Heyo to Jack Redhawke, first, happy you read this and hopefully I'm able to answer all your queries.
To begin, although Izuku never met All Might, he does have reasons to dislike him, so far I've hinted that Izuku disagrees with All Might's ideology, and the fact that All Might was late to the USJ didn't help, but there is more that will be revealed far later if I get to it.
Second, the two days were set before Izuku's funeral. I put that bit there to show what happened to the branded villains, just being interrogated, plus how the name 'The Bright Lord' was now known.
Third, the pot of boiling water was more of a kettle to put hot water into the ramen that AwesomeMan bought, this is probably just an isolated occurrence for me because the shops I go to have a kettle for pot noodles and even microwaves for microwave food.
And finally, regarding the handprint, so the way I thought about it was, until a branded is 'activated' the brand is invisible, the sludge villain was more shamed so the brand was burned into them. But honestly the game doesn't explain it since you could have the branded walking among non branded and no one is suspicious so I'm sort of just winging it with the explanation.
Anyhoo, let's get to it.
Was Izuku proud of how he qualified for the 3rd and final round of the sports festival? No. Was anyone amazed by how he qualified? It was a mix, some were amazed by his ferocity and quick comeback from zero points.
Others however, weren't as positive.
"Seriously! He spent most of the round in the air! That should be cause for disqualification" AwesomeMan complained as people looked at him in distain, even if they agreed with his words, they didn't agree with his character which they were aware wasn't too far off from Izuku's description.
"Just me? Are you guys really ok with a loudmouthed brat making a mockery of this festival" he added and would've continued until another in the crowd stood.
"I will pay you a thousand yen to stay quiet, that's your usual rate right?" They tossed coins at the embarrassed hero, who didn't dare retaliate in front of the mob that laughed at him.
"That goddamn kid" AwesomeMan muttered to himself as he left his seat with his head down to hide the anger he felt.
He was going to get payback on that little shit.
Travelling through the halls of the stadium, he passed a drunken man, who seemed to be chugging a can of soda, though the liquid didn't smell nor look like soda.
But it wasn't really AwesomeMan's job to throw out drunks, and he had his own priorities.
"The door's locked, and it turns out you also need to scan a hero licence to go in that area anyway" he spoke surprisingly clearly for how many empty cans were around him.
"Shit!" AwesomeMan cursed, "I got a licence, but I didn't know there was a lock" He turned to go back to his seat, before the drunken man spoke up.
"A licence you say? How convenient, I got a key" the drunken man grinned as he poked his finger with a sharp nail, a key forming of his blood, "…I think we can help each other" he offered as AwesomeMan copied his grin.
"So that got a little wild, sorry for making you guys do that" Izuku bowed to his teammates, and for a second they stood silently, until Kaminari broke the silence.
"Pfft dude that was hype as hell, you jumping off and taking everyone's points was the coolest thing that happened" he laughed while patting Izuku's back, who feared what would happen if Kaminari accidentally activated his quirk.
"I will admit it was fun to work with Dark Shadow in such a manner, it felt mischievous yet rather invigorating" surprisingly Tokoyami smiled, saying things similarly to how Dark Shadow would've, shown when the abyssal entity popped out and agreed with him.
"I know right! We should do things the fun way more often, and take advantage of my awesome power!" It shrieked with dark intention.
"Perhaps we should, IF you behave" Tokoyami responded, Dark Shadow looked back at its host, scratching its chin.
"We'll see" it said before fading away.
"That's…ominous" Kaminari observed, however a whip crack interrupted the trio.
"This concludes the Cavalry battle, the next stage will be announced after a break, see you then!" She announced, the other participants being directed into a cafeteria to regain their energy.
"Where are they going?"
Izuku turned, seeing Bakugo following Todoroki as they walked into another tunnel.
"Well I doubt it's to have a loving embrace, it's not our problem" a part of him was nosy and wanted to go after them, though the other part was wanting to eat with his friends, and so he chose that.
"Well? You wanted to talk right?" Bakugo asked as he leaned against the wall, opposite him was Todoroki.
Todoroki had asked to speak with him after the Cavalry battle, however after a few moments of just looking at each other, Bakugo had grown impatient.
"As you know, my dad is the number 2-
"I know, skip the exposition and get to the point, I wanna eat"
"...fine, I hate my dad and I want to prove that I don't need his fire to be a hero"
"So what? Your dad didn't get you a toy and now you're getting revenge?" Bakugo chuckled as he turned to leave.
"More like he treated me more as a toy than a son, me especially, he won't even look at my siblings, deems them failures" Todoroki's words stopped Bakugo, who looked back.
"He wants me to be better than him, better than All Might, so he forced a marriage with someone with ice powers, my mother. He drove her to insanity, she's the reason for my scar, my left side reminded her too much of him" Todoroki traced his eye, the scar tissue being a reminder of his promise.
"So when I say I want to beat you with only her power, I don't think I'm better, I want to prove it to HIM, that I don't need his fire" he reiterated with a clenched fist.
Bakugo stayed silent for a moment, taking it all in before letting out a sigh.
"There was someone I knew when I was younger, they had what is known as an invisible quirk. I often saw him as the weaker one of us"Bakugo paused, shaking his head.
"But despite all the cards that were against him, he…was better than me, not in terms of quirk or strength but in power of will, he's the kind of person who won't hesitate to do what is necessary, even if death is what awaits him" Bakugo recalled memories of a certain quirkless kid who proved to be not so quirkless.
"If you want to prove that you're better, don't prove it by tying your arm behind your back, just be better, otherwise no one wins" Bakugo said as he left Todoroki alone in the tunnel.
Todoroki sighed, he truly thought Bakugo would understand, Bakugo looked like he too had been suffering just like Todoroki, guess he was wrong.
Izuku had trouble enjoying his food, not because it wasn't delicious or anything, but because he could feel eyes on him, at least his class were respectful and only gave a glance here and there, but everyone else seemed fixated on him.
Due to this he left, opting to finish his meal elsewhere, away from the others.
"I guess this is going to be our life, well until everyone loses interest in you"
"Hopefully that doesn't take too long, I feel like I've gotten a bad haircut and people won't stop looking".
Izuku finished his food and got up, depositing the tray into the bin and going back onto the stage, where he was met with a peculiar sight.
"...so why are you dressed like a cheerleader?" Izuku asked Ochako as she danced with the other girls of Class A.
"Oh, all the girls have to be a part of the cheer squad, Mineta and Kaminari told us" she happily explained as she pranced around.
"Hm, I wasn't aware of that, strange" Izuku managed to hide his blush as he looked at the other girls wearing similar costumes though having no choreography at all.
"Definitely something up with this" The wraith's voice echoed in Izuku's head.
"I don't watch the sports festival, how am I meant to know what is tradition?" Izuku explained as he took a step back to watch his friend jump about, he never really saw the point in the festival to be honest, it just seemed like a way to show off other's quirks, not as interesting as a villain being beaten into the ground.
"-Wait why is Class A dressed like that?!" Present Mic commented with obvious confusion in his tone, which caused all the girls to stop in similar confusion.
But one by one they realised that they had been duped by Mineta and Kaminari, who honestly were still surprised that their scheme worked.
All the girls looked down now, a mixture of shame and embarrassment on their faces at how they were so easily convinced by the most untrustworthy people they knew.
Suddenly a chuckling was heard, and the girls now looked at Izuku, who had turned away in an attempt to stifle his laughter.
"What's so funny Midoriya?" Yaoyorozu asked with 'that' face, the one with an eyebrow raised and face tilted forwards.
"Nothing…it's just…." Izuku tried to speak between chuckles, "why would you believe those two?! Those two! Of all people!" He let out a hearty laugh that was more surprising than insulting as he turned to watch the recreational activities, missing the smoke rising from the girl's heads.
"I hope you're all enjoying the recreational events, after those are done we will have a tournament as the final round, a series of One on One battles!" Midnight announced, a few people had a nervous look on their face, though Izuku remained stoic.
If he was being honest, he was only trying because of Bakugo, otherwise he would've forfeited earlier, though he was still pretty pissed that he was nearly expelled for practically saving everyone at the USJ which may or may not have influenced his motivations.
Whilst the recreational activities carried on, Izuku spoke to his usual group, Iida had some thoughts on Izuku's final actions, but he was impressed that no rules were broken but did assume the next sports festival would have new rules courtesy of Bakugo and Izuku.
"So you think he's coming to this room?" AwesomeMan asked the stranger he teamed up with to get here.
"I'll be honest, it was a flip of a coin, but I got destiny in my corner, pretty sure this is the right room" they answered as the announcement went off.
First round was Izuku Midoriya Vs Neito Monoma.
"He should be coming by any moment, I am going to pull a sneaky and hide behind the door" the stranger stood up and did just that.
"So you haven't told me why you're helping me?"
"I also got to talk to the kid, it's a mutually beneficial team up" the stranger smiled as the door opened, revealing none other than Izuku himself.
"What are you doing here?" Izuku asked, instantly recognising AwesomeMan as the hero that brushed him off and left him in a store getting robbed, and turns out, the heroes weren't even notified of the robbery until a bystander called the police when they found the clerk unconscious.
"I don't appreciate you calling me out like that, who do you think you are? Some sort of hero judge?" He approached Izuku, pointing accusingly.
"A hero judge? Wouldn't that be interesting"
"You said it yourself, I'm a kid playing hero, and I'm also a kid training to be one, unlike you, who seems to be just pretending" Izuku insulted, now approaching AwesomeMan, who took a step back.
"You better watch yourself kid, you'd be amazed how many tricks this pretender has up his sleeve" AwesomeMan threatened before the stranger made his presence known.
"GraveWalker" he hummed, not loudly but his voice was enough to make Izuku freeze.
"Don't move 'Izuku' or I'll coat the room in this idiot's blood before your wraith can even touch me" they said as they held up a clawed finger, with blood on it.
AwesomeMan brought a finger to his neck, bringing it back he saw that the accidental cut he received from the stranger wasn't so accidental.
"No" Izuku's face grew pale as his wraith confirmed who was behind.
"Chichi?"
"Wait, what's going on?" AwesomeMan asked before his very own blood pulled his body back towards the wall with a simple push motion from Chichi.
"It's amazing what I can do now, Izub bo snauk" Chichi smiled at his ring, keeping his palm aimed at AwesomeMan as he circled Izuku and leaned on the wall.
"So GraveWalker, first. Hi, yes I'm alive" Chichi smiled widely whilst tilting his head, the action revealing a strange black line on his shoulder resembling a blood vessel.
"Second, I hear you've taken 'Gravewalker' as your own name, I don't blame you, it does sound pretty cool, but do you actually know what it means?" Chichi took Izuku's silence as his answer.
"Well no point telling you yet, pretty sure you'll figure it out soon, but first! I have an idea to make this whole final round of the Sports Festival much more…interesting" Chichi grinned as Izuku was barely holding himself together.
Neito Monoma felt nervous when he found that he was going to be fighting Midoriya, the guy who silenced a whole cafeteria of panicked students with his voice, the guy who literally came back from the dead after being rumoured to have killed a villain.
This just wasn't fair.
So with his quirk of copying quirks, he made a plan and stood confidently at his side of the arena, Izuku seemed to be running a little late, which caused a few eye twitches from Monoma.
"All that talk and he takes this long!" A classmate shouted next to him.
Due to the nature of his quirk and its time limits, he was allowed someone to join him at the beginning to let him copy their quirks, which was much appreciated.
"He's of Class A, would you really expect anything el…" Monoma's confidence disappeared when two green glowing eyes appeared in the dark of the tunnel opposite.
And then Izuku appeared, and the world grew cold at the look of resolve on his face, eyes fixed on Monoma who couldn't help but feel a tremble making its way up his spine.
"Good luck man, use my power to kick his ass" his classmate encouragingly nudged his shoulder, but Monoma didn't dare take his eyes off his opponent.
"It's the Copy Cat: Neito Monoma Vs the Spectral-…(Oh I like this one better Shouta, who came up with that? Izuku? That's so cool!) Ehem apologies" Present Mic cleared his throat before repeating the fighters.
"It's the Copy Cat: Neito Monoma vs...The GraveWalker!: Izuku Midoriya!" Present Mic announced, sharing his thoughts on the name before his mic was cut off.
Izuku still hadn't taken his eyes off Monoma, and with nothing else to do, Monoma's character kicked in, a character of confidence, one that knew he was better than anyone in Class A.
"Are you both ready?!" Midnight raised her whip, looking at both contestants, Monoma nodded while copying his classmate's quirk, but Izuku simply coiled up, a snake about to strike.
"Fight!"
He blinked, and then his face exploded in pain.
Bakugo watched Izuku approach his spot in the arena, and immediately he could tell something was off. He couldn't be sure but it looked like Izuku was nervous, panicked even.
Everyone else saw nothing, just Izuku maintaining eye contact with Monoma, possibly as a mind game or fear tactic.
But Bakugo could see that Izuku was focused but too focused, too anxious for the fight to begin.
And the moment the fight did begin, Izuku disappeared and was in front of Monoma faster than Bakugo could track, by the time his eyes got to the other side of the arena, Izuku's fist was embedded in the middle of Monoma's face, a perfect picture showing Monoma's surprise and Izuku's unblinking composure.
Then time continued, and Izuku's fist carried Monoma's head into the hard ground below before giving two more punches to the face for good measure.
Something was wrong, and no one could see it, no one except Bakugo.
Back in the arena, Monoma could almost still feel Izuku fist on his face, his nose wasn't broken but it certainly wasn't fine.
"Stay down" he heard Izuku say as he held his fist above him, his words no louder than a whisper, but Monoma didn't take it in a way that sounded kind.
It was a demand, a threat 'Stay down, or else'.
Well Monama wasn't going to let this obnoxious Class A fool take him out so easily, not without a fight.
"Sounds tempting, but here's my counter offer" Monoma grinned as he activated his copied quirk and swung his now metal fist across Izuku's face, feeling the bones jostle as the attack made contact.
Izuku was knocked a good few feet away while Monoma scrambled to his feet, revelling in the hissing of the crowd as some could only imagine what that would've felt like.
"I had to choose carefully which quirk I could use against you, especially since I needed one I was familiar with in order to properly utilise it, so I decided on one that gives me the perfect mix of offence and defence" Monoma explained as Izuku began to get up.
And Monoma was many things, and honourable wasn't one of them.
"But that's my opinion, what do you think?!" He shouted as he kneed Izuku's side, knocking him into his back with a series of coughs.
"I heard you heal from everything before you come back from the dead, so I guess I don't really need to hold back since you can just pop back without a scratch" Monoma followed up with a stomp, but Izuku rolled out of his reach, a light growing from his hand, prompting Monoma to activate Steel.
It was a good thing he did, because two arrows bounced off his now metal skin before it turned to normal.
"That's new" He heard Izuku grunt in frustration as he got up, already approaching Monoma.
Monoma read Izuku's movements, the subtle placing of his feet indicated he was going to punch, more specifically a hook, perhaps a right hook by the look of his clenched right fist.
Monoma acted surprised when Izuku swung a right hook, but steeled both his expression and body just as Izuku made contact while delivering his own steel infused uppercut, using his other hand to take hold of Izuku's shirt.
Though damn, even with the steel numbing the attack, Monoma was still pushed down by Izuku's strength.
Izuku however had no such protection, so it was honestly surprising that he still stood conscious.
Monoma unsteeled for a moment to regain his energy, but the moment the armour weakened, Izuku came to life and before Monoma could reactivate Steel, he was kneed in the stomach and punched multiple times by a mixture of both Izuku and his wraith's fists.
This pissed him off so once he reactivated steel, he retaliated aggressively, forgetting his new strength as he punched Izuku with a full power punch to his face that cracked bone, knocking him to his knees, and following up with a second punch that definitely broke bone, slamming Izuku to the ground with a spray of blood.
His face was busted to say the least, the bruising covered most of the damage thankfully, and after a few seconds, it seemed Izuku wasn't going to be getting up.
"Stay down" Monoma grinned, relief flooding his system while he hid his horror at what he just did.
"Don't you dare give up now. Get up!"
"Izuku Midoriya is uncon-" Midnight wasn't able to finish her sentence as Izuku suddenly shot up, drawing a gasp from the crowd.
"Get up, you weak piece of-" Izuku berated himself as he stumbled up to his feet, swaying a bit as he regained his balance.
"You are aware you're bleeding everywhere right? Think of the children watching this" Monoma hid his surprise with a condescending chuckle.
Izuku didn't reply, opting to circle Monoma instead.
When suddenly he rushed him, causing Monoma to activate steel, because naturally he didn't want to take a hit from Izuku without at least a little padding.
But Izuku didn't attack, simply running past him.
"Did you forget to attack?" Monoma smirked, looking down his bruised nose at Izuku.
"So the quirk is similar to Kirishima's, it needs to be consciously activated"
Izuku rushed again, once again Monoma activated steel, only for nothing to happen.
The third time Izuku rushed forward, he surprised Monoma when he actually threw his fist into their face, cracks echoing as Izuku threw two more heavy wraith infused punches.
But when Monoma's face was revealed to the crowd, they only saw his widened eyes and blood on his steeled face.
The source of the cracks was Izuku's fist as it impacted the hard metal shell.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Ju-just give up" Monoma stuttered, freaked out by Izuku's determination and tolerance to pain.
"You keep activating and deactivating that armour, never keeping it on, does that mean it costs energy to use?" Izuku asked as he jerked his head forward as a feint, causing Monoma to flinch and activate steel.
And just like that Monoma realised, Izuku's attacks weren't to damage, they were testing his resistance.
"This is going to be a battle of attrition, do you think you can outlast someone who can come back without a scratch?" Izuku said as his wraith appeared in front of him, wearing the tatters of Izuku's hero costume with the ripped cloak billowing in the wind.
Izuku stepped forward into the wraith as it started walking, merging together to create a terrifying opponent.
"You sure do have an impressive aura about you, but I like the idea of winning more than losing so…" Monoma clenched his fist as he activated steel and threw a punch.
"You are good at reading my moves, but copying them? Not so much" Izuku said as he stepped back, out of range of Monoma's attacks.
"You're using good footwork, but it all comes down to balance"
With the weight of his metal infused strikes, Monoma stumbled forward towards Izuku.
Izuku drew back his fist, which gained a glow that spread to his elbow.
When Monoma was greeted by that glowing fist, it cracked against his metal head as expected, but Monoma was also suddenly unable to move. His steel disappeared and it felt like his brain was separated from his body.
So as Izuku threw a body hit, Monoma couldn't move his arms to block it.
And then Izuku continued, his strikes grew faster as he laid into Monoma, getting a further 9 punches in before his final strike hit like a truck, rocketing Monoma into the ground, where he regained control of his body.
"What was that?" Monoma raised his head, his vision blurry, though even he could see the imposing figure before him getting larger.
"I call it wraith stun, it simply disoriented your soul and body" Izuku explained as he got closer.
"My soul?"
"Please, don't ask" Izuku grabbed his shirt and lifted him upright so he rested on his knees.
Monoma figured what was going to happen next if he didn't move, so roughly threw his body forwards whilst activating steel.
This caused him to collide with Izuku hard where he heard a nauseating crack as Izuku redirected him into the ground, he spun as fast as he could, but Izuku had got on top, grabbing his wrist and stomping onto his other hand.
"Do you give up?" Izuku asked as the wraith side of him raised its fist.
"Sorry to disappoint, I think I'll see just how far I can push steel" Monoma grinned as he reactivated steel, focusing everything into staying solid.
And so, Izuku started punching.
Izuku was in so much pain, his fists screamed with every hit, every breath he took hurt, but as long as he claimed victory, it was worth it.
Because if he loses just one fight. He loses everything.
"Whose idea was it to have your names broadcasted on television?"
Izuku kept punching, Monoma ceased struggling to focus all his energy into his quirk.
"UA is aware that a name is all that's needed to access records, showing personal info such as the home address, who lives there…"
The more Izuku punched, the faster his strikes came, the Wraith's joining to create a ceaseless rapid assault.
"So I can't kill you, but I can kill her at any second with Kurogiri's portal"
Eventually Monoma's energy ran out and his steel faltered and deactivated, leaving him vulnerable, yet he didn't forfeit.
"All you have to do is win the festival, and I won't make you an orphan"
"I'm sorry" Izuku apologised as he brought up his bruised and bloodied fist, and brought it down.
Bakugo was lost for words at what he just saw, he knew Izuku wasn't someone to go easy on another, but this was on another level, almost on Bakugo's.
"Izuku Midoriya wins!" Bakugo heard Present Mic announce with hesitance in his voice as Izuku got up off the unconscious Monoma and limped his way out the arena.
"Holy shit" Kaminari shakily exclaimed from beside him, "what was that?".
"I don't know, I guess we haven't really seen him fight much except for the USJ" Jirou shuddered as the memories came back.
"Well I hope his next opponent takes him out, because I don't want to fight him" Kaminari tugged at his shirt, Izuku would definitely want payback for that shock Kaminari gave him.
"Dude you're against Todoroki, you'll be fine" Jirou commented, lacking the mocking tone, showing more relief.
"Oi what's that supposed to mean?" Kaminari cried back, though Bakugo tuned out.
There was something wrong with Izuku, he couldn't tell what but he knew it was something.
Now that the adrenaline had worn off, Izuku let tears flow at the pain, he was too panicked earlier, and it caused him to take damage that won't be fixed by Recovery Girl in time for his next fight.
So he had to resort to 'that'.
Izuku went into the toilets, into a stall with AwesomeMan, who now sported a handprint.
"Oh and kid, if you or this idiot tells anyone I was here, bye bye mommy"
When Chichi left, the first thing AwesomeMan did was try to tell someone about it, forcing Izuku to 'silence' him.
But when Izuku grabbed the hero's head and was confronted with their deeds, he was barely able to control himself.
Bribery, discrimination, and corruption within the hero system ran deep, and this ripped open the pit in Izuku's stomach, the one that he thought he was free from.
"Do it, then leave my body here" Izuku commanded as he let AwesomeMan wrap his arm around his neck.
"This is so fucked up" AwesomeMan weeped before he tensed his arms and jerked them, a quick snap occuring as Izuku's body went limp.
He laid the body onto the toilet, and left.
Bakugo felt his wrist as he made his way to his seat, he wanted to think that was easy, though damn that gravity chick was persistent.
At this point, people knew Bakugo didn't hold back against anyone, so when he came in, he was patted on the back and congratulated along with his opponent.
However the question going around was.
"Where's Izuku?" Ochako asked Tokoyami when she got back, who shrugged in response.
Bakugo looked around, Izuku hadn't been seen since his first fight, just what was going on?
While Bakugo tried to come up with a theory, neither Ochako nor Tokoyami were sure if they wanted to watch Izuku's next fight.
Ochako knew Izuku had a scary side sometimes, but it was so rare that she'd see it.
Then the USJ happened, the mad laughter, the brutal beatdown of that blood villain, the crushing pressure Izuku exuded as he approached and killed them with a smile on his face.
Since then, it's been difficult to look at Izuku the same way again, the kind and awkward kid with a welcoming presence was replaced with someone else who beat down any opposition without a shred of mercy.
And then, he came back, acting like he hadn't just used a sword to stab someone to death.
Ochako heard a shriek from behind, turning she was met with Mina and her shocked face as she stared at Izuku, who had no injuries anymore.
Ochako was confused for just a second until she realised what he had done, her knowledge of how Izuku's quirk worked meant he'd heal only when he…died.
"Y-you…oh god" Ochako covered her mouth as bile rose from her stomach, standing up and rushing off.
A part of Izuku wanted to try to stop her and talk it out, he wanted to do so many things, but he simply couldn't lose focus now.
"Midoriya! Please don't tell me you-" Iida lost his breath, his stomach twisting in knots that pulled tighter the longer he looked at Izuku.
The others didn't fare much better, Kaminari dry heaved which caught the attention of Class B, and they caught the attention of the classes next to them, until voices of shock and disgust echoed around Izuku, some people weren't even looking at the fight anymore, just looking at him.
Izuku sat silently as the voices piled up, his friends didn't look at him, and most of Class A left to go to the bathroom, and those that stayed kept their distance, leaving Izuku alone.
"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Tokoyami shared his distraught, Izuku looked at him with only sadness in his eyes.
"I need to win" Izuku repeated like a mantra, for the sake of his mother's life, he had to win, no matter the consequences, he refused to lose his mother.
Because if he lost her? What would he have left?
Monoma sat with his class, holding an ice pack to his face as he watched Tetsutetsu fight his equal in Kirishima, both trading blows.
He was wrong about Midoriya, he didn't expect the guy to break his own fingers just to win, that took a dedication that very few had, Monoma was almost impressed, almost.
"Uhh Monoma, just to confirm, does Midoriya need to die in order to heal?" His classmate, Itsuka Kendo, nudged him, rousing him from his thoughts.
"According to the rumour, yeah, why?" He responded, and come to think about it, how was Midoriya going to participate in the next fight, surely he would be stopped.
"Well…he's healed" she answered, causing Monoma to rush past her and look over the wall, where sure enough, Izuku was sitting down, unharmed.
He truly was very wrong about Midoriya.
Kirishima happily chatted with Tetsutetsu as they made their way through the tunnel, it seemed they were both similar in personality as they were in quirks.
"I've been meaning to ask, what's up with Midoriya? I heard he killed a villain at the USJ"
"I'll be honest, I was knocked out for most of the fight but I woke up nearby…and I heard something's" Kirishima's face fell as his voice got serious.
"The villain, he and Izuku spoke like they knew each other, and I heard something about Midoriya's dad. But look, I know Midoriya, he's not a bad guy, he's just…" Kirishima started, choosing to hide some select details.
But speak of the devil and he shall appear.
Izuku turned the corner quickly, passing both of them without a word.
And as fast as he appeared, he was gone.
Tetsutetsu noticed how Izuku was completely healed from his first fight, and was unsure how it was possible until he saw Kirishima's pale face, sweat forming quickly.
"Woah man, are you ok?"
Kirishima felt short of breath, he knew how Izuku's quirk worked when it came to healing, to think Izuku did 'it' here made Kirishima feel sick to his stomach.
"I'm sorry, I-I need to go" Kirishima increased his pace, thankful that his new friend didn't follow, or else they'd notice the tears.
Kirishima rushed into the bathroom and into an open stall where he promptly vomited his guts out
When he left, two other stalls opened, revealing an equally dishevelled Iida and Kaminari.
"I take it you just saw Midoriya?" Kaminari asked as he washed his face.
"Did he?..."
"It the only way he heals quick, Recovery Girl wouldn't be able to heal all that before his next fight, even if she did, there's no telling how his energy would fare"
"Oh shit who's he fighting next?" Kirishima asked, he remembers seeing the tournament board, and he remembered Kaminari losing to Todoroki.
Which meant…
"He's fighting one of the Class B Students, if he wins, he's going to fight Todoroki then either fighting Bakugo or Tokoyami" Iida answered as he removed his glasses to clean them.
"Damn, he's been giving 110% in his fights, are we sure anyone can beat someone who will literally do anything to win?" Kaminari asked, remembering Izuku at the USJ, be it villains or allies, Midoriya would only stop when he was dead.
"I don't know, let's rejoin the others, I can't bear to let them see this alone" Iida stood straight, prepared to see a brutal fight, though hoping for a quick one.
Izuku appeared at his side of the arena, those in the crowd that weren't witness to his miraculous recovery had the expected reaction of confusion, eyes widening, then a mixture of horror, intrigue but mainly surprise.
Aizawa's eyes widened for a moment before he relaxed, not one month after learning he could return from death, and Izuku was abusing it in a festival.
"Damn it Midoriya" he pinched the bridge of his nose as Izuku simply stretched.
Opposite Izuku was that same girl from the cavalry battle, the one with the vine-like hair, his opponent, Ibara Shiozaki, who had just finished voicing her complaint regarding the choice of name Present Mic gave her.
However when she turned to Izuku, a look of sadness crossed her face.
"So it is true, your quirk denies you salvation" she stated with this sympathy that had no ill intent.
"Start!"
Her hair grew fast and punctured the ground, Izuku had seconds to react when he felt the ground beneath him shift.
He dived forwards, rolling out the way as vines shot out from the ground where he just stood.
"I'm sorry that you must endure such a curse" she cried as more vines came after Izuku.
"Is she talking about me?" The wraith wondered for a moment before feeling a shift in Izuku's thoughts.
Izuku ran and dodged the vines, though as he did, his thoughts wandered for a moment before he silenced them.
He couldn't truly die, that had been painfully established, but surely there was an end, right? He'd eventually succumb to age, right?
What if he was truly immortal?
Izuku shook his head, opting to sprint towards Shiozaki, these thoughts were for another time, not now.
"But that doesn't mean you don't deserve punishment" She shouted as vines shot in front of Izuku, crashing down on his position like a wave.
Izuku spun out of the attack's radius, though that didn't stop Shiozaki from sending more attacks.
Izuku leaped, rolled and dodged every strike sent his way as he got closer to Shiozaki, his agility and reaction time holding true.
"Everyone knows what you did at the USJ, you are not without great sin" Her voice cut through the crowd's cheers and Izuku's thoughts.
He slowed, stunned for a second as their eyes met, it was like she was peering into his soul and judging it.
"You may have saved your class, but you still took a life, you got rid of one villain…yet the amount stays the same" she whispered, loud enough to stop Izuku for a short second.
And then as though a switch had been flipped, his face morphed into one of rage, his eyes glowing with power as he tried to grab her and throw her past the boundary.
Emphasis on tried.
In the seconds Izuku was stunned, vines had wormed themselves around Izuku's arms and legs, bringing him to the ground.
"Looks like Izuku Midoriya is unable to move! Shioz-" Midnight brought up her arm, about to crack the whip.
Suddenly Shiozaki gasped and took a step backwards, and Midnight also felt this cold tingle travel up her spine, causing her to lower her arm and look at Izuku, whose eyes were locked with Shiozaki.
"You call me a villain?" Izuku growled as he pulled on the vines, a feeling growing in those around.
"You talk of sin and punishment! But tell me? What do you think a villain is?" Izuku asked as he began to rise from the ground, pulling Shiozaki's hair through the ground as his strength seemingly grew with his anger.
"I'll tell you, a villain is a coward who doesn't deserve a second chance, they don't deserve anything! But a hard boot to the face!" Izuku shouted as he took another step, the vines straining against his strength.
As Izuku's words reached those nearby and beyond, Todoroki noticed something odd occurring. His arm was shaking, and looking around, he saw that he wasn't the only one.
"You call me a villain! You've never met one!" Izuku tore his arms from the vines, roaring with the wraith as his legs followed, his aura spreading like a wildfire that caused even the most seasoned hero to develop a tremble.
Like many, Chichi couldn't take his eyes off the TV, this was the most exciting sports festival ever!
"Akh, izg nargzab ta"
Chichi looked at the ring, feeling the usually unnatural grasp on his finger loosen in response to Izuku.
"Ash amirz kul gurz yul, ash amirz kul parhor slaiug"
"What's with you?" Shigaraki noticed Chichi gazing at his ring.
"Hm? No, nothing, just admiring" Chichi lied as blood slipped through his skin, wrapping around the ring to keep it in place.
Instead of attacking, Shiozaki took a further step back, her lungs refusing to obey her as she was having difficulty controlling her breathing.
She closed her eyes, whispering a quick prayer before regaining her composure and sending more vines through the ground.
Only for Izuku to dodge and catch them like they were nothing, like he knew her every move now that he had experienced them.
He pulled the vines roughly, and due to Shiozaki's vines being connected to her head, she was dragged into the ground.
"You live in a childish fantasy, pray you never have to be the hero when it counts, because you won't even be able to see who the villain is until it's too late" Izuku's words cut through Shiozaki like a hot blade through butter, yet she denied him any satisfaction.
"I refuse to fear you! I will prove that I can be a hero, a real one that doesn't rely on terror" She whimpered as she tried to stop shaking.
"Then all you'll do is make someone feel safe, before a villain kills them while you watch, too scared to raise a finger" Izuku stomped the ground, causing Shiozaki to scramble backwards as Midnight cracked her whip.
"Ibara Shiozaki is out of bounds!" She announced much to Shiozaki's confusion.
"What?" Shiozaki looked down, seeing that she had passed the line.
Her eyes went to Izuku, who was already walking away with a scowl.
"Pathetic coward"
Tears ran down her face, she refused to let his cruel words get to her.
But he was right, she had never personally encountered a villain except when watching heroes fight one.
However that didn't mean he was any sort of authority on the matter, she saw darkness in those eyes, hatred that left no space for mercy, she refused to let someone like that tell her what a hero was.
She got up, taking one last look at Izuku's retreating form before she went her own way with only one word on her mind.
"Demon"
To say Izuku was mad would be an understatement, Shiozaki's words echoed in his head and the stress of his situation was getting to him, but it was also everything that had occured since the USJ all culminating into an inferno of rage that Izuku was having trouble hiding.
The encounter with that woman and child, AwesomeMan ignoring him, villains robbing a store in broad daylight, and nearly being expelled for saving his class.
As he walked, he lost control of his eyes, which began to light up the dark tunnel with a green hue.
"Calm yourself Izuku, this isn't helping"
"Why should I? Everyone is looking at me like I'm the monster, like I'm the one who is wrong" Izuku's body flashed green as he clenched his teeth, desperately holding back his need to scream and shout all this anger out.
In AwesomeMan's memories, he saw other heroes accepting bribes, prioritising people over others, only focusing on their rank and not the city they were sworn to protect.
All this did not help Izuku in controlling himself.
"What's going on with you?" He heard someone behind, turning, he was met with a familiar face.
"Nothing, just preparing for the next fight" Izuku put on a smile, though his eyes caused Ochako to turn away.
"We're worried about you Midoriya, you're scaring us"
"I said it's nothing, leave me alone, I need to focus" Izuku brushed her off, opting to spend his time in the waiting room for the next fight.
"Todoroki wins!" Izuku heard Present Mic announce, which meant he was fighting Todoroki after this next fight.
However, rather suddenly, he felt his hand being grasped.
"Izuku, are you ok?" Ochako asked, throwing away her fears of who she saw at the USJ, and remembering the boy who broke his shoulder to help her.
Such a simple question, yet, she saw tears running down Izuku's face as he avoided looking at her.
"I don't know, the hero I want to be, and the hero I can be are so different now, one brings change, the other just makes sure things stay the same" Izuku's rage disappeared, replaced with the source of it.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"I don't expect you to understand, leave me alone" Izuku lightly pulled his hand from her's, and continued on his way.
But once again, he was stopped by Ochako.
"No! Tell me, I won't leave till you do" she gained a death grip on his hands, forcing him to look at her.
"Fuck it" Izuku sighed, what did he have to lose.
"When I was young, I begged my dad to take us to a store where they were selling a limited edition All Might figurine, I wanted to give it to Kacchan for his birthday" Ochako smiled, it sounded like a good memory, though Izuku's expression showed it wasn't.
"Then the villain attacked, blood was everywhere, before I knew it, me and my dad hid behind a stall, and I held the toy so tight…too tight" a tear ran down Izuku's face.
"NO NEED TO FEAR, FOR I AM HERE!" The toy blared to life, giving away Izuku and his dad's positions.
Izuku explained the rest of the story to Ochako, who also couldn't help but tear up at the numerous tragedies that shaped the boy before her.
"So that villain you killed, was the one who…" Izuku didn't let her finish, he simply nodded as he pulled his hands from her's.
"The hero I wanted to be was one that would fight villains so no one would go through that, but the hero I can be could do…so much more" Izuku turned away as Present Mic announced Bakugo's victory.
Ochako watched as Izuku got further and further away from her, and suddenly she couldn't see him as anything other than someone who had lost their childhood to factors they couldn't control.
She wanted to help him, she had to help him.
Izuku made his way to the waiting room, unsure if he'd be able to win against Todoroki, who could instantly win the match.
If he failed now, he wouldn't be able to get home in time, his mom would be gone before he left the stadium.
The moment he turned the corner, the heat rose, he came face to face with none other than the Number Two Hero: Endeavour.
"There you are" Endeavour leaned down, though still managed to tower over Izuku.
"I'll admit, I didn't think you stood much of a chance against my boy, Shoto, but now, I'd say you could actually pose more than enough of a challenge that will finally bring out his fire" Endeavour stated, ironically freezing Izuku on the spot.
"He…doesn't use his fire?" Izuku looked up, a malicious glint in his eye as the wraith began chuckling.
"He's a rebellious boy, refuses to use my power, refuses to reach heights greater than All Might" Endeavour explained, when he finished, he saw Izuku's smile.
"What's got you grinning?" He asked.
"I just figured out my plan, I'm sorry, but your son isn't going to get to use his fire, because I'm going to win" Izuku declared as he walked with renewed purpose.
His mother was going to live!
Todoroki walked through the tunnel as the crowd applauded, just being the son of the Flame hero warranted such a reaction.
He could see his father up in the stands overlooking the arena, it was hard to miss a man on fire after all.
Izuku Midoriya, Todoroki hadn't interacted with him much, he didn't even go to his funeral, not due to any disdain towards him, he simply didn't see it as necessary.
However he'd admit he was rather taken aback when he found the dead student not so dead in their seats when classes resumed.
But aside from that, he didn't think Izuku was much of anything, barely an opponent worth being worried about.
Izuku appeared at his side of the arena and was welcomed with mixed reactions, some heroes loudly applauded him, others remained silent, dreading the upcoming battle that would most definitely be censored.
"It's the Ice Cold Todoroki Vs the Unstoppable GraveWalker!" He screamed with more apprehension than excitement, but the crowd responded with enough that it hid his lack of it.
Todoroki wasn't disgusted or scared by Izuku's methods of healing, he was simply surprised that Izuku would go so far just to lose here.
"Begin!"
Immediately Todoroki slammed his foot down, an ice barrage shooting out in a cone shape that covered a good size of the arena.
He turned to leave, what a joke.
Yet where was the announcement of his victory?
Todoroki turned, just in time to see an arrow coming from his left, he brought up a wall of ice and just managed to catch it.
"I figured you'd block the first one, you are a recommendation student after all" he heard Izuku's voice from his right, immediately prompting him to send ice that way without looking.
When he did, he spotted movement at his back, but just as he saw it, his left collarbone was hit by Izuku's shin.
Before he even registered the pain, he was suddenly punched on his left side by Izuku's wraith, spinning him so his right side faced the exit tunnel.
'He's keeping my right side away from him' Todoroki noticed, instinctually bringing up an ice wall just as he was kicked.
With Izuku's strategy revealed, Todoroki pushed his right arm towards Izuku, before using a left handed uppercut instead that caught Izuku in the stomach.
Next Todoroki tried to use Izuku's surprise to execute another ice barrage, he brought his right foot up.
And Izuku kicked it back just as he was bringing it down, knocking him off balance but thankfully not enough that he face planted in front of his dad.
Muscle memory from his father's training kicked in at this point, Todoroki brought up his left arm to block Izuku's punch, and pushed forwards, creating distance between them so he could more effectively use his ice with less interruption.
What he didn't expect was Izuku to run right towards him.
'He's trying to get me to panic and make a bad move, smart but pointless' Todoroki dragged his foot along the ground creating a 90 degree angle of ice from his right to his left.
Now less than 33% of the arena wasn't covered in ice, and Todoroki knew better than to think he got Izuku this time, so as a precaution he created an ice wall.
Tck tck
He turned, seeing two arrows of light in the ice he just brought up.
Although he anticipated this, it still agitated him to see Izuku had dodged his attacks, especially since he was beginning to feel the effects from using so much ice.
"Behind you" he heard, he knew that if he turned, Izuku would probably attack, but if he didn't, the wraith would.
What a pain, he could see how Izuku would be effective in combat.
He sent ice downwards, creating a pillar below that shot him upwards where he saw Izuku looking up at him annoyed.
However, Todoroki didn't just create a pillar to get him up in the air, no, he also made it weak at the bottom so as it got taller, its weight would inevitably cause it to break.
He jumped off onto the ice he previously created as his pillar fell towards Izuku.
He did not expect Izuku to suddenly run along the ice wall Todoroki stood on and jump onto the falling tower then back onto the ice before the tower crashed onto the bottom.
For a moment Todoroki was shocked at how Izuku managed to get from below him on the ground to opposite him in such a fluid sequence of movements, but that moment passed as Izuku rushed him.
He had enough ice for one last big strike, but with how Izuku had managed to avoid them this far, he knew he should use it wisely.
So as Izuku approached, Todoroki brought up his hands, he'd have to rely on hand to hand combat to win this, thankfully his dad prepared him for this, though he wished he was more gentle with a 13 year old.
Ice had begun to form on Todoroki's right side, so when Izuku landed a punch, it broke off like sweat.
Todoroki and Izuku traded blows, Izuku's speed was countered by Todoroki's experience, he made rough estimates where Izuku would attack and most times he was correct, but the longer they fought, the quicker Izuku got, and the more attacks got through.
Eventually Todoroki's estimates were failing him, and Izuku began to dominate the fight.
And that didn't mean Todoroki wasn't trying to go on the offensive, every punch or counter Todoroki threw Izuku's way was met with an even stronger counter by Izuku.
Todoroki used some ice to create a thin wall between them, allowing him to get a second of rest before Izuku effortlessly shattered the ice, he wasn't even close to tired.
"Your right side must be numb due to the ice" Izuku thought aloud, Todoroki didn't think much of it until he was pulled off the edge by the wraith, who had been grasping his right arm.
He slammed into the hard concrete below, knocking the air out of his lungs due to the harsh landing.
Dots danced across his vision as he recovered from the fall, he heard a light thump nearby.
He took a breath, this wasn't good, he saw the line at his right, all Izuku would have to do is kick him over it and that would be it.
It would be so easy to bring the match back in his favour by using his left side, it was such an attractive option, yet he'd just lose to his father's will by going for it.
"Damn you" he grunted, although he knew it wasn't Izuku's fault that he was angry, Todoroki couldn't help but blame him for putting him in this position.
Anger was something Todoroki despised, it was the one feeling that reminded him of the connection to his father.
Smoke rose from Todoroki's left, but he smothered it quickly.
And now his father's side was activating, how could this bastard do this to him?
Todoroki turned to look at Izuku with hatred as he gave in to his anger, and Izuku knew something was coming as he backed away, but it was too late, Todoroki felt his internal body temperature plummet as he released the mother of all ice ages against Izuku.
His right side was filled with pain as he got onto his left knee, he needed to get warm but refused to until he was declared winner.
"Please…j-just let me win" he begged the universe in desperation to get warm, fighting against every self preservation instinct in his being that nature has provided him.
Todoroki slowly turned to where he released his ice, it now covered the whole arena except for the small area he resided on his knee.
And then he saw green hair, and a part of him collapsed.
Until he saw the rest of Izuku.
Although Izuku was hit with barely any time to react, he still managed to move out of the way.
But not enough.
Izuku had managed to jump out of the path of the ice, but his arm was caught. All the way to his shoulder was embedded in ice.
"Can you move Todoroki?" Midnight asked, and with great effort and sheer hatred for his father Todoroki stood up.
"Midoriya, you've truly impressed us with your skills and determination, but you cannot continue with your arm in the ice, I'm calling the match" she raised her whip, and Todoroki saw something that rattled him.
Izuku grew not scared, but downright terrified.
"No! I'm still able to fight! Get over here you bastard so I can kick your ass!" Izuku growled as he pulled and pulled but couldn't get free, he started punching the ice to no avail.
"Midoriya, I'm calling the match" Midnight asked as she prepared to end the match.
"Don't. You. Dare." Izuku's voice boomed across the arena, and if people developed trembles before, now they were full on sweating, Midnight, who Izuku's voice was directed at, lost all control of her body and ended up dropping her whip.
"Sorry, Jus-just give me a minute" Izuku teared up as he once again began pulling, shouting as he tried to get free.
"Izuku…we're not strong enough, the ice…we can't get out" his wraith said with horror and dejection in its voice.
"Don't say that! Don't give up!" Izuku shouted as he once again punched the ice.
"Midoriya, I don't know why you are pushing yourself so hard, you've gotten this far, that's what matters, you should be proud" Midnight smiled, truly impressed with Izuku's determination, but ready to end the match.
"You don't understand! It doesn't matter how far I push myself, it means nothing if I lose!" Izuku started pulling even harder, his skin stretching painfully, his face going red and veins popping out.
"I will not let him take anything else from me, YOU HEAR ME YOU BASTARD!" Izuku shouted to the heavens as his skin ripped, shocking everyone.
"The only thing that matters is me winning right here! Right now!" Izuku roared as he snapped his arm forward.
Crack!
Izuku locked eyes with Todoroki, the intensity ripping through his stoicism as his lungs failed to operate correctly.
"You want to win? Hah!?" Izuku's eyes narrowed into dots as the green fire of his soul was ignited.
"Well you can pry your victory from my Cold! Crack! Dead! Snap! Hands!" Izuku pulled forwards, blood spraying across the ice as he tore his arm off and began running towards Todoroki with crazed eyes fueled with pain.
At that moment, Todoroki truly understood Bakugo's words.
In front of him, was someone who didn't give up, always gave it their all, even when the odds were against them.
Izuku Midoriya…was the very definition of will power.
Flames exploded from Todoroki's left side, this feeling was unlike anything he had ever experienced, it caused his heart to thump like a war drum and his breathing to hasten, he thought of his father, his mother, his family.
And he roared back, throwing his fire forwards, his hatred, his rage, everything, but Izuku didn't stop, his lost arm extended into the Wraith's as he sidestepped the blast easily, conjuring the bow he shot a volley of arrows that pierced Todoroki's legs, bringing him to his knees.
When Izuku got close, Todoroki let loose his fire, scorching everything in front of him.
And through the fire came Izuku's boot, and that was the last thing Todoroki saw.
Midnight cracked her whip, ending the match as she ran onto the arena, which was covered in smoke.
Though even through the smoke, the crowd could see a glowing green silhouette standing, the smoke cleared to reveal only the wraith, completely covering Izuku's body as Todoroki layed knocked out on the line
"Midoriya?" Midnight called, only to get nothing from the standing wraith, until.
"I didn't think he'd use his fire…" Izuku spoke with a gargle as the wraith disappeared, revealing Izuku's burned body, much to the shock of everyone.
He tried to walk to the exit, but dropped onto his knees, then fell forward, dead.
Class A had a look of complete astonishment on their faces, fear and horror were present but it couldn't beat the pure amazement at Izuku's victory.
Endeavour's flames were long gone now, even after he acknowledged Midoriya's strength he still underestimated him.
The crowd and many of the people watching shared similar thoughts, they were disgusted, horrified but nonetheless stunned.
Aizawa and Hizashi sat in silence, both still processing everything that happened.
"Izuku Midoriya…w-" Present Mic announced with nothing resembling his earlier excitement, however unbeknownst to him, his mic was cut off.
The principal then stood up with a mic.
"Izuku Midoriya is disqualified for excessive injury to himself, Todoroki wins!" he announced, much to the surprise of the crowd.
And in the far distance of the realms, one could hear a faint cry of anger as a soul rushed home.
Heyo, can you tell I wrote this chapter whilst listening to music? Because jeez I think I focused too much on hype and not enough on other characters, but I'll let you decide, however I also feel this chapter is rushed, but if I spend anymore time on it, I will probably end up never releasing it.
Anyhoo I made this chapter longer both to make up for the time it took and to finish the Sports festival arc, because after writing a few stories that made it to this arc, boy oh boy I hate tournaments in anime.
So for those who don't know, I use a mix of black speech translations from the Lord of the rings plus some other languages from that universe, did you know there's no word for 'the' in black speech?
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, if someone brings up an issue large enough with this chapter, I'll probably edit it and list it below this.