-Arc IV-
'The Sports Festival'
As the blade of metal fell towards his head, Izuku leapt backwards, his eyes never leaving the golden orbs of his opponent. Himiko was already reacting, her body twisting in mid-air as she used the momentum of her forward slash to turn her lunge into a spin, never once overextending even as she launched her knife towards Izuku's head.
Izuku twisted to avoid the knife and retreated once more, trying to create space between him and his opponent. The few precious seconds it took Himiko to land and plant her feet in order to charge forward once again was all the time Izuku needed to slam his hands to the ground and activate Overhaul.
Information started to leak into his head but Izuku ignored it, instead mentally shaping the ground as he desired. It was a trick he'd learned from practicing with his Quirk (and how good it felt to have a Quirk to call his own); delicate use of it, like when he'd operated on Momo or All For One, required him to go slow, be careful and meticulous with his work so as to not screw it up. Although it would seem to anyone watching that what he did happened near instantly, the time could and would add up for Izuku, taking minutes if not hours for him to complete his work all the while mentally straining to keep his Quirk active as he performed his task.
Now though, he didn't need to be careful. He could merely shape the world as he desired, uncaring of its inner workings so long as the finished piece took the form he wanted. And the ground did just that, the Earth rising at his silent command, taking the form of pointed tendrils that raced towards Himiko.
Even though she was missing an arm, the injury to anyone watching would have seemed negligible with the way the cat-like vampiric blonde wove her way through the maze of twisting tentacles of earth. Grimacing, Izuku elected to deactivate Overhaul, allowing his creations to begin breaking apart and collapse to the ground. There was a secondary delay, the customary time Izuku was forced to wait until he could activate his Quirk again, but Himiko was far enough away that the requirement was meaningless.
As soon as he could Izuku activated his Quirk once more, taking the ground out from under Himiko rather literally, forming giant walls that rose up on either side of the girl, stretching in front and behind her for several meters. Looking rather like a large V from the front with Himiko trapped in the middle, the walls closed quickly, making it clear that Izuku's simple but highly effective plan, should it succeed, was to simply crush the girl like a bug.
However even as the ground collapsed underneath her, Himiko didn't falter; instead she merely stuck her leg out, pushing off one wall before repeating the process with the other. Back and forth she went, pushing her way forward and up as all the while the space around her shrank, the opening closing with her inside. Just as the walls closed with the loud crunch of concrete meeting cement, Himiko reached the top, where she knelt, staring down at her attacker.
As Izuku rose his hand coming off the floor as his Quirk deactivated, the walls underneath Himiko began to give way but the blonde was already pushing off, jumping towards Izuku with her knife raised above her head. Time seemed to slow for the two as they looked at one another, each wondering who would be faster. Would Himiko's blade aided by the forces of gravity find its mark, or would Izuku use his Quirk to reshape the world once more? For a moment they were frozen, each looking into the eyes of the other but despite how long the moment seemed to them, time continued its unending trudge onwards.
The blade fell, hands rose, and in a moment reflective of Himiko's ambush of Chisaki seemingly so long ago, the girl's blade once more found itself piercing through the hand of a user of Overhaul. The girl's weight pushed the blade in even further, driving the knife into Izuku's right palm up to the hilt while the blade jutted out from the back of his hand.
Izuku grimaced in pain, yet even as he recoiled he reacted, his other hand already in motion, swinging around to grasp Himiko's exposed midriff, her shirt and cardigan having risen up as she fell. As Overhaul activated and the vein-like throbbing lines that snaked their way all over Himiko's body and head, the blonde's golden gaze remained locked on Izuku's face. The lines bubbled and bulged, growing in milliseconds yet as Izuku returned Himiko's look with his cold gaze. The blonde merely smiled, closing her eyes before her body erupted from the waist up, spraying blood, gore, and viscera, dyeing Izuku, and his surroundings, in the crimson liquid the blonde had loved so much.
1 Week, Six Days Ago
As the clock ticked ever closer to the start of the school day, Momo organized her desk, making sure to have a notebook open to a blank piece of paper with a pen next to it ready for easy use. The fact that both the notebook and the pen were the most expensive ones on the market didn't even cross the Yaoyorozu heiress's mind. All around Momo, her classmates chatted to one another, broken up into the friend groups that had formed over the month they'd attended U.A.
It was hard to believe a month had already passed, and although Momo was reluctant to admit it, she'd found herself enjoying her time at the school. Her days were busy crammed with normal school activities like studying and note taking before deviating into more heroic lessons focused on Quirk development, body strengthening, or general heroics like attending the USJ for rescue practice, or performing a faux operation in one of the many training grounds that dotted the campus. With the added pressure of being the Class President, one would be forgiven for believing it likely that Momo would find herself overwhelmed. Surprisingly, that was not the case; the ravenette always found time to study or do her work, while still hanging out with her friends Kendo and Kyouka in her spare time at school. However, as nice as her time in U.A. was, Momo didn't forget her reason for being there.
The sound of the school bell ringing broke Momo out of her thoughts, the ravenette sitting up straight in her chair as the classroom door slid open, allowing Aizawa to step into the room. The man's tired gaze slid over the students, taking in their straight backs and attentive posture, the classroom silent, chatter and teenage shenanigans forgotten. Aizawa merely grunted a greeting before making his way to stand behind the teacher's podium.
"Congratulations," the man said dryly, "today marks one month since your first day of school." Aizawa paused, a few students glancing at each other in the silence, unsure of whether they were supposed to cheer and applaud, or just sit and wait for the man to continue. Aizawa merely blinked before continuing, ignoring the awkward pause as if it never happened, "Now however, your first challenge truly begins," the students tensed, a few leaning forward in eager anticipation, "the U.A. Sports Festival," he finished with a sigh, likely knowing how the students would react to the news from his prior years teaching. For a moment there was silence, and then the room erupted into chaos.
"Yeah!" the red headed Kirishima cheered, "That's a super manly event!"
"To think I would be able to actually participate just like my brother." Iida smiled.
"The U.A. Sports festival," Momo hummed thoughtfully, "I believe I missed last year's."
"Wait, really?" Kendo asked leaning around Mineta to look at the class president.
"Yeah," Momo's thoughts turned towards training Izuku, "I was busy with something else at the time."
"Silence." Aizawa commanded, order quickly restoring itself as his hair floated around his head. "As I'm sure you are all aware, the Sports Festival is one of Japan's biggest events. In the past, the Olympics were a festival of sports the whole world went crazy for, but due to reductions in population and participation they were ended. It is the U.A. Sports Festival that has taken its place in Japan: three days of events, one for each year, beginning with you, the first years, and ending with your seniors, the third years."
"And of course, all the top pro heroes around the country will be watching." Momo noted.
"Yeah," Sero grinned, "it's normal for graduates to become a sidekick to an established hero or agency before becoming independent, so they'll be looking to scoop up anyone that catches their eye."
"Many miss that chance though, kero." Asui croaked, raising a finger to the corner of her mouth. "They intend to become independent but end up deciding to stay sidekicks instead."
"Joining a famous hero agency will get you more experience and popularity," Aizawa admitted, "but your time is limited to showcase your talent and abilities to those watching. One chance a year. Three chances total. This is an opportunity no aspiring hero can afford to miss. You have two weeks to prepare. During that time, I will assess whether or not I believe you are capable of participating without embarrassing our school on the national stage. I am sure many of you haven't forgotten what happened two years ago?"
A few snickers were heard, after all, who wasn't aware of the student that'd flashed the world when they phased through their clothing during the individual matches? "Needless to say, U.A. has no intention of letting history repeat itself, so don't slack off in your training if you want to attend."
"Aye!"
"Sensei," Asui raised her hand, earning her a nod from Eraserhead. "Will we be able to get tickets for our families?"
"Each of you will receive two tickets for free and be able to buy up to three more. The two you receive will be for a family section located in the first row of stands, allowing your families to get front row seats to your performance. The other three will simply be for regular seating, although you'll be able to purchase them for a discounted price. Any other questions?" Seeing none, Aizawa spoke one last time, "Then homeroom is dismissed."
When the bell rang for lunch, Momo found herself walking to the cafeteria with some of the other girls in her class; Uraraka, Kendo, and Jiro.
"Hey Uraraka," Jiro - who was walking with her arms behind her head - turned towards the brunette, her expression curious, "what was the deal earlier when you were telling everyone to give it their best? You were like a whole different person."
"Yeah," Kendo said thoughtfully with a tilt of her head, "for a second, you reminded me of Bakugo." No one noticed how Momo's folded hands tightened just a bit at the blond's name.
"Oh, sorry about that," Uraraka apologized, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "I was just really motivated. When Aizawa-sensei told us that this was an opportunity we couldn't afford to miss, well it reminded me of why I wanted to become a hero."
"Why did you?" Momo couldn't help but ask.
"Um…well…" Uraraka's face turned red as she blushed, "it's for the money."
"The money?" Jiro repeated.
"It's embarrassing," Uraraka said, cradling her face, "but to put it simply, yeah."
"Why would it be embarrassing to have a goal to support your livelihood?" Momo asked innocently.
"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that," Kendo added.
"It's just unexpected." Jiro finished.
Uraraka sighed, "That's not it, my parents own a construction company. It's really hard for them to get contracts so they're almost always low on funds. It's embarrassing to talk about."
"Why not get licensed to use your Quirk then?" Momo inquired. "Your ability to make materials weightless would surely make things easier and negate the need for several pieces of heavy equipment."
"Right! That's what I told my dad when I first got my Quirk, but when I asked them to let me help, they told me to follow my dreams and pay them back by taking them to Hawaii."
'So cute,' the three girls couldn't help but think as they imagined a four year old chibi Uraraka.
"Well that's my reason for becoming a hero," Uraraka said clearly wanting to change the subject, "but what about you guys? What made you decide to become heroes?"
"I just felt like it," Kyoka shrugged. "I initially wasn't sure whether or not I should be a hero or a musician, but then I realized that there wasn't anything stopping me from being both."
"That's pretty cool," Kendo nodded.
"Indeed, to choose to pursue both your dream and a hobby at the same time is truly admirable."
"Thanks," the punk rocker blushed, "but what about you Kendo?"
"I guess it's more personal for me," Kendo said looking upwards, clearly reminiscing. "My family owns a dojo and I've trained in martial arts ever since I was young. They make a big deal about how we shouldn't abuse what we learn and well, it just seemed to translate you know?"
"Cool," Jiro nodded, "feel like sharing Yaomomo?"
Momo smiled, but the three girls noticed that this smile was emptier compared to her normal one. "My reason is pretty simple," she began, a green boy rising to the forefront in her mind, "I have a friend. A person who has suffered more than anyone his age has the right to. I just want to help him the best I can, and what better way to help than to become a hero? Someone who can lend them a hand when they need it most."
"That's so much better than mine," Uraraka moaned.
"Oh no, my apologies," Yaoyorozu switched from reminiscing to class Mom in an instant, "Your reasons are just as good as mine are."
The four girls continued talking until a loud laugh caught their attention, "Young Kendo," All Might spoke leaning around a corner, "I would like to meet with you in the teacher's lounge if you don't mind."
"Of course, sensei," Kendo said, turning to look at her friends. "Sorry," she apologized, "but I'd better see what this is about."
"Don't worry about it," Jiro waved dismissively.
"Hm, hm," Uraraka nodded, "Yeah, getting a chance to talk with the number one hero isn't something you should say no to."
"Thanks guys," Kendo smiled, "let's eat together tomorrow since we couldn't today."
"Sounds good," Uraraka cheered jumping as she raised a hand in the air.
"I'm down," Jiro shrugged, earning a relieved grin from the orangette as she turned and made her way towards the muscular blond hero all under the cold calculating gaze of a certain ravenette.
"My apologies for stealing you away from your friends," All Might said as he shut the door to the lounge behind them.
"It's fine, although I'm curious to know why you wanted to see me." Kendo admitted, taking a seat as All Might deflated into Toshinori Yagi.
"Tea?" The man inquired, and at Kendo's affirmative nod the blond began to prepare a pot. The two waited in companionable silence and once it was ready, the man poured two cups of the green substance before leaning back on the couch. "It's been a while since we last spoke one on one," the hero began softly, "the last time was back before classes started when I gave you One for All."
"I remember," Kendo nodded.
"How are you doing when it comes to using it," Yagi-sensei asked.
The orangette sighed, "Not as well as I'd like," she admitted with a frown, "if I use it I normally just limit it to my hands since they're the only part of my body that can handle the strain. It might be a little easier than when I first started but it still hurts and I have no doubt that if I tried to infuse it into any other part of my body, they'd shatter."
"That's not good," Yagi frowned.
"I know, but I am trying."
"No, I have no doubt that you're trying your best to improve," Yagi said, waving away her pleading, "but I can't help but be concerned. I might have been able to utilize One for All from the start, but my Master told me that she struggled with using the Quirk when she first inherited it from her predecessor, so some hardship was expected, but…" he trailed off.
"But what?"
"But the power has only grown." All Might said flatly. "You have to handle not only all the power I handle, but whatever else I might have contributed as well. I wish I could give you better advice, but your situation is different from mine."
"Well, did you have any teachers?" Kendo asked. "Anyone that either your Master or you might know that could be able to help me?" She watched as All Might shivered, a visible shudder wracking his body while his face paled.
"There is one," the hero admitted reluctantly, "but I'd rather not get him involved unless absolutely necessary. He's, well I'm not really sure how best to describe him other than your training would be much harsher than whatever you are learning from Aizawa-sensei." Kendo tried to imagine a teacher worse than Aizawa and shuddered. Maybe it was best for her to learn at her own pace.
"I didn't just bring you here to ask about your progress though," Yagi admitted as he took a sip of his tea, "there was another reason." Seeing Kendo's cocked eyebrow the man sighed as he set his cup down, "My time's begun to shorten."
"What?"
"The amount of time I can use One for All, or even remain in my muscular form, is decreasing." Yagi explained. "It's a sign that the Quirk is now yours and all that I have are the remaining embers of One for All, slowly dying."
"How long do you have?"
"Chiyo, Recovery Girl's not sure. It depends on how much I use One for All, as well as how hard I push myself. When we first met and I transferred One for All to you, I could hold my form for three hours. Now, after three months, I've lost about fifteen minutes."
Kendo did some quick mental math, the blond's power was depleting at a rate of an hour a year and U.A. was a three year school so, "That means you should lose access to it completely just as I'm graduating."
"Yeah," the number one hero sighed, "but that's only if the rate remains the same and doesn't speed up, or I'm forced to push myself. In all honesty I'll probably announce my retirement over summer break," All Might admitted. "I already have to split my time between hero work and teaching my classes. If my time's shrinking, it's probably best I choose to focus on the one that matters the most."
Kendo hesitated for a moment, trying to imagine a world without the comforting presence of All Might at the top. It was weird to think about, the man had held the position longer than she'd been alive, but she had to admit that if anyone had earned the right to retire, it was the blond seated across from her. "If that's what you think is best."
All Might looked up at the orange headed girl, "That's it?" he asked, confused, "No protest, just calm acceptance?"
"Yagi-sensei, you've been a hero for decades. Crime has fallen to levels not seen since before Quirks first appeared. You might be the symbol of peace, but you've earned your retirement. You aren't immortal, and for as powerful as your presence is you won't be around forever. It's probably best that you start shifting your burden to others, let them start carrying the weight of peace while you're still around enough to ensure a peaceful transition of power."
"Maybe you're right," the man sighed, "but that burden will likely be yours in the future, and that leads into the last thing I wanted to talk to you about."
"The Sports Festival," Kendo guessed.
All Might nodded, "Correct, the U.A. Sports Festival is an event Pro Heroes, no, the whole country will be watching closely. Itsuka Kendo, I chose you to succeed me, to be the next symbol of peace. I want you to use the Sports Festival to announce to the whole world that 'You are here!'"
Present
For a second Izuku stood there, his left hand clutching a piece of bloody unidentifiable meat he only knew was Himiko because he'd been holding it when he'd overhauled her body. However even as the girl's dark red blood ran down his face Izuku called upon the power of Overhaul once more, having not deactivated the Quirk since he'd used it on the girl now splattered across the room. Izuku hadn't had a lot of practice with using Overhaul directly on a person in combat, but the little he'd been able to glean from back when he'd been watching Chisaki had given him a deeper understanding and appreciation for just how skilled the man was when it came to using his former Quirk.
This was demonstrated no better than right now as Izuku began to undo what he'd just done to Himiko. Overhaul was only able to affect whatever the user was making contact with, that was why Izuku'd struck Himiko's midriff. Why in the raid Chisaki had touched Himiko's hand when he'd destroyed her arm. The effect didn't spread, but that didn't mean the knowledge disappeared.
Izuku hadn't learnt this until he'd gotten Overhaul and begun to train in its use, but there was a part of the Quirk that stored the information of whatever Izuku used it on. Not forever, but until he moved onto deconstructing or reconstructing something else. In a fight, if he used Overhaul on the floor, he could reconstruct it exactly the way it'd been beforehand. If he used it on a person, so long as he didn't use it on anyone else he could restore that person, despite having 'killed' them, and that was what Izuku was doing right now.
The ability to one shot any enemy, to have absolute victory in a fight where all he had to do was lay a finger on someone to win. It was a card Izuku had no doubt he'd play in the future, which is why he'd begun to use it in his spars with Himiko. He'd been hesitant initially, but Himiko had worn him down when she found out he was holding back and he hadn't just started by deconstructing her entire body. No, he'd started slow; a finger, a toe, a limb, each time restoring the girl afterwards to how she'd been, his confidence and skill growing with every successful use.
Himiko adored their spars. She loved waking up covered in blood, even if it was her own, and she'd long since realized that she had quite the lust for battle. She didn't hide it, not exactly, but Izuku knew that she sometimes held back. Not in their battles, but just as Izuku'd had to adjust to wielding a Quirk, Himiko had to adjust to fighting one handed. She said it was strange, but other than that, she hadn't complained once. Izuku knew that she was loyal to him, that he was the first person to know the full truth about her and her Quirk and accept her for it. Himiko had no regrets in sacrificing the arm since it brought him closer to his goal, but Izuku could not deny the want, the need to pay her back. To repay her trust and loyalty.
Half focused on the task before him, half lost in his own thoughts, Izuku was shaken out of the latter by a soft moan. A slow sense of dread crept over Izuku as he found his left hand touching something warm, likely due to said hand currently lying under Himiko's cardigan and school uniform gripping the side of the blonde's stomach. Izuku's hand clenched at the realization, his fingers burrowing into the girl's core as Himiko let out another soft moan, one that Izuku found far more seductive than it should have been.
Izuku flushed as he quickly pulled his hand back, a light dusting of red across his cheeks. He ignored Himiko's pout at him letting go, electing instead to pull the knife still embedded in his right hand out and heal himself. "Thank you," Himiko cheered as she took the knife, taking a moment to slowly run her tongue down the bloody blade, an action which caused her to moan once more. "Mmm, Izuku," the blonde panted, "you taste sooo good."
"Thanks," Izuku replied, examining his healed hand, flexing his fingers to make sure the digits were all in working order.
"Hey, hey," Himiko cried bounding in front of the greenete, "if I behave tomorrow, can you give me some more of your blood? I don't want to run out." Izuku deadpanned; every week he would give Himiko three 10mL vials of his blood for the blonde to drink as she pleased, and he knew that on several instances one or two vials had rolled over to the following week. In fact the boy wouldn't be surprised if Himiko had a small collection of his blood somewhere in her room, vials of blood just sitting there, aging. Maybe it tasted better that way, like a fine wine or brandy.
Shaking his head to clear away the disturbing train of thought, Izuku groaned as he looked away from Himiko's patented puppy dog eyes. Seriously, she was older than he was, how did those work on him? Nevertheless he sighed, if it got her to behave, he could spare another vial or two.
Himiko cheered at his defeated look, "Fine, but you'd better behave yourself. We're going to watch the festival as civilians, that means no commenting on how you think people would taste, no asking to drink my blood, and no stabbing."
Himiko's expression fell, making the teen look like a moody child, "Can I stab someone if they touch me?" She asked hopefully.
"No, you'd stab someone as soon as they bumped into you." Izuku said firmly, he sighed, "You can stab people if, and only if I give you permission people to, alright?"
"Okay," Himiko said agreeably. Izuku didn't bother to ask how she'd get her knives past security, he had no doubt that the blonde would find a way. Still, he reflected thoughtfully, it would be nice to see Momo again. He was curious how far the girl had come under the guiding hand of the top hero school in the country. Izuku couldn't help but chuckle as a stray thought struck him. Just how much of what the ravenette displayed tomorrow would be things she learned from them, and how much would be from things she learned when she'd worked with him?
"Kurogiri, it's time. Are we ready?" a rough voice asked.
"Yes Tomura, everything is prepared."
"Good, let's show Master and that stupid rival of mine that we are here."
"As you wish."
Author's Note:
Well it's twelve days until Christmas (Eve) so I say it's close enough to give you all your present now, the first chapter in Arc IV. I will say I've noticed that a lot of this arc's chapters are shorter than the other ones in this story but considering those chapters ranged from 7-13 THOUSAND words and these chapters are still over 5k close to 6 I don't think there's much for you to complain about. Now for my complaint; LEAVE A REVIEW YA INTROVERTS! Seriously only five reviews and only three of 'em were on the new chapter, you all hurt this dead soul inside of me. HA!
Now not a lot happened this chapter but both this chapter and the next are all about setting up the Sports Festival. Ch 18 covers the first round while Ch 19 covers the second and just let me say I am absolutely having a ball writing them. Still sorry for the slow pace I'm trying my best.
Make sure to LEAVE A REVIEW or actually don't considering this chapter's probably one of the most boring ones in this fic. Fine you get a pass but you'd better write one next time. Anyways thanks to my editor DutchHorizon without whom this would look a lot worse than the mess it already is.
Until next time this is the insomniac demon lord writing at 4:30 in the morning signing off,
- D'yavol Lucifer 3:)
*IMPORTANT NOTICE*
All the cover art for my stories are ones I found online. I am really interested in using fanart provided by you the readers to replace them. If you're interested draw something up and pm me so I can send you the details on where to send it or pm me and I'll give you some details so you can draw one. As I say in my bio if I use it I may add you as an oc in one of my stories! Isn't that exciting!
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