Chapter 20: Sport Festival: Tournament, Semi-Finals
"Thank you for the wait, my wonderful listeners!"
Present Mic's announcement filled the stadium, the crowd cheered at the end of the short ten-minute break and the start of the tournament's semi-finals. Tension is thick in the air as everyone waited anxiously with baited breathes, both in the stadium and in the comforts of their own home.
"This is it! We are starting up the Semi-Finals! I hope you are pumped for more action, for these contestants are sure to blow you away!" As he said that, the screen shows them the last four contestants in the fight. For the left, it is Todoroki Shoto, Tatsuya Genko, Naru Taikou, and Bakugou Katsuki.
"And without further ado, let's introduce our first match-up!"
"Both of them are children of great Heroes, one of fire and the other of speed! It's match-up between future hero successors! Todoroki Shoto VERSUS Tatsuya Genko!"
I let loose a shaky breath as I tries to steal my nerves. Standing in the ring at the semi-finals no less. Looking back, I was lucky with my first match-up against Kaminari. And for my next match against Iida, it took all I've got to beat him. It was honestly surprising that I've even made it to the semi-finals in the first place.
But now, I feared that this might be where I'll lose…
For in front of me, facing me as my next opponent, and might be my last opponent in this entire tournament, is the son of Endeavor himself, Todoroki.
Todoroki, in my opinion, has one of the most broken quirks in all of BNHA. His ice attacks are relentless, a force of nature if he pushes it to its upmost limit with his glacier forming attacks. Not only that, even if I got close to him, there's still a chance for him to freeze me in place, rendering my quirk absolutely useless.
Although… if what I've learn during the Obstacle Race is right, then there are ways for me to break out of his ice. But using such a method is draining on my energy, even if I charged myself to the max.
All on all, the entire match is all in his favor. I might never stand a chance against him.
But even so…
"Ready…!"
I grasps the last few batteries I pulled from my pocket and starts charging up as fast as I could, hoping to charge up to my maximum limit before the match begins. I took a deep breath and focused forward.
Even if the odds are against me, I'll do my best and push through! That's what being Plus Ultra means, right!?
"START!"
The moment the signal is sounded, Todoroki immediately fires off an ice attack straight at me, ice crystals sliding the gliding on the ground towards me at high speeds.
I immediately dodge to my right to avoid it before running at my top speed towards him, accelerating to my fastest while raising my fist up ready to slam it into him. I may not have Midoriya's One-For-All's destructive capabilities, but at my top speed outclasses his Full Cowl by a fair margin.
If there's one edge I have against Todoroki, it would be in the speed department. It may drain my energy quickly, but against someone like Todoroki, I can't afford to conserve any. And if I remember anything about that guy, is that his melee fighting abilities are pretty dismissal if he has any at all.
It is made more apparent by my advantage in this when Todoroki's eyes widen in stunned surprise at my sudden acceleration that far surpassed my previous exploits, but his reflexes are definitely up there as he ducked down to avoid my haymaker to his face.
Skidding to the stop, I make a hasty turn around and went full speed once again towards him. He manages to turn around to face me, just as I slams a fist into his gut as I dashes into him. After stopping myself, I grab him by the collar and sleeve of his jersey, I made a hasty judo toss and throw him onto the ground.
"And down goes Todoroki! That got to sting!"
I quickly mounted him and reels back my other fist for another blow to his head to try and knock him out, only for the cracking sound of ice being made and for ice crystals quickly shoots up my arm.
"C-Crap!"
"And Todoroki immediately counters! That girl is on ice!"
"You seem to assume I'm only good firing large attacks." He stated as he got out of my grip, sliding out from under my ice encased body before getting back up, "I'm pretty capable of using it pretty delicately, you know."
"Y-Yeah, I figure…" I muttered as the freezing cold send chills down my spine.
"I thought I was ready for it, but you are definitely way faster than Midoriya was." Todoroki noted, "I couldn't even try to encase you at all… You've done well."
"T-Thanks…" I let loose a small grin, "But I'm not done yet!"
With my that declaration, I put as much power I have into vibrating as fast as I could. Soon enough, cracks form in my ice prison that spread throughout until the whole thing shatters around me.
"S-She got out! For the first time in this tournament, someone got out of Todoroki's ice! Truly incredible!"
"By vibrating at top speeds, she loosens the bonds between the ice and her body while also destabilizing the bonds within the ice. Quite a smart way of using her quirk …"
Once freed, I immediately rush at him with my fists ready for attack. If pinning him down won't work, then I'll just have to rush him and knock him out the straight forward way!
Stopping right in front of him, I let loose an uppercut to his lower jaw, which he barely dodges by bending his neck over, with my knuckles slightly grazing his chin. But I'm not done with my attacks as I quickly twist my body and let loose a hook to his head, which landed squarely on his right temple.
"G-Grgk!"
"Here's some more!"
I then lunged forward, firing another hook to his left temple. And then I fired another hook to his right. Then to his left. Then to his right.
Over and over, I twist my body left and right and slams hook after hook into his temples at both sides as fast as I can, in a somewhat rough imitation of Ippo's Dempsey Roll.
"Again, and again, and again! A vicious attack from Tatsuya! It's like I'm watching a boxing match! How long has that been on live television?"
I feel my body starting to slow down as my charge starts to fade from my body. Damn it, hurry up and black out or something! If I lose my charge before I knock him out–
"You're slowing down."
"Ah!"
I felt ice instantly start crawling out from my foot and encase my entire left leg, locking me in place. And before I can react, Todoroki's hand pressed against my solar plexus and ice spread out from it and incase the rest of my body in ice within moments.
I grimaced at my predicament, struggling and pulling myself to try and get myself free. Damn it! Out of charge! I can't break free!
"You need to use your speed to get out of my ice the first time, didn't you?" Todoroki points out, stumbling on his feet with one hand on his head. His eyes seem to be unfocused, most likely due to my constant punches to his head. I hope he doesn't get a concussion… "And now that you're out of charge, you can't do the same thing…"
"D-Damn it…!"
"T-Tatsuya is unable to continue!" Midnight calls out, "Todoroki moves on to the next round!"
"There you have it, folks! It looks like our empress of speed can't outrun our ice emperor! Class A's Todoroki proceeds on to the finals!"
I let loose a loud sigh, the feeling of irritation filled my body from head to toe. Damn it. So damn close too! But I guess Todoroki came in through recommendation for a reason… even without his fire powers, he is still way stronger than me.
Guess there's a long way for me to go before I can reach Pro Hero status…
"Oh man, I thought Tatsuya actually might win this one…!" Kirishima sighs in disbelief, "She was doing so well, too…!"
"Todoroki is just way too strong!" Satou pointed out.
"Despite being so fast, she lost once she got caught." Yaoyorozu noted, "Although that vibration trick helped… once she's out of charge, it's game over."
"Ah man! She has gotten so close, too!" Ashido stated while waving her hands in irritation.
"Genko-chan…" Tsuyu grimaced at how one-sided the match has been, "She never stood a chance."
"But he never used his fire powers again." Kaminari noted, "I wonder why?"
"Maybe he didn't want to use it against her?" Sero suggested, "I mean, it's kind of overkill if he encases her in ice and then blast her with fire."
"Okay, man, that just sounds absolutely terrifying…"
"That's messed up, Sero." Kirishima added on.
"H-Hey! I'm just suggesting it!"
"Todoroki-kun ended up in the finals after all." Uraraka stated, "And he'll up against whoever wins the next match."
"So, either Bakugou or that guy from Class B." Jirou noted.
"Kind of hard to tell who might win this one…" Ojiro stated, "They're both pretty strong, and that Taikou guy might be able to match Bakugou with his quirk."
"Hellfire versus explosions." Tokoyami stated, "A match that was meant to be."
"Bakugou is pretty scary and strong…" Hagakure stated cheerfully, "But that Class B's Naru is pretty tough, too!"
"It'll be a pretty showy performance, that's for sure." Aoyama noted.
"Well, we can only wait and see…" Yaoyorozu tells them.
I let loose a small sigh as I sat in the prep room; I have my head resting against my knuckles while my elbows are propped up on the table. Got to say, never thought that losing would hurt this much. After all that I put in, after all the effort I have made coming this far, I ended falling short.
I knew I can't possibly beat Todoroki as I am right now, but I guess somewhere along the way, a possibility of me winning just slipped into my mind. Not that it matters anyway, the results are still the same.
Oh well, either way, Todoroki still ended up in the finals as per canon. I guess I'm satisfied with at least that…
…But why does it still frustrates me so!?
The door to the prep room swings open, I looked up to see Taikou walking into the room, his eyes wide as if he didn't expect to find me here.
"Oh, Genko. You're still here."
"H-Hey, Taikou. Yup, still here…"
He props himself on the chair opposite of me before opening a bottle of water and taking huge gulps from it. The silence between us is a welcomed one, if a bit tense. His match against Bakugou is up next, isn't it? I guess he came here to hype himself up.
Actually, what would happen if Taikou is one that made it to the finals…? It wouldn't change much of the plot if he did, wouldn't it?
But still, if Bakugou isn't the one to made it to the finals and fight Todoroki, would the League of Villains still take interest in him? Besides a few times here and there, he hasn't shown any attributes that might associate that delinquent as a villainous individual, despite some people seeing him as such.
Would it better if he…
"You doing okay, Genko?"
"Huh?"
The sudden question caught me off guard, my childhood friend looking at me with a concerned look on his face. Huh, was my frustration that obvious to him?
"You seem rather…" He thinks for a while before stating, "…rather deep in thought. Is there something troubling you?"
"Huh? Oh! It's nothing!" I laughed while internally trying to get rid of any more thoughts about the subject, although the feeling of frustration still remained, "Just thinking about how my match go, you know! Man, I should've taken a different approach… maybe saved some batteries for later use…"
"You know, you don't have to hold back."
I blinked at his words, completely confused at what he meant by that, "H-Hold what back?"
"It's frustrating, I get it." He stated as he got up from his seat and come close to mine, placing a hand on my shoulder, "You don't have to bottle it up. Just, I don't know, cry it out. That seems to always make you feel better."
"I-It's not–"
His hand squeezed my shoulder, not tightly but firmly. "That's a lie and you know it."
"…"
His words seem to just loosen up something within me. I felt my feelings starting to overflow along with some of my tears, before they all came bursting out in one go. My vision blurred as I let my tears flow and sobs are allowed to escape my lips.
"I…I tried…s-so hard…!"
"I know."
"I…I thought… I h-had him too…!"
"I'm with you there."
"I…I… WAHHH!"
I let myself break down, as I hugged my best friend as he consults me the best he can. For the first time in forever, I let myself cry my heart out.
"Sorry for the wait! I hope you beautiful listeners are ready, because it's time for the next Semi-Final match to begin!"
Taikou walked into the ring with a renewed determination. After helping his childhood friend vent out his frustration, she encouraged him and asked him to win one for her. And he has every intention to do so.
After all, the one person he wants to beat in this entire tournament is the one that he has to fight against to reach the finals.
Opposite him, Bakugou Katsuki enters the ring with equal amount of ego and burning determination. His lips twist upward in a somewhat savage grin that screams arrogance, but his posture tells a different story.
While looking like he is looking down on him, the way Bakugou carries himself is nothing like what he has thought when they cross paths in the entrance exam. The arrogance is there, but now there's a underlining sense of bitter determination, a strong resolve to push on forward, as well as a small sign of wariness in him.
This isn't someone who views himself as superior. It is someone who knows he is superior and wants to prove to everyone that he is.
'It's like Midoriya-san said. This guy is more than just an egotistic asshole.'
He remembers when he asked the green-haired teen a couple of days before the Sports Festival about his childhood friend. He wanted to know why Midoriya still idolized Bakugou so much and even treats him like a friend, even though it is obvious that the blonde delinquent doesn't view him as such.
His answer surprised to him, as it is not something that he would expect from someone who is essentially a victim of bullying.
"Kacchan is… amazing. Even when we were little, he was always the strongest one. He was always the best at everything he does, and he has a cool quirk too. He never backed down from anyone, and always wins, no matter the odds. While, it is true that he has hurt me so many times, but I couldn't find myself to hate him."
"If anything, I looked up to him, and wants to surpass him."
'This guy has the intensity to be a winner…' He mentally notes as Present Mic keeps on talking in the background, 'And thinking back on the matches he has won, it was always through his own skills, tactics and abilities. His aggressive methods hid the more tactical side of him, and his ability to adapt to his situation is something I've never seen before.'
'If anything, he…'
"Come on, extra." Bakugou taunts as he slams his fist into his palm, igniting an explosion from his quirk, "I'll crush you like all the rest. This is payback for the Cavalry Battle."
"…Can you answer me something?" He asked the blonde delinquent, who only raised his eyebrows in confusion, "Midoriya. How do you view him?"
"Deku? What about him!? This ain't about that nerd! It's between us, right here, RIGHT NOW!"
"He respected you, you know!"
That got him to shut up, his eyebrow twitching at the comment. "What…?"
Taikou continues on, "Despite all you've thrown at him, despite all the hurt you have caused him, he still looks up to you! So, I want to know, what's you view on him?"
"…Him…?"
The blonde explosion-prone teen snarled at the idea, "Deku is… a nobody! You hear me!? He is nothing compared to me! He's just a pebble, a stupid pebble that should have amounted to nothing!"
"…That's all I need to know." Taikou sighs, "And for the record, Midoriya is worth way more than a pebble."
"…What…!?"
"Ready…"
Taikou simply got into position in a low stance, embers flickering off his feet as he readies his quirk for the match. Bakugou followed suit with teeth gritting against each other, arms wide and stance low, small explosions pops around his palm in preparation for his attack.
'Sorry, Midoriya. It looks I'm never going to be able to like him at all.'
After Taikou left for his match, I went to the bathroom to wash up. Crying that much is a new one for me, never cried this much even as a kid. Guess my habit of bottling up my emotions are starting to get to me…
But still, it felt good. Taikou has always been able to figure me out, not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, especially now that the plot is known to me. I can't afford to drag him into it.
It's my responsibility, after all…
Anyways, after washing up, I make my way back to my class's booth to watch my friend fight.
"Hey, Tatsuya–Oh my god! What's wrong with your eyes!?"
Kirishima is the first one to notice and greet me, and sadly also the first one to notice my slightly swollen eyes from all that crying. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just… it's nothing, don't worry about it!"
"I-If you're sure…"
I slowly make my way to my seat, Uraraka gave me a nod and a knowing look when I passed her. Ah, right. She bawled her eyes out when she lost too. I guess she knows how frustrating that must be. Even Tsuyu gave me a sympathy-filled pat on the shoulder when I sat down.
Next to her, Midoriya sat there with bandages all over his injured limps and a sling for his broken arm. The moment his eyes met mine, he flinched before looking away with a guilty look on his face. Huh, I wonder why he did that…?
Well, no matter. I'll ask him after the tournament. Right now, there's a match I need to see for myself.
"FIGHT!"
The moment the match started, Bakugou charges right at Taikou with explosions to boost his velocity. Bakugou is nothing if not effective with his quirk, using it to great effect that rivals even Todoroki's, especially since his quirk is so simple and basic.
Once he got close, the blonde delinquent swings his palm at Taikou, who dodges the explosion that came right after with flames blasting off his feet.
"Oh! And Bakugou leads with an explosive charge!"
Bakugou seems to be ready to charge in again with another explosion, only for Taikou to rockets instantly into his face and slams a knee into his solar plexus, shocking everyone who was watching it. And before the blonde delinquent could get his bearings, my childhood friend lands another fiery kick into his solar plexus, sending him flying across the ring.
Bakugou manages to save himself from a ring-out by firing several explosions behind him to slow and halt his momentum, skidding to a stop a good distance away from his opponent. Taikou did not let up on the attack as he once again charges right back into the offense, landing a spin kick on his opponent who barely got up him arm to block the attack.
"W-Whoa, is this really happening…!?" Kaminari stated in shock as we witness Taikou pretty much pushing Bakugou back with a series of kicks one after another.
"No way…" Midoriya muttered, "Kacchan… is being pushed back…?"
I felt myself smile as anxiousness fills me. Taikou might win this, and in doing so, maneuver the plot away from canon into unknown territory. But even so…
"GO, TAIKOU!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Quite a turn of events! Taikou is taking the upper hand in this fight!"
Bakugou grunted as he swerves and blocks the flaming kicks from the brown-haired student. He experienced fighting against martial arts thanks to his monkey of a classmate as well as that blonde speedster, but he wasn't expecting this much difference in power.
The attacks keep on coming with no end in sight, each attack come right as he is tries to retaliate. With no opening for him to use his quirk against him, he could only go on the defensive.
He has no idea who this guy is, only that he is friends with Deku and the blonde speedster that always irritated him, and he is part of Class 1-B. He was supposed to be a background character, someone that has no consequence to him. The only one he should be looking out for in this tournament is only that half-n-half.
And yet, he triumphs over the blonde delinquent time and time again. In the Obstacle Race, in the Cavalry Battle, he keeps beating him over and over again. It doesn't make sense to him, why is he better than him!? Isn't he just another extra on his stage!?
"Had enough?"
"D-Damn you!"
He reacts to the taunt with much vigor and rage, as he ducks under a reverse kick and leaps forward, slamming his palm and ignites a large explosion into his opponent's chest. The blast burns him, Taikou taking a couple steps back hissing in pain while Bakugou gathers his bearings.
'This guy… he's tough.' The blonde delinquent unwillingly admits to himself, 'His quirk is like Glasses, fast and powerful…'
'But…'
"Still not enough to beat me!" He runs forward with a yell, forming an explosion behind him to propel himself forward. With that momentum, he strikes his palm towards Taikou, who easily swerves around the resulting explosion before spinning and slams his elbow into the delinquent's face.
"GRK! You fucking bastard!"
Bakugou got back and slams an explosion into his opponent's side. Taikou grunted in pain as he staggers forward, the blonde delinquent uses that opening to grab him back his jersey and sends him flying towards the edge of the ring with an explosion.
Taikou manages to save himself with a burst of fire from his feet that stops him from a ring-out before rocketing right back into the fight at top speeds. The blonde delinquent uses this to his advantage as he puts his hands together uses a new move he just came up with.
"STUN GRENADE!"
An explosive sphere erupted from between his palms, igniting and bursting in flash of light and sound. The sudden flash blinded Taikou, who covers his eyes on reflex as Bakugou uses his distraction as an opening, as he charges straight at him with an arm cocked back for an explosive swing.
Unfortunately, due to perhaps daily sparring with his childhood friend who has one of the fastest reflexes he knows, Taikou is able to react to the blonde delinquent's attack and dodges his swing by propelling to his right. Seizing the opportunity, he then made a sharp turn mid-air, and rockets a foot into Bakugou's hastily raised arms.
That knocks him off balance with arms up in the air, leaving himself wide-opened. The brown-haired teen took the opening and slams a fiery back kick into his gut, sending him flying back across the ring once more. This time, however, Bakugou tumbles a bit before righting himself and halting his momentum with a couple of explosions behind him.
"What a match! Both sides are unrelenting and neither seems to be backing down at all! This could be anyone's game!"
"Got to admit, this is way tougher than I thought." Taikou stated with a tired grin, "You definitely earned that first place in the entrance exam."
"Hah! That's a given!" Bakugou smirks, "So why don't you just let me blow you over and get this over with?"
"Ha! That's a good one!" The brown-haired teen, "But you're right…" He then crouches down into a runner starting position, one of his legs pulled back.
"Let's get this over with."
His foot then starts igniting, before flames erupted from it like a rocket preparing to launch itself. 'This will settle it… it's now or never…'
"That's right! Let's end this!"
Bakugou responds in kind by launching himself into the air with an explosion, before twisting his arms around him and firing small explosive blasts from his palm, spinning around and launching him forward like a spinning tornedo towards his opponent. 'Come on! Let's see what you've got!'
Taikou's flames grew, before exploding in one large burst that rockets him forward at mach speeds.
At the moment of collision, the brown-haired teen twists his body and launch a hook kick at his opponent, just as the blonde delinquent slams his momentum assisted strike at him.
"HOWITZER IMPACT!"
"BLAZING COMET!"
The two attacks clashes against each other, fire meets explosion in a huge collision that shook the entire stadium on impact with a large burst of embers and smoke.
"What an attack! Both sides met with such incredible force! But who will come out on top!?"
The audience, those in the stadium and those watching from home, held their breathes as they await the winner of this clash. And as the smoke clear, everyone couldn't believe what they are witnessing at this moment.
Both competitors, Taikou and Bakugou, the two of them rugged and covered in dirt and soot but still standing.
And they are still in the ring.
"I-I don't believe it! They are both still in the ring! They are still standing!"
'D-Damn… that attack nearly blew me away…!'
'His kick… it nearly got me there…'
The two of them staggers a bit, feeling the aftermath of their attacks hitting each other. Both of them got hit dead on by each other's final move, and it shows.
On Bakugou's jersey is a burned hole around his solar plexus that is mostly came from the flaming kick, and Taikou has almost all of his jersey blown clean off, revealing his washboard abs for everyone to see.
"B-Both of you!" Midnight hastily calls out in worry, "Can either of you carry on?"
"Da…Damn straight–"
"I forfeit."
That one line stunned everyone near the ring, especially Bakugou who is fuming at what his opponent just did. 'W-WHAT!?'
"H-HEY!" He shouted at Taikou, "This match isn't over!"
"Yes, it is." The brown-haired teen stated with a grunt, "I'm done. After that kick, I have nothing left. So, I'm forfeiting. You win, Bakugou Katsuki."
"A-Alright, then…" Midnight noted with a nod, "Naru surrenders! Bakugou moves on to the finals!"
"I-It's over? It's over, folks! With this, our final match-up is set! It'll be Todoroki VERSUS Bakugou!"
"THAT'S BULLSHIT!" The blonde delinquent screams as his opponents walks off the arena, "GET BACK HERE, YOU FIRE CHICKEN! GET BACK AND FIGHT ME FOR REAL!"
I let out a sigh at the events that are unfolding.
The aftermath of the match is pretty intense considering Bakugou is screaming and yelling at Taikou to get back and finish the match proper who in turn is ignoring him as he exits the stadium with a bit of swagger in his steps. Although, there is a small stutter as well. Is he that tired from that fight…?
"Man, talk about anti-climactic." Kaminari stated, "After all that fighting and the guy just forfeits?"
"But I guess he has a point…" Sero noted, "After that one attack, I would be exhausted too."
"Still, to just forfeit like that?" Kirishima stated with a grimace, "I thought Taikou would be more manly than that."
"It's nothing to do with manliness, Kirishima-san." Yaoyorozu tells him, "He saw that he couldn't achieve victory, and accepts it. It can be seen as cowardice, but he made a logical move that benefits him the best."
"You say that, but he doesn't look like the type who'll do that." Jirou noted, "If anything, he seems like the kind who does things on the whim."
"Kacchan isn't going to let this go any time soon…" Midoriya grimaced.
"Yeah, he does seem the type to hold a grudge." Tsuyu noted, "I bet he'll jump that Naru guy when school resumes."
"That's a no brainer." The tape-powered teen nodded with a sigh.
"So it's down to Todoroki-kun and Bakugou, huh?" Ashido points out, "It would be an interesting match. Who do you think will win it?"
As my classmates starts discussing on who would win the finals, I took this chance to leave the booth in search for my childhood friend. If what I'm guessing is correct, then he would need some assistance.
The moment Taikou made sure he is deep enough that the audience can't see him, he slumps over on the wall with a tired sigh, hissing at the burn marks all over his gut and chest. It took all he got just to keep himself upright and not collapse in front of the audience.
With each step, he flinches at how sore his muscles are, especially his calves with how heated they are from his overuse of his quirk. Without looking, he can tell that they are red from overheating.
"I've overdid it with that last attack…"
He has bet it all in that last attack, any hopes he has for getting to the finals is all placed in that last kick. But he has underestimated how versatile and creative Bakugou can be with his quirk, especially that stun move which he did not expect at all as well as his finishing attack.
If anything, he can now see why he has the highest score in the entrance exam.
Even so, he couldn't bring himself to like, or respect him at all.
Everything about the blonde delinquent just ticks him off. His attitude towards others, the air of arrogance around him, the way he acts superior and couldn't stand anyone being 'better' than him, all of them traits of a traditional bully. Heck, it is obvious that Midoriya was a victim to his bullying from how they interacted.
And he hates bullies.
He could easily remember his elementary school days, where a lot of his classmates made fun of his childhood friend for thinking of being a Hero with her limited quirk. He could count how many times they taunted her, laughed at her, and even throws some of the worst pranks at her in hopes of getting a reaction out of her.
Genko mostly would take them in stride, and assures him that it is fine and that she isn't bothered by it. He can tell it has a toll on her but chooses not to say anything, which looking back, it may have put a bit of strain on their relationship since then.
It was until they got into middle school which things escalated.
Thanks to the rumors of the two of them dating, Genko ended up getting picked on by a couple of the girls for being around him. Due to them being separated by class, he wasn't able to get the full picture until an incident happened that changes his impressions of his childhood friend.
He could still remember that day very clearly. After school, there was a commotion near the girl's bathroom that got everyone attention. Not a moment later, there are screams and the word of Genko lashing out and beating up a third year got out.
Not a moment sooner, the teachers came to investigate the situation and Genko was nearly suspended from the school for her violent acts. It was only thanks to Shinsou who brought to light the harassment she has been getting for first half of the semester and the fact that the third year attacked first that she escaped getting suspended but still got detention for what she has done.
When he went and visit her afterwards, he could hear her crying from behind her bedroom door.
It was then that he now knows that although Genko is a strong person, her heart can be like glass at times. He knew that she has a habit of keeping her woes away from others, but he didn't know how much pain that has caused her. And by not talking to her about her troubles, he nearly caused her to break herself from carrying it all.
From than on, he knew what he has to do.
His new goal is not just to become a pro Hero like her, but to also be there for her as one. He knows that there are times in which Heroes formed agencies with one another, and that was what he wanted to do for her. He'll become someone she can share her burdens with, someone she can depend on.
"But that's still a long way ahead…"
As he staggers along, holding onto the wall to try and keep himself up, one of his foot didn't quite follow his command and tripped him over. He would have fallen to the ground, if not for someone catching him before that could happen.
"Genko…?"
"I knew it." His childhood friend sighs, "You've pushed your quirk too far, didn't you?"
"…A little, yeah?" He nervously chuckles, "I kinda have to. Bakugou is one tough bastard."
"He's also very vindictive." She points out as she pulls his arm over her shoulders, "Just a heads-up, he'll mostly like demand another match when school resumes."
"Oh joy…"
"Well, you earned it for trying to act all cool out there. You could've just stated that your feet have overheated."
"And let Bakugou have that satisfying victory? No can do. If I'm losing, it's under my terms and never on his."
"Seriously…" She let out another sigh as they slowly made their way towards the medical ward, "You guys and your dumb grudges… I swear, it's like he's your natural enemy or something."
'Way closer than you think, Genko.' Taikou mentally chuckles, 'Way closer than you think.'
…
To Be Continued…
Omake
Most of Class 1-B let out a sigh at the results of the match. It was close, but in the end, their rival class got most of the spotlight anyways. For some, it would frustrate them to no end.
"And again, it's 1-A's time…" Tetsutetsu clicked his tongue in irritation, "Damn it! I thought Taikou could beat that blonde jerk."
"On the bright side, it doesn't look like he took it very well either." Setsuna points out, curses from Bakugou can be heard very clearly from where they are.
"For every bad thing, there's a pleasurable thing; as they say, right?" Pony helpfully stated.
"I think you meant 'a good thing', Tsunotori-san." Kodai Yui interjects.
"Ha, for all his boasting, he still loses." Monoma scoffs, "All bark and no bite, as the saying goes."
"At least he made it to semi-finals." Honenuki stated, "That's got to account for something, right?"
"Yeah, but all due to luck." The blonde teen carries on, "He only won against that Yaoyorozu chick because he just brute force through it and got lucky. And his match against Tokoyami is already in his favor from the start. His luck ran out when he is up against Bakugou Katsuki."
"I don't know." Shishida shrugs his shoulder, "It feels like an even fight to me."
"Yes, but once Bakugou got a hit in, it's all over." He added, "He is a glass cannon, can't take what he can dish out. If he had listened to my plans for all of us, more of us would have made it into the tournament. But alas, he chooses to ally himself with our rivals and look where it got him?"
"It also got him into the tournament." Kendo firmly pointed out, "His willingness to pair himself with people outside his class got him to where he is in the first place. And let's face it, even if all of us followed your plan, can you guarantee that we could get through?"
"Of course–"
"There's no certainty in a plan, Monoma." She tells him, "Let's face it. Class 1-A has dealt with actual villains and has grown from that, more than us and all in over the past month. Compared to them, we are lacking in a lot of things."
"I hate to admit it, but Kendo's right." Tetsutetsu nodded, "We are really lagging behind, and the fact that only Taikou made it to the tournament shows it."
"Same here."
"Agreed.
One by one, the rest of their class agreed on the reason they lost to their rival class. Monoma looked around at his classmates all nodding and agreeing with what their class representative said, before conceding to them, "Yeah, yeah, you guys are right. We are lagging behind. But we can still catch up! I know that by the next semester, we would tower over Class 1-A–!"
"Actually, why don't we just work with them?"
The soft spoken Kodai Yui's suggestion silenced his speech, as everyone all looked at her in confusion. Flinching at the sudden attention she was getting, she then continues, "Vlad-sensei never said that we can't work with Class 1-A. Not to mention, we hardly know their names. Shouldn't rivals at least understand each other?"
"…She has a point." Kendo nodded, "All in favor of working with Class 1-A?"
"Aye!"
"Monoma."
"Tch, fine."
Yup! This is done! HOLY SHIT, this took way longer than I hoped to be. Getting both Bakugou's personality right is pretty hard; I'm not used to writing such a character before. It doesn't help that I don't really like Bakugou at all.
Oh, he's a great character, don't get me wrong. I just personally don't like him.
Out of all the fights, Bakugou VS Taikou is the hardest one I have to write about since I started writing fanfics! I was lost on how to write it, especially when Bakugou's arsenal is pretty low compared to the latest few chapters, and I don't want to make it like Taikou is way stronger than Bakugou.
Because as much as I want to write it as such, he is not. Bakugou has been the top of the first year during the Sports Festival, and I'm planning on keeping it as such.
So yes, next one is the finale of the Sports Festival arc with a bit of epilogue afterwards, so stay tuned for it!
With that, I thank you for reading this!
