We have arrived, and after nearly a year, we have come to the end of the Sports Festival. Before we go further, I want to give the biggest thanks to people who have read this, followed, and favorited it. It's been great to see more sign-on and leave comments. But I must take the planned break for this so I can finish planning out stuff after this, at least till the Overhaul arc, since with so much changed, I need to be careful not to confuse but also to keep the quality of the product up. I don't know when I'll be back, but I'll be sure to announce beforehand, so it just comes out of nowhere.

In the meantime, there is other stuff that I will be posting, both in this fandom and others. So, if you would, I would love it if you gave that stuff at least a cursory look, read a couple of chapters of it, see if you like it, and all that jazz.

Chapter 40: Burning Conclusion.

(Previously)

"Get up; I want to fight you and beat you!" Midoriya declared as he burst into flames, going straight into his second form, letting out a hiss that sounded like rocks rolling down a cliff and hitting every ledge on the way down.

But that didn't intimidate Bakugo in the slightest; it only angered him further. "Fucking Pyromaniac, you're gonna regret not taking him out with that cheap shot!"

Bakugo shot forward again without hesitation, pulling his right hand back for an attack and leaving Midoriya confused. He had just said that he knew how Bakugo fought, that he always started with a right hook. Why would he use it again?

'No, it's a feint, watch his left side inste-!' Midoriya's thoughts were thrown to the back of his mind as Bakugo's right hook landed, firing off an explosion on impact that knocked several of his scales loose. Midoriya let out a fusion of a cry of pain and a hiss of annoyance at the attack. He tried to counter with his tail, but Bakugo fired another blast to avoid it.

Landing a ways away from him, he glared at the stone-skinned monster he had loathed. "Always overthinking things like the damn nerd you are. So what if you know how I fight? I'll change how I fight and leave you confused and in the dirt!" Bakugo launched himself back at Midoriya, starting a fierce melee between the two.

Midoriya wasn't able to use any ranged attacks, Bakugo not giving him the time for a proper buildup of heat of oxygen, but he could let lose burst of superheated air and smoke, forcing Bakugo back or blinding him, giving him a chance to counter, using his larger frame and tail to attack in ways that Bakugo simply couldn't. When he came in from the air, Midoriya's tail was there to either counter or defend. Midoriya swiped at him with stone claws when he came from the sides.

Coming in low to the ground, Bakugo swung his hand towards him. The blast had dug up parts of the floor along with it, pelting Midoriya with stone fragments on top of the shock and smoke of the explosion. Midoriya roared as he flew through the smoke, with little if any damage on his body as Bakugo saw green in his opened jaws and sent himself flying upwards, dodging out of the beam of green flames that went flying where he had just been.

Snapping his jaws shut, he turned his head towards the still airborne Bakugo and unleashed a fireball that he evaded. The audience watching was concerned that the two were going too far, with talks already cropping up, much to the annoyance of classes A and B.

"What the hell? They're not fighting any more recklessly than before; why do they have a problem with it?" Awase asked as people started to openly talk about how much of a loose cannon Midoriya was, which was just bullshit.

"Midoriya even aim fire too low or too high, so no one will be burned." Tsunotori was well in his corner on that point, angry that they were badmouthing her friend even as he fought for the title of the winner of the Sports Festival.

"As much as I loathe complimented Bakugo," Monoma ground out. "He's also being careful with his attacks." One could see that in how the fight progressed between the two, despite Bakugo being quite loud in his yelling, his actions didn't align with his appearance of a berserker. He was planning, adjusting, and aiming his attacks well to ensure that only Midoriya would ever get it. Even when Midoriya landed close to where Midnight stood, Bakugo shifted his aim enough that she was hit by smoke but nothing else.

"It's appearance." They turned to Tokage, whose attention wasn't on her fellow green head but on the people she watched with an ever-growing frown. "Midoriya went from the smol crossdresser right into a hell spawn right off the bat, while Bakugo…well, he makes wild dogs look pleasant."

"Surely that can't be the only reason people aren't as supportive as they could be." Shishida knew firsthand that appearances could negatively affect people's perception of you. Still, Midoriya had done nothing but set himself up as an exemplary student and future hero.

Shiozaki wasn't so sure about that, as she painfully understood the evil and fear that could come from a lack of understanding. "Maybe, but from what I'm hearing, it seems to be one of the more popular reasons."

On the field, the two continued to trade blows as Bakugo tried to land an explosion, but Midoriya caught his wrist, his grip as unforgiving as stone. His heated hand started to burn Bakugo, but he didn't feel it, not fully. Instead, an earlier burn started to itch, demanding he remember and remember who gave it to him.

With a yell, he swung his other hand, shifting it to avoid the tail that came up to block it, and landed a solid hit on Midoriya's shoulder, sending stone scales flying, revealing the softer under-armor. This stack weakened his grip on Bakugo's wrist, and he capitalized on it, ripping his hand free and swinging it back, placing it over the regenerating wound and setting off another explosion.

Midoriya let out a roar as the blast went deep into his shoulder, his arm going slack as he didn't jump back but dived closer to Bakugo. Swinging his head, he managed to land a powerful headbutt that left Bakugo's ears ringing, his forehead covered in scarps and cuts from the impact with the heated stone of Midoriya's face plate. Breaking off from the melee, the two stepped back to reevaluate their attack plan.

As they did so, their minds reminded them of simpler times, of better times between them. Midoriya remembered when he and Kacchan were friends, how their mothers introduced them, and how, even though he was shy and hid behind his mom, Bakugo was able to pull him out and befriend him. The two spent the entire afternoon just playing heroes, trading who was All Might without a care in the world.

He remembered how Bakugo used to smile, how he was still brash and bossy but fair and kind. When he fell, he was there to tell him scars looked badass, his first time hearing a bad word. When they were out with the other kids, he was always there, being this guiding figure. When other kids were getting bullied, even if he was outnumbered and the bullies were older, Kacchan didn't back down; he never did because All Might never did. He saved the day, and no loser villain could stop him.

That was just a distant memory, a cruel reminder of what was and what their present wasn't. That just fuelled his anger at the world. Still, his determination as Midoriya's hands exploded yet again, but this time, it wasn't to create dual barrels, as his right became something close to what he used against Todoroki. Still, his left became an intake port, which along with his mouth, started to suck in large amounts of air, which drastically increased the temperature around him as he roared, bringing his weapon to bear.

Bakugo started to dodge the rapid-fire blasts from Midoriya, the only benefit of the fight being that along with working up a sweat, the heat of the flames was only making him sweat all the more, which meant his attacks were only getting stronger as he proved earlier when he nearly blew off that pyromaniac's arm. But his mind didn't see him as he was, but as he used to be. When he first met the kid, he remembered how different he was from him, from built to mindset; they couldn't be any different if someone tried.

But Bakugo wasn't like the other kids, and he could see that Midoriya was stubborn. Even when he was scared out of his mind, shaking in those stupid red shoes of his, he never backed down. When Bakugo led the others, they moved too fast, and even when he fell behind, Midoriya always chased after them. When their quirks came in, it was more of the same, and Bakugo started to distance themself from the quirkless one in class; he still chased after him with that stupid, stubborn look in his eye, as if he and he were on the same level.

But then Midoriya did get his quirk, and he went from an annoyance to the fucking psychopath. Sprouting how he wanted to be a hero like All Might when he was nothing like him, insulting everything Bakugo was trying to achieve with his idiocy and pyromania. From the class pet to any small animals, to even people, the fucker would want to see them all burn. He showed his true colors once and fled like the villain he always knew him to be.

But then he came back, and even after all that, he still had that stupid, stubborn, familiar look in his eyes. Even when he turned himself into the demon, Bakugo knew he was on the inside; he could tell his eyes were the same as they were when they first met.

His emotions getting the better of him, Bakugo charged through the blasts, spinning and flipping with explosions to avoid them as he closed the distance and knocked Midoriya's aim off, the gun facing into the stands, which ceased the attack before it could fire as he tried to follow up on this, but Midoriya's other hand came up and slammed into his chest, the infernal having reversed the fan so that instead of taking in air, it blasted out superheated air right into Bakugo's gut, the hot air knocking the wind from his sails as he went flying back.

With his concentration broken, he wasn't able to avoid Midoriya's follow-up. As his cannon swung back onto him, a beam of green flames came flying out, crashing into Bakugo's chest, burning through his top, and sending him even further, close to the edge of the ring.

"Oh man, that gotta hurt! It seems like Midoriya's starting to land some blows of his own, and man, do they pack a punch!" Present Mic's commentary went unacknowledged by the two as Bakugo worked himself to his feet. He ripped off his ruined top, showing off his well-built physique but also the burns that now coated his chest in conjunction with the bruises. This time, it was Midoriya who charged him, wanting to push him out of the ring. He sprung into action, slithering towards him, laying down suppressing fire, but Bakugo knew his game.

When Midoriya was halfway to him, he jumped into the air. He started to spin, using his explosions to increase his speed and give him a defensive measure from the flames as he went straight through them, his explosions handling the worst of the flames and heat around him. The audience watched as the orange explosions and fire cut through the green flames, giving Bakugo a clear shot at Midoriya. As his tail came up to block him, Bakugo caught him by surprise. He. He ignored his momentum and fired off a large explosion to the side.

Such a move would have knocked out or, at the very least, rattled most people from the extreme change in direction and speed. Still, Bakugo wasn't like most people. He used that to his full advantage as he punched at Midoriya's stone side, his knuckles getting badly cut up. Still, he followed through as he managed to dislodge several scales, giving him an opening for another explosion, stronger than before, at the weakened spot, which shattered through and grew more lava blood.

The explosion sent Midoriya flying, tumbling as he rolled to a stop, a trail of green lava in his wake from his wound as he grasped at it, hissing as he looked up at his foe, seeing that he was nearly on top of him. Attempting to roll out of the way, Bakugo grabbed onto his gun hand, aiming it away from himself as he pulled him towards him, displaying some of that exceptional strength as he grabbed Midoriya by the face and, with an explosion from both hands, sent him flying.

When Midoriya crashed into the ground a second time, there was a crack, and scales gave way. More green lava spilled as he groaned, his face plate heavily damaged along with his gun, whose barrel had been raptured. But Bakugo wasn't able to continue as he let out a string of curses that, mercifully, only Midnight and Cementoss heard as the boy's hands were severely burned from his most recent attack, his foe's lava blood having splattered across his hands and arms, burning him intensely.

"Should I stop the match, Midnight? Midoriya can heal from just about anything Bakugo can throw at him, but Bakugo's fighting as if he's the one with the healing factor." Cementoss asked as Bakugo flicked the lingering lava off his arms before getting right back into it, attacking the wounded Midoriya, who went defensive as he healed.

Midnight listened without a word as her fellow teacher expressed concerns. "His quirk relies on his sweat glands, but all those burns—they could threaten his capacity to grow as a hero." She pursed her lips, understanding him. She also wished to end this and perhaps decide a winner in a less dangerous way.

But she could also see the drive that the two had. From the records, they had known one another at least as far back as elementary school. There was history here, something that wouldn't allow them to settle for her calling it. So, she would hold her judgment and pray that they didn't take things too far.

Having abandoned his damaged cannon, Midoriya severed it without a second thought and regrew a hand that he used to punch Bakugo in the side, right where his liver was, which froze him from the all-encompassing pain, something he couldn't feel in this state of being. Bakugo tried to counter, but his explosion wasn't anything near as strong as the last few. Even if he did blow off some scales, Midoriya could whip him with his tail and knock him back.

Then he started to laugh, as he had never felt like this. It was an odd stone in his gut, unfamiliar but also not unpleasant either. Was this what people felt like when they were in a good fight? When they finally confront something they never thought they could match and could stand alone? He liked it.

His joy didn't go unnoticed as his opponent glared at him fiercely. "What are you laughing about? What? You have a plan or something?" Bakugo yelled as he got back into the fight but swung both hands to his front, where he created an explosion between them. It was weak, but he had traded power for blinding light as it was like he had set off a flash grenade; not even Midoriya's gaze could see through it.

Bakugo, with this momentary window, acted as he sent a large explosion right into Midoriya's chest, giving him some wounds as well as scales shattered, leaving parts of his torso and holes in the armor where more lava flowed out. "I can never tell what you're thinking in that crazy head of yours! And you keep getting back up no matter how much I try!"

But just like every other attack he had landed, it didn't achieve much as Midoriya was still up, with the wounds closing up as if they were never there.

Whereas Bakugo was stacking up injuries, he was sweating more, but there was a limit he would soon hit. "It's obvious that you think you're better than me ever since we were kids! But if you think I'll ever let a pyromaniac like you surpass me, then you're an idiot!" Midoriya froze when he heard that, confusion settling in his brain at the statement that made no sense.

"Wait a sec…that's what you think about me…?" Midoriya asked, looking at Bakugo. Really looking at him and seeing that through that anger and the desire to win, he saw a genuine belief. That made the unfamiliar but pleasant feeling fade away, leaving him with a lump in his throat and an empty feeling in his gut.

Their past played in his head again, Midoriya trying to make sense of it. "After all this time…all that we've been through, all that we've shared…and that's what you see?" He asked him as he started to doubt those memories. Did Bakugo ever see him? Did he ever bother? Was he always so focused on running ahead that he never turned to him?

Those memories shattered, becoming shards of glass that held fragments of the whole image but little more. They heard to even hold as they cut deep into his hands as he tried to reassemble them, he had to resemble them, because…because…if their past was false, did that mean he never had a friend? Was he always alone?

His shoulders slumped, his head bowed. "I see…I guess I was in the wrong, seeing something that wasn't there…or maybe I was pretending to see something that didn't exist because the truth would hurt too much."

But then…as he desperately tried to piece together the lie, he saw another picture. One with a kind dragon in red was followed by another of a bubbly figure surrounded by waves. More followed, each as bright as the other, brighter than what he was trying to put back together. Maybe…maybe what he had with Bakugo wasn't what he believed it was, but that didn't mean his present was the same. He had something, something that he refused to let go of.

"If that's what you think…then I guess there's no point talking anymore." Midoriya raised his head, and despite having no facial muscles and no eyes to speak of, his words conveyed a resigned acceptance, a closing of a chapter of his life and the beginning of a new one. With that, he felt something in him shift; his inner flames weren't just burning, but twisting, raving within him as it worked its way through him unchallenged, his hooded head cracking and flexing as something shifted beneath, the same with his arms from his finger's tips to his shoulders.

Bakugo didn't care for what he said. All he saw was someone looking at him like he was old news and acting. Leaping into the air, he fired off several blasts to build up enough height for someone he had only done right once before.

Using his explosions to propel himself, he started to spin, creating a tornado around him, pulling oxygen toward him like Midoriya did with his quirk. He ignored the pain of his injuries, the exhaustion, and how Midoriya remained still as he approached him.

"You lose, Pyro! Howitzer Impact!" Bakugo declared as he, right before he collided with Midoriya, brought forth a hand that held all his sweat, with all the oxygen and momentum behind him, and set off an explosion that shook the arena. Midnight nearly fell over from the blast while most couldn't even see, thanks to how bright it was. The arena was torn apart as chunks of it were blown to pieces, consumed by the baleful orange explosions and the flames it created as the shockwave traveled towards the stands where the spectators and students alike were hit by the intense wave of hot air.

"Oh, crap! Did Bakugo have a cruise missile I didn't know about in his back pocket?" Present Mic asked, worried that things had gone way too far as that was an extreme action; even if Midoriya could come back from being torn in two, there was no way Bakugo knew that, and even if he somehow did, that still required that there be parts of him left!

"What the fuck was that?" Tsunotori cursed in her mother tongue, covering her face from the winds.

"Did he want to win the match or level a city block?" Kaibara asked, stunned that someone would be so reckless to use an attack like that. What kinds of villains was Bakugo planning to fight, Godzilla?

"Does anyone see Midoriya down there?" Monoma asked, worried sick for his friend as that blast was bigger than anything he had ever seen, and Midoriya had been at the epicenter of it. With the explosion over, there were only the lingering shivers people had from being so close to such an attack and the ringing in their ears as the field itself was left covered in thick smoke, the parts of the arena they could see being torn apart, pieces the size of people simply gone, which large cracks covering the surface.

Bakugo was the first one to be seen lying on his stomach. He was at his limit, having put his all into that attack, which was the final means to finally get Pyro off his back and prove himself the strongest. But he didn't feel like he won anything, not with what he saw at that moment before the impact.

"Huh?" He asked, anger having vanished from his tone, replaced with an overwhelming disbelief and confusion. Seconds later, something shifted within the smoke that just didn't look human, didn't even look like Midoriya. In that instant, it moved as something shot out of the smoke, grabbing Bakugo and snaring him as he fought against it, freezing when he saw that what was holding him, restraining his movements, were snakes, dozens of them but each made from stone, yet as flexible as rubber as their emerald eyes burned with a familiar fire.

"I said before I wanted to fight you at your best so that I can beat you at your best," Midoriya spoke up from the smoke, but his voice sounded…different, though no one could figure out a way. Or how he similarly controlled a swarm of snakes to how his classmate, Shiozaki, did her vines.

"Well, if that was your best." The smoke continued to clear, giving the world a glimpse of what he looked like after that explosion. "That means I've won."

Not a single person present, from the teachers to the students, not even Ryukyu or Koharu, was prepared for what they saw. Midoriya's body rapidly regenerated a lost arm and chunks of his sides, but he still stood. But what was something new was his form, as his snake hood was gone, having cracked and exploded outwards, revealing a head of dark green flaming hair that went from his forehead hairline all the way down the back of his neck to his shoulders.

Those flames were shaped into dozens of braids/tendrils covered with thin but increasingly thicker stone rings before if one went far enough along the tendril, the flames were entirely covered in multi-segmented stone, all of them capped off with stone skeletal snake heads coated in the fire with burning green eyes. Along his arms, the cracks that had once been present were gone, the stone scales perfectly covering the surface of his elongated and enlarged appendages that were quickly 10 times the size they used to be.

His face once made up of 2 featureless stone places, was now much more detailed, with swirls across both the face and jaw portions and two white volcanic stone horns growing out of his forehead. All in all, his visage struck a chord with everyone, none more so than Midoriya, but while he was confused about this new form, his flames comforted him as he again saw the images of his friends, his real friends and realized without words that this was merely his body reflecting those connections.

So, to honor them, he willed his snakes to release Bakugo, the tendrils obeying without pause as Bakugo was unceremoniously dropped onto the ruined arena floor. Bakugo looked dumbfounded by his actions and appearance, but that soon faded as he snarled, his glare returning even if his strength didn't.

Forcing himself to stand despite his exhaustion and injuries, he barked at Midoriya. "What the hell are you doing? What? You were hiding this from everyone, too?!" Midoriya wasn't listening to him; instead, he raised his left hand towards him with ease despite its lumbering size and weight, palm facing the ground. With another thought, his body reacted.

"I'm not going to just lay down an-!" Bakugo's rant was stopped when Midoriya's hand detached from his body and shot towards Bakugo, the open palm pushing him to the ground back first and holding him there. The only thing keeping the hand in connection to Midoriya was a thin cord made from an even finer, thick stone wire that must have been made from hundreds of smaller segments.

"What the heck?" Present Mic asked, lost at what he was seeing.

"Is that…" Vlad, too, was lost for words about the situation. Midoriya was displaying abilities similar to his other students: Shiozaki's hair, Kendo's enlarged hands, and Tokage's ability to detach and control parts of herself.

Walking up to Bakugo, the cord connecting his wrist to his hand was reeled back into his body, vanishing into the green lava blood and muscles that made up his interior. "You're pinned. I win." Midoriya kept it more straightforward.

"Like hell!" Bakugo, ever the fighter or, as Midoriya was beginning to wonder, ever the child, refused to accept that even as he could not fight back. Even if his hands were facing the hand pinning him, he didn't have enough power after that massive attack to do enough damage to break free. Whatever he could would repair itself before he could stack it.

"Would you prefer I throw you out of bonds?" Midoriya asked softly, and when Bakugo didn't bother to reply but glared at him, he sighed. "All right then." With almost casual ease, Midoriya lifted his arm up. With it, the detached arm tightened around Bakugo before he flicked him towards the boundary, where Bakugo landed with a thud on the grass.

"Bakugo is out of bounds!" Midnight made the call. "Midoriya is the winner." Silence was the answer to that call, the rated-R heroine worried that it was all Midoriya would get but then someone in the crowd clapped their hands.

"Well done!" Ryukyu, unafraid of the stares she was getting, clapped for her ward and student. Her act got Inko, who was nearby, to follow suit, a mother's tears breaking through some of the hesitation and fear that had settled in with the audience. This was followed by almost all of class B, who cheered for their classmate.

Those small moments, those few brave souls, were the straw that broke the tension. Midnight let out a breath in relief as the stadium started to roar in celebration. Every screen changed to show Midoriya's picture with the giant word 'winner' beneath it.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the end of the final event of the first-year U.A. sports festival! With class 1-B's Midoriya Izuku taking the crown!"

Fireworks again went off in the skies above the stadium as the first-year festival ended. As the sky was lit up with bright explosions of colors and patterns, the field was by Cementoss, leaving it as it were when they held the cavalry battle. The entire first-year class gathered for the closing ceremony on that field.

"All the first-year events for the Sports Festival have been completed, and before we have the award ceremony, I want you all to give a big hand of applause for everyone who has participated. Even if you didn't make it to the podiums, you worked your hardest and showed the world what U.A. is all about!" Midnight announced as the flashes and clicks of hundreds, if not thousands, of cameras went off around them.

"Now, let's move on to the medal ceremony, shall we?" Midnight posed as a section of the floor opened up, fireworks shooting into the sky as smoke came out from the opening. Fanfare to announce the arrival of their medal holders, though while one would expect them to stand at attention, or at least behave, such didn't apply to one of them.

"Wow…" Mineta uttered as he and the rest bore witness to how Bakugo, on the 2nd place slot, was restrained to a giant cement blow, his hands in a steel box that was chained to the floor while he was muzzled. One would think that was fit for a criminal about to be thrown to the lions. Still, Bakugo was very much fighting against it, no doubt screaming all kinds of profanities through the muzzle, things only Jiro had the misfortune of being able to at least partially hear.

"They sure he got his rabies shot?" Tokage pointed at Bakugo.

"He's been struggling since waking up." Sero sighed, as this was sure to make them look bad.

"How is he in the hero course again?" Shinso asked, to which Monoma threw up his hands.

"Trust me, that's a question we would also like the answer to, " he replied before he realized that class A had someone anywhere near as deranged as Bakugo.

"Sharing third place, we have Shishida Jurota and Shiozaki Ibara!" Midnight stated that the two class B students stood on a slightly more comprehensive platform with a big red 3 painted on the front. Neither waved, but they boldly braved their injuries from their earlier fights as Shishida was still missing some fur. At the same time, much of Shiozaki's hair had been cut off, having been badly burned.

"Taking the silver, we have the explosive and…dynamic Bakugo Katsuki." Midnight didn't quite know what else to use for their struggling runner-up. If she had been honest, she would have wondered why he was even put on the podium. They could have easily claimed he was unavailable for this and saved themselves the effort.

"And taking gold, our king of the first-year festival, Midoriya Izuku!" Midoriya, for his part, was similar in temperament to his classmates, neither shy nor boastful, sad or happy. Many could think it was merely an act, but really, Midoriya was just trying to understand himself. When he changed back, he looked the same as ever; nothing from his transformation transferred over, though his flame felt…warmer.

"And to award the medals, we have a special guest!" She introduced himself as they heard a booming, familiar, hearty laugh. All Might made himself known, having climbed or perhaps jumped to the top of the stadium, much to the awe of the crowds as he jumped to the field. However, he and Midnight ended up talking over one another, leading to an awkward pause as the rated-R hero apologized for it.

They quickly got their act together as Midnight presented All Might with the 4 medals, 2 bronze, silver, and gold. Each was emblazoned with U.A.'s symbol and motto around the edges.

"Now then, All Might, please present the medals, starting with third place." Midnight stated as All Might grabbed the two bronze and approached the two class B students.

"Young Shiozaki, young Shishida, congratulations on placing 3rd. You have left quite the first impression with the world."

"I only wish I could overcome my opponent and make it to the finals." Shishida bowed his head as All Might placed the medal around his neck.

"It was the support of others that allowed me to get this far; for that, I am grateful." Shiozaki nodded; her eyes closed as All Might did the same with her.

"Be that as it may, I hope you take this as a learning experience. As heroes, we must be prepared to handle whatever threat comes before us." All Might advised them.

"Understood," Shishida said as Shiozaki opened her eyes again, with All Might a hug to both of them before he moved on to the problem of the 4.

"Young Bakugo…This is a bit much," All Might stated as he went to the other side of the winner's podium. Bakugo was still extremely furious, though the man couldn't tell why as he went about removing the muzzle. Congratulations; not many people can stand where you do now."

Lucky for them, Bakugo looked like he was about to say something. Still, at the last second, he bit his tongue and turned his gaze away from All Might and the rest of the podium placers.

"Even when All Might is literally handing him the silver medal, he finds a way to be pissed…" Sero was partially embarrassed, partially impressed that Bakugo seemingly broke new grounds for being angry.

All Might, on the other hand, rolled with it. "I can tell you're far from pleased with how things went, but you must understand that life will always have challenges, and sometimes we'll fall short of them. What's important is being able to get up, figure out where you went wrong, and correct yourself." All Might told him, but Bakugo didn't reply, grinding his teeth together to keep his rage in check.

Deciding that it would be best to move on, he quickly placed the silver medal around Bakugo's neck before he moved on to the final of the 4. With a hearty laugh, he held up the gold for the world and Midoriya to see. "And now, we have you, young Midoriya!"

"You've come a long way, haven't you, my boy?" All Might's words were something only Midoriya could understand, so he nodded to show that he did. "Through trial and challenge, you have proven yourself for the world to see, and as your teacher and hero, I can't tell you how proud I am of that."

Midoriya looked down, a little bashful and nervous from being around All Might even now, but when he heard Ryukyu in the stands earlier, he knew he had someone watching out for him. "Thank you, All Might…it wasn't everything I wanted, but…I made those who supported me proud." His smile was small but honest and bright as his flames.

All Might didn't need to see it to understand that much, as he agreed with the boy. "Aye, even the strongest people have those that built them up and keep them standing. Cherish them, young Midoriya, and you'll never truly be alone." With that said, he placed the meddle around Midoriya's neck before turning to the rest of the students.

"But listen here, anyone here could have ended up on these podiums. Just as you saw, this festival was all about competing, improving each other, and climbing to even greater levels! The next generation of heroes is already sprouting, and in time, you'll grow to surpass even me!" He pointed towards the skies, many wondering if such a thing was possible when All Might was so powerful, but they still cheered for it.

"So, I just have one more thing to say! Everyone, please say it with me!" The crowd was hyped. "Ready, go!"

"Thanks for your hard work!" All Might declared.

"Plus Ultra!" The rest of the stadium said something completely different.

That hype died as both All Might and the many tens of thousands of people present realized just how out of tune they were. And from that, they started booing the man.

"What?! It should have been 'Plus Ultra' there, All Might!"

"Well, I thought since everyone worked hard…"

With that, we've reached the end of an arc. It was pretty fun to write, though it took longer than normal. During it, I just lost all my energy and couldn't bring myself to even write a fraction of what I normally do. But it was done, and I was able to do a lot, including play into something I want to explore more as the story goes in that last match.

Special thanks to my Patrons(s):

LastCranel27

Oz Vesalius

Killerking

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