
"Snap out of it, man!" Kirishima shouted.
"Wake up, Deku!" Ochako declared.
"Midoriya!" Weiss called out.
They continued to shout for Izuku, but none were louder than Ruby, who leaned over the railing so far that Jaune had to hold her back before she could fall.
"Midoriya! You gotta snap out of it! Midoriya!" she shouted desperately.
Unfortunately, even her words seem to not be reaching him.
Yang's heart seized as Izuku walked closer to the edge.
Nejire made a worried noise as she flapped her hands vigorously. "This is actually stressful!"
"He'll lose…" Tamaki muttered.
"That Quirk…really is powerful," Mirio said, sternly. "I'm surprised that he isn't in the hero course. It's unfortunate. But, he might get that chance if Midoriya loses this."
Yang gripped her hand tight in the pocket of her jacket. She rose up from her seat as she pulled out another pennant flag from her jacket's pocket. This time, it was green…
And it said 'Midoriya.'
"Wake up, Midoriya!" Yang shouted, waving that green flag. "Wake up!"
"Is…Is Young Midoriya…about to lose?"
That single thought was enough for Toshinori to stand tall, surprising the people around him. There was a tightness in his chest, a sense of anxiety at the thought of Izuku losing…
"No…No…No, he can't lose…not like this…not after how far he has gotten…"
"Wake up! Young Midoriya!"
He didn't care for the surprised stares of Qrow and Ozpin, he didn't care for the puzzled glances at his direction from the other teachers, and he didn't care for the peculiar gaze from Ironwood…
"Waaake uuup!"
My head…it feels heavy…
Like a fog has taken over my mind…
I know that my body is moving…
But…I'm not the one controlling it…
I can't…I can't break free…
I can hear voices…
I think they're calling out to me…
They're telling me to wake up…
To break free…
But…
I can't…
I'm trying to…but I can't!
Am I…am I about to lose…?
Ẅ̶̡̱̼̤̹̲̯͈͉͇͂a̸̡̩̤̭̥̲͌͊̒̈̈͒k̴͉̦̿̌̃͌̌e̵̹͉͗͊͑́ ̷̧̝̭͍̞̱͊u̷͔̹͙̖̱̥̯̻͗̃͗̓̐͗͊͘͝p̶̖̺͓̤͈̀̈̊̀̓ͅ.̵̖̙̯͚̫͔̏̇̋̑͝͝
…Huh?
W̸̧̡͉̰̦̣̮̽̌͗̿͌̕̕a̶̡̢̗̙͇͕̭̖͉̝̾͊̒̋̌̅̊k̶̡̰͓͚̗͍̱͔̳̔̋̇̇̅̐̈́͗̚e̷̢̘̦̜̮̩̘͊̀̽̿̐̇͑̉͜ ̴̭͓̲̃́͊̌ṷ̵̱̼̰̆͐̏͆͂̄̓p̵̭̻̪͚̥̠͒̒̒̄̽͘͝.̴̧̛̄̓̽̿̌̒́
…What?
W̸̨̪̭̦̯̦̾̋͋̀͊a̴͖̰̠̫̤̩̩̤͊͂͂̋̋̅͂͝k̶̛̲͑̃͠e̴̢̧̢͓̰͓̟̦͉̍̓̆̌ ̶̬̯͍͍̪͙̇̀̈́̎̀̚͜͝u̷̧̥͍̼̣̎̌͆̈́͒͂͝͝͠ͅͅp̸̲̣͊̓͋̀́̚.̴̧̳͚̥̾̇̈́̀͑̏̉̎͘
Who…
W̷̼̩̤͋ă̴̦̭̻̞̜̦̘̂̓ķ̴̪̺͔͕͒e̸͉̭̮̜̩͆̏ͅ ̵͇̱̺̅͝u̷̙͆̓͌̽̔͂͆͝p̵̮̝̮̮̰͉̊̄̒͝ͅ.̸̢̨̜̘̇
Who…is speaking?
W̴̮͐̆̀͒̇́̋a̵̢̞̦̎̕ḱ̵̨̰ȅ̵̻̋̿́ ̸̜͖̞̯̭͍̅̐̑̾̀̓͘ṳ̴͐̎͝ṕ̶͖̫̮͜͝.̵̪̭͍̫̘̺̻͑̅̊͌̕͘͝
Who's talking to me…?
W̸̺͇̩̎̉̈́ă̴̧͕̭͔̇͒́͘͠k̴̬̤̜̦̩̋͌̌̾̆e̷̢͊̋͘ ̷̨̟̰̱̪̎͐̾̑̀̚ư̴̧̺̼͔͒̐͘p̵̯͚̘̺̌͂̚.̷̩͇́̽̇̐̈̿
Who's voice is that?
W̸̙͌̉́͘a̵̢̜̹͔̫̿̈́̀͠k̴̗̱̉e̵͔͂ ̴̛͍̠̑̈ͅͅu̴̡̡͉̪͉̎̇̄p̴͕͇̒͑̾̇͘.̸̣̌
What's happening?
W̴̢̥̯̔̃a̴̠̥̔̋̒͠k̷̰̝̣̃̎̀ȅ̵̹ ̶̭̈́̿̋ü̸̲̝̝̎̀͘p̴̫̝̣̹͌̅̃̑.̴̡͚̜̻̀̍̈́
?
…That sounded like…
Ẅ̶̡̱̼̤̹̲̯͈͉͇͂a̸̡̩̤̭̥̲͌͊̒̈̈͒k̴͉̦̿̌̃͌̌e̵̹͉͗͊͑́ ̷̧̝̭͍̞̱͊u̷͔̹͙̖̱̥̯̻͗̃͗̓̐͗͊͘͝p̶̖̺͓̤͈̀̈̊̀̓ͅ.̵̖̙̯͚̫͔̏̇̋̑͝͝ W̸̧̡͉̰̦̣̮̽̌͗̿͌̕̕a̶̡̢̗̙͇͕̭̖͉̝̾͊̒̋̌̅̊k̶̡̰͓͚̗͍̱͔̳̔̋̇̇̅̐̈́͗̚e̷̢̘̦̜̮̩̘͊̀̽̿̐̇͑̉͜ ̴̭͓̲̃́͊̌ṷ̵̱̼̰̆͐̏͆͂̄̓p̵̭̻̪͚̥̠͒̒̒̄̽͘͝.̴̧̛̄̓̽̿̌̒́ W̸̨̪̭̦̯̦̾̋͋̀͊a̴͖̰̠̫̤̩̩̤͊͂͂̋̋̅͂͝k̶̛̲͑̃͠e̴̢̧̢͓̰͓̟̦͉̍̓̆̌ ̶̬̯͍͍̪͙̇̀̈́̎̀̚͜͝u̷̧̥͍̼̣̎̌͆̈́͒͂͝͝͠ͅͅp̸̲̣͊̓͋̀́̚.̴̧̳͚̥̾̇̈́̀͑̏̉̎͘ W̷̼̩̤͋ă̴̦̭̻̞̜̦̘̂̓ķ̴̪̺͔͕͒e̸͉̭̮̜̩͆̏ͅ ̵͇̱̺̅͝u̷̙͆̓͌̽̔͂͆͝p̵̮̝̮̮̰͉̊̄̒͝ͅ.̸̢̨̜̘̇ W̸̺͇̩̎̉̈́ă̴̧͕̭͔̇͒́͘͠k̴̬̤̜̦̩̋͌̌̾̆e̷̢͊̋͘ ̷̨̟̰̱̪̎͐̾̑̀̚ư̴̧̺̼͔͒̐͘p̵̯͚̘̺̌͂̚.̷̩͇́̽̇̐̈̿W̸̙͌̉́͘a̵̢̜̹͔̫̿̈́̀͠k̴̗̱̉e̵͔͂ ̴̛͍̠̑̈ͅͅu̴̡̡͉̪͉̎̇̄p̴͕͇̒͑̾̇͘.̸̣̌ W̸̙͌̉́͘a̵̢̜̹͔̫̿̈́̀͠k̴̗̱̉e̵͔͂ ̴̛͍̠̑̈ͅͅu̴̡̡͉̪͉̎̇̄p̴͕͇̒͑̾̇͘.̸̣̌ W̴̢̥̯̔̃a̴̠̥̔̋̒͠k̷̰̝̣̃̎̀ȅ̵̹ ̶̭̈́̿̋ü̸̲̝̝̎̀͘p̴̫̝̣̹͌̅̃̑.̴̡͚̜̻̀̍̈́
.
.
.
Wake up.
The fog in his mind is suddenly overtaken by an array of colors. White, blue, red, green, orange, purple, magenta, yellow…
It was a sensation that felt familiar to Izuku, but at the same time something he hadn't experienced before…He could feel One for All buzzing to life, spreading across his body. And just as he started to comprehend what was going on, Izuku started to see shadows form from the colors. Eight to be exact…
…And one of them, the yellow one, was in the shape of Toshinori!
What's happening?
What's going on with One for All?
Then, Izuku felt the painful sensation of his index and middle finger breaking as the energy of One for All released, sending a powerful wave.
Izuku gasped in shock, his mind finally clear as Shinso's Quirk lost its effect and the colors and shadows disappeared. Izuku took in several deep breaths, staring at the ground in shock upon seeing his feet mere inches away from the line.
"That was…really close…" he muttered.
"How…" Shinso said in disbelief. "How did you break free? …What did you do?!" Izuku opened his mouth to speak before he clamped his hand to his mouth before he said anything. Shinso saw this and got angrier. "Speak to me, damn it!"
Ruby let out a heavy sigh as she flopped back in her seat.
"That was a close one…" she said.
"Now you know how we felt when that nearly happened to you and Iida," Mina said.
"What just happened anyway?" Ochako wondered, watching Izuku attempting to push Shinso out of bounds.
"It looks like Midoriya used his Quirk to free himself," Tenya said. "But, his fingers broke in the process."
"I think that's how a person can get freed," Ojiro said. "When it happened to me, someone bumped me on the shoulder. That was enough to snap me out of it."
"When you get right down to it, Shinso's Quirk is amazing," Tsuyu said. "It's a shame that he didn't get into the hero course."
"Please. Brainwashing sounds like a villain Quirk," Mineta commented.
"So does a Quirk erasing Quirk," Weiss countered. "Or a power over a shadow entity or even invisibility. Just because someone has a Quirk that can suit a villain, doesn't mean that they are. We're all in this school to be heroes. Maybe Shinso wanted to be a hero. Why else is he trying so hard?"
"You sound so smart," Mineta gushed. His attitude revolted Weiss, who scooted a smidge away even though they were seats apart and different levels. The farther the better. Weiss felt that someone was near her and turned to 'see' Hagakure next to her.
"You really think so, Schnee?" Hagakure asked, sounding hopeful.
Weiss flustered. "I mean, doesn't everyone deserve a chance…that's just my opinion." Invisible arms wrapped her into a tight hug from Hagakure.
"Look at you! You've grown so much since the first day of school!" the invisible girl exclaimed. "I'm so proud of you!"
"Okay. I get it! Can you please let go?" Weiss pleaded, turning red in embarrassment.
Seated above, Sero smirks at Tokoyami. "Dude, are you blushing?"
"Be quiet."
"Imagine what it would be like if Shinso was in our class," Kaminari said. "If he was at the USJ when it was attacked, he'd probably be able to deal with the villains with little issue."
"You might be right about that, Kaminari," Kirishima said. He looks back at the arena just in time to see Izuku shoulder toss Shinso down and out of bounds.
{Hitoshi Shinso is out of bounds! Izuku Midoriya is the winner!}
"I guess that means Shinso probably won't get into the hero course," Kirishima said, visibly disappointed.
"Yeah, bummer," Kaminari frowned.
"Have you two forgotten that Ojiro and Aoyama were hypnotized by Shinso last competition?" Weiss inquired disapprovingly. "And Valkyrie?"
"Talk about insensitive," Jiro glowered.
"Uh…sorry," Kaminari apologized to Ojiro and Nora and Aoyama.
"Yeah, sorry," Kirishima apologized.
"It's okay," Ojiro said. "I hate to say it, but his Quirk is impressive. He could probably make a good hero."
And Ruby agreed. Shinso's Quirk seems to have very few cons in its limitations. Ojiro was lucky that someone bumped into him and, from the way it seems, Nora and Aoyama were able to break free when Shinso was finished with them. So, Izuku was indeed lucky that he had subconsciously used One for All to help him.
Then again…One for All is a strange Quirk to begin with. Maybe she should ask Toshinori about it. The man would no doubt be heading for the infirmary to see Izuku, so that's where Ruby planned to head to.
She spotted Shinso on her way to the infirmary. He was heading in her direction, so maybe he was just coming from the infirmary?
"Hello," Ruby greeted. Shinso paused when he noticed her.
"You…Who are you?" he asked.
"...It's Ruby. Ruby Rose," Ruby answered, somewhat confused. Two rounds in and her name was called a few times by Present Mic during her matches. Hasn't Shinso paid attention?
"Oh. What do you want?"
Rude.
"Were you just coming from the infirmary?" Ruby asked.
"Recovery Girl wanted to make sure that my back was okay," Shinso replied.
"Oh, that's good," Ruby said. Shinso eyes her curiously.
"Why are you heading to the infirmary?" he asked.
"I wanted to check on–" Ruby suddenly stopped talking and her mind went blank, as Shinso had activated his Quirk.
Shinso shook his head with a sigh. He saunters over to Ruby and flicks her forehead. She shook her head and blinked several times.
"Whoa…Okay, that was really weird!" Ruby exclaimed, smiling. "It was like my head got dunked in cotton, or something. That was cool."
"...Cool?" Shinso questioned, looking at Ruby as though she had grown another head.
"So, how do you know that you're using your Quirk?" asked Ruby. "It's clear that it's not always on, because if that were the case, then you can't talk to people. Period. That would have been a rotten deal."
Shinso stared at her like she was some odd creature. "...Yeah."
"Can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"How come you didn't try to brainwash Jaune Arc?" Ruby asked.
"Who?"
"He's blonde." Ruby then remembered that Aoyama and Ojiro were also blonde. "And very tall. I think he was your head horse in the cavalry battle?"
"...Oh yeah. Him. Actually, I was gonna brainwash him," Shinso revealed. "But, before I even said anything, he was quick to join my team."
"Huh…" Quick to join? Sounds like Jaune was having a hard time finding a team too. It made Ruby feel a little guilty for immediately accepting Tsuyu's request, even though Ruby was so desperate at the time. "Well…it was nice talking to you. Hope to catch you later!" Ruby runs past Shinso before stopping a few feet away and turning around. "Oh, and Shinso?"
"What is it?" Shinso asked, getting a little annoyed.
"Thank you."
Shinso gasped at Ruby's grateful response. "...What for?"
"For your declaration two weeks back," Ruby said. "If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't have trained as hard as I did for the Sports Festival. In fact, I wasn't even planning to put my all in this. I didn't see a reason for it. But, thanks to you, I was able to learn what I can do. So, thanks. For helping me get this far." Shinso gaped at her, unable to say a word. "Gotta go! Maybe we'll see each other again when you get into the hero course. Bye!" Ruby turns back around on her heel and resumes her way to the infirmary.
Leaving a stupified Shinso.
*POW*
"OW!"
Ruby flinched for Toshinori as the man held his now sore right side, where Recover Girl gave the man a rough back punch.
"And here I thought Midoriya has improved his control over his Quirk!" the old woman fumed. "Have you been pressuring him?"
"I don't…think so…" Toshinori wheezed in pain.
"No, it wasn't like that, Recovery Girl!" Izuku insisted. "It was…" He looks down at his bandaged index and middle fingers. He recalled what had happened before the fingers suddenly broke. The vision… "It…wasn't me."
"Huh?" Ruby wondered. Recovery Girl and a slightly recovered Toshinori look at him curiously.
"One for All…I didn't activate it. Something else did…And my fingers too. I didn't move them on my own," Izuku said. "I was in a fog…I couldn't think clearly and I couldn't control my body. I heard you guys calling out to me, but it sounded all muffled…then, I heard different, clearer voices…and after that, there was a storm of colors or something and then…I saw people."
"People?" Ruby asked.
Izuku nodded. "Yeah. I couldn't make out what they looked like, but I could tell that they had distinctive features. In fact, one of them looked like the shape of All Might. They even have your eyes…" Izuku paused for a moment. He was starting to feel that he sounded crazy. "...Is it…Is it possible that those people were the previous users of One for All?"
"Probably," Toshinori answered. "I had a similar experience when I was young. It means that you have a better grasp at One for All. It's probably thanks to your training."
"But, how…?" Izuku started.
"I think it's like a trace of the previous users residing in One for All," Toshinori explained.
"Like a piece of their soul?" Ruby wondered. Izuku faces her, puzzled. "I feel that I heard a story like this."
"Something like that. But, whatever it is, it doesn't have a direct influence on you, Young Midoriya," Toshinori said. "In other words, you broke out of Young Shinso's control through your own will." The man gave Izuku a smile. "Good on you."
"That…was hardly a satisfying answer," Izuku said, unimpressed.
"Hey," Toshinori chided. Ruby laughed. "Very funny. Shouldn't the two of you be watching the other matches so you'd know what to expect?"
"Oh! You're right!" Izuku said, slipping off the stool. "Let's go, Rose."
Ruby nodded in agreement. "We're off! See you later, Uncle Toshi!"
Once they were gone and the door was closed, Recovery Girl spoke, "He saw a vision of you, huh? Should we be concerned?"
"No...It's a good thing," Toshinori said. He looks down at the open palms of his hands. "It means…that One for All is truly no longer my Quirk. It is now Young Midoriya's."
He remembered…back when it happened to him all those years ago. He was surprised to see Nana's image with the other shadows and told her.
She was ecstatic.
'Congrats, Toshi! One for All is officially yours!'
"But…at what cost…" Toshinori unknowingly clenched his right hand tightly. "...Nana…"
Izuku and Ruby hurried down the hall leading to the 1-A stands. On their way, they spot Tenya at the exit, just ending a call.
"Iida!" Izuku called out.
"Hey," Tenya greeted, putting away his phone. "How's your fingers?" Izuku holds up his bandaged fingers, giving a peace sign.
"Recovering as we speak," he said.
"That's good."
"Were talking on the phone?" Ruby asked.
"...I was. I tried to call my brother, but he's away on business," Tenya said. "He's currently tracking down the Hero KIller."
"The Hero Killer?" Izuku said. "The vigilante turned villain?"
"That is correct," Tenya nodded. Ruby saw how Tenya's brows were drawn together and his lips pressed together.
"Are you worried?" she asked.
Tenya adjusted his glasses, a light glare obscuring the view of his eyes. "...A little."
"I understand. When my sister started doing work studies, I got worried a lot. But, she always comes back home with a big grin on her face," Ruby said, recalling the memories. "Like how All Might's smile helps people feel safe, seeing Yang smile always told me that things are okay! Remember, your brother is an amazing pro hero! He's like in my top 5. I believe that Ingenium will stop the Hero Killer!"
A smile began to spread on Tenya's face. "...You're right, Rose. I…don't know what I was thinking. Come on. Let's go watch the rest of the matches!"
"Right!"
[Rest of the Second Round Fights]
Tsuyu was the first to strike, trying to prevent Penny from making an attack herself. However, when Tsuyu tried to throw Penny out of bounds, the ginger was able to pull herself back to the arena before she hit the ground. Penny then tangles Tsuyu into her strings, immobilizing her.
Penny wins.
People weren't surprised when Bakugo won his match against Tokoyami. It was a poor matchup, really. Dark Shadow wasn't a fan of bright lights and the flashes of Bakugo's explosions made Dark Shadow as docile as a lamb. Tokoyami had no choice but to forfeit.
Bakugo wins.
The fight between Kirishima and Tetsutsu was…comically long. And due to the similarity of their Quirks, their fisticuffs ended in a draw. The pair had to wait until the end of the second round to do a redo in the form of an arm wrestling match.
A match that Kirishima wins, proving his manliness to Tetsutetsu.
A lot of people had speculated that Sun was going to win his match against Ochako, seeing how she lacked close combat skills, as shown during her fight with Itsuka. In fact, Sun could have won, if not for one moment. He had Ochako in a hold that locked her arms in place, preventing her from using her Quirk on him. Then, he heard someone calling him a brute for overpowering Ochako. When Ochako noticed that Sun was distracted, she was quick to get out of his loosened hold and touched him, rendering him weightless and out of the fight.
In the last fight, Weiss was on the defense at the start, dodging and slashing oncoming vines from Shiozaki. At some point, Shiozaki willed the vines to encircle Weiss, attempting to trap her. When it was thought that Shiozaki was about to win, ice started to encase the vines and Weiss broke free and Shiozaki was rendered imobile, giving Weiss the win.
And a lot of people were none too happy about that.
{And that's the end of the 2nd round! Now, let's see who's facing whom in the quarter-finals! Take it away, Midnight!}
Midnight grinned. "You got it!" She whips her flogger back towards the jumbo screen to show the bracket. "And here's the next match ups!"
[Todoroki vs. Rose] [Midoriya vs. Polendina]
[Bakugo vs. Kirishima] [Uraraka vs. Schnee]
Ochako looks at it worriedly. "Me…against Schnee."
"Whelp! Looks like we're fighting in the next round, Bakugo!" Kirishima grinned. Bakugo doesn't respond.
Penny turns to Izuku. "I look forward to our battle, Midoriya."
"Uh, y-yeah!" Izuku said. "Rose, I…Uh, Rose?"
"To-To-To-To-To-To-To…" Ruby spluttered nervously, her whole body shaking.
"Ruby?" Ochako voiced.
Todoroki watched this silently.
Up at the stands, Endeavor looks at Ruby's name next to Todoroki's.
"Hmph…"
With the teachers, Ironwood silently stared at the back of Toshinori's head before shifting his gaze up at the jumbo screen, honing in on the names of Izuku Midoriya and Penny Polendina.
Next Chapter: Legacy
"Are you…the daughter of Silver Line?"
"Will you shut up already?!"
"I'm…sorry."
"What is this about Young Polendina being my successor?"
"Am I really your friend?"