Aizawa watched as Izuku walked out of the labyrinth. When he saw Reiko go to him, he didn't think much of it, but what caught his attention was Shoto; when Shoto looked over his shoulder at Aizawa, all Aizawa saw was disgust. Aizawa just walked off to the tunnel. He hadn't gotten far when he heard his name and knew who was calling him: Vlad.

"What do you want Vlad?" Aizawa said, turning around, unable to deal with whatever was on Vlad's mind. When he turned, he didn't see the right hook that had landed. It busted his lip and filled his mouth with blood as he stumbled. He caught his balance, only for a coated fist to land on his gut, dropping him down to his knee.

"That is my student, not yours, do you understand," Vlad leaned down and said quietly. "If you ever interfere with him or anyone else in my class, you better pray that someone is there to pry me off of you. You are fucking disgrace, and you just fucking lost."

"He is going to die, Vlad," Aizawa managed as he tried to catch his breath. "He is going to die, and you are letting him rush headlong into the arms of death."

"That is his choice; the only two things guaranteed are birth and death," Vlad shoved Aizawa's head, making him fall back. "All you can do is try to live your life so when death comes, you are at peace. It doesn't matter if you like it, it doesn't matter if I like it, or any of those idiots who dare to shout him down. It is his life."

"Did he reach out to you for advice or something, ask you for help?" Vlad growled. "Keep your damn opinions to yourself and stay away from my class. Maybe pay attention to your students instead of worrying about a student who just beat you on national television after he had already fought two other students." Vlad stepped over Aizawa and walked away.

"Need a hand?" he heard Midnight's voice emerge from the darkness.

"How long were you there, Nemi?" Aizawa said, getting to his feet.

"The entire time," she responded, coming into view. "Izuku Midoriya has changed since he first arrived, and what he said in his speech is not wrong. You know the statistics, Shota; even if he had a quirk, there are no guarantees, but he is challenging the system with every step. The system doesn't like to be challenged; they change the game when you do. What you did out there is petty and disgusting; you acted like a petulant child who isn't getting their way, so they decided to hit and lash out. Not only did you disgrace yourself, but you disgraced our profession as teachers and heroes. When you're done bleeding, Nezu wants to see you."

He looked at one of his oldest friends, and the gaze he found staring back at him was one he had never seen before; it made him feel small. She handed him a Kleenex and started to walk away. "Nemi," he said, but she didn't turn around or stop.

Izuku

He was awoken by a gentle kiss, "Hello, Kyoka," he responded, his eyes still closed.

"How did you know it was me?" she whispered.

"Your ChapStick," he said as he opened his eyes, slipped a hand behind her head, and pulled her down in a deep, passionate, slow kiss. He felt her body lean and lay across his chest as they kissed. When they broke apart, she leaned in and kissed him lightly.

"You should get up; they are about to announce the brackets for the third round," she whispered.

"Did you make it into the tournament," he said, sitting up.

"No, but Rieko and Pony did, as did Toru and Momo, so I have plenty of people to cheer for," she smiled. "What you did was impressive," she blushed when he took her hand to walk out of the infirmary but didn't pull away.

They paused when they reached the stands. He had expected her to break off, but she gave him a nudge with her shoulder. "We are all sitting together," she said. "Solidarity and stuff."

"Everyone?" he said, surprised.

"Everyone," she smirked. They came up the stairs, and he stopped. Both classes were sitting together. Some boys were still sitting apart like Eijiro, but his face didn't convey anger but contemplation.

"Well, everybody, the sweet 16 bracket has been set, and we are ready to begin the third and final round of the First Year's Sports; if everyone is ready, let's see how the tea leaves have been read," Present Mic called out.

The class looked at the big screen as brackets were filled in,

Shoto Vs. Denki Fumi Vs. Manga Reiko Vs. Setsuna Itsuka Vs. Mezo Mina Vs Izuku Toru Vs. Ibarra Momo Vs. Hitoshi Pony Vs. Neito

"The first match will start in 15 minutes; combatants report to your dressing rooms! Oh, Yeah!"

Shoto and Denki walked away without saying anything, as their classmates had said good luck. "Who is Hitoshi?" Izuku asked.

"General Studies," Momo said. "If I weren't aware of his quirk already, I would be worried, but thanks to a twist of luck in the labyrinth, I will be ready this time."

Shoto Vs. Denki

"Everyone, are you ready to start the third round?" Present Mic called out as the crowd cheered. "To kick things off, we have The Son of Endeavor Shot Todoroki," Shoto took a deep breath before he stepped out; his bad moon worsened.

Outside Shoto's Locker Room

"This is your opportunity to show the world who the next number one hero in the country is," Endeavor said as Shoto opened the door. "Now that you have put aside your foolishness and realized that through the flame, you will be able to reach the pinnacle of hero society, this is your chance to claim your birthright!"

Shoto felt his whole body tense; he had gone to his father to begin training his fire after the events of the USJ after his actions had nearly cost Toru her life. His stubborn refusal to use his other half-hand almost resulted in the death of the girl. It had nearly cost him, Bondo, and Neito; without Nieto's ability to copy his quirk, those two would have beaten him and killed him. They wouldn't have stopped with him. And who knows who else would have fallen to them?

He told Fuyumi that he wanted to see his mother, but he didn't tell her he needed to see her.

When the door opened, he had gone to see his mother, Rei, and they looked at each other. Neither spoke, and he had to leave for an hour before they could try again. Emotions flooded them both, and they couldn't process it right away. The second time, they stood silently, Natuso and Fuyumi sitting there silently. "Hello…mom," he finally said; he saw his mother's eyes water, and her tears fell.

"Hello, Shoto," she managed. He took a single step, and that was all it took; then, he was in her arms. Rei was shocked. She didn't know what to do at first, but when her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she felt them shudder as he began to cry, she could only hold him as she cried as well.

"Do you hate me?" Shoto had finally asked; Rei felt like she had been punched.

"No, Shoto," Rei said. "Never, it was never you, never anything you did," she touched his face. "I was sick, I am sick, I was so hurt from your brother's death, so destroyed by what happened, and your father was doing the same things to you; I just couldn't process things right, and I broke. I did something so horrible to you, my darling. I hurt you so bad, and in the end, I left you there. I left you with HIM! I left all of you. I failed; I was wrong, not you, none of you."

"Once I was able to understand what I had done, I prayed for the day that I would be able to tell you how sorry I was, how sorry I was that I did such a horrible thing to you," Rei said. "I don't ask that you forgive me, Shoto; I just want you to know that I love you, I love you so much, and I am so sorry." Rei started to cry again.

"It isn't you that I hate," Shoto said, catching her attention. "I hate him; I hate him so much! I shut off my fire; I wanted to rise to the top using only the ice I inherited from you So you would see me one day and know how much I love you. So you would see me and my ice, know I love you, and smile again."

"Oh, my Shoto," Rei said, hugging him tight.

"But something happened," Shoto said. "I got lost, lost in my hatred for him, lost in my desires to disregard him, and I lost sight of what it means to be a hero. That a hero is supposed to save people. My folly nearly cost me and others their lives. I needed to come here and tell you that I have to use my fire and learn how to use it. I want you to know that I am not him; I am not his son; I am yours! I can't let someone die because I didn't do everything I could to save them!"

"Oh Shoto, you could use your fire, your ice, your fist, a smile, anything to be the hero that you want to be. As long as the way you do it is true to yourself, the hero, and the man that you are inside, that is all that matters," Rei said.

"I want to be a hero that does everything he can to save people," Shoto said.

"Then be that hero," Rei smiled.

"I love you, Mom. I want to live with you," he said. Rei's eyes widened.

"We all do, Mom," Fuyumi said.

"I don't care if we are poor and living in a studio," Natsuo said. "As long as it is just us, I can be happy."

"Yes, Mom," Shoto said. "Let's be happy!"

Shoto glared at Endeavor in the tunnel, "I will claim my birthright today. That of a hero who does everything he can to save people. They are the type of hero I choose to be, not the one you tried to make me!"

Shoto turned his back on Endeavor and walked away. He stood at the tunnel exit waiting to be announced; when he heard his announcement, he scowled. He didn't want to be known as the son of Endeavor; he wanted to be known as Shoto Todoroki, a hero.

"And his opponent, the Electric Denki Kaminari!" Mic announced.

Izuku sat in the stands and watched as Shoto took the stage. He was not looking forward to fighting Shoto, but with the bracketing, it wouldn't matter unless they both reached the finals. A hush had fallen over the crowd as Shoto and Denki made their way to the stage. Midnight was outlining the rules, and the nervous anticipation was palpable. At the command to begin, Denki didn't even get a chance to call out his all-out attack from the USJ before he was encased in ice. Encased doesn't describe what happened uniquely; he was encased in a mountain of ice. Sadly for Denki, ice doesn't conduct electricity; the crowd was both impressed and disappointed at the quickness of the match. Shoto turned to walk off the stage, but he stopped, turned around, and walked back to the ice tomb; his fire came up as he melted the Ice to expedite Denki's extraction; once Denki could be removed, then Shoto left.

Reiko shivered, knowing that Shoto would be in her future if she could advance that. "I must now depart to prepare for my match versus Setsuna; I ask for a kiss of luck from my boyfriend," she said.

Izuku blushed as he turned to her and kissed her; her hand lingered on his cheek as he whispered, "Good Luck." The students gave them a teasing OOOOHHHH, making Reiko blush.

Reiko smiled and left; Set was waiting by the stairs. "Where is my kiss?" Set called out.

"Should I call that Mei girl over for you?" Pony called back, making Set sputter and flee. Pony slid into Reiko's empty chair and laid her head on his shoulder; Kyoka shyly took his hand as she played with her jack.

"Now, entering the arena, put your hands together from class 1-A for Fumikage Tokoyami and his brother in Dark Shadow," Present Mic said. Fumi stepped out, looking nervous even as Dark Shadow played to the crowd. "And his opponent from class 1-B, the always game, Manga Fukidashi!"

Manga came out, playing to the crowd, making his way to the stage. He paused at the stage; they saw his speech bubble turn into a happy face as he stepped up. To the crowd's delight, the two opponents shook hands before they stepped back; again, the crowd was ready.

Fumi & Dark Shadow Vs. Manga

"For our second round match, we have Fumikage Tokoyami and Dark Shadow vs Manga Fukidashi in class 1-B." Present Mic said, announcing the two combatants.

Dark Shadow raced forward as soon as Midnight gave the signal; Manga braced and closed his eyes as the word burst appeared overhead and exploded instantly, showering the arena in a blinding flash of light. Dark Shadow recoiled as Manga burst forward and speared Fumi, who was blinded and didn't see it coming. Once they could see again, the crowd began to cheer as Fumi landed some punches trying to take down Fumi.

After Manga landed a few blows, Fumi managed to cover up. Dark Shadow grabbed Manga and tried to throw him out of the arena. "Boing" appeared behind Manga, and he bounced back. Dark Shadow went to intercept as Fumi got to his feet; dozens of bubbles appeared around Manga with the word "Flash."

They started to pop, and brilliant camera flashes came erupting out. Again, he stunned Dark Shadow. Fumi tried to move, but Manga landed a dropkick that sent him tumbling back. Manga got to his feet, and more "Flashes" appeared around him. He raced at Fumi again. Fumi pulled Dark Shadow back to him, and the quirk took refuge in Fumi's clothes.

When Manga got close and launched another attack, Dark Shadow's clawed hands shot out of Fumi's clothes and landed a brutal counterattack that sent Manga tumbling. Manga prepared for a counter when Dark Shadow reemerged, but he didn't. Instead, Fumi, wearing Dark Shadow-like armor, tackled Manga to the ground. It was odd watching a speech bubble get punched.

Manga tried to fight off his back, but Dark Shadows was relentless; it would move Fumi's arms to strike, then break off and land its shots elsewhere. Manga was taking a pounding, and then the word "RIP" appeared when it fell the top of Fumi's uniform shredded to pieces. Manga used the distraction, and another bubble appeared, "POOF." When that fell, it landed on Fumi's head and popped, engulfing the poor boy in a red cloud. Mange kicked him off and scrambled desperately away. "BOOM!" bubbles appeared and dropped down on Fumi as the boy was gagging and his eyes were on fire; the red mist had been, in fact, pepper spray.

The "Booms" rang down on Fumi and Dark Shadow, driving them out of the ring; Manga didn't even wait to be declared the winner. He ran and jumped off the stage next to Fumi, "Gush" formed, and water started to pour down when it popped. He guided Fumi to the water to clear his face, and the crowd and the class cheered at the friendship they showed. Once the Medical bots arrived, Manga turned off the water and walked with Fumi back to the medical area.

Reiko Vs. Setsuna

"What a thrilling match that was; now we have two ladies of Class 1-B ready to do battle. It is Reiko Yanagi vs. Setsuna Tokage!" Mic announced, and the audience cheered for the girls, hoping for another intense battle.

Reiko and Setsuna stood across from each other. Both girls shook hands and hugged once they entered the arena. Reiko had been a bit shy when she entered, and the crowd cheered; she looked and saw Izuku and the rest of her class cheering for her. It encouraged her, and she even waved to the crowd. Setsuna was in her element, cupping her hand to her ear and urging the crowd to make more noise.

Setsuna took a deep breath, knowing she was at a disadvantage in this fight, and when the call to begin rang out, Setsuna ran straight at Reiko. As soon as she felt the slightest pull on her body, she broke into a dozen parts and crashed into Reiko in a savage fury. A vicious kick to Reiko's head stunned Reiko as more and more blows began to land. Punches, kicks, and body parts crashed into Reiko like a tornado. Reiko went down to one knee. She managed to get her hands and arms up to deflect some of the blows, but she was taking a beating.

Reiko thought of Izuki, thought of the USJ, and she let out a scream, "HERO SHIT!" And threw her hands out. Setsuna's limbs were flung away and floating in midair, held in place by Reiko's quirk. Set struggled for a moment, "Yield Set!" Reiko called out, and a few of Set's limbs crashed into her head. She tried to reassemble herself, but she couldn't.

"Dang it," Set yelled. "I yield."

Reiko immediately released her friend; Set pulled herself together, walked over, and raised Reiko's hand in victory before she stepped back and clapped for her friend.

Izuku

Pony kissed him on the lips, and Kyoka gave him a shy kiss on the cheek. He left for his locker room; Mina was waiting by the stairs.

"I look forward to a good battle," Mina said.

"I do as well," Izuku said. "I know you won't hold back."

"How could I, after that speech, the labyrinth? I wouldn't dare not give you my best," Mina said with a smile.

Izuku sat in his locker room, watching an incredible hand-to-hand drag-out fight between Mezo of 1-A and Itsuka. He didn't know who would win as they traded blows. Mezo was skilled, but Itsuka was better trained. The skill gap started to play, and Itsuka's hands neutralized Mezo's strength advantage as they would grab and trade blows.

Mei came to his dressing room, and they talked about what support gear he would take; he decided to stick with the boots and shock gauntlets for now. "You ready?" Mei said as she watched Itsuka come out on top; she was battered and bloody but victorious.

"Yes," Izuku said. "Are you sure you hitched your wagon to the right horse?"

"No," Mei said with a smile, "Not sure, but either way, I hitched my wagon to you; I am your ride-or-die support girl. But I have something in mind for your entrance."

"What do you have in mind?" Izuku said. The devilish smile that came over Mei's face made him shudder.

"We need to make an impression for you and me," Mei said. "We are going to ruffle some feathers. Are you okay with that?"

"Me being here will do that; you are helping me as well," Izuku said. "Let's do it!" he shrugged; he knew his friends at the soup kitchen were watching and that Silk would never let him forget this.

The Principal of U.A.

Nezu was sitting in a private booth as Shota Aizawa came walking in. Nezu looked at Aizawa's blackening eye and bruised lip. "Normally, I wouldn't be one to condone violence between faculty members, but I must ask how much further you are going to pursue this," Nezu said.

"You know that I am right," Aizawa said.

"I know that you think you are right and that, somehow, only your opinion matters in this situation," Nezu responded. "Mr. Aizawa, every year, we receive a few thousand applicants for U.A., and we sort and eliminate many due to them not satisfying the prerequisites to test for this academy. Those who pass that point are invited to come and take the entrance test. Hundreds of applicants who take the test are attempting to qualify for our Hero Course. Of all those, only 40 will make it in, and 40 students who scored higher than their peers will walk those halls and sit in those two classes."

Nezu turned his attention back to the stadium, "Never have you advanced an entire class to the second year. Lack of promise, lack of ability, lack of some mythical quality that you deem worthy to advance, let alone train. You tell me and everyone who will listen that you are doing it to save them and their lives."

"I am," Aizawa replied. "They gain admittance through a false test, and instead of indulging their dreams, they need to be protected. That is what I am doing; I am protecting them."

"Are you?" Nezu said. "The students you deem worthy have a slightly higher mortality rate than Vlad's. What do you do to help your students get better?"

"I am not a babysitter?" Aizawa snapped.

"No, you are an educator that in his years here has never offered a single student a scholarship, that expels students on a whim and re-enrolls some in a seeming act of kindness, putting them in general studies for what reason? So they can earn their way in? Something they already did to find their way back to your class. Why would they? Why would they put their faith in you to help them succeed when you have done nothing to make them believe that would even be possible."

"I will admit that when you find one to focus your attention on, one that reminds you of yourself or one whatever qualification you think they have, then the strides they make are incredible, but nothing compared to the effort you put forth to the rest of your class," Nezu turned and looked at him again.

"Are you saying that I am a bad teacher? That I am biased?" Aizawa said, his gaze narrowing.

"Yes, you are a terrible homeroom teacher, an amazing crime scene instructor, interrogation, hand-to-hand combat, but as the guide of the hero course, you are a failure," Nezu said, leaving Shota stunned. "You expelled a student the first day and told others they would be expelled later if they did not improve on a baseline test."

"That…" Aizawa began.

"I wasn't finished," Nezu said, glaring at him. "Then do nothing to help; they had to turn to another student you deem unworthy of walking the halls of the heroic class. If a student dares to have fun, smile, or enjoy themselves, I have seen you focus on them and find a reason to expel them. I remember you having fun before Oboro died."

"If his pro had focused more or if he had been more serious," Aizawa said. "He would still be alive."

"What about his teacher? I know you blamed him as well," Nezu said. "Then where is your hatred and self-loathing for yourself and the ones that have died that you sent into the world." Shota froze. "Did your no-nonsense way do anything to save their lives? Did your methods of making people in constant fear of being demoted save their lives? If you put half as much attention to your students as you have to Mr. Midoriya, I wonder where they would be."

Aizawa took a deep breath, "Oboro has nothing to do…"

"Oh please, he has everything to do with this," Nezu said dismissively. "Your entire life had been shaped and hardened because your classmate died. You blamed everyone else: the pro, the teacher, everyone. Even if you do everything perfectly, there is no guarantee of coming home at the end of the day."

"So what is this about?" Aizawa growled.

"I find myself at a crossroads, Mr. Aizawa," Nezu said. "When the USJ was attacked, I took that a bit personally and wanted to find out who had ordered and helped to facilitate this attack on my home. During my investigation, I found some individuals whose systems failed and who I believe can be rehabilitated. One of those is a young girl I would like to slot into the hero course. She has a useful and versatile quirk, but due to circumstances, she has been neglected, abused, and mistreated."

"You want to slot her into my class?" Aizawa said. "Is she even academically up to par?"

"Oh heavens no," Nezu laughed. "You are on the edge of losing your class; I will give her to Vlad. She has a blood quirk, and I believe the environment of his class will be much more conducive to her rehabilitation."

"Losing my class?" Aizawa stopped and looked out to the arena; it was nearly time for Izuku to battle Mina.

"They didn't have much faith in you after your little stunt on the first day, and that has continuously eroded since that day. Your class was so caught up in the dispute with 1-B and Mr. Midoriya that several of your students hesitated during the USJ events. Thankfully, their hesitation didn't cost anyone their lives, and they moved past it. Except for Mr. Kirishima, hopefully, that has been squashed now that they have come to blows."

"Your judgment of the entrance exam aside, these students have beaten out thousands of others to walk these halls, and your decision to make snap judgments has robbed them of the chance they have earned. Your blindness to blatant problems in your students' lives has led to significant problems and hampered the development of true and proper heroes. This is your last warning. Mr. Midoriya is not your student and not your concern. Should you continue to interfere with him or any other member of 1-B, I will see you fired and brought up on harassment charges. Focus on your class and see if you can reach them before you lose them. Who have you been eyeing for advancement?"

"Hitoshi Shinso," Aizawa bit back through clenched teeth.

"Depending on his performance today, I will decide if he should be moved up," Nezu said.

"That is my decision," Aizawa said, watching Mina enter the arena.

"Not anymore," Nezu replied. "Your ability to suspend or demote students is rescinded. If you find these terms unacceptable, I am willing and ready to accept your resignation. I will review your progress bi-weekly to see if you need to be replaced as the homeroom teacher of 1-A." Nezu lifted his cup. "One last thing, Mr. Aizawa, Oboro did everything right; it wasn't his day. Instead of chasing a ghost, focus on not creating more due to your pettiness and arrogance."

"Don't worry, I will take it from here!" came a girl's voice over the speakers.

"How interesting," Nezu smirked.

Mina Vs. Izuku

"Now, entering the arena for her first-round match, put your hands together for MINA ASHIDO!" Present Mic called out as Mina came into the arena with a big smile and waved to the crowd; once she stepped onto the stage, Present Mic could hear and feel the rumble in the crowd, and the anticipation for her opponent was palpable.

"And her…" he began to say there was a screech as his mic cut off.

"Don't worry, I will take it from here," a girl's voice boomed over the speakers. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS, CHILDREN OF ALL AGES, HATSUME INDUSTRIES PROUDLY BRINGs TO YOU THE MAN CHANGING THE WORLD WITH EVERY STEP HE TAKES; LOVE HIM? HATE HIM? BUT YOU WILL REMEMBER HIM!" A guitar rift blared, "IZUKU MIDORIYA"

Living Colour -Cult of Personality

Izuku stepped out, and a chorus of boos fell rained down on him, but Izuku heard some cheers intermixed with the cheers. He paused and spread his arms out wide, causing the boos to get louder; he walked towards the stage, the music blaring. He stepped on the stage, and the music faded out. Mina looked at him and smirked, "Nice entrance."

"It was Mei's idea," he said. They listened to Midnight's instructions, shook hands, and stepped back. Izuku took a deep breath as Midnight gave the order to fight. Mina skated backward, her acid leaving a faint trail on the stage. Izuku began to move forward cautiously. Mina slid to the side; the crowd was screaming for his head. Mina was not about to rush straight into hand-to-hand combat with him; she had heard from Toru that he was well-trained and had seen him fight with weapons at the USJ. At the moment, he was unarmed, but she recognized the support gear from the labyrinth.

The crowd was getting restless as she circled wide; Izuku kept moving forward, slowly cutting off her routes and narrowing the field. She couldn't keep playing the role of mouse. This cat was going to corner her and pounce; luckily, he had kept his distance, and she built up her sweat. She planted her foot and brought her arm in a sweeping fashion across, sending a spray of acid. The moment she had stopped, Izuku burst forward, her arm moved, and he planted engaging the boots and was up over her acid attack with ease. He landed and threw a right jab; Mina slipped to the left.

She bent to the side, planted her hand on the ground, and fired off a kick, hitting him in the chest; there was a faint sizzle from her acid hitting his uniform. Izuku was moved back slightly; Mina pushed off, going upside down, and spun her feet out, sending a shower of acid all around. Izuku shielded his face, and baseball slid right into her. She took out her hands and fell on top of him. She felt him immediately go for her leg, attempting to lock in a heel hook; she swung her free leg, trying to kick him, but missed. She grabbed his bare calf and kicked up the potency of her acid; she heard the flesh sizzle and smelt it burn. She expected to listen to a scream, but all she heard was him hiss in pain.

He hooked his other leg over her knee, locking in the submission, and applied pressure. Mina screamed; she released her hold and blindly threw acid toward his head. Izuku shut his eyes and jerked his head to the side. Mina saw an acid splash where his head was just a moment ago, but some still landed on his chest and neck; Mina felt the pressure increase more, but suddenly, Izuku released and rolled back. Mina scrambled to her feet. She was hobbled, and there was some damage to her knee and ankle.

Izuku realized that he could have done serious harm if he kept it up, breaking her ankle and or knee in the process. He wanted to win but didn't want to leave lasting damage. He advanced quickly, forcing her to try and dodge his leg; his leg wasn't in much better shape from acid burning into his flesh. Mina fired more acid in an upward ark, but Izuku slipped to the side and landed a devastating leg kick to the injured leg; Mina screamed out as she crumpled. Izuku moved forward and grabbed her arm. He activated the gauntlet, and the electroshock tore through Mina. Her vision blurred, and she collapsed unconscious.

Midnight, it was barely declared victorious when water poured over him to wash the acid away. Izuku got to his feet and looked down at his calf. There was missing skin, and it was already swelling. Izuku got to his feet, dismissing any assistance from the medical bots; he looked around the stadium at the crowd and could see his leg's close-up shots. When Mina was loaded on the stretcher, he limped alongside it to the medical wing.

"Another scar," Reiko whispered.

Sports Festival Continues

Toru vs. Ibarra

Mic stood and moved his neck from side to side. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, don't you dare say you can't see her, the girl whose personality shines so bright that you must acknowledge her Toru Hagakure!" he called to the crowd.

"I think he is taking it a bit personal that he got shown up," Cementoss said, chuckling.

"I do believe you are right," Snipe said, pushing up the front of his hat.

"And her opponent, the mistress of vines, the woman who carries her faith with her everywhere she goes, Ibarra Shiozaki!"

Toru had the unfortunate draw of going into battle with Ibarra, which was made worse by the fact she was in the U.A. athletic uniform. Toru sighed at the call to begin; she leaped over the first part of Ibara's attack. Toru made a wild battle cry. Her momentum was suddenly halted by more vines that wrapped around her.

"Submit or ring out?" Ibarra said.

"Um, Ring out, please," Toru said; Toru was gently set outside the ring.

Momo Vs. Hitoshi

Mic rolled his shoulders, "Our next match features the top student of class 1-A, the goddess of creation, a true lady; put your hands together for the one and only Momo Yaoyorozu!" he nodded in approval as the crowd roared.

"And her opponent, he has battled his way here from the General Studies program, climbing that hill, clawing his way to stand before you today, Hitoshi Shinso!" Mic sat back, feeling a bit satisfied. He looks at Hero Chat.

"At least Present Mic isn't phoning it in anymore, but that other girl Hatsume, that shit was fire!" Mic's eyes narrowed.

Momo took the ring vs Hitoshi. Izuku watched as Hitoshi hurled some vile insults at Momo, who said nothing but saw a flash of anger across her face. She calmly created a staff and advanced on him; Hitoshi just kept yelling; he seemed desperate to get some response from Momo. He walked and stepped backward, only to find himself at the edge of the ring.

"Fucking answer me, you spoiled…" he shouts. Momo twirls the staff, and it slams under his chin, shutting his mouth. She spins, strikes him in the gut, and then kicks him in the chest, sending him flying out of the ring.

Momo stands at the edge of the ring, looking down at him, "You do not know the struggles of another," she said. Momo turns and walks away.

"He will not be promoted," Nezu said to Aizawa.

The last match of the first round.

Pony Vs. Neito

"What do you mean I can't do entrance music?" Mic complained. "Sorry about that, folks; now for the final match of the first round, all the way from America, this young lady can not only speak two languages, but she can also speak the international language of kicking your behind, the one and only Pony Tsunotori!"

See, I don't need any damn music, he thought.

"Her opponent, the wild card of 1-B, the gentleman hero, the living embodiment of anything you can do, he can do better, the unstoppable Neito Monoma!"

All-Might had been watching the matches intensely; he was impressed by many of the performances. He took notes as he watched the students performing on that stage and giving their all. Manga has shown versatility in his match with Fumikage and Dark Shadow to win. Reiko's fight with Setsuna had been a lousy draw for Setsuna, but Reiko had demonstrated great control; Setsuna had control as well to manipulate her body in such a manner, and she was brilliant. Itsuka's fighting ability was great; she seemed the closest to being able to handle One for All physically, and her determination and grit shone through. He kept thinking to the USJ how they found her battered and broken, but she was still trying to protect another student even if it was her final action.

Then there was Momo, intelligence, beauty, the versatility of her quirk. Then there was her cunning during the city escape, her determination during the labyrinth to not give up, even after losing her points, and how she battled and overcame different opponents with different techniques and skills. It wasn't just how she approached her opponents; she learned from her mistakes, evident from her battle with Hitoshi.

Then, the final combatants of the first round were announced as he made it to the stage; he leaned forward, his attention focused on Neito. He had inspired others; he was willing to lay everything on the line, ripping victory from the jaws of defeat at the USJ. He was prepared to die to save the others. He was at death's door, but he had pulled through. His only fear was what would happen when his quirk integrated with One For All. Would it give birth to another All For One. Instead of copying quirks, would he take them? How would that affect the boy? Such power could corrupt someone but could also be the perfect counter. How had he prepared for this battle?

Pony and Neito bowed to each other at the start of the match. Pony's horns rocket off lightning quick, and Neito dashed forward, surprising her. She saw his skin change to a brilliant silver as her horns collided, rattling off his armored form. He dived and tackled Pony to the ground; he tried to pin her to the ground, landing a vicious head butt that dazed her. He felt her resistance falter as he scrambled to get into a better position; suddenly, her knees shot up between them. Neito, in his haste, had made a mistake.

Pony pushed him up and got her powerful legs on his chest; she yelled and launched him up off of her. Pony rapidly fired her horns, striking him in the face, before he crashed into the ground, cracking the stage. Pony was on her feet; she jumped into the air to come down on his back with a double stomp. He rolled at the last second, and she saw the metal armor disappear; her feet sank deep into the stage, almost like she was landing in liquid, and then it suddenly hardened.

The murmur of the crowd at him displaying multiple quirks was somewhat put to rest when Mic explained her quirk. The crowd's oohs and aahs during the match changed as they seemed upset that he was borrowing or taking powers from others to win his match. Neito got to his feet looking a Pony. He fired off her horns; they nearly struck true but were deflected by walls of air. He raced behind her, deflecting more attacks. She couldn't turn to defend herself as he took her back and began to sink in a choke. She fought the best she could, but in the end, she tapped out.

He got to his feet, and the crowd was mixed, cheering and booing; Neito stood and waited for Pony to be freed before walking back to the tunnel. "Ignore them, Neito; if they knew you as we do, they would realize that you are a hero already," Pony said.

"Thank you, Pony," he responded.

All-Might sat back and rubbed his forehead, wondering if he could somehow split One for All and give it to multiple people.

In Between Rounds

Medical

Kyoka had come to sit with him; she was worried about his legs. He told them they were sore, but he would be okay. Kyoka eyed him suspiciously; she took his hand, watching the matches with them. Pony joined them after her match when she was cleared quickly. She was upset that she had lost but was okay with losing to a friend, although she promised to kick Tetsu.

"Are you going to use your sword?" Kyoka asked.

"No," Izuku said. "The same reason I didn't tear Mina's knee; I want to win, but drawing the sword is that if life and death are on the line, I just need to make sure I leave an impression. Before I meet you two, Reiko, and the rest, then I would have. I would have done anything to stand on top of that podium. But then…"

"Hope," Pony said with a smile.

"That is what happens when you get pretty girls chasing you around, or you recite Shakespear under their window," Kyoka added.

"I couldn't be more grateful," Izuku said. "I wonder where Mei found that song, though?"

Kyoka smirked, "Who knows?"