Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia. All rights for it belongs to Kohei Horikoshi
On To The Second Round
Right now, Bakugo was staring directly into the furious eyes of his homeroom teacher, or more like exasperated eyes. The man rubbed his forehead in annoyance, "Bakugo, do I need to ask you why did you do this? or better yet; do I need to explain to you the consequences of your actions that you just committed on live television for all the world to see you, need I remind you." The boy sat fuming and didn't answer his homeroom teacher who sighed, "You can speak. I brought here to talk, not for you to sit and fume while I rant at you."
The gates of all hell now blew open as Bakugo yelled, "I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED OR THE CONSEQUENCES; IT'S CALLED A FIGHT. WHAT WAS I EXPECTED TO DO? HIT WITH FLUFFY RABBITS, OR HAVE A SLAP WAR WITH HER." the boy clenched his fists, "That bitch made fun of me in front the entire world, and she fought against me; I wasn't going to hold back just because she's a girl."
The man looked at him sighing, "Bakugo, listen; I know that you shouldn't hold back just because she's a girl, but there's no holding back and there's way too much. What you did today falls under the latter. You didn't just knock her out, you effectively in the eyes of everyone were trying to kill her as you kept blasting at the rubble while telling her to die."
The boy scoffed, "Whatever, let those extras think what they want, I don't care. I'm going to become the number one hero, so those idiots can think what they want."
The nighttime hero felt a vein throb on his forehead as the boy kept rambling on and on about how he was going to be the next All Might, 'I blame All Might for his attitude, and maybe Nezu is right about sending Bakugo to therapy. The boy is basically living in his own fantasy where he thinks everything revolves around him.' the hero then chopped the side of his student's head causing him to groan as he said, "Keep thinking like that, and you won't be able to make it past being a sidekick for a mediocre hero agency."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" the boy growled through his teeth angrily, venom lacing every word he said.
The nighttime hero however was not afraid. Being an underground hero required him to see horrific stuff and do it at some point or the other, so Bakugo growling at him is the equivalent of a small cat stuck on a tree that refuses to get down and doesn't want any type of help. The nighttime hero crossed his arms over his chest as he replied coolly, "You heard me Bakugo. Keep that attitude and you won't be able to make it to the top 50, yet alone the number one hero."
The veins on the boy's head throbbed as he replied angrily, "And what the fuck do you know? Aren't you some kind of underground hero who doesn't even interact with the public?"
Aizawa scoffed; it was a small misconception about underground heroes. They interact with the public, mostly citizens they save, but they avoid the press like the plague for various reasons. "Bakugo, I don't interact with the press, because I need to keep my identity a secret and have the element of surprise," he then pointed his finger at the boy, "But you have to, and believe me when I say that the press can make you a throne high enough to reach to the sky or tear you to pieces so much so that you can't even dig your way to the bottom of the ground. And after that little stunt of yours, the press is going to have a field day with you."
The boy looked to the other side, "Let them do what they want," he smirked, "I'll become the number one hero, and they'll be licking my boots for an interview. I…"
The boy was suddenly wrapped in Aizawa's scarf who was tired of the boy's attitude. It seemed it always went from bad to worse to worst. "Bakugo, listen carefully, the press can ruin you before you even begin. Right now, the stories saying that you attempted to murder her are going viral." the man released the boy, "Listen, I only want what's best for you, so take my words to heart."
Bakugo was shocked by the way his teacher talked to him but nodded deciding to tone it down a little. Aizawa walked away, but said something, "Then again, we're talking about the press ruining you assuming the Tokages don't. you better pray to be saved from them after your stunt on their daughter." This confused the boy, so he looked up the name of Tokage online only to find that her parents are one of the best lawyers in the Mustafa region though they prefer to live modestly. A chill traveled through his spine knowing that if they set their eyes on him, his hero career is over before it even began, 'Fucking Deku, this is all your fault!'
In the infirmary, Kendo, Tetsu, Kinoko, and Izuku were all sitting around a heavily injured Tokage who was missing her arms entirely. Recovery Girl said that she used both of them to block the explosion causing them to be destroyed entirely. The girl had bandages wrapped around her neck, one around her head, and many more on her body under her clothes. Everyone sighed as they waited for their friend to wake up.
Izuku felt like absolute trash; he should have insisted more on Tokage to at least read the notes about Bakugo, then maybe she wouldn't have been hurt this much. He looked at her and felt anger run through him. he didn't know why; sure, this was a fighting tournament and Bakugo couldn't afford to hold back, but why did he have to brutalize her so much?
Kendo looked at him, and frowned, "Hey Midoriya, don't tell me that you're blaming yourself for this?"
The boy blinked in shock that he was being read so easily, but he bit his lips as he felt guilt surging through him along with anger. Kendo sighed, "Midoriya, don't blame yourself for this. Set knew what she was doing the moment she went to fight," She looked at her knocked-out friend, "I bet she would be very annoyed if she saw you sitting here worrying about her like she's some damsel in distress, and you know that too. She'll pull through."
The boy smiled, "I know, but if I convinced her just to look at my notes, or for us to sit together to make a strategy to defeat him, then maybe she wouldn't be in such a condition. I mean I knew him the most, so I know his weakness at least I could've given her some heads-up for the fight."
Kendo shook her head, "And you know that she wouldn't have agreed. Tokage wanted to win this with her own skills, and believe that if she managed to win with your help, she would've just bailed out on the next match." she put a hand on his shoulder as she gave him a soft look, "So please, don't blame yourself."
The boy nodded, but he couldn't help still feeling guilty, and the anger wasn't making him feel any better. Deep down, a small voice in his head told him that he will make Kacchan pay for this. He'll make him pay for making his friend hurt. He'll make him pay for hurt…
"Mido-bro, are you alright? You seem to have zoned out for a moment there," the boy was knocked out of his musings as Tetsu spoke to him, "You had this really intense look on your face like you were planning to beat the piss out of someone." The green-haired boy chuckled awkwardly as Kendo eyed him.
The orange-haired girl smiled at him as she knew that he was beyond angry regarding what happened to Tokage. It was so easy to know that these two loved each other just by looking at them. Midoriya would blush whenever the girl came near him, and Setsuna would stare blankly at any girl that even dared to walk beside him except herself and Kinoko. 'I wonder when these two will stop beating around the bush!' she looked around and then her eyes landed on the metal boy who was cheering Midoriya and a small blush made its way on her cheeks as she remembered what happened before his match, 'That's odd. Why am I blushing?'
The doors of the infirmary opened up as Momo walked inside with her head down. The girl looked at Tokage and gasped at her banged-up form, but Recovery Girl waved her off, "Don't worry dearie, the little missy is alright. She's just knocked out and toward the end of the day, she'll manage to regrow her arms." This didn't help make the girl feel any better.
Momo then saw Kendo, and bowed down to her, "I represent the entirety of class 1-A when I say that we're extremely sorry for what happened to Tokage. Bakugo went way overboard."
Kendo lifted the girl's head saying, "Thank you, Yaomomo, but there's no need for it." The orange-haired girl added, "But if Bakugo was really sorry for almost killing her, he would've come here himself. I think I speak for all of us when I say that none of my classmates hold you or any of your classmates accountable for what happened." The pony-tailed girl nodded her head.
The speakers of the stadium then said catching everyone's attention, "Will Momo Yaoyorozu from class 1-A, and Izuku Midroiya from class 1-B please make it to the ring? Their match is about to begin, I repeat, can Izuku Midoriya and Momo Yaoyorozu make it to the ring."
The boy lifted his head as he looked at Momo. He had completely forgotten about his match with her ever since he saw Tokage getting hurt. Momo then said, "I guess we have to go, Midoriya." She opened the door waiting for him. The boy stood up and exited the room with Momo following as she closed the door not before Izuku got a last glance at Setsuna.
Kendo stood up, "Let's go to our booth to cheer him up." The other two nodded as they stood up following her. "please tell us when she wakes up." Kendo said to Recovery Girl who nodded.
Back on the field, Present Mic began the introduction of the quarter-finals of the sports festival, "Welcome back to the sports festival, we've now entered the quarter-finals of this magnificent event. We were forced to take a small break due to some technical difficulties, but we're back anyway, and I again confirm That Setsuna Tokage is fine and will make a full recovery by the end of the sports festival." The voice hero then smiled as he said, "Eraser, are you as excited as I am for the quarter-finals of the sports festival?"
Eraserhead replied, "The only thing I'm excited about is my bed that I'll be sleeping in when this is over. I'm really tired." The nighttime hero yawned into the mic causing everyone in the audience to sweat-drop at his antics.
Present Mic still not deterred by his friend's lack of enthusiasm yelled back, "Glad to see that your spirit is still high," the hero then coughed as he said, "And now let's get back to the fights, to my left, we have the queen of creation, class 1-A's mom and rep, let's hear some love for Momo Yaoyorozu," the girl walked out to the ring as she silently muttered, "I'm not my class's mom, am I?" "And on my right, we have what most consider to be the underdog of the entire sports festival, and the vice rep of 1-B, he's the little brother of 1-B, give it up for Izuku Midoriya." The vice of class 1-B sweat-dropped, "I'm not my class's little brother." "Now, let the first fight of the quarter-finals commence."
Back in 1-B's booth, Kendo was trying to stop herself from bursting out in laughter when Mic described Izuku as their class's little brother with some others in the same boat.
Kendo finally wiped a tear from her eye, "Now all jokes aside, what are the chances of our 'little brother'," the girl gestured with her fingers, "to win the fight with Momo?"
Shishida rubbed his furry chin as he thought, "Well, it mostly stems down to who manages to outlast who at first. On one hand, lady Yaoyorozu's quirk is very versatile as we saw in the match with Lady Kendo, but near the end, I noticed that she was panting really hard before she composed herself, so I assume that she hit the limit of her quirk. On the other hand, Sir Midoriya's quirk is very strong and might be the strongest in the class, however, it does take its toll on his body if he overdoes it. In essence, it a matter of time."
Everyone looked at him confused, as he asked, "Did I say something wrong?"
Kendo shook her head, "No, it's just that you pulled an 'Izuku' by how you analyzed the match before it even began." The beast boy blushed as he said, "Well, I suppose Sir Midoriya's quirk analysis skills have been rubbing off on me."
A loud voice then yelled, "Analyze as much as you want, but you guys won't be able to defeat the rep of our class since we're the superior cl…" The boy was silenced as an earphone jack hit him in the neck while Kyouka said, "Keep it up, and I might increase the volume."
The earphone jack girl looked at them before waving and saying, "I'm really sorry for him, but he thinks the louder he shouts the better he becomes, plus he doesn't mean it. He's really nice once you get to see past his eccentricities."
In All Might's booth, the hero rubbed his chin as he wondered how this match will play, he was certain of his successor's skills and ability to win the match, but he couldn't count out the Yaoyorozu girl just yet. She seemed to have a clear mind on her shoulders and to be on par with Izuku's skills in planning. He began to slowly stroke his chin, "Who will win; will it be young Midoriya's sheer power and overwhelming skills or will it be young Yaoyorozu's strong and versatile abilities?"
The retired hero looked at him, "It can go either way Toshinori, but it will be a tough match for the boy. He will have to depend on that mind of his to navigate carefully between the girl's traps and creations. This match where most see it a match of strength is really a match of wits where the sharpest mind where end up victorious."
The thin hero looked at his master and he had to agree with him. Young Yaoyorozu managed to win her last match by outwitting young Kendo by distracting her with the net while she released the knockout gas. Truly, this was a match of wits, not brawn, and the smartest one will manage to go to the semi-finals.
In the ring, both students looked at each other. Momo first broke the silence speaking to the boy, "Midoriya, I have to see that may the best between us win the fight, and please don't hold back for my sake; it would be rather disappointing if I win because I'm just a girl." She finished before adding, "And thank you for stopping Mineta's scheme of making us wear cheerleader outfits."
The boy smiled at her, "I just did what anyone would have done at the time so it was no problem. And regarding the first request, I have to ask the same thing because I want to win on my own merits, not because you were holding back." The boy quickly began to blush heavily as he saw the girl stripping from her U.A. gym shirt. "What are you doing?" he yelled before covering his face.
Momo blinked before remembering Itsuka telling her that Izuku was a little shy. 'Well, I guess that my quirk's need for skin area came to my advantage for once, though I have to admit it is embarrassing!' the girl thought a little before replying, "My quirk requires I expose my skin to let have creations pass through them." The boy nodded as he mentally groaned at the unfair advantage that she just gained over him.
In 1-B's booth, Itsuka sweat-dropped as she was able to see Izuku's blush from here causing a question to pop into her head, 'Is he going to lose because she's a little bit exposed?' the girl quickly shook her head as she remembered that this was Izuku she was talking about and that he doesn't give up that easily.
Back in the ring, Midnight looked at both fighters, "Listen here kids, I want a fair fight. And most importantly, I don't need another one like the previous one. You both are to refrain from hurting each other too much." Both students nodded as Midnight threw down her whip, "Begin."
Izuku pushed down all of his nervousness taking the rich girl by surprise as he flicked his finger causing a huge gust of wind to race toward her. The force of the wind was so strong that some people in the audience were forced to grab their seats to avoid being flung back.
Both to the shock of Izuku and the audience, the girl was still there standing on both of her legs. She looked at the green-haired boy smiling, "Midoriya, please don't tell me that you thought I wouldn't expect you to do that just to push me out of the ring immediately!" the girl said as her feet were now inside heavyweight shoes that keep her anchored to the ground.
The girl went to undo the shoes since they were now standing in her way. The boy, firing up his quirk as 5%, used this as an advantage to perhaps grab her and chuck her out of the ring quickly. But he underestimated Momo's reaction time, the girl created a stun gun twirling it at him causing the boy to kick the gun from her hand to the side.
The girl then summoned a shield to protect herself from a blow that the boy aimed at her gut.
The strength of the hit caused the shield to dent inward. The girl then summoned a staff and aimed it at Izuku's head who bent under it. He tried to go for an uppercut, but Momo tilted her head at the last moment.
Izuku jumped away as he once again flicked his finger at her in hopes of sending her flying, but the girl jumped out of the way avoiding the air blast. She then created a gun and aimed it at the boy. The girl began firing bullets at him which he avoided, but eventually one hit him and he saw a gooey substance stuck on his leg and the ground. The substance quickly hardened as he was becoming covered by it.
A couple of seconds later, the boy was covered and only a small part of his upper head was visible. Momo walked up to him and said, "I must admit Midoriya that you put on a good fight, but it seems that this is where it ends."
In 1-B's booth, everyone sat on the tip of their toes as they hoped this won't be the end for their friend. Kendo seeing the gloomy faces stood up, "Hey, this is Midoriya we're talking about he won't go down just because he was hit by a knock-off version of Bondo's quirk." She pumped her fist, "Let's cheer him on." The entire class then began to cheer him.
In All Might's booth, the hero sat down with a gloomy aura surrounding him as he said with a sigh, "It would appear that this is the end for young Midoriya's race in the sports festival. I really hoped that he reaches the finals, but…" All Might buffed up, "The fact that he made it this far makes me really proud of him. Perhaps, he'll do…" The man was silenced when Gran kicked him in the face.
The blond hero looked at his mentor in fear who merely glared at him as he yelled, "You sure aren't like Nana in believing in your successor department. The match isn't over yet. Do you think that he can't get himself out of some cheap cement trap?" the blond hero merely scratched his chin in embarrassment as he shrank to his regular size, and continued to watch the match.
Down in the ring, Momo looked at Midnight to tell her to call the match off but she suddenly felt the earth beside her shaking. She looked only to see her trap literally explode into a million pieces before being punched in the gut knocking the wind out of her. She looked at Izuku who grinned, "You didn't think that someone with super strength will be kept down by hardened cement, right?"
The girl had to admit that in hindsight it did seem like a stupid idea to use fast-hardening glue on someone with super strength that can tear through it like wet tissue. She stood up smiling, "it would appear I also underestimated you, Midoriya." She said as she created a staff, "Please expect my apologies." She said as she ran toward him.
The girl tried to strike him in the head, but he grabbed the staff and pulled it from her. The boy then twisted the staff throwing it away. He suddenly felt a harsh pain in his cheek. He looked at Momo who was now wearing brass knuckles, "I have to even the odds somehow." She said with a smirk that absolutely didn't belong on her face.
Back in 1-A's booth, Kyouka looked and said, "Wow, Momo's is killing it today. She a total badass."
The others nodded as they focused on the intense battle between Izuku and Momo where the two were exchanging blows with each other, but no one was gaining the upper hand. Monoma then decided to chime in, "But how long can she last?" everyone looked at him, "Yaoyorozu depends on her fat reserves to create objects, unlike Midoriya whose quirk has stockpiled so much energy it became infinite; the only reason he may stop is that he might become tired." Everyone was shocked at his analysis, but then he reverted to his former self, "BUT NO MATTER, BECAUSE THE SUPERIOR CLASS 1-A, WILL WIN AT THE END OF THE DAY." He was then knocked out by Kendo of all people since he was close enough to the wall, which separates both classes, where she managed to reach him.
The girl looked at them, "Sorry, but it's a force of habit. I used to do that a lot back in junior high."
Back in the ring, Momo can feel her reserves slowly ebbing away. She should've really eaten during her break, but she didn't. she then formulated a plan. She saw Izuku aiming a right hook at her, the girl managed to dodge as she anchored her arm in such a way that it rubbed with Izuku's wrist.
The boy who was fighting her suddenly felt all of his quirk energy drained. He looked only to see a quirk canceling cuff, 'Dammit, I feel for the same trick as Kendo.' He then felt the girl's leg brushing with his foot causing him to blush, but he suddenly felt something attached to his leg. He looked only to see a ball with a chain attached to his ankle, 'I have to thank All Might for sitting on my back and making me run with him. it makes this looks easy."
He looked at Momo only to see her supporting a gas mask. The boy panicked remembering what happened in the last match with Kendo. He looked around but saw something. He ran toward it, as Momo began to emit sleeping gas covering the entire ring.
It only took 1 minute until the gas was cleared. It revealed the fallen form of Izuku to which Momo walked to.
Back in 1-B's booth, Kendo slumped as she said, "Damn it, he fell for the same strategy. Not cool, Momo, not cool. At least, try something new."
Her classmates sweat-dropped for her not seeing the big picture. Kamakiri then saw something which made him grin, 'Stutter, you sneaky little rabbit.'
In All Might's booth, the hero looked trying to find a semblance of hope as he wondered why his teacher looked so calm. He then heard Torino say, "The girl caused her own downfall."
Back in the ring, Momo looked at midnight as she said, "I believe that this sign… AHHHHHH." The girl screamed as she felt electricity coursing through her body. She looked to see Izuku pushing the stun gun she made against her. he then threw the gun away jumping up quickly and delivering a solid punch to the chest followed by a knee to the gut. He then grabbed her arm not giving her time to focus and began to spin her around letting her go when they were near the edge of the ring. Finally, when she was still dazed, he gave a gentle push sending her outside the ring.
Midnight was shocked at first, but she shook her head saying, "After an exciting match, Izuku Midoriya of class 1-B will make it to the semi-finals." The crowd began to cheer as Izuku blushed for various reasons. He touched a girl in her chest, albeit it was a punch but still, he touched her chest, and add to that the crowds and his worry that people might see him as some type of monster that hits women didn't help.
The boy then walked up to Momo who was still trying to compose herself after the fight, "You did good, Yaoyorozu. You almost had me, and you were a tough customer to fight. I wasn't sure that I would win in the end." He then extended his hand to her which the girl took as she began to regain her senses. She smiled at him, "Likewise, Midoriya. It was a fun match."
The two then walked away from the ring after Momo freed Izuku from his bindings. Once they were in the tunnel, Izuku looked at her, "I hope you aren't too down for losing the fight."
Momo looked at him and smiled at how nice and considerate he was, "I'll admit it's a bit sad that I didn't make it to the finals, but I did make an impression today. Plus, I have to thank you for all the ideas you gave me for my quirk. I honestly didn't know that I can make sleeping gas or quick hardening glue if you haven't told me about it." The boy blushed as he remembered one time before the festival when he saw Momo waiting for her driver and decided to talk with her to know more about her quirk, and perhaps make better relations between both classes.
"It was no problem. I just like helping people." The boy said rubbing the back of his head. The two then exchanged goodbyes as they went to their respective classes.
On his way to his class, Izuku stopped by the infirmary to see how Tokage was only to see her awake. The boy quickly asked her, "Tokage, how are you? Are still feeling any pain?"
The girl grinned at how he cared for her, "Not really, but can I ask a favor?"
The boy nodded as she spoke, "Can you please carry me to the booth, and perhaps feed me because I need energy to... you know… make new limbs." The girl finished gesturing to her missing arms. The boy nodded with a blush as he carried Tokage princess style to the booth grabbing some snacks on the way to help her with the regeneration of her limbs.
Back in the 1-B's booth, the class saw both Izuku and Setsuna enter. They quickly swarmed the two asking them questions; Izuku about his match, and Setsuna about how she felt. Both assured them that they were fine as Izuku asked, "Who's up now?"
Kendo said, "Tetsu is up against Todoroki from class 1-A. I really hope he makes it through though." Izuku patted her back to comfort her. he then looked at Tokage and opened a chocolate, and began to feed it to her much to everyone's shock.
The girl looked at them and said, "What's with the odd look? I need someone to help me eat. I don't have arms right now." She then continued eating as if nothing had happened.
In the ring, Present Mic began to announce the second match of the finals, "What a match to start the quarter-finals, but now we're moving to the second one, on this side, we have the metal man, he's every girl's knight in shining armor, he's 1-B's Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu," the metal boy walked out mentally humming at the good introduction this time around, "On the other side, we have the silent prince of 1-A, he's the wielder of fire and ice, Shoto Todoroki." The boy frowned at his introduction but accepted it nonetheless.
Tetsu was then confused, 'Wait! He can use fire! I've only seen him use ice. So he was half-assing all this time while we were giving it our all! Not manly at all. I'll make him use his fire.'
Tetsu then looked at Todoroki, "Hey, ice boy," the silent teen looked at him as he raised an eyebrow, "you're going to use those fires of yours. I didn't bust my ass to get here only to have a half-assed win, because you don't feel like using your flames. If I win, I want to win with my opponent giving it his all, not holding back on me."
The ice boy frowned as he heard Midnight make the same guidelines she usually does before any fight, but he simply answered, "No" before unleashing a huge iceberg covering Tetsu. It wasn't as big as the one he used on Sero, but it was huge nonetheless.
The boy then looked at Midnight, "I think you should end…" The boy then began to hear thumping sounds coming from the iceberg. He looked only to see cracks beginning to form. Suddenly, the huge thing shattered into pieces as Tetsu walked out in all of his shiny glory, "You didn't think a small whiff of ice was going to take me down, did you?" Todoroki was just too shocked to answer.
Tetsu smiled, 'I have to thank Mom for giving me the extra iron and titanium shavings in my lunch today."
The ice boy was too shocked to notice that Tetsu have cut the distance between them as he landed a vicious right hook to the face causing Shoto to stumble backward. The boy then jumped away as Tetsu tried to send another fist at him.
Shoto then shot him with a huge ice attack. He thought that this was enough to stop the metal teen dead in his tracks, but he was dead wrong as Tetsu emerged from the ice shattering it into a million pieces and glaring at Shoto. Tetsu then punched the boy hard in the gut before sending his knee to his chin yelling, "Stop holding back. Use your flames already. Everyone is giving their all, and you're just half-assing it. It's not manly."
The punches were really hurting Todoroki, but worst of all was his pride. He knew on a subconscious level that if he used his fire then he would at least gain breathing room, and manage to keep the metal boy away for some time to formulate a plan, but he then heard a voice in his head, 'There will come a time when you will see the limitations of your ice, Shoto.' The boy frowned as his old man's words rang in his head, "Never." He replied to Tetsu before burying him in a huge iceberg hoping that the metal boy might be defeated by this attack.
In 1-B's booth, everyone was shocked at how Tetsu was basically controlling the flow of the match. they expected that the metal boy will have a hard time keeping up with Todoroki, but it seems that equation is the opposite way around with Shoto needing to keep himself on guard.
Awase looked at Izuku, "Man, I thought you were overselling it when you said that Tetsu has a chance against Todoroki, but now that I'm seeing it with my own eyes, I have to admit that it's really cool. Turns out even recommendation students can have their asses kicked."
Ibara then whacked him with her vine. The boy pouted looking at her as she pointed to Setsuna who was blanking at him. the boy quickly apologized to which the girl simply shook her head.
Kendo asked Izuku, "How high are the chances of Tetsu actually kicking Todoroki's butt?"
The green-haired boy answered her, "I think it's very high as long as he doesn't hit the limit on his hardening. It seems that he's really taken control of the flow of the fight and that Todoroki is having a hard time defeating with ice only. I mean even if he used his fire that won't change the outcome much if Tetsu doesn't feel tired, or he hit the limit on the heat that he can handle." The orange-haired girl was happy that her friend might win. On the other hand, Izuku was conflicted. He wanted his friend to win; he really did, but if he won, he wouldn't be able to fight Todoroki and make him use his fire. The boy could only hope for the best outcome.
In 1-A's booth, everyone was shocked at how Shoto was being pummeled to the ground by someone whose quirk seemed so basic. It was a one-in-a-million chance, but here it was happening right in front of their eyes. The dual-haired boy was being pushed back and manhandled in a very harsh way.
Momo said, "I must admit that seeing the fight is really… interesting." She then rubbed her cheek where Izuku punched her during their fight. The girl looked at her classmates who were flabbergasted as she was. Shoto was one of the strongest in their class along with Bakugo and Iida, yet he was being tossed around so easily like a puppet. It didn't make sense.
Monoma then said, "Against a foe who's literally his counter, I must admit he's holding himself pretty well." Everyone looked at the blond boy wondering what he was talking about. The boy shook his head in disappointment at his classmates, "Are you so taken by the strength of his quirk that you can't make out ones and twos."
Mina interjected, "But his quirk is just like Kiri…"
"No, in activation it is, but in how it works it's different. You see while Kirishima's quirk makes his skin harder, Tetsu's makes him out of metal. Kirishima can't handle elemental forces like ice and fire for too long, but Tetsutetsu can. That's why he has an edge over Todoroki. It all depends on who throws the towel first right now, and from the looks of it, it seems neither is willing to give in."
Bakugo in the distance nodded his head, 'Icyhot is playing a losing game. He won't use his fire, but his ice here just ain't doing it. It's barely taking anything out of captain bucket head.' He then noticed something, 'It seems he's running out of time. How much longer can he even last, is beyond me.'
In the teacher's booth, "COME ON TETSU, KNOCK HIS TEETH OUT. SHOW HIM WHO CLASS 1-B IS." The teachers all made notes to talk to Vlad about his favoritism but decided to let it slip now given that they were all at the festival.
Back at the ring, Present Mic's voice echoed, "What is happening? It seems that Todoroki is getting the beating of a lifetime from Tetsutetsu. You'd think with the quirk difference; it would be the other way around."
Eraserhead then elbowed him in the gut, as he added, "Tetsutetsu has the natural advantage over Todoroki given that metal can handle both heat and ice, but the real question is, can he last long enough to finish off Todoroki?"
Shoto instinctively ducked under Tetsu's fist. He grabbed the hand and froze it only for the boy to chuck the ice off like it was a feather on his arm.
Tetsu yelled, "Stop screwing around and use your flames already. It's ain't manly to win against an opponent who is only using half of his power." The boy went for a kick, but Shoto jumped on an ice path. The metal teen then rammed through it causing the ice teen to fall to the ground of the ring.
The ice boy began to breathe heavily. His ice was barely making a dent in him, and it seemed he could go on for days, but Shoto couldn't. he was beginning to get tired and frostbite was forming on him. The boy sent another ice attack trying to freeze his legs. For once in his life, the boy sent a hopeful look that the other one was frozen, the only thing he received was an unimpressed look from the metal teen who ripped his legs from the ice.
Shoto noticed that the boy would put his hardening on his arms and legs only perhaps for mobility, so he decided to wait. Once the boy was near him, he tried to grab his chest only to hit metal. All his efforts reward was a punch to the face.
The metal boy yelled at him, "Dude if you don't want to use your fire for the fight then for the love of god use it for your sake, you're about to fall over."
The ice boy refused as he decided to risk it all. He then unleashed a giant iceberg that can be compared with the one he used during his match with Sero. The boy was now barely conscious, but he could see the metal boy's head perking from the ice. The boy was struggling to free himself. Shoto smiled; he won. He did even against someone who clearly had the advantage against him, he won.
The sound of ice being cracked knocked him out of his musings. The metal managed to free both his arms. The boy wanted to attack him and keep freezing him, but he hit his limit; anymore, and it was death for him.
Tetsu was angry as he finally freed himself from the ice coffin, but he was on his last leg. If he hadn't used his titanium mode; it would've been game over for him. Most of the people and the audience are thinking that he's invincible and able to tank ice attack after ice attack, but he also has his limits. He frowned as he knew that now even without his quirk, he can beat Shoto.
The metal boy ran toward the frozen ice boy who was shivering severely giving him one last punch and sending him to the ground. The metal boy shook his head as Midnight checked on Shoto. The woman then stood up saying, "Shoto Todoroki is unconscious, Tetsutetsu makes it for the semi-finals."
The crowd erupted into cheers, but Midnight heard Tetsu say as he passed her, "I don't feel like I won. I feel like I was handed my victory without effort." The woman frowned at the dejected expression the teen was holding, and she couldn't blame him. She won't be shocked if he dropped out of the fight in the semi-finals.
Back in 1-B's booth, there were celebrations that Tetsu won, but when the boy came, they all stopped once they saw the scowl on his face. Kendo walked up to him, "Tetsu, what's wrong? You won the fight, shouldn't you be happy?"
The boy looked at her, "I did, but it didn't feel like a victory if he didn't use his full strength against me. it just feels dull." Kendo understood what he meant. She can remember many times she won martial arts championships due to her opponents going easy on her because she's a girl. It was so frustrating for her, so she can imagine how he was feeling right now.
The girl smiled in his direction saying, "But you did. You gave your all and didn't underestimate him or half-ass it, so you won fair and square. Don't think like that." she lifted her fist for a fist-bump as she said, "Okay."
The boy smiled as a small blush made its way suddenly to his cheeks, "Yeah" the boy then fist-bumped her with a smile.
Setsuna from the side smirked as she sent her mouth to Itsuka's ear, "Love is in the air these days, isn't it?" the orange-haired girl blushed and groaned as she gave the lizard girl ammo against her.
Setsuna's mouth then returned to her as she ate another bar of nuts from Izuku. The girl noticed from the side of her eyes that Kinoko smirking at her causing a small blush to appear on her cheeks.
Izuku meanwhile wasn't sure if he should be happy or sad. on one hand, his friend won and he should be happy with him, but on the other, he wanted to fight Todoroki to help him use his flames. the boy sighed as he stood up saying, "I need to go see someone. I'll be back."
Present Mic's voice then echoed as he said, "Guys, welcome back to the sports festival. The last match was one of endurance and strength which only one man can come out of unscathed. But now we have two elements that collide with each other. On the left, we have modern-day poison ivy, she's the champion of the green, let's hear some love for Ibara Shiozaki of 1-B," the girl smiled at the people who were waving at her, but she was irked when he compared to an ancient comic book villain, "on the right, we have the fencing warrior, the man with the man knives, he's a modern-day samurai, Togaru Kamakiri of 1-B." the boy bug merely flipped him off due to the bad nickname.
Both teens stood facing each other as Midnight announced the beginning of the match. the bladed boy made two blades from his elbows while Shiozaki sent her vines toward him. The boy sliced and diced the green appendages saying, "Keep them coming Shiozaki, but at the end of the road you know that you're going to lose."
The vine-haired girl replied, "Your pride will be your downfall."
The boy then jumped above some vines that erupted from the ground trying to grab him, but he diced the vines into tiny bits before he tried to make his way up to the girl.
Ibara frowned. Kamakiri was technically her natural opposite. Plants don't do well against blades, but she will preserve against him till she wins. She then prayed, "OH lord, please lend me your strength." A tidal wave of vines then erupted from her head toward the blade boy who began slicing them left and right.
The boy smiled at the challenge the match presented, but suddenly the ground under him erupted as a large number of vines grabbed him and put him in a tight ball. The vine-haired girl thought that the match was over at this point, but suddenly the ball of vines side had a hole made into it Kamakiri jumped out, "Nice try, but you need to do better."
The boy raced toward her, but she raised a wall of vines in defense as she bolted out of the way. When the boy made his way out of the walls of vines, she was already preparing another attack, but she was sadly stopped.
The boy quickly raced to her and jumped high over the defense wall she made. He landed beside her and pressed two blades on her. the girl looked at him before sighing, "I conceit." The match unlike the others was short-lived, but the girl was happy that she made it this far into the tournament. It could've been worst; she could've ended up with Bakugo.
The boy looked at her, "Well done virgin Mary, you gave me a good fight." The girl frowned at the nickname but thanked him for his kind words as they both made their way to their class as Midnight announced Togaru's victory.
In the infirmary, Shoto woke up to a cold feeling across his body. He remembered the match, and how every time he used his ice, he ended up failing. He looked around expecting his father to be to chastise him, but found Midoriya sitting on a bench beside him, he wondered why he was there, "Midoriya, what are you doing here?"
The boy looked at him solemnly, "I came because I needed to ask you a question."
Shoto raised an eyebrow as he wondered what this was about, but he nodded. "Was it worth it?" the boy asked confusing Shoto.
Shoto replied by saying, "I don't understand what you mean."
"I mean was it worth it to lose, contract severe frostbite, and almost lose your right arm just for not using your left side if not for the fight then for your own good health."
Shoto frowned; no he scowled, "Midoriya, I already told you that I will never use his…"
"I get it. You told me that you'll never use his quirk, but at the same time, how much are you willing to go just to keep this pledge that honestly does much more harm than good?" Izuku looked him straight in the eye cutting him off, the boy tried to talk but Izuku didn't give him the chance, "What will you do if your pledge caused someone to die someday? What will you tell his loved ones? 'Sorry, but my pledge was more important than your loved one's life'."
Todoroki frowned as he yelled, "THAT WON'T HAPPEN, BECAUSE I'LL GET BETTER WITH MY ICE."
Izuku yelled back, "STOP BEING SO ARROGANT. YOU'RE REALLY WILLING TO PUT CHANCES ON PEOPLE'S LIFE JUST TO SPITE YOUR FATHER. TODOROKI, YOU ALMOST DIED TODAY IN YOUR FIGHT AGAINST MY CLASSMATE. WHAT DO YOU THINK A VILLAIN WILL DO IF HE HAD A QUIRK THAT IS STRONGER THAN YOURS? LEAVE YOU AND WALK AWAY AS MY CLASSMATE DID? NO, HE WILL KILL YOU WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT."
Izuku calmed his breath down as he said, "I'm sorry for shouting, but I had to get it out of my system. You know both of us are so much alike yet different. You know my childhood is much like yours except for one bully I had multiple." Shoto was shocked, how did he have bullies? With a quirk like his, people must have worshipped him, "My quirk didn't come until the entrance exam. It was offline since it was a stockpile type that was hoarding energy till it became enough, and I also had to train my body to make it fit enough to handle it." Shoto's eyes widened.
"My entire childhood was bullies beating me, using their quirks against me, telling me horrible names, even my own mother never believed in my dreams. In my dreams, I always see her apologizing to me the day I was declared quirkless wishing that things were different. This always made me feel awful. My mother was blaming herself for something that she didn't control. It always made me feel so horrible seeing the guilt in her eyes when she looks at me every time she walks around the house; it felt that my existence has sucked the joy out of her life, so your tragic backstory with all due respect is not the only one here. If I was anything like you, I would have never used my quirk just to spite the people who always put me down; I would've not only put myself in danger but also other people just for the sake of spitting others, but I used my pain for something better; to be a better hero that stands for everyone." Izuku finished his tale as he stood up and walked to the door of the infirmary.
He gave Shoto one last look who was shocked at the revelation, but the dual-haired teen shook his head, "Never if this is your attempt at getting me to use his quirk by using a sob story of your own, with all due respect to all the hardships that you endured, it won't work. I will never use his quirk." He then asked, "Did my father put you up to this?"
Izuku shook his head as he looked at Shoto, and the boy felt like he was looking into his soul. Izuku then said, "That's the problem. You're comparing everything you do to him. you're modeling yourself after him. it's time for you to think about what Shoto Todoroki would do, not Endeavor. And may I remind you that your father's quirk is called hell flame, not half-cold half-hot, so he can't use your quirk." Izuku stood by the door saying his last piece, "This quirk you always talk about is your quirk, Todoroki. Always had been, it still is, and always will be. I think it's about time you acknowledge that before you harm yourself and others around you."
Izuku then exited the room saying, "It's your quirk. Use it as you see fit to be your own hero, that's what you want, don't you?"
The dual-haired boy looked at his left hand as he quietly said, "My quirk…" Small wisps of flames appeared as the boy quickly snuffed them out, "I'm confused"
Izuku returned to his booth as he saw Tetsu scarfing down soybeans like a real champ since it was known to have a huge amount of iron for his next match against him. Setsuna then popped beside him and asked him, "SO, where did you go greenie? You said that you needed to visit someone. Did it go well?"
The boy scratched his head as he said, "Yeah, I really hope so." He then asked, "What did I miss?"
The girl told him, "Not much, Kamakiri managed to defeat Ibara, and he moved to the semi-finals. Now, it's the match between Baku-bitch and Mina from 1-A." the boy laughed at the nickname as he couldn't control himself.
Present Mic's voice then echoed, "Welcome folks to the last round of the semi-finals, on one hand, we have the dancing alien queen, she's the pink-skinned beauty of 1-A, Mina Ashido," the girl walked as she waved at the crowd, "On the other, we have the boy who made his match look like a murder scene, he's a terrorist through and through, Katsuki Bakugo." The boy frowned at the introduction.
Midnight walked as she looked at both contestants, "Alright, I want a clean fight," she then looked at Bakugo adding, "And no murder attempts."
The boy growled at her like a caged animal but nodded knowing that right now he was skating on thin ice. The hero then lowered her whip as Bakugo blasted himself toward Mina. The pink-skinned girl skated away from him using her acid.
Both of them then entered a cat-and-mouse chase as Bakugo would fly after Mina, but the girl would dodge him and managed to land the occasional hit. The problem was that Mina was getting hit herself. Finally, at the end of the match, the boy cornered the girl sending an explosion her way and throwing her out of the ring.
Midnight then called the match, "Mina Ashido is out of bounds. Katsuki Bakugo goes to the semi-finals."
In the city of Hosa, an armored person was strolling through the streets. He was none other than the speed hero: Ingenium, who was also Tensei Iida, Tenya's older brother. He spoke through his com, "Team alpha, did you see anything?"
The team responded with a negative as the man continued his routes. He was on a mission to find the hero killer: Stain. The man has slain multiple heroes, and those who survived were crippled beyond healing.
The hero heard some movement coming from an alleyway beside him. he quickly dove into it and said, "I think I found him."
A few meters into the alleyway, he saw him. decked inside a red and black outfit, with razor-sharp objects all over his body, it was him the hero killer. Ingenium spoke, "It ends here, hero killer."
"You say," The man looked at him, "Another fake to cull." The two men then jumped at each other to fight.
Author's notes:
Welcome back guys to a new chapter of my story, and in this chapter, we saw the quarter-finals of the sports festival. I know some of you might be disappointed that Todoroki won't face Izuku, but I couldn't just allow him to beat Tetsu just for plot convenience. In episode 10 I think of season 5, it was shown that Tetsu can plow through Shoto's ice like a cannon through wet tissue so it wouldn't make sense to just make him weaker just for the sake of Shoto and Izuku fighting; I know that some might not like, but it is what it is. And I'm still planning on Izuku helping Shoto use his flames, and the talk they had will have its effect on him as now he is on a crossway that we allow him to use them. The next chapter will mostly focus on the semi-finals, and if I'm able to put it in the finals.
As always please take care of yourselves, put a review about your opinion regarding the current chapter, and tell me how I can make the story better.
And finally, I hope you enjoy reading my work and see you next time with a brand new chapter.