A/N: Hello, my readers! Time for a real fireworks display as we pit the canon number one student against my own hero prospect in the last battle before the all-important finals for year one of UA High! This is a chapter I've been looking forward to for a while, and I know that a lot of you have been, too. So let's get the show going!

P.S. I hope everyone has a good Veteran's Day, 2020.

P.P.S. My wife and I are now open to taking art commissions again. More details about that in the omake below.

Phase 1: Chapter 15

The Fight Explodes

It was with a somber face that Kurai walked into the nurse's office, where Recovery Girl was finishing up her treatment of Midoriya while Uraraka and Mina looked on passively. Izuku himself looked a little worn out, but otherwise healthy as he turned to smile a greeting at his friend. "Hey, Kurai, how are-" He paused as he saw the look of sorrow on the other boy's face before asking, "Is everything okay?"

"No, it's not," he said heavily as he gave the teacher a short bow as a way of greeting. "Pardon the intrusion, Ma'am." Turning back to his friend, he elaborated, "Iida just got a call from his family- Ingenium was attacked by a villain and was wounded, badly."

There were various exclamations of disbelief from his friends, and even Recovery Girl looked startled, so he held up his hands for silence before continuing, "I don't know any more than that. Iida's headed to the hospital to be with his family, but he did tell me to wish you a speedy recovery, Midoriya."

"I'll call him later to see how he's doing," the green-haired boy nodded seriously. Holding up his bandaged hand, he said, "The damage wasn't as bad as I initially thought."

"He'll have some scars, but there's no permanent damage done to his muscles or tendons," the aged heroine informed Kurai. Scowling at her patient, she added, "Though through no skill of his- he got lucky, plain and simple. And from now on, I'd better not see you risking your well-being in such an irresponsible manner, young man. If you get injured because of your own carelessness again, I won't heal it."

When Uraraka and Mina started to protest, Recovery Girl smacked them on the head with her cane, interrupting them both. "I know that his quirk is difficult to control, but his temperament is the real enemy here," she said sternly. "If he continues to take such risks, there's a chance that he could irreparably harm himself, or worse, be killed by his own carelessness." Fixing her sharp gaze on Midoriya, who had yet to voice a protest, she added, "I know that being a hero involves risks, but never should you ignore the potential consequences that can be avoided, even if it is difficult. Am I clear, young man?"

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded as he gazed down at his bandaged arm.

Nodding sharply, the old woman said, "Let the scars on your hand be a reminder. Now go on, all of you. I need to be ready for the next person that comes in."

"You sound certain that someone will be coming in," Uraraka said as she winced while rubbing her tender head where Recovery Girl had smacked her.

Looking balefully at Kurai, the teacher said, "He's fighting Bakugo next. I get the feeling that we'll be lucky if they don't kill each other."

Since the stadium was still under repairs due to the vast destruction that Midoriya and Todoroki had wreaked upon it, Kurai and his friends took the time to grab some drinks before the fight could get underway. At Kurai's insistence, they joined him in the prep room assigned to him, where they could speak in relative peace and quiet.

"Are you feeling nervous at all?" Mina asked him worriedly. "I know I am."

"I'm more worried that I'll get carried away and really end up hurting him than anything," Kurai replied evenly as he stared down at the half-empty apple juice he had chosen to drink. "I know he's skilled and all, but he has a weakness that's almost too easy to exploit."

"Kacchan does have a temper, sure, but he didn't place second in the entrance exams' combat assessment for nothing," Midoriya reminded him. "His reflexes are insane, and he adapts quickly when he's backed into a corner."

"He might have come in second, but I was the one that came in first, remember?" Kurai replied. "And that was before you helped me get a better handle on my transformation."

"Are you gonna use that power on him?" Uraraka asked, appearing a bit concerned. "The last time you used it, it was against that Nomu thing, and it didn't end well for either parties involved."

Kurai shrugged at that. "Like I said, I've got a better handle on that power now, and honestly, I doubt I'll even need to use it against him," he told her. "All of this aside, I know how to turn Bakugo's power against him, too."

"Wait, you can?" Mina asked curiously. "How does that work?"

"Bakugo made the mistake of telling Midoriya exactly how his quirk works," Kurai recounted, causing Izuku's eyes to light up with recognition. "His palms secrete something like nitroglycerin, which he can then ignite on command, producing the explosions we're all familiar with, remember? I accidentally figured out how to prematurely trigger those explosions during the obstacle course, which will really throw him off when I fight him, since I'm pretty sure he doesn't know that I can do that."

"Wow, you've planned this out almost as thoroughly as Deku," Uraraka said, impressed.

"Maybe his habits are rubbing off on me," Kurai chuckled in a hollow tone.

"It doesn't sound like you've taken your own weaknesses into account, though," Midoriya pointed out. "What if he managed to draw the fight out long enough to trigger an episode? He's not stupid, and your weakness is known to pretty much everyone in the class because of what's happened during our first day, and the USJ incident."

Kurai nodded, acknowledging his classmates' concern. "It is true that the longer the fight goes on, the more likely that he is to win. However, his quirk must have a physical limit, too. I'd be willing to bet that he won't want a drawn-out fight, either. Haven't you noticed that every fight he's been in, he tends to go for the quick win via overwhelming power?"

"Yeah, cos he can make blasts big enough to level a house," Mina muttered sourly, still apparently fearing for her boyfriend's safety.

"True, but that suggests to me that he doesn't like endurance contests," Kurai told her. "Akarui shares my sentiments, and while he's not as smart as he was an hour ago, his observational skills are still a lot more astute than ours' right now."

"Well, I suppose he'd have the most reliable opinion since he's been able to view everything from a neutral viewpoint," Midoriya nodded, though he still appeared troubled like the others. "Even so, don't underestimate Kacchan."

"I won't," Kurai promised them. Putting a half-grin on his face, he asked, "Seriously, do you guys have that little faith in me?" Truth be known, his apparent confidence was a mask. His fight with Iida had been riskier than he'd anticipated, and if the battle against someone he knew well had been so close, he was less confident against someone who he knew little of, other than his powers and volatile temper.

Then again, one might argue that because he knew Iida so well, the same was true in reverse, which could have been the cause for the close call. It was difficult to say for certain, but he knew that nothing was set in stone until it was in the past. For now, it was all he could do to keep his tension at bay as best he could, and trust that his own powers and training would see him to victory.

He noticed that Mina was refraining from being as physically affectionate as she normally was, for which he was grateful. He didn't know if she was doing it because she knew it would set him on edge out of reflex, or if it was due to the presence of their other friends, but either way, he was able to relax just a little more.

He was drawn out of his thoughts when Midoriya answered his inquiry about their confidence in him when he said, "We know you're strong, Hikari. But nothing's for sure."

"Even so, we're gonna be cheering you on from the sidelines," Uraraka said as she gave him a thumbs-up.

He was about to reply when he heard the bell announcing that it was time for him to head out. Standing up from the seat he had taken, he grinned at them all and said, "I'll be sure to give him one for each of you."

"Yeah!" Mina said with a forced smile. "Kick his teeth in!"

"W-Well, maybe just do your best, yeah?" Midoriya laughed nervously.

"Of course," Kurai chuckled as he opened the door to leave. "See you guys after the match."

The crowd was reaching an almost frenzied state when the two competitors emerged under Present Mic's announcements. "THESE TWO CLASSMATES ROCK HARDER THAN MOST, EVEN AT U.A. HIGH!" he screamed, stirring up the crowd even further. "KATSUKI BAKUGO RANKED SECOND IN THE ENTRANCE EXAM'S COMBAT TEST, AND HE'S SURVIVED A BATTLE WITH ACTUAL VILLAINS! BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, WE'VE GOT KURAI HIKARI, WHO BROKE THE RECORD FOR MOST POINTS SCORED IN THE BATTLE EXAM, AND WENT HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH A VILLAIN THAT GAVE EVEN ALL MIGHT TROUBLE! WHO'S GONNA WIN IT AND HEAD TO THE FINALS?! I CAN'T WAIT TO FIND OUT!"

"You're overdoing it," Aizawa muttered as the two students stepped into the bounds of the combat field.

Kurai had to agree with a slight grimace- it was clear from Bakugo's enraged expression that he did not like being described as a second fiddle. Well, at least that gives me a head start on pissing him off, he thought as he settled into a combat stance. Here's to hoping that he doesn't die of an aneurism before we finish things.

"Hey, Saiyaman!" the blond student shouted while Present Mic and their homeroom teacher began to argue, slightly startling Kurai. "You better not hold back against me!"

"Come again?" his opponent asked as mildly as he could with the background noise of the crowds.

"I want you to come at me with that power you used on that bird-faced freak from the USJ!" Bakugo snapped. "I want the whole world to know that I beat you at your best!"

Kurai's right eyebrow shot up in response, even as he sensed the moment for the battle to begin approaching. It's almost like he's begging me to take advantage of his ego, he thought as he drew in a breath to reply. "I seriously doubt you'd be worth the effort it takes to maintain that level of strength," he told his enemy in as bored a tone as he could muster, despite his already-racing pulse.

"What the hell did you say?!" Bakugo snarled viciously, his eyes blazing with hatred. "You think I'm not worthy of your full power?!"

Kurai wasn't yet certain that he wouldn't need the power-up, but he pushed that concern aside for now- his goal was to infuriate the other boy so much that he wouldn't be able to think straight. And I know his biggest trigger, he thought as Present Mic gave them 'go' signal.

Forcing extra disdain into his voice, he said, "Honestly, the only ones in this school that could give me a run for my money- transformation or not- would be Todoroki and Midoriya. You're not even in their league."

Bakugo's left eye twitched above his bared teeth.

That was the only warning Kurai had before his opponent was upon him, a fiery smoke cloud left in the wake of a monstrous explosion that had propelled him across the arena in less than a second. "Don't ever compare to that NERD, you cocky BASTARD!" Bakugo roared, his right hand coming up for a blazing right hook.

Kurai reacted faster than conscious thought, reinforcing his body with as much power as he dared while meeting Bakugo's open palm with a fist preceded by twin sparks of Energon that ignited on impact- and triggering a brilliant explosion a second before Bakugo had meant it to occur.

The unexpected impact meant that Bakugo didn't have time to properly brace himself for it, while Kurai had already prepared his body to withstand the blast. Even so, Kurai was nearly thrown off-balance while his enemy was sent reeling from the force of his own power.

Both boys recovered quickly, but Kurai was slightly faster, having mentally prepared for this outcome. Leaping forward at a speed that rivaled Midoriya's Full Cowling, he lashed out with a kick that just missed striking Bakugo's shoulder, but still gave him a shallow cut on the cheek from the force of the glancing blow. Kurai slid past him and unleashed an energy bolt, not giving his opponent any time to breathe, much less come up with a counterattack strategy.

Then again, Bakugo was a largely instinctive fighter. He used an explosion to propel himself upwards, then used another to come at his opponent from above, allowing gravity to add to his already-considerable momentum. Kurai hit the ground to brace himself and kicked upward, this time connecting a solid blow with Bakugo's stomach that sent him flying back, cursing and coughing violently.

Springing lightly to his feet, he thought, Can't give him a chance to cool down and start thinking rationally. If he formulates a strategy, his natural disposition for combat just might be enough to get past my defenses.

That in mind, he taunted his opponent again, saying, "Sheesh, with an aim that bad, it's a wonder you ever hit anything. I don't get why Midoriya is so intimidated by you."

"Give me five seconds and YOU'LL SEE!" the explosive student seethed, springing right back into the fight, much to Kurai's satisfaction.

Just as planned.

"Wow, he's really working Kacchan up," Midoriya muttered as he and the others watched from above, scribbling in his notebook all the while. "I didn't think he had it in him to be that mean."

"He's a lot smarter than he lets on sometimes," Mina mused as she watched the fight intently, wincing at every explosion that nearly roasted her boyfriend. "But taunting Bakugo is still pretty risky, even with his skills."

"I know," Uraraka muttered, also appearing worried. "When I tried to keep him distracted, all I ended up doing was ignoring my own limits until there wasn't anything I could do, I was so worn out."

"Yeah, but Hikari has a lot more gas in the tank that you do when it comes to fighting," Asui pointed out bluntly from where she sat behind them. "Bakugo is pretty scary, but you gotta remember that Hikari keeps his emotions hidden a lot of the time. I get the feeling that he can be as nasty as he needs to be, given the right circumstances."

"You and that damn nerd are gonna learn your place!" Bakugo screamed as he flew past Kurai in an attempt to blast him out of the stadium, only to be thwarted again by his classmate's reflexes. "You're nothing but a bunch of extras that're in my way!"

"So glad I can fill the role," his opponent chuckled. "I'll be happy to get in your way anytime, Bakugo."

"Shut up!" the explosive student seethed. "You think that just because you've got that damn nerd and Raccoon Eyes as your cheerleaders, you can beat me?! Don't be STUPID!"

"…You shouldn'ta did that," Kurai replied with a calm that he did not feel. His plan was proceeding as he had desired- Bakugo was working himself into a frenzy, attacking aimlessly at every opening he got. The obvious drawback was that the more worked up he got, the more powerful the explosions were, and the greater chances that Kurai would make a mistake that got him seriously injured.

However, Bakugo had made slanders against someone that Kurai cared about very much- and he would not stand for it. That in mind, he threw all caution to the wind as he asked, "By the way, how's it feel to play second fiddle to Todoroki? You know, cos it turns out that he can make an even bigger explosion than-"

Bakugo's enraged scream was so loud that it actually rivalled the thunderous sounds produced by his quirk. This was all that Kurai needed to hear to know that he had pushed his opponent far enough to commit to an all-out frontal attack born of an animal fury- no strategy, no cohesive thought whatsoever. Bakugo shot up high into the air, leveling with some of the lower seats in the stadium before he began to surround himself with powerful blasts that sent him hurtling at his enemy, spinning like a top to build even more heat and momentum as he transformed himself into a human missile aimed to blow Kurai out of bounds with vicious force.

"Howitzer… IMPACT!"

Kurai stood still, as if transfixed by the angry boy's attack, before he did something very simple- he ducked and leaped forward with the assistance of Energon, just under Bakugo's attack line at the last possible second of escape. As his opponent unleashed a massive blast to counter his own velocity and prevent himself from flying out of bounds, Kurai sprang up and spun on his heel with his hands coming to rest by his ribcage, yellow light pooling between them to grow into an orb the size of his clenched fist.

Bakugo spun around as soon as he landed on his own feet, breathing heavily, and his hands smoking and shaking. His eyes went wide as the orb Kurai was creating grew a few more inches in diameter and the boy himself shouted, "Kamehameha!"

On instinct, Bakugo flung himself into the air with another explosion, only to give a grunt of pain as he started to curl into a ball in midair, his arms screaming in protest at the overuse of his quirk. Only then did he notice that Kurai hadn't actually used his attack- merely used the name as a way to trick him into attempting an escape. Even worse, he was virtually helpless in the air now, his quirk having been forced past its limits.

He saw the smug grin on Kurai's face, followed by the words, "Who's the 'deku' now?" Then the light struck him, obliterating all conscious thought and sending him flying out of bounds to smash into one of the walls.

Kurai lowered his arms as he saw his opponent fall to the grass, letting out a huge sigh of relief when Bakugo stayed down. He knew that he'd probably just made a permanent enemy of the blond boy, but the prospect no longer caused any apprehension. I was able to beat him without transforming, he thought as he listened to Midnight declare him the winner, and the cheers of the crowd complimented the fact. His head was killing him, but at least he wasn't bleeding and in danger of needing another brain operation. I've improved, he thought with a satisfied smile.

He looked up, first to where his family sat, where he could see them clapping and smiling down at him with great approval. Then he turned to see his classmates, most of them also grinning and cheering for his success, with the exception of Kirishima, who merely nodded firmly as he leaned back in his seat with folded arms.

It made sense, he supposed- out of all the people in their class, he was the only one that might have called Bakugo a friend, so it stood to reason that he was disappointed at the other boy's loss. Here's to hoping he doesn't dislike me now, Kurai thought as he walked off the field while waving to the crowds as casually as he could force himself to.

The thought bothered him a great deal more than he thought it would- then again, Kirishima was one of Mina's older friends, and a likeable guy himself. It made sense that he wouldn't want the redhead as an enemy. It'd probably be best if I make sure we're cool sooner rather than later, he decided, resolving to talk to the other boy alone as soon as possible.

He ran into Todoroki on the way up to their class' seating area, quite by accident. The two of them froze in place as their eyes met from across the hallway, but only for a second. Each one saw surprise in the other, then they set their shoulders and walked toward each other at a steady pace, though the heterochromic boy now kept his eyes downcast.

Todoroki looked troubled, Kurai thought as he drew nearer to his classmate. Before he could stop himself, he halted in place a few feet away from his soon-to-be-opponent and asked, "Are you doing okay, Todoroki?"

The half-and-half young man stopped and raised his eyes to look directly at Kurai with a strange, almost hollow, look. "Midoriya," he said simply, startling his classmate.

"What about him?" Kurai had to ask when it seemed that Todoroki was not about to be forthcoming with his words.

"You're friends with him, right?" Todoroki asked, his expression unreadable as he gazed down at his left hand.

"Yeah, I'd say so," Kurai nodded, cocking his head curiously. "It's kinda hard not to be friends with the guy."

"Is he always so… helpful?" the other boy asked blankly.

Kurai raised an eyebrow before he replied, "I mean, it depends on what you need help with. But overall, yeah, I'd say he's a very helpful guy- he's helped me to understand my powers better than before, for example."

"I know the feeling," Todoroki murmured as he lowered his hand and looked at Kurai again. "You're lucky to have a friend like him, Hikari. Not to mention a family that supports you…"

Kurai's brow knitted together as he sensed that there was more to that last statement than a cursory glance would show. "Let me guess," he started, not completely aware of the fact that the aftereffects of his quirk might have still been affecting his normally reticent behavior. "Endeavor's not exactly 'Father of the Year' material, is he?"

"No," Todoroki said tightly as his gaze sharpened with traces of anger. "What would you know about it?"

"He was responsible for my uncle's death," Kurai shot back as his own eyebrows clenched. "Clearly you have issues with the guy, but trust me when I say that I get it. Maybe not to the extent of whatever he's put you through, but I can understand hating him."

Todoroki's eyes widened, then narrowed once again. "I suppose I'm not so alone in my disgust for that scumbag as I originally thought," he muttered as he resumed walking past his next rival. "I'll see you on the field, Hikari."

"I'll be bringing my best," Kurai asserted. "I hope that you do the same."

"…We'll see," Todoroki replied without turning around.

He was received warmly by his classmates when he reached their booth, several of them cheering at his victory. Even Kirishima, who had initially looked disappointed with Bakugo's loss, came up to give Kurai a grin and a fist bump.

Mina kept hanging on to him, which he attributed to her relief that he was still in once piece. He was still getting used to receiving open affection from the girl, but he was also enjoying it more than he thought he would. Midoriya seemed to hold him in a higher regard than before for some reason that he didn't really understand, but he decided to ask about it at a later date.

The only one that didn't congratulate him, or even look his way, really, was Yaoyorozu. She kept a fixed stare on the stadium as it was repaired, a stubbornly blank look on her face. What's her deal? he thought, once again confused by her behavior.

Ever since the day that they had worked together in combat training, she had seemed to want nothing to do with him, which made no sense no matter how much he thought about it. They had clicked in training, working together flawlessly to secure the win. They had even spoken in confidence after the session, and he could think of nothing that he had said that could be construed as offensive. So why has she acted like I don't exist since that day?

"Hey, Hikari!" Uraraka's voice snapped him out of his reverie, causing him to blink rapidly before focusing his eyes on the peppy girl, who looked up at him with a cheerful smile. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah, I just think Bakugo might've scrambled my brains a bit," he half-lied. His left ear was still ringing a little from the abuse that it had endured, but it wasn't too bad. "What were you saying?"

"I was asking if you wanted to do something to celebrate tomorrow, since we get the next two days off of school," Mina said in a slightly exasperated tone. "Even if you lose to Todoroki, you get second place, which is pretty good!"

"Uh, sure," Kurai said a little blankly. "I heard about this place called Dagobah Beach that's supposed to be a really nice place to hang out. Maybe we could all go out there tomorrow, or on Friday?"

"Hang on, isn't that the place where all the trash gets dumped?" Asui asked.

"Nah, I heard that it got cleaned up real well earlier this year," he answered with a negative shake of his head. Then he appeared thoughtful as he added, "Although, I might not be able to stick around to celebrate, now that I think about it."

"What?! Why not?!" Mina demanded. "Why wouldn't you attend your own celebration?"

"I might need to go visit Iida's family," Kurai answered solemnly. "Ingenium has been a good friend for a long time, and I wanna be there for Iida if he needs help." Those words sobered up the atmosphere quite a bit, and no one spoke for a few moments.

When someone did break the ice, it was Kaminari, who said, "Well, let's not worry about all that stuff yet. You've got a final match coming up, dude, and we're all gonna be rooting for you, got it?"

"Not Todoroki?" Kurai laughed softly. "I think he just might be the crowd favorite, especially after his match with Midoriya."

"We'll be cheering for the both of you," Izuku answered on behalf of the others. "Either way, this match is sure to be a great one."

"It's gonna be totally plus-ultra!" Kirishima grinned crookedly. "I'm so fired up just thinkin' about it!"

"Tag in?" Kurai joked, setting the others to laughing. "I don't know how good my chances are against this guy."

"You totally got this," Mina said as she squeezed his arm tightly for a second. "You've come out on top through this whole competition, and I have faith that you'll bring it home."

He quirked an eyebrow at her as he said, "I actually placed third in the race, and we barely made it to the battle event, remember? I dunno that-"

"Oh, just take it!" she scolded him, causing Uraraka and Midoriya to laugh at the two of them.

Kurai: So, you guys are doing art pieces for sale again? How does that work?

Mataras: So, if our readers want a commissioned piece from myself or my wife, they can reach out to me via private messaging for more details, or they can go watch the audio chapter of this instalment on YouTube, where they'll find a direct link to our Pat_reon, which has a detailed description of various package deals that they can arrange for according to their personal aesthetic. My pieces can be done within three days, but I don't do paintings, unlike my wife, though since she has an actual job to work at, her commissions might take a little longer to get done.

Deku: Wait, so did you do the artwork for this story?

Mataras: No, that was a friend of mine, whose information I've put up at the beginning of this story, if you recall. He's good for digital art commissions, though he's just a little more pricey than I am.

Kurai: That's only fair- he's been doing this a lot longer than you have.

Mataras: True.

Deku: So, I guess it'll be you against Todoroki in the final round, huh Hikari?

Kurai: Guess so. Should be a pretty even match, which is what worries me.

Deku: Why would an even fight make you worried?

Mataras: Never get into a fight where you doubt that you can win if you can help it. The best fights are the ones that are stacked in your favor.

Kurai: Or, you know, the ones that don't happen at all.

Mataras: Remind me again what Shonen Anime are best known for?

Kurai: Fan service?

Mataras: ...Okay, I walked into that one. What is the second thing that they are known most for?

Deku: I've been hearing about something called 'furries' recen-

Mataras: Fight scenes! You're known for fight scenes and awesome music tracks!

Kurai: Whatever helps you sleep at night, buddy.

Mataras: Rrgh...

Deku: We'll see you all in a couple of weeks for the next chapter- The Fight Concludes!

Kurai: Go Beyond!

..

Pal, you better say your bit before I lose it.

Mataras: ...Plus Ultra.

Next time on Your Hero Academia...

"ALL RIGHT, LADIES AND GENTS, YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE!" Present Mic declared as Kurai and Todoroki took to the stage. "BOTH FROM THE HERO COURSE, WE'VE GOT SHOTO TODOROKI AND KURAI HIKARI! BOTH OF THEM SCORED NUMBER ONE IN THEIR ENTRANCE EXAMS, BUT ONLY ONE CAN BE NUMBER ONE HERE TODAY! ERASER, ANY THOUGHTS?"

At least he kept it short this time, Kurai thought as he stepped up onto the concrete field at the same time as his opponent, who wore a blank look on his face again.

In response to Present Mic's inquiry, Aizawa said, "Both of them have the potential to be incredibly talented heroes, but their skill level and lack of finesse puts them both at high risk whenever they overuse their quirks."

Kurai made a face as he and Todoroki reached their designated spots, saying, "Would it kill him for once to just say, 'They have potential', and leave it at that?"

"He's not wrong," Todoroki answered, surprising Kurai- he had honestly expected to be met with the silent treatment again. "We have a lot to learn."

"BEGIN!"