Chapter 19: The Grand Finale
SF - FIRST ROUND: [Denki Kaminari (Class 1A)] vs. [Hitoshi Shinsou (Class 1A)]
Denki gazed into the pools of violet. They glared back. The color drained from the blondie's face. There was no way he'd win against Hitoshi's brutal fighting style, and that glare made it clear Hitoshi wouldn't be going easy on him. As Present Mic announced his upcoming battle, the slight amount of bloodlust leaking from his opponent sent him into do-or-die mode. In a flash, Denki took his knowledge of his own and Hitoshi's fighting style to devise some modicum of a solution. If he coated himself in electricity, then Hitoshi couldn't contact him directly.
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"LOOK AT THIS!" Present Mic shouted. "Shinso and Kaminari engage in brutal hand-to-hand fight!... or I guess hand-to-foot."
Indeed, Hitoshi was fighting Denki with kicks only. His boots were insulated, so they were the only way he could attack the electricity-coated teen without being tased. Denki should have known his trick wouldn't work!
Kick after kick, Hitoshi pushed Denki closer and closer to the arena's edge. No words were exchanged between the two. They were too focused on the fight at hand to throw witty banter back and forth. Hitoshi's experience was showing against the amateur, and before long, Denki was kicked out of the ring.
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Izuku stopped Denki as he exited the arena. Honestly, Denki had no hard feelings about the loss. He was doomed from the start. "Hey, Denki," Izuku started.
"Hey," the blonde replied.
"So… it's come to my attention that ice doesn't really conduct electricity…"
Denki bluescreened. "What?"
"Don't ask. I don't know. Quirks are bullshit."
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SF - SECOND ROUND: [Izuku Midoriya (Class 1A)] vs. [Katsuki Bakugou (Class 1A)]
The childhood friend turned bully vs the victim turned assassin—the fight to end all fights. There was so much buildup and so much suspense. Get on the edge of your seat!
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The fight was anti-climactic. As soon as the match started, Izuku wrapped Black Whip around Bakugou's ankles, flung him around, and slammed him into the ground like a heavy flail. After the three-second beat down, Bakugou was unceremonially tossed outside the ring.
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FINALS: [Izuku Midoriya (Class 1A)] vs. [Hitoshi Shinsou (Class 1A)]
"The last one out of the ring is a rotten egg."
"You're on."
The two shared a grin that sent shivers down the sides of their nearby classmates.
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"This has got to be the weirdest match I've ever seen," Mic commented without his announcer's voice.
"It appears like they're trying to lose," Aizawa muttered.
Lo and behold, Hitoshi and Izuku desperately tried to keep the other from leaving the ring first. Hitoshi made a break for the ring, and Izuku pulled him back with Black Whip. Izuku made a mad dash, only for Hitoshi to grab his legs and tackle him. Hitoshi clambered over the greenette and almost made it out of bounds when Izuku lifted him over his head and walked out of bounds. Izuku set the insomniac out of bounds next to him, and the two waited for Midnight to announce the winner.
Midnight had no idea what that was about, but Hitoshi won since Izuku was the first to step foot out of bounds. With a blank stare like she was on autopilot, she raised her whip in the air. "Shinsou wins by… ring out?" The heroine shook her head and walked off the stage.
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The awards ceremony was okay, Izuku guessed, but the party his mom, Irena, and Keigo threw for the Outcast students was way better. The found-family partied late into the night, playing board games and talking about whatever weird topic came up. After most of the Outcasts went home, Hitoshi, Keigo, and Izuku sat on the balcony of Keigo's apartment.
"Keigo, what's bothering you?" Hitoshi asked. The winged man sighed at being found out so easily.
"The Commission."
"What do those a-holes want with you now?" Izuku asked with heavy amounts of snark.
"Nothing too big; they reprimanded me about how emotional I got watching you at the Sports Festival apparently, 'crying isn't a good look for the number three hero' or something. They also wanted me to do some advertisement or something on Wednesday," Keigo sighed. "I'm just tired of being their poster boy, lapdog, or whatever else they want of me, depending on their whims. I mean, I like helping people. I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't a hero. But the Commission doesn't want me to just help. They want me to hurt some people, too—too many people. I genuinely hate the media and the persona they make me wear. I just want to be free."
The trio sat in silence for a moment, letting Keigo vent. Then Izuku broke it. "If you're okay with going underground and working with Nedzu… I may have a way out for you."
Keigo quirked an eyebrow at Izuku's proclamation. Suddenly, Izuku's phone pinged for his hero news app. A toothy grin spread across his face as an article of Stain popped up on his screen.
"I have just the cover-up," the greenette chirped.
