After a 10-minute break, it was time for the second round of brackets to begin, this time with Izuku and Katsuki.
"This is it, the fated battle between rivals!" Ochako said with a look of anticipation on her face.
"Which one of our boys will make it to the next round, I wonder." Kirby giggled, with Hilda nodding in agreement while holding a big tub of popcorn in her arms.
"The crowd's going wild in anticipation!" Present Mic called out. "This first fight of the second round is bound to be epic! First, we have the righteous devil who's a Swiss army knife of superpowers; Izuku Midoriya! And his opponent, the explosive bombardier, Katsuki Bakugou!"
"Alright, Deku, remember our deal," Katsuki said as he and Izuku stepped onto the arena. "No cheesing it with that shitty bomb power of yours."
Izuku nodded. "Got it, but I'm still giving it all I have in this fight, you know."
"Alright, it's time to begin; CLASH!"
Katsuki and Izuku both disappeared in blurs, having both used Soru to move at supersonic speeds before clashing fists together, Conqueror's Haki exploding outward as everyone reeled back in their seats in surprise.
"Whoa! Going for a Haki Strike right off the bat! So manly!" Eijirou exclaimed.
Seeing as they were locked, Katsuki used his free hand to blast himself into the air before going in for a kick to Izuku's head. Unfortunately for him, Izuku grabbed his leg before slamming him into the ground.
Katsuki growled as he quickly jumped back up, slamming his knee into Izuku's gut making him gasp and sending him into the air. The blonde bomber then launched himself after Izuku with his explosions and covered both his fists in Armament Haki before slamming them down on Izuku's back with an axe handle, sending him crashing back down to the arena.
"Not bad, Bakugou!" Izuku said as he picked himself off the ground before seeing Katsuki launch himself down like an air bomb, a fierce look in his red eyes as he fired a point-blank explosion in Izuku's face.
"Dude! Overkill, much?!" Sero exclaimed.
However, Izuku managed to turn his face into diamonds with the [Sparkle-Sparkle Fruit], the force still pushing him back quite a bit as Katsuki landed across from him, taking a stance as the two kept their gaze on each other.
"Come on, this isn't a challenge, Deku! I know you're stronger than this!"
Izuku smiled before taking a stance, squatting as he put a fist to the ground and hung his head low, his skin suddenly glowing pink as he used the [Gum-Gum Fruit] to pump blood through his body faster than normal, steam emitting from his body.
"Trust me, Kaachan...I'm just getting started!" Izuku then disappeared in the blink of an eye before reappearing in front of Katsuki. "GUM-GUM GEAR SECOND!"
Katsuki immediately used Kami-e to dodge the onslaught of lightning-fast blows from Izuku while retaliating with his own rapid-fire explosive strikes. Neither managed to land a hit on the other for what felt like hours before they eventually punched each other across the face, sending them both to different sides, but not out of bounds.
"That's more like it..." Katsuki breathed heavily. "But it's high time we end this. I've been saving this move just for you."
Izuku smiled. "Let's see it...Kaachan."
The explosive blonde couldn't help but smirk before throwing himself into the air and then spinning around, using his explosions to pick up momentum as he launched himself at Izuku like a torpedo, Izuku coating his arm in Armament Haki and stretching it back as far as he could.
"DEKU!"
"KAACHAN!"
Izuku's fist ignited from the friction as he snapped it forward to meet Katsuki, who slammed into it with all his might as the two attacks collided.
"HOWITZER IMPACT!"
"RED HAWK!"
The impact caused a giant dust cloud to surround the duo as everyone tried to see anything. It was silent for a moment before the dust cleared. And everyone could see the duo again.
Both Izuku and Katsuki had launched each other out of bounds from the sheer force of their attacks. Both of them were embedded in the walls surrounding the arena before they fell off and landed on the ground. Everyone watched with bated breath, wondering who had fallen unconscious first.
Suddenly, Izuku slowly and shakily rose back to his feet, coughing weakly as Katsuki struggled to get up before slumping unconscious.
"KATSUKI BAKUGOU AND IZUKU MIDORIYA HAVE KNOCKED EACH OTHER OUT OF BOUNDS! HOWEVER, IT SEEMS BAKUGOU IS UNCONSCIOUS, SO THAT COUNTS AS THE TIE-BREAKING DEAL! IZUKU MIDORIYA WINS!"
Izuku limped over to Katsuki before wrapping his shoulder around his and helping him to his feet, slowly making the trek to the infirmary as the crowd cheered at the sportsmanship shown between them.
"Well, I'll be damned." Ben chuckled. "Those two had me worried for a moment."
"Man, Midoriya and Bakugou are crazy!" Minoru cried. "That probably scared off any Pro Heroes wanting to have them get into internships!"
"I don't know, I think they just impressed plenty to still have a chance," Tsuyu noted.
It was time for Ben to have his match against Shoto. As the Elementalist made his way to the arena, he was surprised to see Endeavor waiting there for him.
"Can I help you?"
Endeavor's hard gaze made Ben slightly uncomfortable before the Flame Hero sighed.
"You're that boy, aren't you? The one from that raid on the laboratory 6 years ago."
Ben paled, how did Endeavor know that?
"I was part of the Raid Team that day. All of the Top 10 Pro Heroes were. It was also the one where All-Might fought that villain...the one that nearly killed him."
Ben hung his head down, his fists shaking. Bad memories were resurfacing and he did not want to be reminded of them. As he prepared to leave, Endeavor put a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry for dredging up the past, but I need you to do something for me."
"And what do you want me to do? Throw the match?"
"No, even I know that's the height of irresponsibility...but I want you to either win or force Shoto to use both sides of himself."
Ben and Endeavor looked at each other for the longest time before the former gently moved the hand off him and made his way to the arena.
"Trust me on this, Endeavor...I plan on doing BOTH."
"Alright, it's time for the second bracket to begin! First, we have the guy who literally won by a landslide, leaving half the audience frozen! Give it up for... Shoto Todoroki!" Present Mic announced.
The crowd cheered as Shoto entered the arena, a stone-cold look on his face.
"And next we have the guy with a power far beyond any known Quirk! The Modern Day Avatar! Let's hear it for... Benio Torekuroshi!"
Shoto glared at Ben, who stepped onto the arena and met the glare with his own.
"You look like you have something to say. Spit it out."
Ben just grunted. "Just remember that unless you use both sides of yourself, you'll just waste everyone's time."
This only made Shoto angrier. "I already told you I'll never use my bastard father's fire! Just my mother's ice!"
"Your funeral..."
Shoto quickly launched an ice flurry, but Ben's entire body suddenly ignited with pure fire and heat, the ice melting before it even touched him as he made his way toward Shoto.
"Predictable."
"What intense power! Torekuroshi is bringing the heat!" Present Mic cried.
Shoto snarled as he sent another wave of ice toward Ben who could only sigh as the flames extinguished. As the ice approached it started to bend and curve around him shattering into ice particles and then reforming into a giant ice gauntlet around Ben's left arm.
"I don't just produce the elements, I can also control existing sources."
With a massive shockwave punch from the ice gauntlet, Ben shattered it and sent the shards flying at Shoto, who quickly put his guard up.
"Damn it! He's too strong. Will I really need to close the distance in order to win? But even then he'll have the advantage due to his greater strength."
Ben just sighed in annoyance as he looked at Shoto who shot another wave of ice, only for Ben to hold his hand out and cause the ice to explode violently in a flash of light, leaving no trace behind.
"What the heck was that?!" Present Mic gawked.
"The Element of Entropy, basically Destruction Incarnate," Ben explained calmly.
"Man, this is crazy!" Denki said. "Torekuroshi's just batting away everything Todoroki throws at him!"
"It's like throwing stones at a brick wall," Kyouka noted. "He literally can counter everything Shoto throws at him."
"Yeah, I can see that," Eijirou said. "Torekuroshi barely looks winded, but Todoroki's just getting more frustrated. He was probably hoping for a quick resolution, but Torekuroshi's not even giving him the option."
Shoto, meanwhile, was gritting his teeth as Ben had just destroyed another wave of ice. Deciding to take a gamble, he set up a barricade of ice behind himself before sprinting forward, riding on a wave of ice toward Ben.
"And now Todoroki is on the move! What's his move?" Present Mic asked.
"A desperate one. Considering the amount of ice he's throwing it, he's nearing his limit. This will be his last attack." Aizawa noted.
Shoto soon got close to Izuku and fired another torrent of ice, encasing Ben in a tower of pure ice as the audience gasped. Shoto fell to one knee, breathing heavily as ice covered most of his right side, clearly suffering from frostbite as he struggled to stand back up and walk away from the arena.
CRACK!
"No..."
Shoto just stared in horror as the pillar cracked and shattered, Ben standing there and staring down at him, pure cold energy radiating off of him as the ice shards gathered around him and formed a menacing armor around him.
"My turn."
Shoto could barely react as Ben kicked him in the gut, sending him flying away and crashing into the ice barricade, continuing to tumble before stopping right before leaving the ring.
"Damn, Young Torekuroshi's really not pulling his punches. He really wants to face your boy's fire." Toshinori muttered.
"I'm kinda scared he might kill the brat now," Tsunade added worriedly.
Shoto meanwhile was struggling to get up as he he couldn't stop shaking from the cold and pain. He growled, there was no way he could rely on his mother's ice anymore.
"Look at that! Shoto Todoroki gets back up but he's not looking good, he can hardly stand and can't stop shaking! What can he possibly do?" Present Mic shouted
"Use his damn fire," Aizawa said sternly. "It's the only logical possibility he has left. Any more use of his ice could lead to permanent injury."
Ben just glared at Shoto. "So are we just about done here or are you going to man up and use your fire?"
That was the last straw for Shoto. "I'M NEVER USING THAT BASTARD'S FIRE!"
"And there it is!"
Shoto paused, his face still twisted in rage but now confusion as well.
"That right there...That is why I despise you. Do you know what our classmates all have in common? Iida might be stiff, Kirishima may be thick-headed and Bakugou may have a short temper...but they're still out there fighting. Not just to prove themselves but to all the people they've sworn to protect. See? Even Mineta is doing his best!"
"I don't know if I should be flattered or insulted..." The dwarfish boy noted after hearing that.
"But none of them, Shoto, NOT A ONE, shares that trait with you. So vile, it drives me to retch!" Ben spat in disgust. "You, Shoto Todoroki...are a coward."
Shoto screamed in fury as he ran toward Ben and threw a punch at him, but it was easily caught as Ben squeezed tight enough to make the bones crack but not break, forcing Shoto to his knees.
"It's about time you gave up."
"I'm not giving up this match!" Shoto shouted, struggling through the pain as Ben just sighed.
"I'm not talking about this match."
"Then what the hell are you talking about?!"
Ben looked him dead in the eye. "This ridiculous idea that you can be a Hero."
Dead silence. The whole world was shocked into silence, though one or two people ended up going "Oooh!" in response.
"W-W-What did you just say?" Shoto stuttered, shocked at what he had just been told.
"Did I fucking stutter?" Ben asked. "I said you can't be a Hero. But then again no one as selfish or half-assed as you could ever be one."
"Selfish?! Half-assed?! What the hell are you talking about?!" Shoto roared. "This is about using my father's fire again, isn't it?! Did he pay you off?!"
Ben rolled his eyes and slammed his fist hard into Shoto's stomach, making him vomit up saliva and blood as he hunched over before having his face slammed into his knee, breaking his nose and splattering blood all over his face.
"And that's your problem. Your refusal to use your fire is what's holding you back from ever being a Hero. What would happen if lives were in danger and you failed to save them because you refused to use your flames? Do you think that's going to cut it with their families?" Ben asked before making a fake whiny voice. "Sorry, I couldn't save your friends and loved ones but my fucking daddy issues are more important!'"
Ben then lifted Shoto up and headbutted him hard, sending him reeling back before punching him several more times for good measure.
"Well, he's not wrong," Fumikage said, gaining shocked looks from some of his classmates. "If he continues on like this one day he could be a hindrance and liability in the field. And we won't have the time or luxury to deal with him."
"I agree...but I don't exactly have to like it." Kirby frowned.
"Yeah, me neither," Eijirou said in agreement.
"You want to know something, Todoroki? If you keep going down this path you're on...well, it's best if I show you myself."
Ben then grabbed Shoto's face and hourglasses appeared in his eyes. Shoto soon found himself in some kind of hospital room, looking around in confusion at the monochrome colors. Suddenly, he saw something that horrified him; His mother hanging by a noose as her body swung aimlessly back and forth.
"W-What is this? What are you showing me?!"
Ben appeared in the form of a misty red apparition with glaring black eyes. "This is the future Shoto...the future if you keep continuing on the path you're on. If you keep rejecting your father's fire, you know what's gonna happen? Aizawa-Sensei is gonna expel you. He refuses to have someone endanger others because he's half-assing everything."
Ben then showed Shoto a newspaper article that showed an older and more somber Endeavor holding a dead body, his head bowed in sorrow and grief. Shoto was confused before reading the title of the article.
"Flame Hero Endeavor forced to kill his youngest son, Ice Villain: Shoto Todoroki."
"You turned to vigilantism after Aizawa expelled you but you were a pretty lousy one." Ben explained. "You killed at least 550 people due to your reckless large-scale attacks, crippled at least 1200 people, left 15000 people homeless, caused 20000 people to become jobless, and did damages that reached billions of yens."
"You're lying! You're just trying to make my father look good!"
"I'm not, and you want to know what else. All the deaths you caused turned everyone against you. But you couldn't understand that because you were simply 'rejecting' your evil father." Ben continued. "But this overwhelmed Endeavor with guilt, he tried several times to get you to stop...but you refused to listen and you know what you did? You killed your own older sister."
Shoto paled. Fuyumi? Dead by his hands? He couldn't believe it.
"That's what officially made you a Villain in the eyes of everyone. Endeavor did everything he could to get you to see reason, but you were too far gone to be reached...so he was forced to kill you before you could risk killing anyone else." Ben finished. "Your actions stained the name of ice users so much that people began seeing them as villainous Quirks. Your mother killed herself because she couldn't handle the shame of birthing someone who would kill so many people just to prove a point, and had so little compassion for his victims."
Shoto flopped to the ground. He caused all this pain and misery.
"What are so shocked about, big guy?" Shoto looked at Ben before crawling away in fear. Ben was pretty sure that he traumatized him for the rest of his life. "Yes, you caused all this because you used your ice just to prove a point that no one cares about."
Shoto stood up shivering, "Then… then… I'll just be more careful. I'll…"
He was stopped by a punch to the face from Ben who looked beyond pissed off.
"Stop thinking about Endeavor for one minute of your little worthless pathetic life!" He then smashed Shoto's face against his knee, "After the dark future you saw, this is what you're thinking about?! How to make your life even more ingrained and influenced by your father?! You say you want to be free of him, but everything you do revolves around him!"
Ben grabbed Shoto by the mouth, preventing him from talking as the future vision shattered, bringing them back to the present.
"You need to stop thinking about your father. Tell me, you think by not using your fire, you're building your own person independent of who he is." Ben laughed, "But newsflash, you're dedicating your entire life to pissing him off!"
Shoto's eyes widened but Ben was not done with him yet as he yelled for the whole stadium to hear.
"But tell me something, Todoroki, don't you want to become your own hero? Free of everything? Isn't that what you want?" He then let Shoto go, who realized that the wounds he sustained were all healed. "If that's the case, stop playing around and give me your 100%!"
Shoto at this very moment was shocked as flames covered his left side. He remembered all the ugly times he faced with his father but then remembered the only good memory he had with his mother.
"That's why... You can be the kind of hero you want to be growing up."
He remembered that which caused his mother to snap in the first place before Endeavor realized he had gone too far. He never allowed Shoto the chance for friends, believing his son to be destined for a far greater position in life.
Rei had called her mom on the night of the incident, voicing concerns that her children were starting to become like Endeavor. She had been unable to look at Shoto without seeing Enji, and she felt like she couldn't raise her children anymore. When Shoto asked what Rei was even saying, that's what caused her to snap. Shoto had always blamed his father and still did. But now Ben's words had hit him harder than any punch he threw.
"Endeavor isn't your opponent, so plant your feet, grit your teeth, and EAT. THAT. HOOOOOOOOOORSE!" Ben screamed as his entire body exploded with flames itself.
Shoto and Ben lunged at each other, two mighty infernos blazing brightly. The two fireballs crashed together, creating a massive explosion that Tatsumaki and Fubuki quickly erected a psychic energy barrier to contain with their Quirks, which were both [Psychokinesis].
"SHOTOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Endeavor shouted. "THIS IS WHAT I WANTED FROM YOU! TO ACCEPT BOTH SIDES OF YOURSELF! BECOME THE HERO YOU DESIRE WITH THE POWERS YOU HAVE! THE POWER THAT IS YOURS AND YOURS ALONE!"
"Hehehe, about damn time." Garp chuckled, sharing Endeavor's enthusiasm.
When the dust settled, everyone leaned in, anxiously wondering who was the victor of the final flaming clash. Penny clasped her hands in concern while the rest of Class 1-A were on the edge of their seats.
Soon, Ben and Shoto could be seen and Shoto was unconscious, a few burns and stray melted frost marks on his body and Ben was covered in several different burns.
"Hehehe...There you go..." Ben said, patting Shoto on the back as he gently laid him down, his wounds healing very slowly, only for him to cough up blood from his mouth as his eyes glazed and rolled into the back of his head. "What the fuck..."
Ben suddenly collapsed on top of Shoto, his body in a more prone state. Midnight let out a scream of concern and ran over to check on both boys. Shoto, despite the small burns and frostbite marks that had been cauterized, was relatively fine, but Ben looked like he was in the middle of a seizure.
"THIS BATTLE IS A DRAW!" Cementoss cried, taking over for Midnight. "BOTH BOYS ARE OUT OF THE FIGHT!"
"Baby, stay with me!" Midnight said, holding her adoptive son close as Shoto weakly opened his eyes, dazed as he was helped up by the medic bots.
"Ben..." Penny whispered, covering her mouth with tears building up in her eyes.
"Man...I didn't know Torekuroshi's powers came with such a huge drawback..." Denki worriedly said. All of Class 1-A left uncertain of what was going to happen next.
"Man, that was intense!" Tomura laughed. "As much as I hate Heroes, I gotta admit, they're pretty damn cool!"
"That boy..." Drowned muttered as she turned to her brothers. "It's him, isn't it? Project: Dragoon?"
"Indeed..." Devastator growled. "The one person who managed to avoid having his body and mind degrade from all the Quirks our brother infused into him. Father and the rest of us also aided in the project."
"Oh, he was a wonderful toy!" Batman Who Laughs cackled. "But then he had to grow a consciese, didn't he? And then All-Might showed up and all that stuff happened!"
Dawnbreaker sighed. "Well, it can't be helped. He's with the Heroes now. The only thing we can do now is find a proper rival for him. Much like how Tomura is shaping up to be rivals with that Midoriya kid."
"Affirmative." Murder Machine concurred. "And a certain project that me and Dr. Garaki are working on will be just the right tool we need to combat his powers."
"This outta be fun..." Tomura chuckled as he continued to watch the Sports Festival, already excited for what was coming next.
And so we got the two big fights out of the way! The next chapter will focus on the other fights of the second round then the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, Finals, and the end of the Tournament! Man, I'm loving what I'm doing here!
Be sure to check out the TV Tropes page for this fic! Any additions added help very much!