A frantically savage swing of Todoroki's right arm permeates the air with a rapid spread of rime. Hoar frost follows the extreme growth of verglas until a glacier of ice erupts into the sky. The monumental mountain of crystal becomes an extension of Todoroki's cold side, jagged protrusions of varying sizes still stretching outwards. Icicles stem off of spears and spires until it solidifies completely.
Still in the process of his descent downwards, Todoroki's giant defensive structure now a blockade, Izuku pivots his body to face forwards. The chainsaw atop his head takes the lead, but he raises his arms to point them directly in the same position. Moving with as much momentum as he can use during free fall, Izuku starts to spin. "Improvised move..", the revving of the boy's chainsaws intensify when the spinning blades make contact with Todoroki's ice, "DRILL CLAW!"
Cold vapor hits the air as the glacier is drilled directly into, moisture coming off of flying fragments while chainsaws chip away at the ice. Izuku's winding motion continues to carve inwards, his rotation quickening the pace that the verglas gets grinded down. Straight through and out the other side comes the chainsaws that created a hole down the middle. Izuku's spin stops and he rights himself before landing back on the ground.
He comes to a halt directly in front of Todoroki, making Todoroki jolt in shock. One of Izuku's chainsaw bladed arms swings upwards, stopping right under the other boy's chin. Despite the temperature being below zero, sweat rolls in big beads before dropping off and landing on the metal bar. The moving chain comes closer to Todoroki's throat as he dry swallows.
"Is that all you got?", the thrumming engine that makes up Izuku's head filters his voice into a low growl. Todoroki's fear and shock shift to anger in response to the goading, his teeth gritting together when he growls back. Izuku moves his chainsaw away from the other boy's neck so they can continue their fight.
Todoroki throws up another wall of ice, though this one much smaller than the prior two glaciers. Izuku hacks away at it with a swipe of his own arm, shattering the thin barrier like glass. "You're gonna need to try another move if you wanna win with just your ice!", the taunts are as bitter as the frostbite chewing at Todoroki's fingers when he reinforces the damage with another shielding of ice, "Or are you just all talk?!" Izuku saws through the crystal sheeting just as easily as he had the other one.
A thick coating of mildew covers Todoroki as he runs to the right, Izuku's gaslit eyes tracking the movement of a silhouette through the fog. When Izuku moves to follow his opponent, he feels that his feet won't budge. The boy's head turns down to see a thin spread of ice trailing from Todoroki to freeze his legs in place. "Clever..", a waft of condensation comes from Izuku's mouth as his tongue licks at his fangs, "But it's you who has cold feet when it comes to their quirk, Todoroki!" Just like he had done back at the USJ when he fought Nomu, a chainsaw splits his leg in half.
The appearance of a new chainsaw breaks the ice surrounding that spot, allowing Izuku to tear himself free. Blood flakes the floor when he kicks upwards to throw himself after his opponent. "Dammit!", Todoroki swears when he's forced to turn back and defend himself with another iceberg. Todoroki skids to a stop and unleashes a massive burst of verglas like he opened the match with, hoping that'll be enough. Izuku's synchronized shout with the roar of his chainsaws says otherwise.
Izuku orientates his body while airborne to do a bicycle kick and slices through the ice in his way. In order to smash through the rest, his other leg rips itself open to let loose a chainsaw. Double bladed, Izuku cuts into the glacier. Todoroki yells in retaliation, pushing past his limit to send a second wave of ice as a desperate attempt to replace what's damaged. All that does is harden the slope that Izuku lands on, giving him a perfect ramp. Using the chainsaws protruding from his legs, Izuku slides down as though he has ice skates on his feet.
Todoroki has to whip his right arm back to create a wall behind himself when Izuku reaches the bottom, the impact throwing him off his feet and nearly out of the arena. Weaker than his past constructs, the ice cracks while trying to support his full weight leaning against it. Todoroki pushes off but stumbles and falls to one knee. He uses the back of his hand to wipe away the damp layer of sweat sticking his hair to his forehead.
Izuku falls back, landing on his backside so that he leans against the glacier behind him to use as a crutch should he need to get back up. The chainsaws extending from his legs start winding down, the spin of their metallic teeth coming to a stop before the others attached to Izuku's arms and head do. His eyes still glow a vibrant glare though, "When are you going to use your fire?"
"Huh?", Todoroki raises his head to stare back. Through a layer of mist, he sees Izuku but mere feet away. Todoroki's heterochromic eyes harden as they squint to glare through the fog.
"To warm up", Izuku clarifies the meaning of his question with an inquisitive tilt of his head, "I don't think you'll be able to last much longer at this rate, your cold quirk is gonna give you hypothermia if you aren't careful" He speaks matter of factly, almost casually.
Todoroki isn't as nonchalant. He snaps with a bitterness to his bite, "Worry about yourself, Midoriya" The venom in his tone comes out of his mouth in the form of spit.
"I'm fine so long as I continue revving my engine", Izuku shrugs his shoulders and sits up straight to rest his bare back on the ice behind him despite being shirtless. "The motor keeps my blood pumping and, if anything, your ice keeps me from overheating" The rise and fall of Izuku's chest is in sync with the steady rumble of his engine, as though to say he's telling the truth.
Todoroki glances at his right arm, the throbbing growth of purple around the blue threatening to eat away at the limb. He forces his fingers to bend and closes his hand to make a fist, ignoring the numbness that gives him a lack of feeling as he does so. "Shut up and fight!", Todoroki snarls while forcing himself back to his feet.
Izuku nods, the chainsaws that had been protruding from his legs now fully retracted so that he can stand again too. "Ah, sure, I can do that", he hoops a finger through the hole that makes up the handle of the ripcord on his chest and pulls. Izuku's chainsaws rev back to life, blades already beginning to spin again until the metallic teeth become a winding blur.
Izuku dashes at Todoroki, the latter barely ducking down in time to roll away from his warpath. Both boys pause after facing away from eachother, but Izuku is faster to turn back around, a chainsaw bladed arm catching Todoroki's back. The jacket is shredded straight to the flesh, metal tips knicking the exposed skin and ripping it apart. Todoroki cries out as his back gets torn into diagonally, flesh gnarled as it's torn by winding blades. Before the chainsaw cuts any deeper, he darts away with a trail of blood in his wake.
Todoroki instinctively throws up his right hand to cast another spell of ice. Frost emits from the uncontained spiral of verglas that shoots out in response. Izuku falls back, but only to prepare a counter strike by bringing his chainsaws together in order to form an X, the swipe of both blades at the same time creating a stronger response to the collision. "I told you that you'll have to do better than that!", Izuku decimates the ice with his double swing.
Todoroki slaps his hand down on the arena, ignoring the sharp sting of pain that shoots through his arm when he does so. A spread of ice covers the terrain, encasing the ground with a slippery surface. When he tries to stand up again, he can't help the flinch that comes in response to the ache of his back's wound. Nevertheless, he accomplished his goal. Izuku struggles to make it across the frozen floor, his movements slowed for the time being.
Among the cheers of the crowded stadium, the classmates of the two fighters recoil and react with differing opinions of the match. Yaoyorozu covers her eyes repeatedly, unable to watch, but always spreading them apart to catch a contradictory glimpse every so often. Uraraka shadow boxes, punching the air as though she's participating. Ashido nervously chews on her nails, biting them off until they're completely filed down.
"Isn't this going too far? Maybe somebody should stop it?", Kaminari looks around for someone who'll agree with him but everybody else is too fixated on the battle below to share his sentiment. He turns to the boy next to him, giving his classmate a nudge. "Hey, don't you think so?", he prods.
Kirishima doesn't even spare Kaminari a glance. He vigorously shakes his head, "No way! You can't put a stop to a fight between two men!" He eagerly leans forward when the stadium shakes from a tremor caused by the battle. Kaminari sweatdrops.
Sero rubs the back of his head, chuckling to hide his disconcertment. "Well.. Midoriya is doing a lot better than I did", he has to wince when he sees the mark Izuku's chainsaws left on Todoroki, "A LOT better than I did.."
Izuku charges Todoroki, slashing through four barriers of ice that jut up in an effort to obstruct his path. The ice creator drops down, using the slick surface he made to slide out of the way, and fires off another round of verglas. Izuku whips an arm out to shatter the structure and continues the chase. Todoroki tumbles while desperately crafting more blockades in his wake. It's only a matter of time before Izuku catches up to him.
From the commentator's booth, the battle appears as transparent as Todoroki's ice. At least, that should be the case. It's not quite as clear to see for Present Mic, "Looks like these two powerhouses are evenly matched!" He's not capable of seeing the bigger scale of the match or Aizawa's judgmental side eyeing.
Aizawa sighs before grabbing his own microphone to speak, "One obviously has an advantage over the other if you look closely.. Todoroki's ice has been gradually getting weaker during prolonged usage, not to mention his dulled movements.. Things are going in Midoriya's favor if this match becomes a battle of attrition."
Present Mic is glad nobody can see his embarrassment, faking a confident attitude as he responds to Aizawa's input, "I see you noticed that too! Good attention to detail, Eraser!"
Aizawa gives his partner a deadpan look but doesn't move his microphone away when he drawls back a response, "Any competent pro hero would be able to notice that."
Present Mic chuckles nervously, "Right! Right!" When the viewing booth trembles due to a shockwave emitted by the brawl below, he takes that as an opportunity to point and redirect Aizawa's attention. "Well, maybe things will start heating up soon!"
Todoroki plants his hand in between his legs, a circle of snow forming a crystalline ring around him. The boy's next icy creation comes from below himself, carrying him upwards on a platform of his own making to escape Izuku's chainsaws. A tall pillar of ice stretches into the sky and gives Todoroki the higher ground. He lets out a breath of relief, the condensation from his mouth joining the clouds.
Izuku tilts his head up as he approaches the pillar, humming to himself when he sees that it puts his opponent out of reach. The gaslit orbs that make up his eyes shift down to settle on the ice column and he determines that it has to go. Izuku sweeps a chainsaw arm across the solid beam, carving into it. This ice structure proves sturdier than the previous ones. A last ditch effort then. Izuku chops with his other arm, swinging both. The weight of the ice shifts a little but not enough for it to topple yet. The winding blades fixed to the top of Izuku's head arc down and join the cutting process.
Like a tall tree, the base that would be the ice tower's trunk begins to windle down. Izuku can't help the laugh that comes out of his mouth when he manages to finish sawing at the pillar. When the ice cracks, the chilling cackle reaches Todoroki's ears too late and he has to jump from his creation to escape its collapse. Fragments rain down like hail before the entire structure completely crumbles. Todoroki tumbles and rolls with a series of grunts until he uses his ice to stop himself with an impromptu wall.
Izuku's chainsaws come down to a low hum, matching his soft pants. He takes small steps towards his opponent's near prone position. "Todoroki.. Why won't you use your fire?"
Todoroki groans as he shifts his body to lurch itself back up. The bruises he sustained during his fall coupled with the gash on his back make it difficult for him to move quickly but he perseveres anyways. "Why would you ask me that.. When you're using your quirk when you said that you wouldn't?", he hisses his counter argument through the seething of his teeth.
Izuku comes to a stop. He watches as Todoroki struggles to stand across from him before answering, "Because of my mom" Todoroki freezes, succumbing to a state of petrification, having not expected that response. "She wanted me to show the world who I really am.. ME.. That this is MY quirk", Izuku holds his head up high so that the steel of his chainsaw reflects against the sun's beams of light, "Did you ever think that yours wanted the same for you?"
Todoroki's heavy pants gradually ease themselves to a more controlled form of breathing. Despite the quirk marriage she had been forced into, he does recall his mother telling him to be a hero, fire aspect of his quirk and all. Tears dry until they hiss upon turning into steam. The numb effect of hypothermia subsides from his right arm as it warms up. Flames spark along Todoroki's left side until igniting and becoming a larger fire.
"Thank you, Midoriya, you helped me remember..", Todoroki ignores the encouraging shouts of his father from the spectator stands and focuses on the memory of his mother's encouragement instead, "But don't blame me for what happens next."
"Looks like we're both finally giving it all that we've got now", Izuku bares his fangs into some semblance of a pointed grin before reaching for the string attached to his sternum, "Let's wrap this up then! Shall we?!" He already used so much of his blood on the first couple of pulls. He estimates this is the last one that he has left in him. Despite putting on a good show until now, Izuku knows that this is going to be difficult for him to push through without operating at his full potential. Nevertheless, he yanks on the cord and his chainsaws rev with a roar as abrupt as the harsh tug.
Bursts of flame flicker out haphazardly, taking Izuku by surprise. Judging by the startled flinch of reaction from Todoroki, he's surprised by the lack of restraint to this side of his power too. It's then that Izuku realizes and remembers his opponent must have little to no experience using this part of his ability. Todoroki lacks the control needed to aim and utilize his fire properly. Izuku's pointed teeth spread apart, stretching his grin and allowing his tongue to roll out, he appears almost sadistic when he starts to see Todoroki's weakness as an exploitable means to win the match.
"Come on!", Izuku charges into the inferno with reckless abandon. Todoroki gasps with shock, surprised to see his opponent rushing in so carelessly. The fire lashes out in response. Flames as long and thick as tentacles reach for Izuku. "I said.. COME ON!", Izuku dodges left and strafes right to avoid being struck but doesn't stop his sprint forwards.
Todoroki grinds his teeth together, struggling as he tries to gain SOME control over his fire. In an effort to create a focal point and outlet the flames, he dwindles the edges down in order to compress them. Balls begin to expand and burn bright, launching themselves into Izuku's path. Though those are more refined and faster than the appendages, Izuku still manages to dodge them. Fireballs fly over the boy's head as he ducks down.
Izuku is practically upon Todoroki by the next second, forcing Todoroki to release what little control that he had over his flames for them to expand. Hoping to wall Izuku off like he would if he were using his ice, fire spreads in a solid line to raise skywards. The impromptu shield comes in between the two with sweltering heat, dark smoke inhaled by both boys. Except while Todoroki suffers from a coughing fit, Izuku continues to push through. Chainsaws pass through the fire, screeches sounding like the gates of hell opening up.
Terrified eyes of mismatched color expand under the hot glare, watching elongated fangs and metallic teeth lick flames. Fire coats Izuku's bare body in burns that expose muscle tissue that's damp with blood. The sight is horrifying enough to make Todoroki stagger back, the flames radiating from his left side condensing around his fist and his right side instinctively flash freezing a spray of ice. The combination of opposing elements causes a frictional heatwave that separates him from Izuku, the superheated blast cooling the air that replaces what gets evaporated.
Hawks bats his wings, flapping them hard in order to fly out of range from the sudden expansion of heat. Even from his height, he feels the radiation of warmth that Todoroki's attack emits. The temperature drastically changes, shifting to a colder level in the blink of an eye. He's suddenly glad he's wearing his jacket. The crossing of ice and fire proved to be powerfully effective. Or has it.. A huge updraft of gray smoke covers the arena below, concealing the combatants within. And the sound of a running chainsaw still echoes from inside.
When the smoke starts to dissipate and it clears away from the battlefield, both boys are somehow still standing upright. But Present Mic notes one thing is different from the other. He removes his sunglasses, standing up from his seat and leaning forward to make sure he sees it correctly. There's no mistaking it from his view within the commentator's booth. But as he's about to announce what decides the victor of the match, Aizawa beats him to it.
As lazily unenthusiastic as one could possibly sound, Aizawa announces, "Todoroki is out of bounds.. Midoriya wins.."
The crowd goes wild. Cheers erupt from everyone throughout the stadium. Kyoka would be joining them if she weren't so busy using her hands to cover her ears. Kirishima and Sero give eachother a manly hug to celebrate Midoriya's victory, tears of joy in their eyes. Uraraka pumps a fist into the air as if she's the one who won. Toshinori exhales with relief, body somehow deflating even further. Katsuki stands up and uses the commotion to slip away unnoticed.
Todoroki looks down to see he's behind the white line that marks where the ring begins and ends. He has to blink to make sure that he's seeing correctly and then realizes he must have been startled enough by Izuku coming through the flames that he stepped backwards too far. A sigh escapes his lips, tension leaving his system along with the adrenaline that kept him going throughout the match. When he raises his head to face Izuku and congratulate him with a respectful bow, he's shocked to see the boy wobbling with difficulty to remain standing.
The chains on the saw mounts stop their spinning, coming to a complete stop. The fire that was torching his skin and flesh has gone out and his blood has dried into crusty patches. Except, the third degree burns aren't healing. Izuku sways forward and then backwards, his heel catching himself before he can trip. A gurgled grunt is the only noise that the boy manages to make before falling backwards again. This time, he doesn't catch himself. Izuku lands on his back, arms and legs sprawled out.
Hawks flys back until his feet brush against the stadium's outer wall, giving him a good spot to perch himself. From there, he watches medical bots swarm the stage where the U.A students fought, marking the official end of the match. The hero's gloved fingers tap the lens of his yellow visor to deactivate the zooming function before reaching into his pants pocket. A sigh of relief escapes his mouth when he checks his cellphone and sees no notifications yet. With a flap of his widespread wings, he takes to the sky again before anybody can spot him.
After Izuku is whisked away on a stretcher, he receives treatment from Recovery Girl to prepare him for his next match. Blood bags to give him a much needed transfusion hang on dolleys from either side of the bedframe he lays in. All of his burns begin to heal, albeit slowly, the exposed flesh starts subsiding. There's a television showing Katsuki's match against Uraraka but he ignores it, already knowing which of the two he'll have to face for the final round. Izuku closes his eyes and asks Recovery Girl, "Can you give me the room alone please? Just for a few minutes?"
The elder heroine looks at Izuku, contemplative of whether she should or not, before nodding and leaving him be. As soon as she shuts the sliding door behind her to give him his privacy, Izuku breaks down. The boy's eyes reopen, watering at the edges before tears spill over the brim. A sob wracks his entire frame, followed by plenty more. Being in a hospital bed like this, with the Sports Festival playing on a TV set, reminds him of his mother. Even though he won against Todoroki, she didn't get to see the victory. And he'll never see her again either.
Izuku curls his arms and legs inwards, taking on a fetal position. He feels like a kid again. This is exactly how it was after he had lost Pochita. Nobody to hold. Nothing to hug for comfort. Just pure loneliness. He remembers his mom would sit on the edge of his bed after a while, the mattress sinking when she would, and then she would tell him what he needed to hear. Now there's no words of wisdom to save him. He has to face the bully that made him feel alone the most during childhood during a new time of loneliness. And he doesn't know if he can.
It had been different fighting Todoroki. He had a reason. A cause. There's nothing that he can do for Katsuki. Their fight seems almost meaningless. Izuku reaches for the string attached to his sternum. It fits right in his palm. When his fingers close around it, he doesn't think to clench his fist tight. He starts thinking about his quirk. When he fought Todoroki, he had shown it to the world. But like Todoroki's fire, he never used it enough to hone it well. With his match against Katsuki, maybe he can benefit from fighting afterall.
The battle between Uraraka and Katsuki concludes with Katsuki coming out as the victor, as expected. Izuku dries his tears with the bedsheets and starts looking ahead. The fight he had with Katsuki during their Battle Trials taught him something, which seemed to be what Katsuki was trying to do in a weird way. Maybe this rematch will be the lesson learned for him to apply what he now knows.
Within the commentator's booth, Aizawa receives word from Toshinori about the passing of Izuku's mother. Each of them share grim expressions, Present Mic looking as equally concerned by the news. Outside the viewing window, the stage has been set for the final match, the crowd rearing to see the top two contenders duel.
"We shouldn't allow them to fight", Toshinori glances between each commentator pleadingly, "Not after what happened last time" When both of them continue to appear pensive about the decision, he can't keep a frustrated frown off his face. "Midoriya is emotionally compromised! There's no telling what could happen!"
Aizawa gently takes the paper Toshinori is holding away from his hands to make a closer inspection. After a moment of reading, he sighs and hands it back. "Look at the time of death.. If Midoriya was completely conscious during his match with Todoroki, I'd say he has a handle on his emotions well enough", Aizawa turns away so that he can watch Katsuki and Izuku take the field.
Toshinori steps closer, also seeing the fighters prepare. "Exactly.. Look at his match with Todoroki.. It was completely out of control", he looks to Mic for help when Aizawa doesn't spare him even a glance.
"Sho..", Present Mic starts to reach for Aizawa's shoulder but the man pulls away.
"Maybe that's how the match appeared to a novice, but anyone able to read between the lines would have been able to see Midoriya was actively trying to help Todoroki instead of just fighting", Aizawa finally faces Toshinori before concluding his point, "Midoriya had ample opportunities to end the match earlier but pushed his opponent to use their full potential"
Toshinori blinks, as though his vision has suddenly been fixed and he can now see clearly. What Aizawa saw during that match was what he had seen in the boy to offer OFA. Toshinori is ashamed to say he had nearly forgotten. He and Present Mic share a look of agreement before he agrees to let the match carry through. Then he leaves to get a good seat in the bleachers.
Izuku steps into the arena the same time that Katsuki does. Once they're past the line that marks the stage that's been set for them, Present Mic begins the countdown. Katsuki bares his teeth and pops a few explosions from his palms to warm up. With a steady hand, Izuku unzips his jacket to get at the ripcord underneath. The crowd's cheers drown out and all that they hear are eachother's growls.
"Now for what you've been waiting for..", Present Mic gets a drumroll going and grins when the crowd starts stomping their feet or clapping along to it, "Who will be crowned the champion of this year's Sports Festival?!" He grabs the microphone and practically screams into it, "LET'S FIND OUT! BEGIN!"
The sound of chainsaws reverberate when Izuku pulls the cord attached to his chest. Explosions detonate behind Katsuki when he throws his hands back. And the two meet in the middle, sparks flying from winding blades amidst fire and smoke.
A saw passes over Katsuki's head as he crouches down. Metallic teeth clip strands of the boy's ashy blonde hair. Izuku swings his other arm in an upward arc, the spinning chain on the bar coming close to his opponent's face. But Katsuki carries himself away with a few controlled blasts from his hands, dodging every sweep of Izuku's chainsaws. Close combat proves challenging for the blonde, forcing him to bite down hard and change tactics. He shifts his shoulders to fire off an explosion below himself and pivots in the air to flip behind Izuku. Katsuki's other arm is outstretched so that he can detonate the next blast directly into Izuku's bare back.
Izuku rolls with the force of the blast, catching himself so that he can jump right back up to his feet. When he spins around, he's met by a residual explosion that forces him to draw back even further. Izuku lashes out blindly through the thick smoke that starts to surround him, swinging at it both to clear it away and hopefully land a cut on his opponent. Katsuki keeps his distance though, hopping back.
"Still just chopping aimlessly, Deku?!" Katsuki strafes to the side in order to avoid Izuku's charge before countering with a double handed detonation. The explosion sends Izuku reeling. Katsuki follows up with another blast that completely knocks the other boy off his feet. "No wonder you and Candycane were such a good matchup! You two only ever use the same moves!"
Katsuki's confidence dissipates with the smoke that clears away from Izuku. He sees Izuku crossing his chainsaws to make a defensive X formation, the metallic blades covered in soot having shielded him from the blast. "Kacchan..", the blonde is even more startled when he hears his opponent refer to him by his childhood nickname again, "..Shut up!"
Izuku darts forwards, taking Katsuki further by surprise, the sudden shift in speed completely unexpected. The blonde retaliates with an explosion centered down the middle of the arena. Izuku side steps to the right, changing the direction that he's sprinting. The fire passes him by. Katsuki growls and sets off two explosions at once, one from each hand on either side. Izuku once again changes his movements, shifting back to the center of the ring. The distance now shortened enough, Izuku leaps with his chainsaws raised over his head.
Both boys yell, Izuku coming down and Katsuki jumping out of the way. Spinning blades grind into the ground where Katsuki had been standing. Specks of concrete pelt the blonde as the stage is chipped into. Seething through his bared teeth, Katsuki spins back around to force Izuku back by firing off another explosion. Though, the blast barely does anything to delay the boy from pushing forward for another attack. Katsuki has to retreat in order to avoid being cut.
Izuku slashes at his opponent, reinforcing his push by stepping into the swings. The extra force puts enough pressure on Katsuki to keep him at bay. It's all about the footwork, shifting with every change of pattern the other boy makes. Izuku had been so focused on watching Katsuki's hands in the past, worried about explosions or punches, that he never thought outside the box like this before. A good rush at the right moment is all Izuku needs to throw Katsuki off balance.
But Katsuki catches on quickly, retaking his balance with controlled bursts from his hands to make up for his footwork. Izuku's chainsaws pass the blonde by when the blasts move the body side to side with just as much force. "Nice try, nerd!" Katsuki retakes the lead and pushes back with a larger explosion, "But I'm still better than you!"
Izuku's sneakers scratch the ground as he's blasted back by a small shockwave, but he stops himself by planting a chainsaw directly into the floor that betrayed him. The sturdy crutch lets him regain his balance while simultaneously granting an opportunity to charge back into the fray. The chainsaw tears itself free and swings with the other as Izuku runs into more fire, "You were saying?!"
"I said..", Katsuki hisses when he has to make an effort to avoid the next barrage of chainsaw swings. The blonde's wrists bend to point down so that he can launch himself into the air, "I'M BETTER THAN YOU!", the maneuver then grants Katsuki the ability to fire off explosions from above. Izuku shields himself with his chainsaws but to no avail protects his body.
After Izuku gets rocked around, he helplessly flails at the air with his chainsaws. Not only did his cerebrum get dizzied, but Katsuki remains airborne with controlled blasts to keep out of range. The next round of explosions burn into Izuku, searing his skin. He tries raising his arm bars to defend himself, but Katsuki's orientation is much faster in the air. Izuku hacks at the next detonation, unable to do much else. When the winding blades split the explosion in two, Izuku's amber orbs expand in shock.
Izuku repeats the offensive action, making it his best defense. Again, Katsuki's explosion gets severed before it can expand into a full blast. "Ah..", Izuku can't resist the chuckle that gradually grows into full blown laughter when he begins dissecting all of the ensuing explosions after that, "Looks like it's you who'll have to switch things up now, Kacchan!"
"Sure..", Katsuki sneers as he aims his outstretched arm a little differently, "I've been wanting to try something new for awhile now anyways.." A circle of smoke puffs from a light collection of sparks, embers burning only at the epicenter of Katsuki's palm through the hole he creates. Instead of a broad explosion, he fires a concentrated beam through the hoop. "AP Shot!", he announces his new move while he detonates a blast from a single point instead of his whole hand.
Izuku cries out when he feels the focused blast shoot through his side like a bullet. Charred flesh sizzles as blood spurts out of the hole that's been made. Katsuki smirks with satisfaction and repeats the same action. Izuku attempts to block the laser with an arm bar this time. When the beam gets deflected, only the air pressure is what affects Izuku. Both boys recoil in shock, having not expected the steel to survive the concentrated heat.
Viewing the entire exchange from the stands of the stadium, Kirishima grabs two clumps of his hair to express his awe. "Gah! They're just both so manly! Who am I supposed to root for?!" His classmates mumble and nod along, them all gauging the power dynamic of the match with difficulty as well.
Kaminari looks over to see everyone is actually listening this time and joins in, "Heh.." He thrusts a thumb at himself while flashing a cocky grin, "I know who I'M rooting for! Bakubro, of course! He's got this!"
Ashido squirms in her seat, restless and indecisive like Kirishima. She turns towards the boy next to her and asks for his opinion on the match, "What about you Todoroki? Who do you want to win?"
"Midoriya", the answer comes so easily for him that it makes a few people sweatdrop. He doesn't notice their reaction the slightest bit though, gaze set on the battle below, his heterochromic eyes completely transfixed and uncaring of everything else.
"I guess that makes sense..", Ashido starts searching for somebody else to pester when she figures she won't be able to get much more of a reaction out of him. And smirks when she sees familiar prey. "I guess that also means we know who Jirou is rooting for then!", the pinkette wiggles her eyebrows suggestively while teasing the punk rocker.
"Sh- Shut it!", Kyoka falls for the bait when a blush completely consumes her face. Hook, line, and sinker. She falls victim to even more teasing, others joining in now.
An explosion bigger than the rest Katsuki had produced rattles off when he descends from his flight pattern. The arena quakes when the disruptive blast cracks its shell, fractured concrete splitting the floor into a spiderweb pattern and throwing Izuku off balance. Using the momentum of his detonation to fling himself forward, Katsuki flows with more blasts until he's face to face with his opponent. Still disoriented from suddenly losing his footing, Izuku can do little more than gasp as Katsuki closes in.
A vibrant orange illumination as blinding as the sun emits from Katsuki's hands. A flashbang of sorts follows, white engulfing Izuku's vision. Then Katsuki goes for the kill, grabbing onto each part of Izuku's arms that won't carve his hands up. Massive explosions overtake the space between the two but Katsuki doesn't let go. Izuku shouts at the top of his lungs, pulling back when scorching pain destroys his arms.
Izuku staggers back, blood spraying the grassy field beyond where concrete is painted in a pool of red. Torn ligaments and mangled flesh hang from damaged metal. Each bar is beyond broken, shattered remains breaking off and letting chains droop limply until completely coming loose. Katsuki practically blew off each of Izuku's arms.
Audible reactions of distress and disgust sweep over the stands of the stadium. Kirishima's mouth hangs agape while Kyoka covers hers to muffle her wet cry. Todoroki blinks, hard, mouth twitching to bend beyond more than just a thin line. Shiozaki continues chanting prayers while Monoma shouts profanities. Kendo catches Pony when she faints. Toshinori grimaces, glancing in the direction of the commentator's booth, wondering if Aizawa and Mic feel as guilty as he for allowing the match to happen.
The pro hero Best Jeanist pinches the skin between his eyes, which had nearly popped out of his head when seeing such brutality and savagery, "I've got my work cut out for me this year.."
Himiko's fangs form a broad grin when the TV provides her with a closeup of the damage to Izuku's arms. The ecstasy that she felt while watching the match between Izuku and Todoroki returns tenfold. Feline eyes sparkle as they study all of the grotesque glory to the gnarled limbs. The bunned blonde starts salivating so much that she begins to drool. Heat rushes throughout her body, face tinting red to match Izuku's blood, and her hand travels downwards once more. Soft pants get heavier and faster as she pleasures herself. And just when she thinks it can't get any better… It does.
The chains dangling from the remains of Izuku's mutilated arms rattle with a sudden jolt. As though the wind swept them up, the strings of jagged metal teeth loop into an arc. Spiraling with a mind of their own like snakes coiling around prey, the fetters wrap themselves to snare Katsuki. Tightening to keep him trapped, the barbed wire breaks his skin and cuts into his flesh. Then, Izuku simultaneously gets pulled with Katsuki so that they collide with eachother and the chains can be more secured.
"The fuck- ?!", Katsuki's words get cut off when the chainsaw mounted to Izuku's motorized skull motions to position itself by the blonde's throat. Settling the still spinning blades of his remaining chainsaw to whir beneath Katsuki's chin, Izuku bares his fangs to make a victorious grin.
"I remembered what you told me", Izuku's gaslit eyes glower when they meet Katsuki's scarlet stare, "I remembered when you told me to apply myself" Katsuki's glare breaks, eyes broadening to see the bigger picture. Both boys reflect on their fight during the Battle Trial and their current match. The innovative way to subdue his opponent came from the way Katsuki spurred him on to use his quirk in more creative ways.
"Looks like you're finally starting to give a shit about your shitty quirk", Katsuki huffs. He struggles in the bindings that only dig pointed tips deeper into him the more he tries to wriggle free. Izuku takes notice and ceases the escape attempt by bringing his chainsaw closer to Katsuki's jugular.
"Submit", Izuku demands. When Katsuki doesn't respond, he says it louder so that everyone can hear. "Surrender! I've got you!", Izuku's voice carries itself far enough into the stands to earn some cheers and applause. Kyoka smiles, having heard it the first time.
"Tch..", Katsuki tilts his head down as far as he dares to near the chainsaw beneath his chin. When he sees that he can bend his wrists enough to position his hands away from his face, he clicks his tongue and raises his head to look Izuku in the eyes again. "As if!", he releases a cluster of miniature explosions, "Eat shit!"
The trail of detonations leads into the sky, every blast raising the boys higher and higher. Becoming a living missile, Katsuki's launch starts gaining more traction. Izuku grits his teeth and grunts as he goes along for the ride. Their flight path propels into a more circular motion once they breach the stadium's open roof. A tornado of fire forms as Katsuki builds up oxygen to fuel his most powerful explosion thus far.
A burst to send them back down the way that they came, but now through a tunnel of flames, is a forceful push that carries them down much faster than the pull of gravity. All of Katsuki's firepower accumulates to one point. That's when he blasts himself free of Izuku's chains to separate himself from the blast radius. And Izuku drops straight into a destructive discharge of explosive power. "Howitzer Impact!", Katsuki announces his ultimate finishing super move as it completely engulfs his opponent in a blaze of glory.
The blast consumes the entire arena, expanding and then shrinking in an instant. A massive smokescreen covers the field as Katsuki slows his descent with smaller controlled bursts. The crowd goes silent, watching and waiting for the dark cloud to clear itself away so they can see the outcome of the match. Todoroki leans forward, heterochromic eyes squinting. Kyoka stands up, listening for Izuku's faint heartbeat somewhere within the smoke. Even after the smog subsides, it's difficult to get a good look at anything but a giant crater from where Izuku made impact on the stage.
Katsuki peers over the edge of the caldera he made, spotting Izuku at its epicenter. The boy is back to his human form, chainsaws completely retracted. Despite some scrapes and burns covered by black soot, he's back in one piece. Katsuki figures the nerd must have revved his engine again on the way down but didn't have enough blood left in him after his last match to do anything other than heal a bit. He flexes his hands, bursting the blisters from his own over excessive usage of his quirk. Had the fight gone on a little longer, the outcome could have went either way.
Present Mic sees Izuku's unconscious body from the commentator's booth and announces the official ending result of this year's Sports Festival, "Katsuki Bakugo takes first place in a dyna-might manner!"
Hawks slid his hands into his pockets at some point, not realizing he had done so, which is why he jolts a bit when he feels his cellphone vibrating. He pulls it out to read the caller ID. The abbreviation 'HPSC' flashes in bold blue kanji. Hawks has no choice but to answer.
He holds the device close to his ear, listening. His eyes fall back down to the arena, landing on Izuku. He closes them after a while, unable to bear looking at the kid anymore. He just focuses on listening again. He listens and waits. Once he receives his orders, he finally reopens his eyes, and he sees that the field has been cleared.
Hawks flaps his wings to soar away from the stadium. "Yes, Ma'am" Then hangs up his phone.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Thank you to everyone for all of your awesome comments last chapter! I hope this one lived up to your expectations!
