𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳
Another Villain Bot was sent flying as Noikari punched a hole straight through its chest, sparks and smoke spewing as two more of the combat droids quickly replaced their 'comrade'. One of them brought up a blocky arm, the end bearing a resemblance to a gatling gun. The weapon spun around as several bullets rocketed from the machine's hand. Swiftly leaping away from the stream of projectiles, Noikari sent one of his tendrils to wrap around the robot's gun hand before turning the weapon to its head, forcing the robot to blast its own head in a spray of sparks. The final robot, bearing resembalance to a scorpion with a pair of large mechanical stinger legs, charged toward the young boy who easily avoided its attack, kicking off its right leg and sending it sprawling backwards.
As he landed safely on the other side, Noikari jumped back to avoid another shot from the scorpion robot.
"Maybe, maybe not." He shrugged.
The momentary pause caused a distraction for the Scorpion Robot, allowing Noikari the chance to send a tendril shooting out in an arch. The metal-tipped appendage effortlessly tore through the android's midsection, coming out at the back. The eyes of the automaton arachnid flickered briefly before it fell limp to the ground, completely destroyed.
Retracting his tentacle from the robot's body, Noikari took a moment to catch his breath, glad to be done with his latest training exercise. Watching him from a distance was Aizawa along with Midnight. The R-Rated Hero had heard of Noikari and wished to meet him, despite Aizawa's objections. He didn't want her rubbing off on the poor boy. She always acted rather strange with the younger ones, after all. .
As Noikari brushed himself off, he noticed the two heroes watching him. Smiling, he waved at the two. Midnight gave an enthusiastic wave back while Aizawa gave an indifferent nod.
Noikari frowned slightly as he caught sight of Midnight's outfit. It certainly was. . revealing. She wore a breastless, black leather leotard—similar in style to a corset—over a thin, skin-tight, white bodysuit, which accentuated her voluptuous figure.
Seeing his student's discomfort, Aizawa tried to reaffirm Noikari.
"I tried, I really tried. But she insisted on wearing it."
Midnight playfully nudged Aizawa. "Oh, come on, Eraser Head. There's nothing wrong with showing a little skin." As she said this, she struck a pose. Her leotard and shirt rode up, giving Noikari a perfect view of her toned stomach and firm chest.
Aizawa sighed as Noikari looked away awkwardly. Hoping to change the subject matter, Noikari turned to Aizawa.
"So, what did you come here for sensei?"
A small grin forced itself onto the normally stoic Hero's face.
"It's time."
Noikari stared blankly at his teacher as confusion crossed his face. But within a moment's notice, all of his confusion faded and sheer excitement replaced it.
Noikari stammered, struggling to speak from how excited he was. "Y-you mean it's time for the Fighting Festival?"
Aizawa nodded before turning away, motioning for Noikari to follow him. "That's correct. Now come on. It will start within an hour, and we need to decide the matches."
Noikari nodded but couldn't help himself as he followed after his teacher and Midnight, giddily humming a tune as he thought about finally having a real test. The thought alone filled him with such joy that he nearly tripped on a rock before catching his balance. With a light smile still on his lips, he hurriedly followed after Aizawa, his excitement making him walk a bit faster than usual. When he finally caught up to where Eraser Head was heading, he gasped.
The Sports Festival Stadium was breathtaking. And not in the way Noikari had pictured it when he had seen it from a distance. For once, he found it hard to think of anything. This was different. This felt like... destiny.
Looking over, he saw Aizawa staring at him intently. "You alright?"
Smiling wider than ever, Noikari managed to say something.
"Yes, Sensei." He chuckled nervously. "Never better!"
Aizawa gave his student a doubtful look as he led the way across the grounds. They eventually reached the first row of stands, where the rest of the competitors were waiting.
Noikari grinned as he saw Eijiro, Bakugo, and Denki already standing near each other. Kaminari seemed to be trying his hardest to hold back a snicker. Eijiro was smiling and laughing, while Bakugo merely scowled at everyone. Kyoka and Tsuyu sat behind them, conversing about the excitement both were feeling. Momo was gossiping with Mina and Sero before they saw Noikari, the former shouting his name as the latter two gave him a wave. Noikari waved back before focusing on Aoyama, who was currently trying to give Tokoyami some advice on Dark Shadow. He wasn't sure why Aoyama had decided that he should talk to Tokoyami about his own Quirk, but at least he was being helpful. Todoroki was doing some last-minute training with a cup of water, regulating the temperature of the liquid inside so that one half of the cup was cold, and the other half was hot. Ojiro sat next to him, his tail flexing in anticipation. Adjacent to them was Mirko, the Pro Hero taking the time to grab a glass of water like Todoroki, except she was actually drinking it.
And then, Noikari finally saw him. The one he was hoping to fight the most.
Standing alone was Midoriya, who was looking straight at him. A smile spread across his face as Noikari ran over to him.
"Noikari! How are you feeling?" He asked as Noikari smiled brightly.
"I'm feeling great!" Noikari replied excitedly, his happiness obvious to Midoriya. "Are you ready? This is going to be awesome!"
"Yeah," Midoriya nodded, a huge grin growing across his face, "It sure is! Usually, I'm not really excited over stuff like this, but even I'm pretty pumped."
Noikari jokingly slugged Izuku in the arm. "Well for what it's worth, I can't wait to beat you."
Midoriya laughed loudly, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Me too! Let's do our best today, no matter what happens."
A loud voice spoke as Bakugo marched up to the boys, his hands stuffed into his pocket. The two stopped talking, turning towards their fellow classmate, who smirked smugly at them.
"Don't get cocky, losers. I'm not only going to beat you, Midoriya, but you as well Noikari. In fact, I'll wipe the floor with both of you!"
Noikari, unphased by Katsuki's threats, simply smiled warmly at him, happy to know his friend had improved somewhat since becoming Class 1A's resident bully.
"We're looking forward to it." He replied cheerfully. Then, turning to Midoriya, he added, "and I'm looking forward for the chance to fight you, Izuku."
Before the teen could comment back, the three of them heard Aizawa begin speaking.
"Alright, everyone listen closely. We're about to get started, so please come forward." Class-1A's homeroom teacher picked up a blue, rectangular box with a hole in the top of it.
"The matches will be decided via lottery. Everyone please come up and draw a number from the lottery.
The thirteen competitors from Class-1A, as well as Mirko, each drew numbers from the box. When all fourteen cards were drawn, the battles were decided. The first round would consist of 4 battles of one-on-one combat. With the lottery determined, the first set of matches would be:
Shoto vs. Tokoyami; Izuku vs. Kaminari; Yaoyorozu vs. Eijiro; and finally, Noikari vs. Bakugo
With everything set, Present Mic and Midnight stepped into the center of the arena as the crowds cheered loudly, filling the stadium with sound.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Present Mic began. "Welcome to the annual Fighting Festival, where you will see your school's finest and brightest put together in order to display our class's might in front of your very eyes. But there's more, folks! We have a special guest as a spectator today. It's the fierce fighting Rabbit hero, Mirko, who has arrived to see just how much the students of U.A. have grown!" As Present Mic finished, the crowd roared louder. When he finished speaking, half of the competitors left for the other side of the arena, preparing for their matches.
Unbeknownst to Present Mic, there were several other Pro Heroes who were watching the tournament. One of these Pro Heroes was none other than Endeavour. Most would believe that the flaming Hero was here to watch his son, Shouto, but they were wrong. Whether his son won or lost the tournament was not important to him.
No, he was particularly interested with Noikari.
A child who didn't even seem capable of anything was now showing remarkable growth, and it was clear to the Pro Heroes watching from the audience that the boy had potential. Endeavor was already thinking of the future. If Shoto did not become a worthy successor to him, then he would see to it that Noikari took his place.
Even from all the way down on the sidelines of the arena, Noikari was able to spot Endeavor. Before, he would've grinned in delight at seeing the Pro Hero, but now he could only scowl at the sight of him. He had learned a great deal about Endeavor from Todoroki, and to say he had some issues would be an understatement. Shoto had told him that the sole reason for his birth was that his father wanted a successor that would become better than even All-Might. This led to Endeavor training Shoto vigorously, nearly bringing him to death's door. This did a number on Endeavor's mental health, and he had even abused his wife, which led to her snapping one day and giving Todoroki the burned scar which ran over the left side of his face.
Although Noikari still respected Endeavor and was grateful that he had saved him, that didn't mean he owed him anything.
On the opposite side of the arena, in a private booth, Mt. Lady and All Might watched the competition closely. Mt. Lady had heard of Noikari through the grapevine, and it wasn't long until she came to visit UA. She was there to observe the students and see how they developed in regard to their Quirks. Seeing the young man she was observing now, she couldn't help but feel impressed, and he hadn't even done anything yet! The giant hero could tell that Noikari was something special. There was absolutely no doubt that he could go toe to toe with anyone in this competition.
Once the crowds finally began to quiet down, Present Mic began to speak once more, announcing the first match.
"And now we shall begin the first match! Todoroki vs. Tokoyami!"
Noikari watched as Todoroki gently placed the cup of water he was training with down as he began to walk into the fighting stage. The Half-Cold Half-Hot Hero turned his head as he heard a cheerful voice call his name.
"Good luck, Todoroki!" Noikari shouted before running off to sit down in one of the chairs that were located on the ground level of the arena.
Todoroki gave a small grin before returning his attention to the fight before him. Tokoyami had already entered the ring, the raven staring directly ahead of him with his dark red eyes fixed upon the boy in front of him. After a moment or so of silence between them, Present Mic's voice boomed once again.
"Let the fight. . . begin!"
Without hesitation, both began sprinting towards each other, neither willing to give an inch as they met halfway.
"I command the darkness to embrace the light!" Tokoyami declared as a familiar shadowy creature with bright yellow eyes took shape.
"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami shouted, commanding the monster as it lunged at Todoroki, who immediately ducked out of the way, avoiding the charge entirely. Todoroki quickly followed up with a blast of fire from his left side, the shadow creature instinctually backing away to avoid the scorching flames. Dark Shadow then leapt forward as another order from Tokoyami entered its consciousness. Leaping over the wall of flames, Dark Shadow extended his nails towards Todoroki. The Piercing Twilight Claws rapidly advanced towards the son of Endeavor, but another beam of fire forced them to retreat. Todoroki charged forwards again and Dark Shadow flew backwards to avoid being hit. A third order from Tokoyami made Dark Shadow attack once more, aiming to take out Todoroki once and for all.
Todoroki jumped backward slightly and raised his right arm above his head, concentrating before a sheet of ice erupted from his palm. Using it as a shield, the frozen block blocked the claws, allowing Todoroki a brief reprieve. The black bird let out a loud screech, his body vibrating with anger as he continued to try attacking Todoroki relentlessly.
Todoroki dodged and swung hard at Dark Shadow, who barely managed to dodge. Once Todoroki was sure that he was out of range, the boy turned around towards his opponent.
Tokoyami scowled as he saw his attacks having no effect. Todoroki was proving to be far stronger than he'd anticipated. The two classmen briefly took a moment to break off from the fighting. Those watching in the audience, as well as the other competitors were impressed and amazed at the power these two had shown so far.
Off to the side of the arena, Noikari took out a notebook and began frantically writing down any observations he could see, in case he had to fight one of these two. Know your enemy: it was an important aspect of any battle, especially when you are trying to gain an advantage. It wasn't long before Noikari began talking to himself, all the while continuing to record any observations he made.
"Let's see, Todoroki's left side isn't as trained as his right. That means that his fire is less advanced than his ice. Tokoyami's Dark Shadow seems to be weaker in the light, but it's able to be more easily controlled. And Todoroki's Quirk seems to be much fiercer in comparison. He seems strong enough to withstand Dark Shadow's hits without much damage."
Sitting next to him, Bakugo gave him a confused look as he wondered what the hell Noikari was doing. "What're ya writing about?" The blond asked, his brow furrowed in irritation.
"Ah, nothing much, really," Noikari muttered as he tried not to make eye contact with the angry blond sitting next to him, who clearly had a problem with anything Noikari did at all. "Just trying to get any info I can on those two in case I have to fight one of them later."
Bakugo rolled his eyes at his friend's response, pausing for a few moments before turning his head slightly to glare at Noikari with his ruby colored eyes. How much had he recorded? Judging by how far he was in the notebook, this wasn't the first time Noikari had written in it.
Just before Noikari could jot down another observation, Bakugo snatched the journal out of his hands and looked through it, flipping through pages with such speed and precision that Noikari feared he might rip the book in half. The blond's eyebrows shot up as he slowed down, actually taking a moment to look at the contents of each page.
These notes. . there was information of everyone in Class 1-A, including himself. Their Quirks, strengths and weaknesses, numerous details on how each one of them worked and many more. This was just the beginning however, for as Bakugo continued flipping through the journal, he found records and notes on numerous Pro-Heroes, including Eraser Head, Mirko, Endeavor, Mt. Lady, and even Best Jeanist.
Bakugo, in stunned silence, slowly handed Noikari back the notebook. He could hardly believe his eyes. This was all information from one person. The Explosion Hero remembered how Midoriya did the same thing, and it only annoyed him even more. These notes were just as detailed as Deku's, if not more so.
Sitting on the other side of Noikari, Eijiro couldn't help but notice that Noikari had seemed rather shocked, and he could almost hear the gears turning in the child's head as Noikari added another observation to his notes of Todoroki.
Back in the ring, Todoroki took a moment to breathe as Tokoyami briefly stopped his offensive. The raven scowled as he racked his brain trying to think of a plan. Although not completely defenseless in the face of it, the light that Todoroki's flames emitted put Dark Shadow at a disadvantage. The silver-ruby haired boy could also simply freeze Dark Shadow with his ice, or even target Tokoyami himself. He was the weak link without Dark Shadow. .
The bird-like hero's eyes widened as an idea began to form. It was risky, but it may help him tip the scales. Closing his eyes, he briefly spoke to Dark Shadow.
"Come to me and wrap me in your aura."
As he finished speaking, Dark Shadows eyes briefly shifted before it shot back towards its master, enveloping Tokoyami before wrapping itself tightly around him. A veil of smoke hid both Tokoyami and Dark Shadow from view before slowly subsiding, revealing Tokoyami's new form. Now covering the upper half of Tokoyami's body was Dark Shadow itself. Covered with the ethereal ghoul's signature black aura, Tokoyami wore Dark Shadow like a suit of armor. The dark crow glared menacingly at Todoroki as if telling the teen that he would definitely win. Now the battle would continue in earnest.
Both combatants began to circle each other. With Tokoyami's attack still being relatively fresh in his memory, Todoroki didn't want to waste too much time before using his ice again. But with Dark Shadow being so close and Todoroki being a skilled fighter, it was obvious that their next move would be the deciding factor.
In a split second, the Dark Shadow-infused Tokoyami lunged in the blink of an eye, looking to end this fight once and for all. At the same time, Todoroki began to create numerous walls of ice, hoping that they would buy him the necessary time to prepare his final attack.
From behind the makeshift shield, Todoroki's right side began to glow a fiery orange. .
Watching as the glacial barriers were erected, Dark Shadow screeched as Tokoyami leapt into the air to gather speed for his next technique. Shooting downwards, Tokoyami's shadow claws began to tear through Todoroki's barriers one after another.
Chunks and shards of hardened water were sent flying as Dark shadow's strength made short work of the shield in front of him. Finally, Tokoyami completely shattered every last barrier before raising a shadow-laden claw, prepared to defeat Todoroki with the devastating blow that the Dark Shadow would bring down upon him. In his haste, the raven had failed to notice Todoroki's left hand hidden behind his back.
The son of Endeavor grinned. Perfect!
Pulling his previously hidden hand out from behind him, Todoroki opened his palm before unleashing a massive blast of flame at Tokoyami. A huge flaming tornado surged outwards before engulfing both students in its heat. When the explosion finally settled, Todoroki and Tokoyami stood facing each other, the former being unaffected by his own attack.
Tokoyami fell to the ground, unconscious. Silence engulfed the Festival arena, save for the sound of Tokoyami's body hitting the ground.
"And Tokoyami has lost!" Midnight announced loudly over the intercom, causing the stadium's occupants to erupt in cheers.
Todoroki stood in silence as Tokoyami slowly came to, clutching his head as Dark Shadow retreated back into his body. His expression was unreadable, though he appeared to be quite exhausted. Turning to the one who had defeated him, Tokoyami let a small smirk form on his face as the raven nodded at Todoroki, the elemental hero returning the gesture with a nod of his own.
As Todoroki walked back to the stands on the outskirts of the ring, Present Mic was quick to announce his victory. "After a stupendous first battle, Shoto Todoroki is the victor of the first battle!"
The crowd erupted in a loud cheer and shouts of admiration as Todoroki walked off the stage where Noikari and the others were waiting.
Noikari was the first to congratulate his friend, grabbing him and shaking him vigorously. "That was incredible, Shoto! You did great!"
"Thank you, Noikari, but it's still a little early to celebrate. That was only my first battle, and the ones coming up will be even harder."
As Shoto finished talking with Noikari, the two looked over to where the rest of their friends were, seeing Bakugo was sitting next to Midoriya, staring at the shorter male intently as if wanting to burn him alive. Not wanting to get involved in what was most likely just Bakugo 's personal vendetta against Midoriya, Todoroki and Noikari quickly turned to where Endeavor was watching high above in the stands. The sight alone made Noikari's blood boil with anger. Why did he feel so much hate for the father of his friend? He knew that Endeavor had some. . problems, but surely that didn't excuse all the good he's done, right?
But the more Noikari thought about it, the more he knew why he felt like this. And he hated it.