I own nothing. Warning, may contain Out of Character moments.

The time between the recreational games and the tournament itself wasn't all that long in Mineta's mind. Ever since Ojiro spoke to him, the shorter boy began to think of ways to keep his mind calm against Shinso. One idea did come to mind but he wasn't sure how long he can keep it up. There were so many taunts his opponent could say to get his tongue flapping. So it was just a matter of time before Mineta gave into the urge to bark back.

But he supposed that is enough thinking for now. Midoriya's match with Kirishima was about to start.

"How are you feeling Young Midoriya?" All Might asked. Currently Mineta was in the corridor to the stadium field with the Number One Hero and Midoriya. And as far as being ready goes, his partner was on the fence.

"It's hard to say… Kirishima-kun's Quirk is quite sturdy; I'll lose in a prolonged battle. I was planning to just use a takedown of sorts to pin him and force a surrender. However, seeing that he is my opponent, I want to take the opportunity to test Full Cowl's combat potential and answer some questions I had. What's my striking strength like? Does it affect my body's durability? How well could I maintain Full Cowl once I get hit? The sooner I get these answers, the sooner I can work out what needs to be improved." Midoriya said. There was more to that, but Mineta lost him the moment he began muttering a mile a minute. Three years… And the shorter boy still cannot process this flood of information that he calls a best friend.

Luckily, All Might proceeded to quickly chop Midoriya's head and neck, putting the brakes on this bad habit.

"You're thinking about it too much! Wondering about your limits is fine and all. But the more time you spend asking, the less time you have to answer and overcome them. The best Heroes are focused in their goals, so go into this battle and aim to answer one or two of those questions." He said.

"Yes sir. Is there anything else I should keep in mind?" Midoriya replied with a nod.

"What's the percentage you can work with no problems? At the end of the obstacle race, you had an onset of cramps after pushing your power." Mineta asked. His partner proceeded to close his eyes as a soft glow enveloped him, the air around him shifting. But just as quickly as it came, the unseen force stopped and Midoriya opened his eyes.

"Five percent. Anymore and One for All will start having negative effects on me. I don't know if it'll be enough to break through Kirishima-kun's defense… But I'll see what I can do."

"That's all I'll ever ask of you, Young Midoriya." All Might said, placing one hand upon his successor's shoulder. Midoriya gave a firm nod before the Hero removed his hand and began walking off. The green haired boy then looked to Mineta for any final thoughts. The shorter boy simply shook his head and just gave a thumb's up. This was all up to him now. So with that, the two went on their separate ways.

One was upon the path of the actor. The other, onto the path of the audience.

Mineta quickly made his way up to the 1A exclusive seating area, not wanting to miss even a second of his partner's battle. And upon finally reaching his destination, he heard Present Mic's booming introductions of the combatants.

"Welcome to the First Match of the Tournament ladies and gentlemen! Our first combatant is the excellent but exceptionally anxious Midoriya Izuku from the Hero Course!"

Mineta wanted to call the Hero out for such an introduction. But the more he thought about it, it made sense, Midoriya did have that sort of duality to him. And taking a closer look, Mineta could see that his partner was both displaying those qualities as he spoke. His back was straight and his shoulders were squared. But there was also a warbled smile upon Midoriya's face.

"Come on man, you've made it this far. There's no need for that look on your face." Mineta thought as he began walking over to where Tsuyu, Iida, and Ochako sat.

"Our second combatant is the sturdy but exceedingly simple Kirishima Eijiro, also from the Hero Course!" Present Mic continued to announce.

"Okay, so he does that for everyone. One positive, one negative." Mineta said out loud to no one in particular. As Present Mic continued to announce the rules of the battle, which were quite simple to understand, Mineta sat down next to Tsuyu and behind Iida. And not even five seconds later, the shorter boy began hearing his fellow classmates of 1A predicting the outcome.

"Kirishima's got this, hands down. That guy's one tough nugget when it comes to head on fights." Kaminari said, leaning back into his seat.

"But Deku-kun has a new skill on his side! As long as his bones don't break, he can keep fighting!" Uraraka argued. Mineta wordlessly nodded to that. And though he didn't speak a word, the others of 1A noticed the gesture. The debate recommenced with both sides giving their own points and counterpoints on the matter. It was an exciting time and Mineta couldn't get enough of it.

I mean, they considered Midoriya as a serious contender in this fight. How could he not be happy?

Though that quickly ended when Bakugou began talking.

"Stop speculating and just fucking watch! If you think Deku or Hair for Brains will win, then just leave it at that! No point in arguing like little shits about something that's up in the air!"

Mineta wanted to bite back against him. Here they all were, having fun talking about the odds of Midoriya and Kirishima's battle. But then the hand grenade had to be the wet blanket. The shorter boy was about to open his mouth, ready to tear into his old nemesis. Then his mind registered the last few words that left Bakugou's tongue.

"Wait… So even you think Midoriya has a chance?" Mineta asked, doing his best not to show a smirk. The silence that followed was quite overwhelming, especially since the noise of the stadium still boomed all around 1A. And it soon began dawning on the others that Bakugou had said something nice about Midoriya. Something that hasn't happened for the entire time they've known him.

However, instead of an explosive reaction, the human grenade simply scoffed. He then proceeded to turn back to the match that was about to start. His sharp eyes were carefully watching both Kirishima and Midoriya.

"If that nerd has made it this far, then you're damn right he has a chance. It's slim, but it's not zero." He said, his voice projecting a tone that was calm yet intense. Mineta's elation dropped as a lump formed in his throat, this look on Bakugou was something he truly dreaded. Because unlike his pride, where Mineta knew which buttons tested and agitated his ego…

Once Bakugou shows the desire to adapt, only the most infuriating of actions could stop him.

"Let's hope you got something in case you fight him Midoriya…" Mineta thought as he too turned to the fight. This was it.

"Kirishima Eijiro, are you ready!?" Midnight asked, pointing her whip to the red haired boy.

"Ready!" He shouted as his skin became jagged and rigid.

"Midoriya Izuku, are you ready!?"

"I am!" He yelled, his body beginning to emit a soft glow. The tensions between the two fighters began to tighten as Midnight flashed an eager smile. She raised her whip high above her head and let it hang, alongside the audience's anticipation. Like Mineta said, she really knew how to command the crowd. Though that all ended the moment the whip was brought down with a crack.

"Begin!"

But with all that build up… Neither Midoriya nor Kirishima charged each other right away. Instead, the two began to side step around the space between them. The excitement of the stadium died down once more as expectations began building again. The crowd was restless and, as far as Mineta could tell, so were Kirishima and Midoriya.

"Honestly, this is the most dangerous part to any fight. Drawing plans, figuring out what your opponent is doing, the tension that could snap at any moment, the possibility of a power difference… It's all these factors that could decide a battle before it even begins." Tsuyu commented. Mineta wasn't sure who she was talking to, but the commentary certainly helped ease his nerves. Especially since the two fighter began moving towards each other.

When Midoriya took one step forward, so did Kirishima and vice versa. And as the distance closed, Mineta felt the entire stadium moving towards the edge of their seats. The two were literally within each other's range and not a single blow was thrown. Silence over took the stadium as all eyes waited for that fateful moment. The first hit.

"What an intense standoff… Who will make the first move? And will it instantly decide the match?" Present Mic commentated in a low whisper, like he was a golf commentator. Mineta would've laughed at that thought if he wasn't too busy controlling his rapidly rising heart rate.

"This is ridiculous. Someone do something before I pass out from the pressure!" He thought as he began nibbling at his fingernails. And not too soon did that thought passed, the catharsis was upon them. Midoriya and Kirishima, both pulled back opposing arms and threw them forward. A cross-counter!? Right from the start!?

And though Mineta was quite far from the ring, he could feel the weight that both of his classmates were putting into their fists. Time slowed as their blows drew closer and closer to their target. Mineta sucked in air as he readied himself for the attack that will surely set the tone for the rest of the fight!

Both Midoriya's and Kirishima's fists collided with one another as dull thud echoed all around.

"AAAHHH!" Both of them screamed as the two clutched at their hands. Mineta swore the entire stadium was feeling the same thing he was, an all encompassing disbelief at this absurdity. However, a secondary thought occurred to Mineta. If Kirishima felt that, then Full Cowl at five percent was indeed enough to get through his defenses.

"Uh... I was not expecting that…" Uraraka commented, eyes glued to the still hurting Midoriya.

"Did… Did they both break something?" Iida asked as he squinted to try and examine their hands.

But the moment that question ended, Midoriya and Kirishima stopped screaming and quickly looked at the other. Then, in an instant, both of them were trading fists and the tension in stadium finally snapped. One side of the crowd roared as Midoriya landed a blow across his opponent's face. Another side cheered as Kirishima lifted Midoriya off his feet with a heavy blow to the body. But the cheers came back as the green haired boy refused to buckle and repaid the attack with a resolute one, two punch.

Mineta could feel the excitement course through him as he watched his partner give and take blow after blow. However, through the adrenaline, his eyes caught a detail that caused him to stand up and ready a shout. This was no boxing match. What Midoriya and Kirishima were engaged in was an old fashioned slugging. And his friend would find no advantage in that kind of battle.

"Move Midoriya! Move! Use your legs!" Mineta screamed.

"Don't block Deku-kun! You got to parry!" Uraraka shouted. Upon hearing that, the shorter boy looked at Midoriya's forearms and noticed the injuries that were building up. It was just small cuts and bruises, but with each new hit from his foe, it became a shade worse. The girl was right; he couldn't keep blocking those hardened strikes.

And by some miracle, the green haired boy began doing just that, weaving around a straight aimed for his face. While Mineta would've liked to think that he somehow heard their advice, it was more likely that Midoriya just figured it out. Still, it brought a great relief to both the shorter boy and Uraraka that he was staying flexible in this heated brawl.

"Don't let him get away Hair for Brains! Step in!" Bakugou shouted, his voice booming over the noise of the stadium.

"Oh so you ARE on Kirishima's side!" Mineta said just loud enough for everyone to hear him.

"Just because I said Deku has a chance doesn't mean I want him to win! Now fuck off and cheer for your side!"

"And how can I do that when you're drowning out everything with your big mouth!" Mineta argued. A part of him was kicking himself for trying to aggravate Bakugou. Doubly so when the shorter boy remembered that the human grenade was still probably sore about the Obstacle Race. But he supposed that going against Bakugou was a reflex at this point. Mineta did, after all, rebelled against him for Midoriya's sake.

"You want to go at it imp shit!? Cause you still got a bill that needs paying!" Bakugou asked, turning to Mineta as his hands began sparking.

"Both of you calm down! This is not the behavior befitting of Heroes in Training!" Iida shouted, standing up and putting himself between the two. Several others like Kaminari and Tsuyu stood at the ready, fully intent on stopping a possible fight from breaking out. However, before anything could escalate any further, a particular announcement drew everyone's attention back to the tournament itself.

"And he's down! Midoriya Izuku is on the ground! What will happen now!?" Present Mic asked, the question piercing the cheers of the crowd. Mineta's eyes widened as he stared at the kneeling form of his partner. Midoriya was still very much conscious but he was on his knees and his left cheek was slowly trickling blood. But what stopped the shorter boy from crying his heart out was Kirishima's inaction.

"Kirishima, what are you doing? Midoriya didn't surrender or hasn't fallen unconscious. The match is still going." Aizawa said. Mineta swallowed the lump, picking up on what his teacher was saying. It wasn't fair of him to pressure the fighters to keep fighting, especially when one was down. But those were the rules, completely fair to everyone who steps onto that ring.

Kirishima shook his head and began saying something that only someone on field could hear. And luckily for the audience, Midnight acted as his mouthpiece and parroted his words into her microphone.

"Our contestant here feels that it's just not manly to kick someone while they're down. Despite everything you said during the Cavalry Battle, he still feels that an honorless victory is meaningless. And with that, I have a proposition for our two fighters."

Mineta could hear the entire stadium raise an eyebrow to that. What could she have in mind that warranted the interruption of this fight? Midoriya, having gotten up from the ground, stared at the heroine as he wiped the blood that dribbled down his face and arms. Kirishima too looked at Midnight, so stunned that his Quirk deactivated and returned him to a softened state.

Well, at the least, both fighters have a moment to rest.

"Let's add a new victory condition, one right out of boxing. If one of you hits the ground, we'll start a countdown. And if you're not standing before the end of it, you lose. What do you both think?" Midnight asked, gesturing to both Midoriya and Kirishima.

"C-Can she change the rules like that?" Present Mic asked as he turned to Aizawa, vocalizing what many were thinking.

"If both parties agree to it, then yes, she can do that. Midnight's the coordinator, remember?" He answered. His voice sounded a little more interested in the match than before, almost as though Aizawa waited for this. Again, this was probably because he wanted his students to learn something no matter the situation.

And what better way to do that than throwing in an additional challenge.

"Sounds good to me!" Kirishima answered, flashing a toothy, but cheerful grin.

"I accept as well." Midoriya replied with a nod.

"Alright! Now remember, this doesn't overwrite any of the other win conditions. So don't forget that ring out, knock out, and yielding are still options in your book. So with all that said… Let's fight!" Midnight explained before cracking her whip. And once more, Kirishima and Midoriya activated their Quirks and charged straight for one another.

But unlike the slug fest that occurred earlier, the two began to use smarter movements. Midoriya ducked, weaved, and parried Kirishima's punches instead of directly blocking them. And those gave the green haired boy openings to deliver blows straight to his opponent's face. It sent him reeling, but Kirishima stayed true to his nature and refused to let his form crumble.

So in retaliation, the red haired boy began to aggressively move into Midoriya's personal space. With every step, Kirishima followed. With every punch deflected or dodged, he threw out ten times more. He was pressing in on Midoriya. And the mounting damage he inflicted was more than enough to show that victory would be his.

That is, unless Midoriya does something.

Mineta bit his nails as he watched, unblinking, as his partner weave through a rush of fists. With each punch that went near Midoriya, the shorter boy could physically feel his body seize up. It was as though every fiber of his being was praying to some higher power. Praying that the next blow wouldn't be the one to put him down for the count. And Mineta wasn't the only one feeling this way.

Every time Kirishima stepped in, the more Tsuyu's normally neutral face became dyed with worry. Every attack that grazed Midoriya's face, Iida sucked in more air to keep himself focused. And with each counter that Midoriya got in, Uraraka's cheers became louder. This maybe a school organized fight, but it sure didn't feel that way. No, it was a battle between full blooded Heroes in Training.

"Midoriya weaves left! He weaves right! A successful defle– How is he getting out of that blender with only a few cuts!? It's incredible!" Present Mic screamed. And it only became more so when, against all common sense, Midoriya moved closer to Kirishima after parrying a straight. His right arm glowed slightly brighter as he swung upwards, it was a One for All fueled uppercut!

And because Midoriya moved towards instead of away from him, Kirishima was caught by surprise. As a result, his chin was inevitably caught by the oncoming fist. With one last push from Midoriya to complete his uppercut, the red haired boy was launched off the ground and thrown a meter away. Kirishima then landed with a thud, still moving but clearly dazed by the attack.

At this point, the crowd was cheering as Midnight began the count. But what surprised Mineta wasn't the knock down, but the punch that did it. The increased glow meant that Midoriya put more of One for All into that arm. Despite that, however, his partner's arm wasn't visibly broken. He was clutching at it sure, but that's probably just the pain of hitting Kirishima so hard.

That and the possibility that cramps were now shooting through his entire arm right now.

"Wonder what percentage that was? Like, do the negative effects of Full Cowl get worse with more power? Would those go away once Midoriya's body fully adjusts to One for All? Guess some testing is in order once this Festival is over…" Mineta thought as Midnight shouted '6'. Before seven could be counted, Kirishima raised himself from the ground and got back onto his feet. And for a person who took a blow straight to the jaw, he was standing rather steady.

"And Kirishima is up, ready to continue the fight! With one knockdown each, the odds between the two have evened out. Don't you think so Eraser?" Present Mic commented, turning to his co-commentator. The bandaged Erasure Hero shook his before leaning towards his Microphone. And going by the tone of his voice, Mineta knew that Aizawa had already picked a side.

"Exciting the crowd aside, your statement couldn't be even further off. Anyone could see the issues here, Midoriya especially. This is a battle of attrition. And the first person to wear out will be the one to lose."

Mineta wiped at the sweat that was forming at his brow. His former master was right; Midoriya was in danger zone right now. His wounds will weaken him while Kirishima is relatively unharmed by comparison. Not only that, the red haired boy's body, and Quirk by extension, should be at peak performance by now.

"Ahh… What's he going to do?" Uraraka groaned, ruffling her hair around.

"Midoriya-kun needs to change his approach if victory were to be his. Is it possible for him to pressure Kirishima-kun to the boundaries?" Iida asked.

"It's as likely as punching a boulder out of a rut. Look." Tsuyu answered with a tone of sadness, before pointing to the field again. Midoriya was on the offensive again. However, the blows he was throwing out weren't doing so much except make Kirishima flinch slightly. And the more he hit, the more the bruises on Midoriya's knuckles began to blacken and bleed.

"Midoriya! You need to–!" Mineta began yelling before a thundering crash was heard. Midoriya was on the ground as Kirishima hung his left fist over the right side of his body. The stadium was in deep silence as Midnight went to check the green haired boy that lay in near stillness. Mineta felt like his heart couldn't beat and, based on what the atmosphere felt like, neither could 1A's.

Even Bakugou stared on, jaw clenched with all his might.

Midnight stood…

She raised one hand up into the air…

"ONE!" She counted, piercing the silence. Some of the immense tension was released, the green haired boy was still conscious enough to fight. But now the question is could he even stand?

"TWO!"

The general audience, antsy from the remaining weight that hung on their shoulders, began to join the count.

"THREE!"

All around Mineta, he could hear the voices of the first years release a triumphant shout.

"FOUR!"

The Pro Heroes in attendance let out their own voices upon accepting the flow of the crowd.

"FIVE!"

Present Mic and Aizawa leaned forward as their microphones picked up the words in their respective tones.

"SIX!"

The UA teachers stood up from their seats, eyes glued to the field but their mouths moving on their own.

"SEVEN!"

1A, fully out of their stupor, began to cry out all sorts of things. From wishes to stand up to recommendations to stay down, their attention was all on Midoriya. All for the boy who fought with everything he had.

"EIGHT!"

But through all this, Mineta remained quiet. He really didn't know what to think. Not that he had a lot of time left for that. There was, however, a heat buried away deep within his little form. A heat that only grew hotter as the count reached the last point before the ultimate end. It couldn't be contained any longer and Mineta knew this. So with a deep breath…

"NINE!"

"GO MIDORIYA!" Mineta screamed with every bit of air in his body. It was enough to break 1A away from their cries. It was enough to catch the attention of the UA teachers. It was enough to have Aizawa and Present Mic say something about him. It was enough that the Pro Heroes to catch wind of his existence. It was enough to silence the other first years. It was enough to get the general audience to quiet down. It was enough for Midnight to look at him as she readied the last number on her tongue.

And…

It was more than enough for Midoriya to push himself back onto his feet.

He was heaving. Drops of his blood dripped down onto the ground. His legs wobbled. His arms could barely keep themselves up. But there were only two things that remained strong… The light in his eyes… And Midoriya's reliable back that still stood straight.

"HE'S UP! I don't believe this! After all that, Midoriya still has fight left in him! And you still think he still has no chance!?" Present Mic asked, turning to Aizawa.

"He has the spirit, I'll give him that. But one look at Midoriya and you can see that he's running on fumes. Though with that said… The most dangerous moment for any Hero or Villain, is right now." He replied, his eyes now focused on the standoff between Kirishima and Midoriya.

It was like the start of the match, both fighters were sizing one another up. But unlike then, the tension here was absolutely strangling. After all, one hit could very well decide the match. And looking to Midoriya and Kirishima, one could see how both were drawing out a plan of attack. Everything needed to be perfect before either of them could move…

Or, at least, that's what Mineta thought until the two of them simply charged one another. Kirishima was understandable; he's still in good fighting shape. But what possessed Midoriya to rush forward!? He's barely standing! A single push can knock him over!

Still, that didn't stop the shorter boy from cheering with all he had. Tsuyu was crying his name; Iida was making a semaphore message with his arms; Uraraka was straight up praying to whatever God she believes in. The noise of the stadium has reached the pinnacle of loudness as Kirishima and Midoriya were but one step from each other.

This was it.

Everything played in slow motion as Mineta stared head long into this final clash. Kirishima left arm pulled back and launched it straight ahead at Midoriya's face. The green haired boy, however, moved himself slightly to the right of the punch. With his left arm, Midoriya wrapped it around Kirishima's still extended fist and gripped his jersey tightly. Both their left legs were crossed with one another.

Midoriya then pulled with all his strength, turning his body and moving his right foot to behind Kirishima. The red haired teen wasn't in a good position of balance, being forced over his classmate's left leg. And as he began his fall, Midoriya turned again and wrapped his right arm around Kirishima's left. This allowed him to relocate his left further up Kirishima's arm. But while this left Midoriya falling with his opponent…

He'd be right on top and in a position to dislocate a shoulder.

Kirishima crashed into the concrete. He tried to get up, but found a weight pressing down on him and a pressure pulling at his shoulder. The red haired boy tried to forcibly stand, pushing against the ground with his free arm. But every movement he made, Midoriya would simply pull the limb he held.

Mineta felt a drop of sweat roll down the side of his face, watching Kirishima attempt to get up a few more times. Naturally, Midoriya responded by pulling the trapped arm a degree further. And before long, the red haired boy's skin softened as his muscles relaxed.

"You got me! I yield!" Kirishima shouted as he lay as still as possible.

Midoriya released his hold over his opponent and then rolled onto the ground next to him. And only now did the crowd explode into cheers and applause. The long brawl has finally crowned a victor.

"What an unexpected, yet satisfying conclusion to this first match. And let me say this, if this battle had left us all at the edge of our seats… It makes me wonder if our next match will be just as exciting. What do you think Eraser?" Present Mic commented as Midoriya and Kirishima began clearing the field. Well, it was more like the former was being carried by the latter due to exhaustion. But whatever works.

"We hardly get what we hope for. And it's not our place to force our students into pointless spectacle. So whatever happens next, it is entirely dependent on Mineta Minoru and Shinso Hitoshi." Aizawa answered.

Mineta took a deep breath as his nerves began to flare up again. Now that one worry was over, it was onto the next. He looked over to Ojiro, who was looking back at him with an uneasy confidence. Still, his tailed classmate nodded to him and that was all he needed. The shorter boy quickly left the 1A seating area and delved back into the stadium's interior.

For the next time that Mineta would come back out… It would be upon the stage as an actor.

And that has been Chapter 26. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays you filthy animals. It's always been my intention to update four times this month, but I suppose there could've been more order to it.

"F it I say. Holiday miracles are the most chaotic force in the universe. You just can't predict when it comes."

What's a miracle was how I managed to get this out when the last update was last Sunday. But then again, I was oddly motivated writing this chapter. Not just because it was my gift to you, my dear readers, but because I was looking forward to writing it. It was always my vision to have Midoriya and Kirishima have a good old fashioned brawl. My only hope is that you'll have as much fun reading it as I did writing it.

"Well I know I did. The sweat, the blood, it is the proof of a good life."

Well this writer's blood needs to cool down. So after the January update, I'll be returning to the 'once a month' schedule. The only exception to that would be when I feel certain chapters are particularly sluggish. So when that happens, I do hope you'll be patient with me.

"This feels like a set up for spectacular failure."

Whether or not that happens, that'll be for future me to worry about. But that is all I wanted to say. So I hope you're all having fun for the holidays and I'll see you after the new decade hits.

"Where a game of roasting between two purple boys go in an unexpected direction."

So with all that said...

Until Next Time. T1.