There was no time for indecision.
Izuku continued his attack, swinging his arm down toward Noikari's head. Noikari blocked the blow with his forearm and punched the side of Izuku's face, causing him to stagger back a bit.
After recovering his balance, Izuku swung his arms in wide circles in front of him, sending a storm of punches straight at Noikari. The boy dodged most of them with relative ease, but one landed near the edge of his right elbow where the skin broke. Blood dripped down from the gash as Noikari stumbled slightly, momentarily taking his attention off Izuku. Taking advantage of this, the boy threw another flurry of punches in Noikari's direction. Thinking quickly, Noikari dodged an incoming blow before grabbing Izuku's arm, then tossing him across the field in an attempt to end the match prematurely. Unfortunately, he had underestimated his opponent's agility and reflexes.
Izuku hit the ground hard before flipping over and planting his hands into the dirt, halting his momentum and allowing him to return to his feet. As Izuku recovered, he watched as Noikari created several metallic spheres from seemingly nowhere to encircle him. With a simple command, Noikari sent the projectiles flying straight towards him. The projectiles flew fast and true, and Izuku knew he wouldn't be able to dodge them all.
So, he improvised.
Briefly deactivating One For All, Izuku instead channeled more of its power into his legs, green sparks surrounding them as he jumped through the air and spun in midair, using his momentum to boost his maneuverability. With his built-up speed, Izuku kicked outward with his right leg, his sole making contact with one of the spheres. Not only was the projectile sent soaring back, but the sheer force of Izuku's kick created a shock wave which knocked each and every last sphere cleanly off course, sending them smashing into the walls and floors surrounding the arena.
This gave Izuku plenty of time to land on his feet and rushing towards a stunned Noikari. Bringing a leg high above his head, Izuku brought his foot down like an axe, but it wasn't meant for Noikari. The Manchester Smash missed by mere centimeters and instead struck the ground in front of him, completely pulverizing the ground beneath him. Noikari stumbled back as chunks of stone and dust scattered everywhere, unable to retaliate with his now-uneven footing. He attempted to bring a hand up to protect his face, but Izuku quickly sent a fist into the younger boy's gut. Noikari bent forward as spit was forcefully ejected from his mouth before grabbing onto the arm which was planted in his stomach, attempting to break it. Unsuccessful, Noikari instead simply kneed Izuku square in the chest, sending him rolling backwards.
Midoriya coughed as he shakily got back to his feet, seeing Noikari rush towards him once more, not letting his fatigue affect him.
Noikari collided with Izuku right as the other boy regained his balance. Izuku felt the wind being knocked out of him but pushed past the sensation. He tried to focus his mind, pushing his thoughts towards One For All. Once again, Izuku brought a hand up as a single finger bent backwards. Noticing this, Noikari grabbed his hand right as his finger flicked outward, forcing the Delaware Smash back and away from him. He used his free hand to punch Izuku in the shoulder before doing the same with his right hand, causing the older boy to stumble backwards. Recovering, Izuku raised his left hand and tried to punch Noikari directly in the eye with a powerful punch, but the smaller boy moved out of the way just in time and retaliated with a blow of his own aimed for Izuku's stomach.
Izuku evaded Noikari's attack before landing a solid hit against the side of his head. Noikari's body spun from the impact, but he used the momentum to twirl back around and grab Izuku with one hand before slamming him into the ground. The boy then proceeded to drag Izuku across the ground until he was stopped as the emerald haired teen smashed a knee into Noikari's chin, forcing him to relinquish his grip. Izuku rose to his knees holding his chest as Noikari gripped his aching jaw. Both students panted in exhaustion as Noikari lowered his head so that his crimson eyes locked with Midoriya's.
In the stands, Eraser Head and Class 1-A watched intently as the two fighters took a moment to catch their breath.
"They're really tearing into each other," remarked Sero, a bit shocked at the intensity of their attacks.
"But how long can they keep it up, I wonder," interjected Tokoyami, the dark raven's eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"I don't know about you guys," said Tsuyu, "but those two are starting to look pretty bad. I'm kinda worried, kero."
As the group turned their attention back to the arena, they saw how drained both students were.
Noikari was covered in bruises, cuts and scratches. His eyes burned with exhaustion as he fought to stay conscious. Everything in his body hurt and he could feel blood dripping down his forehead. The fight was taking its toll on his body. Noikari knew that his chances of victory were slipping away. If he wanted to come out victorious, then his next attack would have to be his last.
Likewise, Deku wasn't faring much better. He too was covered in injuries, though not nearly as many as Noikari. But his body was also starting to give out. Using the Delaware Smash meant that several of his fingers were fractured, while scars from previous uses of One For All flared with pain throughout his body. Noikari was much tougher than he had anticipated. He needed to end this now.
'I can't keep going like this. I have to finish it.' Noikari thought, closing his eyes as a surge of energy coursed through his body. He could feel himself beginning to slip into unconsciousness, but he ignored it, focusing his mind instead on preparing his final move. He had used it once before, and he would use it again to finish this.
Bringing a trembling hand up to the sky, Noikari grimaced as the purple light that engulfed his arm began travelling to his palm. The amethyst glow began morphing into a golden hue which condensed into s sphere which covered Noikari's fist. The child groaned as he felt the orb sear the flesh on his hand, but he pushed the pain out of his mind.
All of Class 1-A watched in amazement, but only one recognized the technique.
Bakugo's scowl turned into a look of disbelief as he watched Noikari prepare his Ultimate Move.
"That's the same move Noikari used against the Colossaeus!" The Explosion hero exclaimed in awe.
The group turned to Bakugo in confusion, wondering what exactly he meant. Noticing his classmates staring at him, he looked over at them and let loose an unimpressed sigh as he explained, "When we fought against that thing, Noikari used that as his final attack. I didn't think he'd actually use it here. ." His gaze turned to his teacher and noticed Aizawa's expression was noticeably tense. It made even Bakugo concerned. Aizawa hadn't spoken for several minutes now, his mind only focused solely on the fight taking place, which he knew would soon come to an end.
Izuku watched closely as Noikari prepared to gamble everything on his final attack. The child stumbled for a moment, nearly overcome by exhaustion and pain, but managed to remain standing straight and strong. Izuku did the same, his arms shaking slightly. The pair stood motionless for a few moments, taking deep, steadying breaths to clear their thoughts before taking one final step towards each other. "It's all or nothing, Noikari," whispered Izuku.
Noikari nodded silently as he urged every muscle in his body to march forward, despite the overwhelming fatigue tearing him apart.
"Izuku. . " Noikari's voice was barely above a whisper as his gaze met Midoriya's. His eyes seemed to sparkle with determination as he raised a clenched fist up high, his arm still bleeding sluggishly.
"Let's finish this."
Noikari began to stumble towards Midoriya, who kept his gaze locked firmly on the other boy's eyes. With every step, Noikari's stance began to straighten itself out, his body running on nothing but adrenaline and pure will. His hand continued to tremble as his arm began to grow numb, but he refused to stop walking. His speed began to increase as he went from a limp to a full charged sprint, pushing himself faster and faster as he went. Midoriya, in contrast, remained perfectly still, his legs planted firmly on the ground and his arms hanging loosely at his sides. As the distance between the two began to close, Noikari reaffirmed his resolve.
"You can't hold back anymore, Izuku!" Noikari shouted, trying to ignore his sore throat and bruised lips. Izuku's face hardened as his grip tightened on his fists. With mere feet now separating them, Noikari brought his amber-clad fist back up in preparation for the finishing move. His voice echoed through the stadium in a roar as he screamed, "Everything!"
Izuku's emerald eyes shot open in fury. If Noikari wanted everything, then he would give him everything. With a primal shout, Iuzku pushed his Quirk to it's highest and most dangerous level.
One For All 25%
Noikari saw this, but instead of retreating or cowering, he only smiled. This would be it: the last blow. Whether Izuku or himself won, Noikari didn't care. He was just happy to finally prove the extent of his power. As he took another step forwards, he felt a wave of intense raw power. He blinked and turned to see Izuku, glowing with an electric green energy, looking directly at him. It seemed that he had the same idea. Noikari grinned as Izuku sprinted towards him, with one hand shaking with every last bit of power Izuku had in stock. Noikari closed his eyes, anticipating the impact. He heard his heart pounding in his ears and felt the adrenaline rush throughout his body. As the distance between the two boys closed, there was no more holding back; there was no room for fear. There was only time for action... and the desire to win.
Two shouts rang through the stadium as both students unleashed their ultimate moves.
"DETROIT SMASH!"
"GRAVITY MAELSTROM!"
Both boys screamed as they each struck with their final attacks. Izuku's fist buried into Noikari's chest, while Noikari's own fist drove into Izuku's cheek as hard as it could. The impact of the punches sent shockwaves in every direction as the entire ring was destroyed, save for where the two were standing. Eraser Head and the others were forced to cover their faces due to the immense wind pressure caused by the two fighters. As the dust slowly receded and visibility returned, everyone gasped at what they saw. The sound of the two students hitting each other with their final attacks was drowned out by an even more disturbing sound: broken bodies.
Noikari felt his sternum crack from the immense pressure, his ribs feeling like they were being pushed into his heart. Everything burned. Pain radiated through his whole body and every part of his nerves seemed to scream in protest against such an injury. His vision swam slightly as his limbs shook uncontrollably, sending waves of dizziness rolling through his head.
Izuku's right eye became completely swollen shut from the jolting blow he had received, while his left arm was completely broken from the usage of Detroit Smash, reopening old scars while new ones formed. The entire limb was darkened, almost as if someone had plunged it into a scalding fire.
For a moment, both teens still stared at the other, fists still planted into the other's body. Then, they stumbled back, almost as if they were getting ready for another round. The sudden lull in the action allowed everyone to get a good look at the grievous injuries both Noikari and Midoriya sustained, with gasps and exclamations coming from many in the crowd. Both teens more closely resembled zombies than humans. Finally, a sound freed itself.
As both boy's finally ceased their attacks and stumbled backwards, their eyes met once again. Neither said anything. Both were too exhausted and injured to do so. And then, Noikari chuckled.
The sound made Izuku's uninjured eye twitch in confusion. Why was he laughing?
Noikari felt his body giving out, but he still couldn't help but weakly laugh. He had proven to everyone present, including himself, that he wasn't just some kid who came from a lab. No, he was just as much of a hero as his classmates.
"Izuku. . ." Noikari's voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. His voice was also barely audible. His words weren't meant for anyone to hear but Noikari knew that Izuku could hear him anyway.
"T-" He stopped for a moment, coughing up blood before he finished. "thank. . you. . " With that final declaration, Noikari allowed his body to sink into unconsciousness, a small smile etched into his face as he took a much-needed rest. Silence once again filled the arena for a moment before the ever familiar, eccentric voice of Present Mic burst through the speakers.
"Noikari has fallen unconscious, making Izuku Midoriya the winner of the Fighting Festival!"
The announcement echoed throughout the arena once again, with it acting as a catalyst for the stadium to erupt in cheers and applause. Izuku stood in the shattered ring, beaten, bloody, but victorious. Despite his wounds and the massive pain pulsating throughout his body, he couldn't help but softly smile, impressed not only by Noikari's strength, but also his intelligence and skill. He was sure that the child would become a great hero in the future.
Izuku began to hobble out of the ring, only to stumble in his stance and nearly fall onto his knees. As the victor of the Fighting Festival tried to regain his bearings, he felt two pairs of hands gently hoist him up by his shoulders. With the match now over, it allowed the class of 1A to help support him. Ochaco and Tenya helped haul Izuku out of the ring while Eraser Head gently picked up the unconscious Noikari, the hero looking down at his student with worry as he carried him out of the ring. "He must've used up all of his power," he thought aloud. "His physical condition is certainly concerning... We have to hurry, or we'll be too late to take him to the hospital." This earned him concerned looks from his students.
"Sensei," Mina spoke softly, "shouldn't we take him to Recovery Girl?" Aizawa sighed, shaking his head and replying. "No. Midoriya should be able to be fixed by her, but Noikari's injuries aren't something she can fix overnight. He'll need to be taken to the hospital." Walking past his class, Aizawa walked towards the door leading out of the stadium. After walking several steps, he paused, turning around to look back at the class. "Aside from Midoriya, obviously, I expect the rest of you to return to school. "He turned back around and continued on his way. As the teacher walked past them, each student gave a brief farewell to both Aizawa and Izuku before going their separate ways, leaving the stadium empty as the spectators began to file out.
Well, almost empty that is.
Apart from Uraraka and Tenya who had taken Izuku to a small tent set up by Recovery Girl prior to the tournament, there was one other person still lingering about the field.
Bakugo.
The boy hadn't moved from his seat, although the expression on his face had changed significantly. His red eyes were staring blankly ahead, but a slight frown marred his brows. He looked as if his thoughts had drifted far away from the field. His thoughts were instead focused upon what would happen to Noikari. How severe were his injuries? Would he be alright? Was he strong enough to recover quickly from such an injury?
Bakugo shook his head as his face scrunched up in frustration. Damnit, why did he care so much? Groaning to nobody but himself, Bakugo rose from his seat and stormed off, hoping to clear his mind of these thoughts.
Aizawa held the limp Noikari close to him as he made his way towards the parking lot, maneuvering carefully through the crowds of people that had gathered outside the Sports Festival. Thankfully, most of them recognized Aizawa was in a hurry. They parted for him as he ran through the throng of people, occasionally bumping into other examinees as well. The crowds became smaller the further Aizawa got away from the main stadium until he reached his car. As he unlocked the vehicle, he gently placed Noikari in the backseat, carefully strapping the boy into his seatbelt. After making sure the seatbelt was securely in place, Aizawa closed the door and walked over to the driver's seat. When he turned on the engine and checked the mirror, he noticed Noikari's eyes slowly flutter open. The boy blinked repeatedly for a few moments trying to clear away the darkness that clung to his eyes as his eyelids struggled to remain open. Once Noikari's eyes were somewhat cleared he turned his head to the side, staring blearily up at Aizawa. He tried speaking, but only croaked out a pathetic noise that sounded nothing like his own voice. This was all the child was able to do before he slipped back into sleep.
Staring back at his student, Aizawa frowned as he put his foot on the gas, slowly pulling out of the parking lot before speeding away to the hospital.
Bakugo walked down the sidewalk as he began making his way back to U.A, his hands buried in his pockets while he kicked a plastic can into the road. For once, he wasn't sure what exactly he was angry at right now. Was he mad at Noikari for wounding his ego? Was he mad at himself for hurting his feelings? Bakugo didn't know and that frustrated him even more. "I don't give a damn what he thinks anymore!" Bakugo growled as he shoved a nearby trash can out of his way, resulting in a loud clattering noise. His anger began to subside slightly as he continued to walk, but the boiling feeling remained. Twice now had he been humbled, first by Midoriya, and now by Noikari! But the latter had not only beaten him in a physical fight, but also defeated Bakugo mentally.
Izuku was too kind to address Bakugo's faults. Ever since the two were little, Bakugo had always been brash, loud, rude, and arrogant. Even though Izuku had been bullied by the blonde for years, he always tried to overlook his behavior, knowing that despite his nature, Bakugo was still a very capable and talented young man that had potential to become a great Hero.
But Noikari? He didn't care about any of the Explosion Hero's problems. He didn't cover or ignore Bakugo's outbursts like most others did. No, he instead snapped back. He pushed against Bakugo's rough words and forced the teens deep-rooted thoughts to the surface, exposing his insecurities, frustrations, and fears. He fought against Bakugo's arrogance, his selfishness, and his lack of respect.
Noikari was the exact opposite of Bakugo. Even with his troubled past, Noikari didn't treat anyone unfairly, nor did he ever act superior to Bakugo. He simply stood up to Bakugo whenever he could and tried his best to keep the blond from exploding him in anger. And no matter how hard the blond tried to push him around, Noikari didn't budge.
Bakugo's anger slowly faded as he let out a sigh of defeat, turning around to pick up the garbage bin he had pushed over earlier. Stowing it back where he found it, the young teen turned back around and continued on his way back to U.A.
If nothing else, he thought to himself, he could at least visit Noikari later.
Aizawa pulled in to the parking lot of the hospital, taking special care not to make any sudden movements as he killed the engine, turning off the key. Carefully opening the rear doors, he picked up Noikari once again and stepped out of the car, carrying the sleeping Noikari as he made his way to the entrance. His pace was slow and calculated, careful to not wake Noikari up as his student shifted slightly in his arms. He walked through the automatic doors, making his way directly to the receptionist. The receptionist looked up as Aizawa approached her desk, flashing the teacher a warm smile before it dropped slightly as she saw the injuries of the boy that Eraser Head was holding.
Ignoring her expression, Aizawa continued his trek towards the elevator as soon as it opened. It didn't take long after the doors shut to realize he had bumped right into a doctor. Coughing awkwardly, Aizawa lowered Noikari onto the ground and stepped aside. He couldn't help but notice the doctor standing next to him was also carrying a sleeping teenager. The man next to him didn't even spare Aizawa a glance before the elevator doors opened once more, allowing the physician to exit with his patient. Aizawa watched the man walk away as the elevator doors began to shut once more.
Had the Pro Hero been paying closer attention, he would've heard the sound of ruffling wings from underneath the doctor's lab coat.
The stranger continued to walk until he heard the elevator doors shut completely. Briefly looking around to make sure no one saw him, the doctor set the patient he was holding down and removed his coat, dropping it to the ground as he stretched his wings. Reaching a hand into his pocket, he pulled out a rounded, yellow visor which he slipped over his eyes. Running a hand through his hair, Hawks turned towards the seemingly unconscious patient.
"Alright, the cost is clear."