"Yaoyorozu, you're out!"
No…
"This match goes to Tokoyami!"
"Yikes! Another fast, overwhelming victory! Is it possible that Tokoyami's Dark Shadow is the greatest Quirk ever!? I think so!"
"S-Saito?"
"What?" Narrowed eyes snapped to, and struck daggers at Kaminari.
The blonde ducked behind an unamused Sero. "Uh, you're kinda… growling?"
Hitomi blinked, only then noticing the distinct rumbling in her chest and throat. She swallowed, cutting off the noise, now acutely aware of all the eyes watching her, either in concern or apprehension.
"Okay, let's see who we've got for ya next!"
Hitomi stood, willing to miss the next fight in exchange for finding Momo and comforting her. However, before she was even fully on her feet, her phone chimed from within the hoodie pocket.
(My favorite Peach! :D)
(MFP) Stay and watch the match.
(HS) But what about you?
(MFP) I'll be alright. For all we know, you'll end up fighting one of them. So it would be best for you to get an idea of how they fight.
(HS) Okay, I guess. If you need anything, just tell me.
(MFP) I know.
(MFP) And thank you.
—
Hitomi frowned, letting herself fall back into her seat.
"The seventh matchup includes two completely redundant Quirks! One of them's a passionate, manly fighter made of steel! The Hero course's Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu! Versus, a passionate, manly fighter made of rock! The Hero course's Eijirou Kirishima!"
The fight was as expected. A stalemate. But that didn't stop the two boys from trying to whale on the other, despite being given no result. Up until they both delivered brutal blows to each other's faces, simultaneously knocking one another out. Midnight called the match a draw, and the two boys were carted away on robotic gurneys.
That meant it was time for the last match of the first round.
"Ribbit, this might be the most disturbing matchup."
Jirou rubbed her arms uncomfortably. "I know. I almost don't wanna watch it."
"The eighth and final battle of the first round of matches. He was kinda a hot-shot in middle school, and just look at that determined face! From the Hero course, Katsuki Bakugou! Versus— the one I'm personally rooting for —also from Class 1-A, Ochako Uraraka!"
"Midoriya, I'm curious. What was that strategy that you came up with that would give Uraraka an advantage against Bakugou?" Iida asked.
Midoriya opened his notebook, skimming through until finding the right page. "Honestly, it wasn't really that much of a plan. Kachan's so strong. When it comes to close combat he almost never has any openings. And the more he moves, the more he sweats, which just makes his Quirk more powerful. He's gotten really good at using his explosions to move around in the air. But if Uraraka is able to touch him, she can use her Quirk to make him float. She could send him out of bounds. That's why, it's obvious what Uraraka needs to do to get the upper hand."
No, it really wasn't that obvious, not to Hitomi at least.
Oh hey, the autographs! Hitomi noticed the paper poking out between some of the wrinkled pages of Midoriya's notebook. She had wondered where he tucked those away for safekeeping.
"Let the eighth match begin!"
With Present Mic's voice still lingering in the air, Uraraka bolted low to the ground, right hand poised outward toward her target.
"Strike first." Midoriya finished. "That's a good start, and all she has to do is touch him one time!"
"But it won't be easy. You know Bakugou's not going to let her get too close to him." Iida pointed out, though he grinned proudly.
"Which is why he won't dodge. He'll focus his energy on counterattacking."
Like Midoriya described, Bakugou didn't move, instead widening his stance and raising his right hand. His palm crackled, then lit up in a flaming blast he aimed right at her, blowing her back.
"Uraraka!" Midoriya and Iida called out in unison.
"He blasted her!" Mineta trembled.
"Looks like Bakugou's not planning on showing her any mercy." Tsuyu observed.
"Why would he?"
"Eh? Are you kidding?!" Jirou turned in her seat to gawk at Hitomi.
Fuchsia eyes remained pinned on the battle, flickering around to locate either contestant through the smoke he created. Through the thick dark cloud, the navy blue of their gym uniforms became visible. Bakugou slammed his igniting hand down on it.
"It wouldn't make sense. They both came this far. They're both in the Hero course."
The smoke dispersed, revealing the empty shirt Bakugou had pressed into the ground, and the brunette coming up from behind.
"And they're both strong." Hitomi spoke with a tone of finality. "So, why would he go easy on her?"
"Whoa! She flew her jacket over as a decoy! What incredibly quick thinking!"
But, Bakugou threw back the largest explosion yet, sending her flying through the air across the stage.
"Look at that reaction time!" Sero reluctantly marveled.
"Seriously, the dude's insane. You can't get the drop on him. And since Uraraka can't use her Quirk unless she touches him, his lightning-fast reflexes put her at a huge disadvantage. E-even if she's strong too." Kaminari tacked on the last bit while eyeing his canid classmate.
Uraraka started sprinting toward him again, and Bakugou sent another wall of fire and smoke at her. And another, and another. So long as Uraraka kept getting up and coming back, he kept shutting her down with ruthless blasts from his palms. Not a single physical blow had been dealt yet, in the whole match, neither one ever getting close enough to trade them.
Then, from the audience, the Heroes made their disapproval of the fight known.
"Listen kid, you really wanna be a Hero? Then stop acting like a bully! If you're so good, just send her out of bounds!"
Hitomi stood, lips pursed with her ears and tail puffing up in offense.
"Stop toying with the girl and end this match!"
"Yeah, you heard the guy!"
With that, like a pact of silence being lifted, the whole crowd broke out into crows of boos and hisses. All directed at Bakugou.
Hitomi snarled, canines prominent. This wasn't fair. They had no right to shame him for treating Uraraka like an equal.
"The crowd is now booing Bakugou! …And honestly, I kinda agree with what they're sayin— Hey, whoa! What the crap!?" A dull thud interrupted Present Mic halfway through.
"Where is the man who started this uproar?" Mr. Aizawa took the microphone, his voice low and cutting. "Are you a Pro? Because if you're being serious, you can go home and hang up your cape. I'd suggest looking into another career. Bakugou's fierceness is an acknowledgment of his opponent's strength. He knows she deserves to have made it this far, so he's making sure he does whatever it takes to keep her at bay, and come out on top."
Hitomi sighed, sitting down. She inwardly thanked her homeroom teacher for doing what she couldn't.
Finally, Uraraka stopped relentlessly attacking, standing back and enacting her plan. With a cry, she steepled her hands, connecting all ten fingertips together, deactivating her Quirk.
And the debris cluttering the sky above, dropped down.
Uraraka charged, ignoring the dangerous pieces of concrete that could hit her, focused solely on getting to Bakugou.
Bakugou lifted his right hand skyward, holding his wrist with the other to keep it steady.
She touched herself, making herself weightless to give her extra speed.
He squared his shoulders.
And with Uraraka's hand outstretched to use her Quirk on him and end the match, Bakugou's palm sparked. The largest explosion Hitomi had ever seen him make before without his gauntlets, blew away any falling stone coming down over him, and knocked back Uraraka from the force, sending her all the way to the other side of the stage.
"Bakugou bangs out a huge demonstration of power! He blasted apart Uraraka's finishing move and remains untouched!"
Hitomi slowly uncovered her ears, glad to see Uraraka get to her feet again, even after her attempt failed and being blasted for the upteenth time.
Once she was standing, the dynamic shifted, and Bakugou came at her for the first time in the match.
But—
Her knee buckled, and she fell roughly to the ground.
"Uraraka is down!"
Body trembling from the overexertion, Uraraka still pushed forward, crawling and inching Bakugou's way. After a moment, she stopped, and Midnight stepped in. The Heroine held out a hand to halt Bakugou, and knelt down, checking on the girl
"Uraraka is KO'ed. Bakugou advances to the second round."
The crowd's cheer sounded wrong after hearing them booing him not five minutes prior.
Present Mic called for a short intermission in preparation for the next round, and Hitomi would have taken the opportunity to go search for Momo, but the ravenette wasn't responding to any of her texts, and she got the distinct feeling that her silence was a sign of her still wanting to be left alone.
The first fight of the second round would be Midoriya and Todoroki, and there was no telling how much damage would be dealt between the two. But first came the draw-breaker for Kirishima and Tetsutetsu, which was a simple arm wrestling match. Kirishima's Quirk proved to be just a bit stronger than Tetsutetsu's, lasting the extra second it took for him to slam the 1-B student's arm down.
That completed the bracket, and made way for a fight likely to be more destructive than any previous.
Burnt caramel.
"Hey, Bakugou! Playin' the Villain, huh?" Sero goaded upon the blonde's arrival. "Must've been tough."
"Even if it was just because of who you were up against, you did make a pretty convincing bad guy." Tsuyu added.
"Come on, guys." Hitomi chided quietly. "It wasn't that bad."
"Shut up, idiots. Or else!" Bakugou raged over her.
"For real, dude. I don't know how you were able to aim a powerful blast at a frail girl like that. I couldn't help but hold back against Shiozaki."
"She completely overpowered you, Kaminari." Tsuyu didn't hesitate to call him out.
Bakugou sat with a sharp sigh. "I definitely wouldn't call that girl frail."
Hitomi beamed, leaning forward to look at him past Sero and Kaminari. "A much more fitting word would be, tenacious."
Carmine eyes flittered to her, squinted in a perpetual scowl. But he didn't say anything against it, so Hitomi counted it as a win.
"I can feel the anticipation in the stadium! And that's because the second round is gonna be epic! It's the guy who won his last fight by a landslide and literally left half the audience frozen! The Hero course's Shouto Todoroki! And this kid almost walked out of his first matchup, but made a stunning comeback by showing off some impressive moves! Also from the Hero course, Izuku Midoriya!"
Rose water, and tears.
"Momo!" Hitomi's hair swung high at the speed she turned her head.
The ravenette smiled, waving as she entered the box. She kept her red-rimmed eyes studiously on her friend, avoiding the avian boy sitting a few spots away.
Hitomi gestured to the seat next to her, and relaxed slightly when the taller girl took the invitation. It was with no amount of resistance given, that Hitomi glued herself to Momo's side, cuddling up to the girl in loving support.
Mineta made a strange drawn-out noise, sounding suspiciously like the word "yuri", which jarringly turned into a scream when an earphone jack pierced his skin.
"Both of the Heroes-in-training have been frontrunners in the sports festival! But which one of these rivals will advance to the next round!? Prepare for Midoriya versus Todoroki! Begin!"
A barrage of jagged ice sliced through the air, at Midoriya. The attack was almost immediately rendered pointless, as Midoriya flicked a single finger, and sent the shattered pieces of it flying. The wind alone would have pushed Todoroki out of bounds, had he not made a smaller wall of ice behind himself to press up against.
"Whoa! Midoriya managed to break Todoroki's insane opening move!"
But it wasn't a sustainable method of defense, proven when Todoroki did his first attack again, forcing Midoriya to already break another finger in order to destroy the ice.
Hitomi sat hunched, her ears sitting back on her head. The boom of Midoriya's Quirk, and the sound of splintering ice were both ridiculously loud. Then there was Present Mic's enthusiastic commentary.
Gentle hands coaxed her ears up, before covering them with a pair of noise-canceling earmuffs.
Now that Momo was done competing, she didn't have to ration her lipids, allowing her to make something frivolous. The tension left Hitomi's shoulders, and she gave her friend a bright smile in thanks.
The ruinous series of attacks by both fighters was muffled to next to nothing. The quiet almost felt eerie while watching. Especially when Midoriya eventually resorted to punching with his entire left arm, blowing back the hair of even those at the top of the stadium.
Worry became palpable in the air, once Midoriya used one of his broken fingers to flick again, no doubt completely obliterating the bones. But the move did almost manage to knock Todoroki off stage.
The bi-colored teen ran at his enemy, but after seeing him during the obstacle race, his gait was noticeably—
"Slow." Hitomi's brows furrowed.
Slow enough, that he couldn't stop Midoriya's right fist burying itself into his gut. While Todoroki was sent sprawling back, Midoriya held out his hand in agony, splatters of blood decorating the ground in front of him. And it looked like Todoroki managed to touch his left arm before he was hit, leaving the broken forearm covered in ice.
The following attack of ice was sluggish as well, slow enough for Midoriya to simply dodge.
Though Todoroki's movements were dragging on more, Midoriya was also reaching the end of his rope. Having used all four fingers on his right hand at least three times, he countered the next wall of ice by putting his thumb in his cheek, and flicking it out. Before Todoroki could fully recover and make more ice, Midoriya charged and slammed his head into the same spot he had punched him earlier. Left arm broken, right fingers broken, Midoriya threw caution to the wind, and struck his stomach again with a right-hook, breaking those bones as well.
It started as a light wisp billowing on his face, before a raging inferno erupted around Todoroki, melting the ice frosting his right side.
It was breathtaking, the way the fire seemed to flutter around him in a dangerous dance, threatening to incinerate anyone who dared get too close.
Midoriya stood his ground, despite being so heavily injured. And despite the onslaught of both fire and ice headed straight for him. His broken arms lit up like they did every time he started to activate his Quirk, any and all pain being brushed aside. It was all too much, and both Cementoss and Midnight rushed to intervene.
Not one, but five barriers of concrete erected upward to act as a buffer between attacks, and were soundly obliterated. Even through the earmuffs, Hitomi could hear the reverb of the destructive display of power.
Hitomi hesitantly removed them, listening for a verdict of the winner, or some kind of sign the two boys were okay. The cloud of steam and dust obscured visibility of the field, leaving imaginations to run wild.
"What happened just now?" Present Mic asked in an uncharacteristically subdued voice. "What the heck is up with your students?"
"The air around the ring cooled down, and then rapidly expanded when heated up."
"Wait, that's what caused the explosion? How hot did that get?! Jeez, I can't see a thing! Is the match still going on, or what, huh?"
The fog began to dissipate, revealing the teen who was sent off the stage.
Midoriya's body was slumped against the wall on the other side of the field, and slowly slid down limply.
Todoroki was still standing, conscious and within the battleground.
"There." Midnight started breathlessly. "Midoriya is… out of bounds. Todoroki wins! He advances to the third round."
The audience voiced their amazement.
"Saito, if you win, you have to fight that guy." Kirishima unhelpfully pointed out.
Oh yeah, she was next. And if she won, she had to fight Todoroki.
"Ow— hey!" Kirishima shielded the back of his head to avoid receiving another blow from Mina.
"That's the last thing she wants to hear!"
"It's true though—" Kaminari was rewarded with a smack of his own.
Hitomi tugged her sleeves over her hands, gnawing on her bottom lip.
"Hitomi?"
"Eh?"
Uraraka— she called me Hitomi, that means she can be Ochako now —gestured to the small group standing behind her, consisting of Iida, Tsuyu, and Mineta. "We're gonna go check on Deku. I know your match is next, so do you want us to give him a message or something?"
Hitomi considered it, wishing she could go visit him in person, but knew she should be planning instead. Then, with a start, she remembered something.
"And those vines, I wonder if she's studied Kamui Woods' moves. Binding attacks can be really powerful. I hardly ever see anyone break out when they're used. It would be impossible to get close to her while avoiding all those thorns and vines. You'd have to find some way to tear them off or just hack your way through using brute force. Oh, but in order to keep you from doing that, she'd probably go after your hands first, so then what do you do?"
She nodded, looking up at Ochako. "Yeah. Could you tell him thanks? For helping me with my match against Shiozaki."
Ochako seemed thrown off by this, but nodded all the same. "Sure. Good luck out there."
Hitomi stood, reluctantly slipping out of her hoodie, leaving her in her sports bra. Modesty be damned, she would not let any harm come to Papa's hoodie.
Before Mineta could back out of checking on Midoriya in favor of sticking around for what just happened, Sero slapped some tape over his eyes and punted him out of the box, letting Tsuyu take over from there.
"Hold onto this for me?" Hitomi passed the clothing off to Momo, who still would've taken it without being asked.
"Of course. Good luck."
"Avenge me!" Kaminari cried dramatically after Hitomi, helping ease a bit of the tension.
"Next up we have the last two ladies in the tournament, going head-to-head! She's a gentle soul with a killer head a' hair! From Class 1-B of the Hero course, Ibara Shiozaki! Versus, the most dangerous puppy in all of Japan! Also from the Hero course, Class 1-A's Hitomi Saito!"
Standing across from each other on opposite sides of the repaired stage, Hitomi and Shiozaki sized one another up.
"Begin!"