"Our next event is completely optional meaning participating in it won't positively or negatively affect your standing. This also means that all eliminated competitors will be allowed to compete!"
The freshman stood before Midnight, excited grins painting a chunk of their faces as a particular group came to a realization.
They'd have another chance to show out.
"The aforementioned third event will be…DODGEBALL!"
The freshmen's faces immediately fell at the announcement of the next event.
It was middle school all over again.
"Ochako…can we talk?"
The brunette spun on her heels, crimson threatening to overtake her face as a piece of Mochi hung from her plump lips.
The waiting room stayed silent for a brief moment before Ochako attempted to speak.
"Mmfh chourse!" The Mochi between her lips threatened to fall as she spoke, inspiring a small smile on the Sorcerer's face.
One strong step later, Izuku stood directly in front of the brunette, towering over her flushed form.
Leaning down slightly to meet her level, Izuku fought back his own blush as he spoke as clearly as he could.
"May I?" A strong hand motioned toward the Mochi in her mouth, the brunette nodding eagerly in response.
What happened next nearly gave the poor girl a heart attack.
Rather than pluck the treat from her lips as she'd expected, Izuku leaned further down.
And took a bite while it was still within her mouth, causing their lips to brush together.
Once they'd separated, a thin layer of powder painted the Sorcerer's lips as the blush he'd been holding back broke through, infecting his entire head as though it'd been dipped in paint.
Six Eyes met brown ones as the two contestants allowed themselves to drown in each other, ignorant of the world around them.
"S-So about that talk,"
Until Izuku spoke.
Instantly the brunette diverted her eyes before swallowing her Mochi.
Moving toward the couch in the assigned waiting room, Izuku sat before patting the space beside him, motioning for the brunette to sit beside him.
Ochako anxiously shuffled toward the Jujutsu Sorcerer, thoughts of the night they spent together replaying in her mind.
"What if he's upset? Did I go too far? Does he not find me attractive? Is it because I'm too fat? Does he like skinnier girls like Ashido? It's probably all the sweets. Should I start dieting?"
The brunette's thoughts ran rampant as she inched closer and closer to the couch before finally sitting down beside the greenette.
The two stayed locked in awkward silence, Ochako pulling on the sides of her stomach while Izuku thought over what he should say next.
Eventually, he found his words.
"D-Do you like me?"
The question was simple and to the point but nonetheless, it shocked Ochako to her core causing the girl to forget about her insecurities as she frantically closed the gap between her and the greenette.
"Is that even a question?! Of course, I like you it's why I kissed you!" A rush of crimson assaulted the brunette as she spoke, the conviction behind her words, however, remaining ever strong.
Izuku opened his mouth as though ready to speak before quickly shutting it, repeating the movements a few times like a fish out of the water as he frantically attempted to process what she had told him.
Finally, Izuku spoke once more.
Calling upon his superb intellect to ask the brunette a question that'd certainly go down in the history books.
"…Why?"
The waiting room remained silent as Ochako's expression shifted from confusion to disbelief, and then humor as small giggles escaped her lips.
At that moment, if you asked Izuku Midoriya if he'd rather become a Pro Hero or listen to those bubbly laughs escape the brunette's lips for the rest of eternity,
He'd choose the latter.
Eventually, the girl's laughs began to die down as she leaned into the Sorcerer, resting her head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat.
"Ever since you saved me during the entrance exams I felt drawn to you, y'know? Then we got to know each other and I realized you were even better than I thought. But it all peaked at the USJ,"
Izuku cut her off.
"When I saved you."
A warm smile befell Ochako's features.
"When you saved me. After that, on that couch, when you showed me so much kindness…it was like a damn broke." Ochako felt the small smile that initially painted her face be replaced by a wide grin as she felt hands snake around her waist.
Closing his eyes, Izuku let his chin rest atop the brunette's head before speaking once more.
"I see. After the sports festival, I'd like to take you out somewhere, make us official…i-if you don't mind that is."
Ochako could only giggle at his request, unbridled joy festering within her stomach.
"I'd love that, Deku."
Leaning into his touch, Ochako allowed herself to inhale his scent, enjoying the sweet contrast of Shae Butter and light sweat as his fingers grazed her midriff.
Mimicking the Sorcerer, Ochako allowed her own fingers to roam the greenettes body, dragging her padded fingers across his chest before sliding them down to his toned abdomen.
"Fuck"
The groan that emerged from the Grade 1 Sorcerer sent shivers down the brunette's spine, causing her to reel back slightly as a deep shade of red completely overtook her body.
"Did…did I do that? Did that mean he liked how I was touching him? He didn't move or say anything after so I don't think he noticed…what if I," She let her thoughts trail off as she raised her padded fingers once more.
Shifting her gaze upward, Ochako sighed in relief when she realized her boyfriend's?, she didn't know yet what they were, eyes were still closed, seemingly lost in their embrace.
"No punkin' out now Ochako!"
Steeling herself, Ochako slipped her hand under the greenette's shirt, painstakingly dragging her padded fingers over his abdomen.
Another groan.
Taking it as a sign of encouragement, Ochako trailed her hands slightly lower, circling his lower abdomen with her fingers as she occasionally grazed his pelvic area.
Each time her lithe fingers made contact with his skin, Izuku's arms tightened around the brunette, bringing her closer and closer until they were pressed tightly against one another.
As Ochako moved to circle his lower abdomen once more, eager to hear another groan escape the lips of her probably boyfriend, a reverberant voice echoed through the halls.
"ALL CONTESTANTS PARTICIPATING IN DODGEBALL, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE ARENA!"
The announcement seemed to snap Izuku from his stupor as the Jujutsu Sorcerer relaxed his grip and shot up, his entire body flush red.
Adjusting his shirt, Izuku quickly leaned down, placing a light kiss on his probably girlfriend's lips before turning toward the Arena.
He had a dodgeball game to win.
"IT SEEMS AS THOUGH ONLY TWO 1-A STUDENTS HAVE CHOSEN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OPTIONAL EVENT!"
"And wouldn't you know it, they're the top two in my class."
The Sorcerer scratched the scar on his mouth, a sheepish gesture in response to his homeroom teacher's compliment.
His fellow classmate, however, only stood grumbling as he impatiently awaited the start of the event.
They'd been placed on opposite teams for obvious reasons, with Izuku being given a number of Business and General study students alongside an orange-haired girl from 1-B.
Katsuki's team was much the same, the only difference being he'd been given two Hero Course students, another blonde and a girl with a bob cut, both from 1-B.
"Both sides will have 5 minutes to get acquainted with one another, after that the game begins. The rules are as follows, get hit, and you're out, get your ball caught and you're out. You win the game by knocking out all your opponents or outnumbering your opponents by the end of the clock."
Once Midnight had given her explanation, she sent them off to strategize for their allocated five minutes.
Izuku immediately sat down, cupping his chin as he began to think up the best strategies possible for the game of dodgeball.
"There's a plethora of unknowns, especially in regards to the two students from 1-B. However, when it comes down to me and Katsuki, I hold the advantage. In a game like Dodgeball, being able to pick people off from the back while protecting the frontline is invaluable and luckily I'm able to do so with my Shikigami. Katsuki, however, is only suited for power meaning that once I negate that,"
The greenette slammed his palm in his fist.
"We can win!"
His sudden outburst startled his strategizing teammates who gave the Sorcerer odd looks, clearly thinking he was out of his right mind.
Suddenly, a large hand reached out, as if to shake his, which Izuku took before tracking the owner via Six Eyes.
The aforementioned owner of the large hand was the orange-haired girl from 1-B, said girl looking at him with a patient smile as if she was waiting for something, but what would she be waiting for?
It then clicked for Izuku.
Throughout all his planning, she must have given him her name and quirk to help plan and was now asking for his in return.
Shooting to his feet, Izuku maintained his strong grip on her hand before speaking.
"My name is Izuku Midoriya from class 1-A. My quirk is Cursed Energy Manipulation which allows me an array of sub-abilities known as Cursed Techniques. I look forward to winning this event with you all!" By the end of his introduction, his eyes had shifted from the girl in front of him to the team as a whole, a bright smile infecting his features.
The orange-haired girl's own smile widened as she began to shake the greenettes hand before introducing herself.
"I'm Itsuka Kendo! My quirk is Big Fist, pretty self-explanatory if I do say so myself!" She punctuated her sentence with a hearty chuckle.
Once Itsuka's introduction finished, the General and Business students who made up the rest of their team introduced themselves to the Jujutsu Sorcerer, allowing Izuku additional plans should his not work out.
Once their five minutes were over, Izuku and Katsuki's teams made their way toward the edge of the arena, awaiting the starting whip.
"IT'S THE PRODIGAL CHILDREN OF 1-A GOING HEAD TO HEAD! WILL THE HUMBLE GENIUS OF IZUKU MIDORIYA PULL AHEAD?! OR WILL THE OVERWHELMING PHYSICAL PROWESS OF KATSUKI BAKUGOU REIGN SUPREME?! FIND OUT NOW AT THE UA SPORTS FESTIVAL!!!"
Seconds passed after Present Mics introduction which felt like hours to the participants until finally,
Her whip crackled through the air.
"Orochi!"
As soon as they received the start signal, Izuku summoned his largest Shikigami faster than anyone could run toward the balls in the center.
The aforementioned snake darted down the centerline, swallowing every dodgeball present and sending them back toward Team Izuku before dissipating.
The newly armed team began congregating around a silver-haired business course student who had her palms flattened as though waiting to receive an offering.
Instead, she received a plethora of red rubber balls.
Team Izuku lined up, feeding the teen the red balls as though they were ammunition, and for good reason.
"BUSINESS COURSE STUDENT HOSHI ITE SEEMS TO BE TEAM MIDORIYA'S MAIN WEAPON! HER QUIRK, QUICK SHOT, LET'S HER SHOOT AN OBJECT 1.5x FASTER THAN SHE CAN THROW IT! BUT WHAT'S THIS?! THE DODGEBALLS SEEM TO BE COVERED IN A BLUE FLAME!"
The camera covering all the action zoomed into Team Izuku, eager to reveal why the dodgeballs were flying at double the speed they were supposed to.
What they saw caused a round of gasps to reverberate throughout the arena.
Izuku, in tandem with Hoshi, was imbuing the dodgeballs with cursed energy right before the shorter girl would shoot them off.
By the time they had shot half the dodgeballs accumulated a number of General and Business Course students had been hit, reducing Team Katsuki's numbers.
"TEAM BAKUGOU HAS LOST 20% OF THEIR PERSONNEL! HOWEVER, THE REMAINDER ARE ARMED AND READY FOR THEIR TURN!"
A brunt of the aforementioned team began their rebuttal, launching their balls at Team Izuku.
More specifically, Hoshi Ite of Team Izuku.
However, what those members of Team Katsuki had failed to realize was that Izuku had painted that target on Hoshi for a reason.
Flashing the hand seal for Orochi, Izuku turned to Itsuka and said three magic words.
"You're at bat."
The orange-haired girl grinned while eagerly nodding. Rushing toward the Shikigami, Itsuka enlarged her hands before picking up the massive snake.
And swinging it like the world's largest baseball bat.
The resulting wind pressure sent the incoming balls flying right back to Team Katsuki, picking off even more of the already dwindling team.
"WHAT A CREATIVE PLAY BY TEAM MIDORIYA! TEAM BAKUGOU IS DOWN 31% AND OUR GREEN-HAIRED FRESHMEN REPRESENTATIVE HAS YET TO LOSE A SINGLE STUDENT! TALK ABOUT EARNING A POSITION!" Although Team Izuku had come up with quite a creative plan, Present Mic forgot one thing.
They were up against Katsuki Bakugou.
As soon as Ituka finished her swing, a ball zipped right by her,
Nailing Hoshi dead in the face.
The glasses adorning her face shattered as she fell limp, blood leaking from her nose.
Team Izuku had just lost a member.
As though a switch had been flipped, it was now Team Izuku playing defense as Team Katsuki continued to pick them off one by one. By the end of their onslaught, Team Izuku had lost 40% of their team resulting in them losing their numbers advantage.
"IT SEEMS LIKE BAKUGOU'S ANIMALISTIC INSTINCTS HAVE SPREAD TO HIS TEAM! TEAM MIDORIYA IS ON ITS BACK FOOT, WILL OUR FRESHMAN REPRESENTATIVE BE ABLE TO CLOSE THE GAP?!"
By now Team Katsuki, although having more people in the game, had exhausted most of their weaponry, leaving a majority of the balls with Team Izuku.
But Katsuki knew that.
Turning to the bob-haired girl, Katsuki whispered something in the girl's ear resulting in a nod.
Izuku's brow furrowed as he narrowed his eyes at his adversary.
Whatever he was up to wasn't going to be pretty.
Turning to his team, the Jujutsu Sorcerer motioned for them to stay back, opting to take the front line himself.
"Whatever he's up to, it's likely that I'll be able to counter it with one of my Cursed Techniques, you're all too valuable to lose because I risked having you upfront." Upon receiving a nod from his team, Izuku turned back toward a grinning Katsuki, brow furrowed even deeper.
What happened next, caught Izuku slightly off guard.
Rather than throwing the ball as he expected, Katsuki handed it to the girl with the bob who gave it a light toss.
"Why would he let her throw it? Kendo said she wasn't physically gifted so why would he-"
It finally clicked.
"HER QUIRK!"
As soon as the words left his lips, the ball nearly doubled in size and speed, rocketing at Izuku at a blinding pace leaving him no time to think.
"Don't think, just do!"
The mantra repeated in the greenettes head as he tried his best to prepare himself for what would come next.
Hopefully, his probably girlfriend would forgive him.
Opening his arms, Izuku let the ball collide with his form, resulting in shocked gasps from nearly everyone present.
All save for a snarling Katsuki.
And an infuriated Ochako.
"WHAT'S THIS?! THE LEADER OF TEAM MIDORIYA HAS ALLOWED THE BALL TO HIT HIM, WHAT WILL HIS TEAM DO NOW?!"
A bored voice interrupted him.
"The ball didn't hit him, that's one of Midoriya's Cursed Techniques, Limitless."
The action camera zoomed in close to Izuku and sure enough, Yui's dodgeball hadn't actually hit Izuku, instead, stopping inches away from his body.
Exhaling deeply, Izuku dropped his technique, causing the ball to fall to the ground harmlessly.
Grounding his teeth, Katsuki turned to his fellow blonde teammate, ready to start his backup plan.
He had planned for Izuku to use Limitless after all.
Katsuki knew the strain it put on his mind meaning he'd be unable to defend against the next attack thrown at him.
And once Izuku fell, so would his team.
"SHITTY KNOCKOFF, COPY THE NERDS QUIRK!"
"I'M NOT GIVING MYSELF AN ANEURYSM!"
"THE FUCKING SNAKE YOU IDIOT!"
The 'Shitty Knockoff', who Itsuka identified as Neito Monoma, locked eyes with Izuku before mimicking the hand sign for the Jujutsu Sorcerers' largest Shikigami.
"Orochi!"
Almost immediately, the sky darkened as the aforementioned Shikigami began to materialize in front of Team Katsuki, its large from instilling a sense of foreboding within most of Team Izuku.
"WHAT'S THIS?! A LAST-SECOND PLOY BY TEAM BAKUGOU?! TEAM MIDORIYA'S CAPTAIN IS SEEMINGLY OUT OF COMMISSION AND IT LOOKS LIKE HE'S ABOUT TO GET HIS OWN QUIRK TURNED ON HIM!"
The massive snake locked eyes onto Team Izuku, almost every one of them backing up, pure fear etched into their beings.
All except for Izuku himself.
The greenette raised a weak hand, signaling his team to stop their retreat, before speaking.
"Monoma has managed to copy my quirk which would be a bad thing of course,"
A wide, maniacal, grin washed over the Sorcerer's face.
"If he had thought to read up on it first!"
As soon as the words parted from his lips, the Faux Orochi turned on Neito, slamming its massive tail into the blonde which sent him flying.
The serpent then turned on the rest of Team Katsuki before swinging its hulking tail at the freshmen, sending whoever was unlucky enough to not dodge flying backward.
"WHAT THE FUCK SHITTY KNOCKOFF?!"
"I-I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING!"
Izuku knew what was happening, mainly because he'd been in that same spot only a few months prior.
Neito Monoma had not subjugated this Shikigami.
And as such, Neito Monoma, and all of Team Katsuki, were in the midst of the exorcism ritual.
Turning to his confused team, Izuku grinned wildly at them before flashing his own hand seal for Orochi, summoning the real deal.
"Throw everything you have at them."
With only a few words, Izuku's team had taken up arms once more, ready for their final assault.
Launching their dodge balls as hard as they could, the remainder of Team Izuku tore through what was left of Team Katsuki, one of the business course students' balls managing to tag Katsuki himself.
As soon as they fell, Izuku sent Orochi after the imposter, felling the imitation in a single blow before being recalled within its summoner.
"AND WITH THAT, TEAM MIDORIYA HAS WON THE UA HIGH GOODWILL SPORTS EVENT DODGEBALL GAME! WHAT A FUCKING PERFORMANCE!"
"You can't curse on live television."
"…Boo"
"Limitless, Deku, really?"
The greenette sat on the medical cot, hand intertwined with his probably girlfriend who was in the midst of chewing him out.
Immediately after Recovery Girl had done the same thing mere moments prior.
Allowing an apologetic smile to grace his features, Izuku removed his hand from Ochako's before using it in tandem with his free one to scoop the girl from her chair and set her down beside him.
A small yelp escaped the brunette's throat at the sudden change in position before a strong arm wrapped around her form, swathing her in a sense of comfort.
She could get used to this.
The Jujutsu Sorcerer pulled her to his chest before rubbing her shoulder comfortingly.
The couple(?), Izuku still didn't know, allowed themselves to partake in their newfound favorite activity,
Losing themselves in each other's presence.
Ochako took a deep breath, allowing her new favorite scent to fill her nostrils, a content sigh escaping her lips as she felt the tension in her body melt away.
Izuku was much the same, finding himself incapable of escaping the warmth that radiated from the brunette.
It wasn't like he wanted to anyway.
The pain in his aching muscles washed away, instead being replaced by a blanket of warmth as the two teens closed whatever distance was between them in an attempt to savor the feeling of tranquility that permeated their very beings.
After what felt like both seconds and eons of comfortable silence, Izuku spoke, his tone airy and gentle all while continuing to hold the brunette close to him.
"I'm sorry for making you worry. When we go out, I'll buy you all the sweets you want to make it up to you. Deal?" Ochako nodded vigorously before relaxing further into his embrace.
She loved his voice.
She loved the way he held her.
She loved the way he smelt.
And she loved his ability to care for others in unique ways.
She didn't know if it was her concern after watching him use limitless, or the tender embrace they continued to share, but relationship age be damned.
Ochako was confident that she loved Izuku.
"AT LAST, OUR FINAL EVENT!"
The crowd roared at the announcement, eager to see who'd come out on top and win this year's Sports Festival.
The freshmen mimicked this excitement although something more festered atop their features.
Anxiousness.
After giving it their all in the prior events, the contestants who stood before Midnight would have to dig deep and muster everything they could in hopes of winning the UA High Goodwill Sports Event and cementing themselves as the best rookie the school had to offer.
It both horrified and excited them.
"OUR FINAL EVENT WILL BE THE SIMPLEST YET! A TOURNAMENT BETWEEN OUR REMAINING CONTESTANTS! GET YOUR OPPONENT OUT OF THE RING, KNOCK THEM UNCONSCIOUS, OR RENDER THEM UNABLE TO FIGHT AND YOU WIN!"
As soon as her explanation finished, an excited grin fell upon Izuku's face.
Unlike the previous events, Izuku now had the opportunity to show yet another trick up his sleeve.
He could show everyone present what he'd been working on during those two weeks.
"OUR FIRST MATCH IS BETWEEN THE MASTER MANIPULATOR, HITOSHI SHINSO, AND OUR VERY OWN FRESHMAN REPRESENTATIVE, IZUKU MIDORIYA! WILL SHINSO'S SLY TRICKS BE ENOUGH TO OUTWIT OUR REPRESENTATIVE?! OR WILL MIDORIYA CONTINUE HIS STREAK OF HUMBLE DOMINANCE?!"
The two contestants stood on opposite sides of the arena, the tension thick in the air.
Raising his arms, the Jujutsu Sorcerer leaned back, stretching his core and exposing his lightly tanned skin to the spectators,
Instilling a blush upon two of the aforementioned crowd.
Exhaling deeply, a small smile settled on his face as his right hand made its way toward his lips.
Pinching his fingers, the Sorcerer dragged them across his shut lips insinuating his silence.
As soon as he recognized the gesture, Hitoshi flinched, a look of panic painting his features as he came to a dreadful realization.
Izuku had figured out his quirk.
What's worse? He'd figured it out before the match even began.
Swallowing the lump that began to form within his throat, Hitoshi took a rough stance.
If he couldn't use his quirk, then he'd just have to fight.
As soon as the whip cracked through the air, Hitoshi immediately had to raise his right arm, sloppily outside blocking a left hook barreling toward his head.
Izuku, not one to let up the pressure, switched stances, carrying the momentum the motion created into a spinning hook that caught the lethargic boy clean in the head, sending him flying to Izuku's left.
Two hits.
Two hits were all it took for Izuku to illustrate the overwhelming gap between himself and Hitoshi.
Dragging himself to his feet, the lavender-haired boy threw up a shaky guard before rushing the greenette, desperate to be on the offensive.
Izuku, eager to see the results of his training program, allowed himself to fight on the defensive.
Hitoshi dipped low, feinting a left straight to the Sorcerer's gut before following the attack up with a heavy right overhand.
That Izuku calmly leaned to avoid.
Raising his left leg, Izuku checked the right low kick that Hitoshi threw before dropping it and switching stances, slamming a switch kick into the lethargic boy's ribs.
The impact sent him flying to Izuku's right, his now exhausted body ragdolling across the arena.
By now, the spectators' loud cheers had dropped as cries of indignation filled the arena, the viewers vexed upon watching the weaker boy get toyed with.
"IT SEEMS AS THOUGH OUR FRESHMAN REPRESENTATIVE HAS A DARK SIDE WITHIN HIM! WILL SHINSO BE ABLE TO OVERCOME THE DARK WITHIN MIDORIYA?!"
Present Mic's announcement and subsequent nickname caused a blush to fester upon the Sorcerer's cheeks. He wasn't trying to bully Hitoshi but instead, was attempting to give the boy a fair fight which allowed him to display the fruits of his physical training.
It just happened to look like he was bullying the lethargic boy.
Luckily, the narrative in the midst of being spun was quickly struck down by his homeroom teacher.
"That isn't what Midorita is doing. Before the Sports Festival began, Shinso openly challenged Midoriya, claiming that the hero course students got where they are solely because of their quirks. This is a way of showing Shinso that a strong body is equally as important if not more so than a strong quirk."
The once-heckling crowd grew silent once more as they allowed Shota's words to permeate.
Before cheering at the top of their lungs for the lethargic boy who was in the midst of rising to his feet once more.
With a shaky run, Hitoshi closed the distance between the two before throwing a right leg around that Izuku caught with his left hand. Sliding his own right leg forward, the Jujutsu Sorcerer swept Hitoshi's supporting leg out from under him, sending him careening toward the ground.
Capitalizing on the opening, Izuku mounted the skinnier boy, slamming his right fist into Hitoshi's face repeatedly as the lavender-haired contestant tried his hardest to defend.
Izuku, getting slightly annoyed at his defense, used his free left hand to grab the boy's right arm, stripping it away before slamming his right elbow into Hitoshi's nose, breaking it.
The Jujutsu Sorcerer rained elbows into the lethargic boy's face repeatedly until finally, he felt the smaller thinner boy go limp.
It was finally over.
Relaxing his grip, Izuku raised his upper half, ready to dismount and walk away from his opponent.
Wrong move.
Hitoshi's eyes snapped open, one of Izuku's own maniacal grins painting his face as an iron-clad settled onto the Sorcerer's left arm.
"WHAT'S THIS?! IT SEEMS AS THOUGH SHINSO HAS A BIT MORE FIGHT LEFT IN HIM! WILL IT BE ENOUGH TO TAKE DOWN OUR DOMINANT FRESHMAN REPRESENTATIVE?!"
A look of shock weaseled its way onto the Sorcerer's face as he felt his body's position shift.
Hitoshi had managed to reverse their positions.
It was now the lavender-haired teen's turn to rain blows down on his opponent, the lethargic boy sending a mix of elbows, hammer fists, and hooks at the Jujutsu Sorcerer who managed to defend himself expertly.
"I have the dominant position now! If I can keep this up then I can wittle his defense down and then knock him out! It's not like he can punch with any real force from guard." Hitoshi's grin widened as his plan came together.
Blow after blow fell upon the Sorcerer's frame, the purplette alternating from the head to the body resulting in Izuku's defense utterly melting.
The lethargic boy feigned a left hook that Izuku fell for, raising his guard. Hitoshi immediately capitalized on his opponent's blunder, using his own tactic against him and stripping away his guard before slamming an elbow into the greenettes face, cutting his forehead wide open.
Hitoshi capitalized on the new vulnerability, sending elbow after elbow into the greenettes forehead which widened the gash until eventually,
Izuku fell limp.
The lavender-haired teen rose from his unconscious opponent, a look of disbelief painting his features as a chorus of cheers filled the arena.
He had done it, Hitoshi Shinso had managed to beat Izuku Midoriya and potentially earn a seat in the hero course. He'd finally achieved what he'd only dreamed of ever since he'd enrolled in UA.
And then he woke up.
"OUR WINNER, BY SUBMISSION FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE UA HIGH GOODWILL SPORTS EVENT, IZUKU MIDORIYA!"
The crowd went ballistic, elated that buying a ticket to the sports festival allowed them to watch history be made right in front of their faces.
Present Mic, per usual, shared in the crowd's enthusiasm.
"TO BE ABLE TO PULL OF A SUBMISSION IN SUCH A SHORT WINDOW OF TIME HAS YET TO BE DONE IN THE HISTORY OF THIS FESTIVAL! AND TO DO IT WITHOUT USING HIS QUIRK?! IT'S NO WONDER FOLKS ONLINE ARE ALREADY DUBBING HIM THE 'KING OF STRANGLERS', I PRAY FOR WHOEVER HE FIGHTS NEXT!"
Hitoshi Shinso barely registered their voices as the greenette was proclaimed the victor of their match.
Turning his head slightly, he took notice of the dull grey stretcher that carried him from the arena, the medical staff feverently checking his vitals.
Fighting the tightness in his throat, Hitoshi managed to breathe out his question to the paramedics beside him.
"What happened?"
The medics jumped slightly, clearly surprised that he was conscious before one of them finally answered.
"When you managed to get Midoriya on the bottom, you threw a punch which he caught before wrapping his legs around your throat."
Hitoshi let out a strangled gasp, utterly shocked at what he heard as the paramedic continued to speak.
"In short, he caught you in a Triangle Choke which knocked you unconscious."
"You were amazing out there Deku!"
The teens found themselves back in their shared waiting room, Izuku sitting on the couch while his probably girlfriend rested her head on his chest from her position on his lap.
The two enjoyed their favorite pastime as a lone thought reverberated throughout Izuku's head.
"If anyone hurt her, I don't know what I'd do."
Scratch that, Izuku knew exactly what he was going to do.
Blood leaked from his hands as his fingers tore chunks from his palms, rage leaking from every pore of his body.
What Katsuki did to Ochako was unacceptable and no matter who he had to fight to make it happen,
He would destroy Katsuki Bakugou.
Turning about face, Izuku walked away from the stands, making his way toward the nurse's office in an attempt to check on Ochako.
Until a body swathed in flames stopped him dead in his tracks.
Six Eyes met turquoise as two equally angry gazes locked.
Izuku was the first to speak, his tone barely containing the rage threatening to bubble from his very being.
"Is there something I can help you with?"
The look of vexation on the Pro Heroe's face evaporated, being replaced by one of shock and confusion.
From what he read, the greenette was suffering from social anxiety.
Yet here he was, speaking to a Pro Hero as if he was ready to swing on the older, much stronger man.
Wiping the brief confusion from his face, Endeavor cleared his throat before finally speaking.
"Although you lack his physical capabilities, as you are now your technique application outclasses All Might by a mile. You, Izuku Midoriya, are the only contestant worthy of challenging my Shoto and snapping him out of whatever limit he set on himself." Endeavor furrowed his brow as he studied the greenette before him.
What he saw, however, wasn't to his liking.
The rage that was already sparsely contained seemed to leak out as blue flame-like energy shrouded his body.
Almost as if mimicking the Pro before him.
His once calm, sea-blue eyes, hardened into storm-blue ones as his Six Eyes bore into the larger man.
Finally, after what seemed like eons to the larger man, Izuku spoke.
"Todoroki isn't a science project nor am I something to test him against. However, I will say this; if Todoroki doesn't give it his all he will lose. Now if you don't mind I have someone I need to check up on." The Pro Hero grumbled before stepping aside letting the boy pass.
The aforementioned Jujutsu Sorcerer began heading toward the nurse's office, eager to see and speak to his probably girlfriend.
Until a loud voice reverberated through the PA system.
"May Izuku Midoriya and Shoto Todoroki please make their way to the arena. I repeat, may Izuku Midoriya and Shoto Todoroki please make their way to the arena. Your fight is about to begin."
"OUR NEXT FIGHT WILL BE BETWEEN IZUKU MIDORIYA AND SHOTO TODOROKI! FIGHTERS AT YOUR READY!"
Izuku immediately fell into a stance, his Six Eyes honed in on the contestant before him.
By contrast, Shoto stood with a relaxed posture, as though he expected to end the bout with one fell swoop.
He should have known better.
As soon as Midnight's whip cracked through the air Izuku appeared in front of the dual-haired boy, fist reared back and coated with Cursed Energy.
Shoto swung his right arm in an attempt to create ice between them and gain distance.
But found that he couldn't move his arm in the slightest.
Izuku's free left hand had taken hold of the dual-haired boy's right arm, restricting its movement and allowing Izuku to land a clean right straight to his opponent's face, causing his head to snap back violently.
Izuku wasn't done, however.
"Divergent Fist."
As soon as the words parted his lips, a second much stronger, impact slammed into the boy's jaw, bringing him to the brink of unconsciousness.
Suddenly, Shoto felt a hand tangle itself in his red and white locks, bringing his head back toward Izuku.
Releasing his hold, the greenette immediately lashed out with an elbow, cutting a large gash into Shoto's forehead which caused blood to leak into his left eye, obscuring his vision.
Focused on his right hand, Izuku's left hand relaxed for a split second as he rained blow after blow onto his opponent's frame.
But a split second was all Shoto needed.
With a wave of his right hand, a massive glacier erupted between the two, causing the Sorcerer to jump back lest he be skewered.
"WHAT A STRONG START FROM MIDORIYA! TODOROKI HAS A NASTY GASH ON HIS FOREHEAD COURTESY OF A SEEMINGLY ENRAGED REPRESENTATIVE! HOW WILL TODOROKI PLAY THIS NOW NUTREAL POSITION!"
The aforementioned Shoto stomped his foot on the ground, sending a series of spikes toward the Jujutsu Sorcerer who stood still, calmly waiting for them to get closer.
Once he felt as though they were close enough, the Sorcerer raised his left hand, curling his index and pinky fingers to complete the hands sign for the largest Shikigami currently available to him.
"Orochi."
The massive serpent connected headfirst with the spikes, completely shattering them before continuing to barrel toward Shoto.
The dual-haired student waved his right arm upward, creating an ice wall as he awaited the collision between the massive snake and his wall of ice.
A collision that never came.
Feeling a hand grab his shoulder, Shoto barely had time to send a spike in the direction of the touch.
It hit air.
Turning about face, Shoto searched for his opponent, a look on his face that shocked the entire attending audience.
Shoto Todoroki was horrified.
His head swiveled the arena feverently as he desperately searched for his opponent, said Sorcerer seeming to have vanished in thin air.
"IT SEEMS OUR FRESHMEN REPRESENTATIVE HAS VANISHED FROM THE ARENA! SHOTA, CARE TO GIVE US SOME INSIGHT?"
The aforementioned homeroom teacher of 1-A sighed before accepting the microphone, intent on giving the audience some context.
"Midoriya has not left the arena. Without disclosing too much to his opponent, the technique he's using right now is a sub-ability of his Cursed Technique, Ten Shadows. He's up to something as we speak meaning it's best we just wait until he reappears."
They didn't have to wait long.
Mere seconds after Shota had finished his sentence, an arm emerged from the shadows grabbing onto the dual-haired boy's ankle before said shadows spat the rest of Izuku out.
From his position on the ground, Izuku rolled over violently, slipping his legs between Shotos as he fell which resulted in the dual-haired boy being on the receiving end of a nasty leg lock, immense pressure being levied on his knee and ankle.
The crowd absolutely lost their shit.
"NOT ONLY HAS OUR FRESHMAN REPRESENTATIVE EARNED THE FIRST SUBMISSION WIN IN SPORTS FESTIVAL HISTORY, HE MANAGED TO SNAG THE SON OF ENDEAVOR IN AN IMANARI ROLL! WHAT CAN'T THIS KID DO?!"
Meanwhile, the son of Endeavor ground his teeth as he desperately fought against Izuku's iron-clad grip.
"I can't lose here, I REFUSE. I will NOT be beaten by just ONE Shikigami and martial arts!"
Reading the expression on his face, Izuku felt it was finally his time to speak.
"Use your fire."
The statement threw Shoto off guard, but a slight tug from his adversary reminded him of the situation he was in.
A deep frown nestled upon the dual-haired teen's face as he internally contemplated what he should do next.
"If I don't use it, there's the real possibility of me losing this match…but if I do then,"
Shoto's eyes wandered toward his father, the Pro Hero wearing a look of disappointment as he glared at his youngest son.
This exchange didn't go unnoticed by the Sorcerer.
Strengthening his grip, he forced his adversary's focus back onto the fight once more before speaking.
"Stop looking at him. He isn't the one in the ring right now, he isn't the one enrolled in UA, and he especially doesn't have your quirk, keyword your quirk. Now use your flames unless you want to give me my second submission record."
After his speech, the two stayed locked in their position for what felt like hours to the spectators. Until finally,
Shoto used his flames.
Whisps of orange made themselves known to Izuku's Six Eyes causing the Sorcerer to immediately put distance between the two of them, the crowd watching in amazement as the gash the Sorcerer had inflicted was immediately cauterized.
"TODOROKI HAS FINALLY USED HIS FLAMES! AGAINST AN OPPONENT LIKE MIDORIYA IT WAS BOUND TO HAPPEN! NOW, HOW WILL OUR FRESHMEN REPRESENTATIVE RESPOND?!"
The aforementioned Sorcerer narrowed his eyes, as he came to a less-than-stellar realization. Despite rarely using his flames,
Shoto had a lot of firepower.
As soon as the thought festered in his mind, a torrent of flame barreled toward the Sorcerer who only narrowly dodged.
Izuku was now on the defensive.
Barely able to regain his bearings, Izuku dodged another torrent of flames, his frown deepening.
He'd have to use it.
"I hoped to save this for that piece of shit but as things are now, I don't see myself beating Todoroki without it." Exhaling deeply, the Sorcerer began to reach into his sports jacket.
It was time to show the world what he'd been up to.
In one fluid motion, Izuku had produced what he'd asked Mei to make two weeks prior, and what he'd been training to use ever since.
From his jacket, Izuku pulled out a Smith & Wesson - Model 19 Classic.
A chorus of gasps reverberated throughout the venue as even his opponent seemed completely gobsmacked by his new tool.
Present Mic was the first to break from his stupor as he took to the microphone, voicing the thoughts of the crowd.
"IS THAT A GUN?! IS THAT SHIT EVEN ALLOWED?! OUR REPRESENTATIVE IS NOT PLAYING AROUND ANYMORE! SHOTA, EXPLAIN!"
The homeroom teacher lazily took the microphone, annoyance threatening to overtake his features as he grew tired of having to constantly explain.
"As we know, Midoriya's quirk allows him a variety of abilities known as Cursed Techniques. Well, one of these Cursed Techniques is known as construction and functions similarly to Momo Yaoyorozu's quirk, creation. The difference, however, is that Izuku cannot currently create things larger than his finger without suffering from exhaustion and as such we have accepted his request to use a pistol with non-lethal ammunition so that he may actually use his new Cursed Technique."
Shoto furrowed his brow at his adversary, vexation painting his face as he too came to a less-than-pleasant realization.
While he was busy refusing his flames, his class was out strengthening themselves.
He had to catch up.
The teens stood, studying one another, the tension within the venue thick as the crowd eagerly awaited for someone to make the first move.
That someone was Izuku.
With a twitch of his finger, a rubber bullet zipped through the air, tagging Shoto in his left knee.
The dual-haired boy dropped to one knee, sending out a torrent of fire that nearly roasted Izuku alive.
Clasping his hands together, the greenette summoned Divine Dogs before quickly changing the hand seal to summon Nue, both Shikigami materializing beside him.
He had a plan.
"FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE OBSTACLE COURSE WE GET TO SEE DIVINE DOGS AND NUE IN ACTION!"
"My favorite is the Black Dog."
"THRILLING COMMENTARY, SHOTA!"
With a wave of his hand, Izuku sicced his twin Dogs on the hero in training, the white half-covering Izuku's left and the black half covering his right.
The Shikigami's summoner hung back slightly, unloading three bullets from his revolver which caused Shoto to form an ice wall to defend himself.
That's exactly what he was waiting for.
The twin dogs converged on their adversary, their claws cutting through the wall of ice and slashing the dual-haired teen on the cheek.
Perfect.
The Sorcerer lined his revolver up and fired twice, each of the rubber bullets zipping through the hole his Divine Dogs had made and nailing Shoto in the chest, knocking the wind from the boy.
Keeping his revolver level, Izuku motioned Nue to check on the downed boy, just in case he was still conscious.
And conscious he was.
A burst of flame repelled the bird summon which Izuku hastily dispelled before turning toward his adversary.
Shoto's entire left side was smothered in flame, as though he was moments from being fully consumed by it.
"I'll admit, that gun of yours gave me more trouble than I thought, but it's a six-shooter and you just used your last two. None of your Shikigami can withstand my flames and if you use limitless it might kill you. You can't win."
Izuku felt a grin tugging at his lips as he kept his revolver level.
"Try me."
Shoto felt his own grin begin to paint his face as he reared his left arm back. His next attack would be his last.
But it would also be his strongest.
Dropping his hips, Shoto shot his fist forward, a massive wave of fire engulfing the entire arena save for where he himself stood.
As the wave of fire rapidly approached his opponent, the dual-haired contestant's grin shifted to a look of confusion as he watched his adversary point his revolver to the spot directly beside him and fire.
"He must've used Construction to create an extra bullet, but regardless he completely missed. Is he stupid?"
Not in the slightest.
Shoto watched as the bullet whipped by him, briefly catching its shadow as it continued to head toward the dirt outside the arena.
"Wait. Shadow?"
As soon as it registered within his mind, Izuku popped out from the shadow of the bullet, slamming a Cursed Energy-coated fist into the dual-haired contestant's jaw which sent him sprawling to the ground.
Scrambling to gain mount, Izuku caught a weak punch from Shoto and immediately transitioned into an arm bar,
His adversary tapping instantly.
The venue went dead silent as they attempted to process what they'd just seen.
Izuku had a gun, shot Shoto six times with said gun, created a new bullet to throw the youngest Todoroki off guard, and then proceeded to hide in the shadow of said bullet, before finally ending the fight with another submission.
Present Mic was the first to break the silence per usual.
"HOLY SHIT! AFTER HIDING IN THE SHADOW OF A BULLET IZUKU MIDORIYA HAS MANAGED TO SECURE THE SECOND EVER SUBMISSION VICTORY IN SPORTS FESTIVAL HISTORY! AND THAT'S AFTER GETTING THE FIRST ONE! IS THERE ANYTHING THIS KID CAN'T FUCKING DO?!?!"
"You can't curse on live television."
"Your student just set and beat a record, bite me."
"ARE YOU READY FOR THE FINAL MATCH?!?!"
The venue seemed to rattle as the spectators cheered, eager to watch the thrilling conclusion of an already historic Sports Festival.
The two finalists stared each other down, wrathful ruby reds locking with vexed storm blues as they all but patiently awaited their starting signal.
"IN ONE CORNER, WE HAVE THE PHYSICALLY DOMINANT KATSUKI BAKUGOU! THIS BEAST OF A HERO STUDENT WILL EXPLODE ANYTHING IN HIS PATH TOWARD BECOMING THE BEST! AND IN THE OTHER, THE FRESHMEN REPRESENTATIVE WHO'S MADE HISTORY, TWICE, EARNING HIM THE AFFECTIONATE NICKNAME 'THE KING OF STRANGLERS'! WILL HE ABLE TO REPLICATE HIS PREVIOUS WINS?! OR WILL HIS ALREADY HISTORIC RUN BE CUT WHERE IT STANDS?!"
The tension ate away at the spectators, some even chewing their nails as they waited for the crack of the whip that would signal the start of the match.
One spectator, in particular, was especially restless.
The woman's rabbit-themed boot tapped anxiously up and down as her ruby-red eyes narrowed at the green-haired contestant, a look of confliction gnawing away on her features.
When he'd delivered his speech, Miruko wrote him off as the typical social anxiety-ridden teen who couldn't throw a proper punch.
But then he won the obstacle race.
After that, she found her eyes lingering on the boy for a bit longer than she'd like to admit, the newfound habit only growing worse after the pillow fight and dodgeball game.
But then the 1 on 1 matches started.
The kid she'd expected to be a sniveling wimp had made UA history by being the first student to ever win a tournament match via submission.
Something even she couldn't do.
Then, before she was even able to write it off as his opponent being weaker than him, he'd managed to do it again.
Against the son of Endeavor no less.
Not to mention the kid used the same style of Taekwondo she fought with.
All of these events merged, forming a brand-new opinion of the green-haired finalist.
One of respect.
And no matter what, on her pride as both Miruko and Rumi Usagiyami, she'd get the boy to intern with her.
No matter who she had to fight for him.
"I hope your mom knows your casket size, Deku!"
The freshman representative didn't respond, opting to continue boring into the blonde's soul with his Six-Eyes as he patiently awaited the match to start.
He didn't have to wait much longer.
As soon as the whip cracked through the air, the two combatants closed the gap between one another, Katsuki feigning a wide right hook.
Which Izuku ignored.
Instead, the Sorcerer slapped away the left knee that followed before cupping the sides of Katsuki's face,
And using that leverage to bring the blonde's face down into his own knee, sending him reeling.
"OUR REPRESENTATIVE HAS DRAWN FIRST BLOOD! WILL HE BE ABLE TO KEEP PACE? OR WILL OUR BLONDE BEAST FINALLY PUT HIM DOWN?"
Katsuki growled before closing the distance once more, throwing a jab cross which hit the air as Izuku slipped out of their range. The blonde then hastily threw a right-leg calf kick which Izuku checked with his left.
The greenette quickly switched stances, intent on responding with a kick to the ribs.
Which Katsuki expected.
As soon as the Sorcerer's left leg rose, Katsuki tackled him to the ground, sending explosion after explosion into his adversaries face as they descended.
Once they hit the ground, Katsuki immediately slapped away Izuku's right arm, killing the submission attempt dead before using his free hand to cover the Sorcerer's face.
"BAKUGOU DON'T!"
And explode it, point blank.
Izuku's body fell limp, whatever resistance he was putting up dying as consciousness slipped from him.
Izuku Midoriya did not like Katsuki Bakugou.
After enduring torturous physical and mental abuse from said blonde, it would be hard not to have a strong disdain for his tormentor.
But when all was said and done, Izuku, just like every time prior, had lost to his former friend.
He was weak.
Katsuki was strong.
That was how things had been and would continue to be for the foreseeable future.
"Are you cryin'?"
Glazed eyes looked toward his left in an attempt to put a face to whatever voice he'd heard just now.
What he saw, or rather who he saw, nearly gave the Sorcerer a heart attack.
Crouched down beside him, wearing a pair of round-rimmed glasses alongside a shit-eating grin, stood the man he'd only ever heard of.
Satoru Gojo.
The Grade One Sorcerer reached a lethargic arm out in an attempt to grasp the visage of the man but found that it was only that.
A visage.
The condescending smirk that adorned the older man's face, however, was very real.
"Don't tell me this is the so-called Sorcerer I put my faith in. If you can't even beat a blonde with an attitude problem then how do you expect to exorcise special grades?"
Izuku opened his mouth to speak, desperate to refute the man before him,
But no words passed his lips.
Satoru raised a dismissive hand before speaking to the boy once more, the condescension oozing from his tone.
"Not only are you on the ground moments away from losing, but you can't even use neutral Limitless without nearly killing yourself, much less the techniques derived from it. I'm starting to wonder if we made the wrong choice, choosing you to carry on our will that is." A mocking laugh punctuated The Strongest's sentence as he began to walk away from the crumpled form of Izuku, a slight grin painting his face as a primal growl graced his ears.
It worked.
"IT SEEMS AS THOUGH IZUKU MIDORIYA CA-"
Fear.
A sense of fear flooded the venue, silencing any and all speech while causing some of the weaker present to fall unconscious.
As though rising from a grave, Izuku Midoriya stood to his feet, the right half of his lower jaw and neck missing a significant amount of skin and flesh as a crazed grin instilled itself upon his face.
He was back.
And he was going to win.
Up in the stands, a sense of unease settled upon Aoi as a vague sense of recognition hit him when looking at his younger brother.
And then it finally hit him.
The overwhelming Cursed Energy, the crazed grin, and the nasty injury.
In that instant, Izuku Midoriya withheld a striking resemblance to Satoru Gojo.
Back in the arena, a stunned Katsuki gazed upon the injured form of his adversary. Although he didn't put enough in the blast to outright kill Izuku,
The Sorcerer definitely shouldn't be up and smiling, as though his explosion only tickled.
Clearing her throat, Midnight did her best to push down the fear bubbling in her stomach, before speaking once more.
She still had a fight to proctor after all.
"I-IT SEEMS LIKE MIDORIYA IS ABLE TO CONTINUE FIGHTING! PLEASE RESUME THE MATCH!"
As soon as he received the ok, Katsuki rushed his injured opponent, intent on ending the fight as quickly as possible.
Whatever Izuku was up to couldn't be good.
Closing the distance, Katsuki threw a right leg round kick at a neck-breaking speed, the aforementioned attack barreling right toward the Sorcerer's head.
Before stopping dead in its tracks.
Drops of blood began to pour from Izuku's face as his grin grew even wider upon seeing the look on Katsuki's face.
It was the same look the blonde had beaten into his face countless times throughout the years.
Complete and utter fear.
For those out of the know, their faces shifted to ones of confusion as, for all they knew, Katsuki had stopped his kick mere inches away from his adversary's skull.
But for those who did know, a look not dissimilar to Katsuki's made itself known, although for an entirely different reason.
If Izuku continued to use Limitless, there was a very real chance he'd die before even receiving a medal.
Noticing the look of confusion that befell most of the crowd, Shota motioned for the microphone so as to further explain Izuku's technique.
"Recall back during the dodgeball game, I gave you all the name of the technique used without properly explaining what it does. Izuku's Limitless allows him to take the finite space between him and an object and divide it by infinity. In mathematics, no matter how you divide a number it will never reach zero, and as such, no matter how fast or hard an attack is, it will never reach Izuku."
Murmurs reverberated throughout the venue as Pro's and Civilians alike gushed over the strength of the Cursed Technique, some members of the former already drafting their internship requests.
"However,"
The tone in his voice dropped significantly, silencing the entire venue present as he spoke once more.
"The toll it takes on his brain is enough to cause severe cerebral hemorrhaging if used for too long. I'm sure the problem child can figure out a way to negate that fact in the future, but as it stands now, Limitless is a Cursed Technique best reserved for once everything else has failed."
Back in the arena, Katsuki stuck his hands outward, sending a moderate blast that served to propel him backward rather than harm the Sorcerer.
Dusting himself off, a confident smirk rested itself upon the blonde's face as he came to a realization.
All he had to do was stall.
Taking a strong leap backward, the blonde put even more distance between himself and his opponent before mocking the aforementioned adversary.
"In theory that Cursed Technique of yours is perfect. However, it's no secret that it actively fries your brain when you use it meaning anyone with half-decent mobility can just wait for you to end up killing yourself!" Once again, Katsuki was absolutely right,
Had Izuku not been feeling particularly inspired by the visage of Satoru Gojo.
Turning his head toward the commentary booth, Izuku spoke, his voice marked with a twinge of excitement, eager at the chance to show off and beat his tormentor all in one move.
"Aizawa-Sensei, you're right on the nose when it comes to Limitless but I have a question to ask. What would happen should I use Cursed Energy to infinitely converge that divided space into a single point?"
The scraggly man hummed in thought before widening his eyes.
"It'd create an effect not dissimilar to a void, pulling anything in range toward its center."
"Bingo."
Raising his right arm, Izuku opened his palm and poured as much cursed energy as he could muster into Limitless, converging the space in the center of his palm which caused a small blue orb to appear.
"Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue"
The effect was immediate as Katsuki, who was intent on outmaneuvering the Sorcerer, was flung toward the blue orb.
With his free left hand, Izuku threw a right hook which caught the blonde clean in the jaw, sending him flying to Izuku's right.
Before being immediately drawn back toward the orb.
Blow after blow sent the blonde flying, only to be returned to the blue orb and have the cycle start over again as bones began to break and blood started to flow.
It was humiliating.
The boy he'd thought of as nothing but a pebble on his path to greatness was beating him senseless on live television. For Izuku, however,
It was cathartic.
Every punch he landed on the blonde wasn't to win the festival, no,
It was to rectify the torture he'd endured for years.
It was not Izuku, future Special Grade Sorcerer, landing these blows, no,
It was Izuku, the kid who'd never cut it as a hero, striking his bully down for every slight the blonde had made against him.
The beating continued until Izuku felt the edges of his vision darken, indicating that he was on the cusp of unconsciousness, even death.
Dropping the technique, he noticed that Katsuki was no better.
His face sported a series of deep gashes as his chest heaved in a desperate attempt to take in air. His nose was broken at an odd angle while his right shoulder was out of its proper socket.
Upon seeing the beaten and broken form of Katsuki, Midnight began to raise her hand, signaling the match's end.
Until an explosion slammed into the Sorcerer's sternum, knocking the already weak boy onto his back.
The blonde shakily mounted his adversary before sending explosive blows into the greenettes skull with his good arm.
Each blow stirred up another memory of his torment, of his abuse, making the boy feel as though they were right back at the playground,
The spot where it all started.
As soon as the thought kissed his mind, a second wind enveloped the Sorcerer.
Raising his arms, Izuku brought the blonde's head down before wrapping his arms around his adversary's throat, ensnaring him into a guillotine.
The crowd, who were initially too stunned to speak, broke from their stupor and began to cheer for the Sorcerer.
"IT SEEMS LIKE MIDORIYA IS ATTEMPTING TO WIN HIS THIRD AND FINAL FIGHT VIA SUBMISSION! WILL OUR KING OF STRANGLERS MANAGE TO PULL IT OFF BEFORE HE SUCCUMBS TO THE DRAWBACKS OF LIMITLESS?!"
Chants of '3-Peat' erupted from the spectators as they feverently cheered for the greenette.
Katsuki refused to lose like that.
Bringing his knees up, the blonde rose to a half-stand-half crouch before throwing himself over Izuku, breaking free from the submission attempt.
But also exposing his back.
In that briefest of moments, Izuku scrambled over to the blonde, taking his back and snaking his arms around his throat before crossing his legs over his adversary's torso, ensuring he wouldn't escape.
"AS SOON AS BAKUGOU ESCAPED, THE KING OF STRANGLERS WAS ON HIM LIKE WHITE ON RICE! DO WE HAVE A 3-PEAT SUBMISSION STREAK ON OUR HANDS?!"
Once Katsuki went limp, they received their answer.
"Now here to present the medals its-"
"I AM HERE!"
The hulking man walked toward the podium, three medals in hand.
Shifting his focus to third place, the number one Hero spoke as he produced a bronze medal.
"Your performance was stellar, young Todoroki! However, your reliance on your ice proved to be your downfall. Once you had finally used your flames, you had little to no control over them which is what allowed young Midoriya to secure the win. Better luck next time!" The hulking hero slid the medal around the dual-haired teen's neck, receiving a small nod in acknowledgment.
Shoto was well aware of the work he needed to do.
Turning to second place, All Might hardened his face as he spoke, intent on drilling some sense into the boy.
"Young Bakugou. When it comes to physical strength and instinct you hold first place by a mile. However, your rage and arrogance constantly result in you throwing yourself headfirst simply because you believe you're the best fighter alive. News flash, you aren't. Midoriya has his faults which I'll get to but despite those he continues to be a well-rounded fighter able to recognize the strength of others and think on the fly to counter them. You can take a page from his book." All the hero received was a grumble in response.
Sighing deeply, the Pro Hero set the medal down beside the wrathful blonde, knowing better than to try and put it on him.
Finally, All Might turned toward this year's winner, and the boy couldn't have been more different from the other two podium holders.
A river of tears flowed from his eyes as bubbles of snot popped from his nose, painting his upper lip.
Chuckling to himself, All Might began his assessment of the winner.
"Young Midoriya,from beginning to end you have shown exemplary teamwork and selflessness, ready and willing to put others before yourself. While it is a defining trait for a great hero, I must condemn your lack of self-preservation. Throughout the school year, I implore you to stamp that nasty habit before it results in the death of you and subsequent others." Raising the gold medal, All Might began to lower it around the winner's neck,
Until a hand stopped him.
Izuku slowly pushed back the medal before shakily speaking, sobs of joy still wracking his body.
"I-If its o-okay with you, I'd like my f-family and doctor to put the m-medal on m-me. They're the o-ones who gave me the strength t-that got m-me first p-place." The Jujutsu Sorcerer barely got the sentence out as his Six Eyes locked with the Pro Heroe's black and blue ones.
Contemplating the request for a few seconds, the blonde hero shrugged before nodding.
Before he could even call upon the aforementioned people, they were already in front of Izuku, looks of pride and concern marking their faces.
Inko was the first to speak as lithe fingers framed her son's jaw, taking extra care to not touch the bandaged half as her own tears threatened to fall.
"You were amazing out there Izu but for the love of god please stop using that technique until it doesn't hurt you. I nearly had a heart attack when he said severe cerebral hemorrhaging!"
The youngest Midoriya smiled softly before giving his mother a small nod in tandem with a gentle hug.
His big brother stepped up next and his hug was nowhere near gentle.
"BROTHER! You have grown strong and quite frankly I could not be more proud! However, I agree with Mom when she said stop using Limitless! You'll master it when you're ready, forcing it will only do more harm than good."
The greenette offered a shaky nod, feverently tapping his brother in an attempt to escape the bone-crushing hug he was ensnared in.
Dr. McKnight stepped up next and although he had called him his doctor,
The man was more like family to him.
"You're a far cry from the kid who came into my office nearly a year ago and like the others I couldn't be more proud of you. We can talk more during our next session but for now, enjoy yourself, me and Inko made all your favorite foods for when you come home." The dark-skinned man patted the boy on the back. Although Izuku was technically his patient,
The boy felt more like a nephew to him and Inko his sister.
"Thanks, uncle."
And luckily the boy felt the same way.
Clearing his throat, All Might motioned toward the gold medal which the three family members quickly grabbed, eager to give it to Izuku.
Each one of them grabbed hold of the medal with their right hand before gently placing it around the greenettes neck, fireworks popping immediately after as if to punctuate the action.
Despite the splitting headache and groaning bones, one thing was abundantly clear to Izuku.
This was the happiest he'd ever been.
Kazitski: Just finished binged reading and it's been good. It's a good take for a Izuku Gojo fic. I've been enjoying it, my only nitpick though is I think the pacing is fast?
I'm really not sure but it's still a fun read. My most awaited moment for the story is when Izuku will be in that honored pose/event. I also feared that you will use Eri or have Eri in that moment too basicallv giving her the Riko treatment... (I do hope that I just didn't give you an idea for a plot point...)
Ant: Im ngl the pacing is fast. That's mainly cuz unlike my story Heavenly Restricted, this doesn't have an outline. I'm making shit up as I go which results in me skipping a lot of dialogue and whatnot. The reason why I don't have ah outline is because I wrote this fic while watching MHA just cuz and all of a sudden we at 200 favs and follows.
As for the honored pose shi I mainly wanna wait till Izuku is in a scenario where he NEEDS RCT or he's cooked. Ion know when that's gon happen tho word is bond.
3headed-dragon:an interesting take on the second event for the sports festival. I've never seen that one done before.
Love that you're having Mei be the maker of Cursed Tools. I wonder who Izuku will intern with as while there are a lot of front line combat heroes, there aren't a lot with Quirks similar enough to Izuku's Cursed Techniques to help him with either control or to think of new ways to use them. He'll probably have to focus on someone that that can either improve his weapon combat and hand to hand combat. Can't wait to see what you have in store for the one on one battles.
Ant: I fucking hate the cavalry battle, like legitimately.
I feel like Izuku can mainly rely on Aoi for help with Cursed Techniques unless the one he needs help with functions similarly to someone else's quirk ie construction and creation. As for his internship, it'll be geared toward increasing his physical strength and hand to hand while also getting him some experience under his belt(there's only so much Aoi could teach him in 10 months). I have a really vague idea of how I want to handle the internships although I will say that he obviously won't be interning with Gran Torino, word is bond.
Speakin of y'all know the deal type shi say it w me,
WORD IS BOOOOONNDDDDDD