Over the Top

by papireaz

When I died, I expected a few manga volumes. Maybe to learn what the One Piece is. Instead, I found myself in a world that I recognised, a story I had read and what's worse was that it was a story I had no interest in wanting to involve myself in! Then and again, the offer to become a Hero is far too tempting...

23. Issue 22

So uh, final chapter incoming?

For this arc, not the story.

Song is still Peace Sign.

Also sorry not sorry.

---

Summary so far:

The author loves to use this section to inflate his word count for each chapter. Same with the 'Next time' section at the bottom of the chapter. Why? Just to feel good about himself. 'Oh look I wrote 10k words!' yeah buddy, and 2k is dedicated to not even writing the story. Tsk, the author really is a bad person. A very bad person that deserves to be punished greatly!

He's so bad, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, bad.

Just look at his smug face! He just hit 1k words and all he did was write pure garbage! This is why you shouldn't trust fan fiction writers, they are egotistical little shits!

---

Miwa Hayate POV

Miwa couldn't breathe as she watched the fight unfold in front of her eyes. Sora, her brother, was fighting for his dear life to win. Using every trick he had, using his Quirk in ways she could not even imagine, and yet it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to stop his opponent, who used the same attack over and over again, the same ice that shot forth from his right side to attack her brother. And she saw how he struggled, how even using his feet to kick the ice, or flying around did nothing.

It was a valiant effort, but even if he increased his speed, she could see that it wasn't working. Everyone of Sora's plans were failing, and that made her scared. Everyone was rooting for Sora, judging from the loud cheers of her mother and Gekko they were screaming for Sora to 'kick his ass!' which made her giggle. Her friends likewise were in the same boat, although the language used was crasser as Sakura and Saki both shouted insults to Todoroki as if he could hear them.

On the other hand, the boys in the group were shouting like hooligans. Renji, Kenji and Genji took turns in shouting out Sora's name for support as well as trying, and failing, to initiate a Mexican wave. What did make her nervous was how many people were truly invested in seeing either Sora or the Todoroki boy get beat up. While it was a sporting event, she couldn't help but feel like she was out of place in such an event.

And so, when Todoroki sent out the biggest ice glacier, she couldn't help but grip her seat tightly. Sora will be fine, he's a sturdy boy. He will make it past this and win! She reminded herself, but still deep down she felt guilty that she wanted Sora to give up now. As much as she loved Sora, he was reckless, and she felt like it was her fault. That she pushed him towards being a hero when he necessarily didn't want to be one, was his reckless behaviour an attempt of trying to be a strong hero? Or was it something else?

The fact that she couldn't answer the question made her worried. Worried for the fight happening in front of her, but also the future. Because to her being a hero was more than just fighting and winning, it was about spreading hope. And watching Sora fight a truly strong opponent, watching him fight to what it seemed like the death made her want to cry. It made her want to vomit out of fear, and that made her guilty.

Shouldn't she have been cheering him on, screaming his name from the top of lungs just like everyone else! It wasn't that she doubted everyone else's want Sora to be safe, rather they wanted him to win. And while Sora winning the tournament would be amazing, she wanted him to be home in one piece. To not have another trip to the hospital wing, for her to have radio silence on Sora's condition as she could only think about the worst-case scenario.

And so, when she saw Sora cut the biggest ice glacier that she had ever laid her eyes upon, when she saw the flames swirling his body slowly turn into pure white, she couldn't believe it. While he tried to smile, and while his hair covered his eyes, she could still see that he was in pain. In a lot of it, yet the crowd still roared its approval at the turn of events. The pressure of the fight could be felt from the stands, and that made her more nervous as the chants from not her family and friends, but also all around the stadium scared her more than anything.

And when the Todoroki's left side burst into flames the atmosphere was unmatched. Even Endevour, the number-two hero, going on a small loud tangent wasn't enough to distract even the most disinterested person in the stadium away from the fight. It truly made her giggle that even someone as powerful and respected as Endeavour was forgotten in the context of the fight. But her amusement was quickly drowned out as both Todoroki and Sora, who were at wits end, charged each other. To her it felt like the fight wasn't even halfway done yet but studying both of them yielded different results.

Sora looked half dead.

Todoroki looked unsure of what he was doing on top of violently shaking due to the freezing cold he had put himself under. It wasn't that much of a leap for her to guess that his Quirk hurt him if he overexposed himself, his right-side covered in frost helped to prove that. And as much as she wanted to yell for them to stop, as much as she wanted their fight to end right then and now, she was powerless. Utterly powerless to stop it, and so she could only do the one thing that she hated the most.

She prayed for his safety.

She prayed that her brother would make it out of the fight in one piece.

---

Chapter

Twenty Two

'The burden we carry is heavy, but it's our burden anyway'

---

I charged Todoroki, screaming from the top of my lungs while doing so. Every cell in my body hurt, and it took all of my willpower to just not pass on the spot right there and then. But I could control my Quirk, and so ignoring the pain I pulled all the flames towards the broken bokken. The sword was on fire, reminding me how much of a bad idea it was, yet I couldn't deny how cool it looked holding what appeared to be a sword made up of white flames.

To say that my hand didn't feel like it was being melted was an underestimate, I could feel my blood boiling in my right hand, yet that sensation was one of the many things keeping me awake at this point. Todoroki didn't fare any better, with his body violently shaking from both the extreme cold and heat he was putting out. My left arm that was broken, as well as my right foot that felt broken too inhibited me from sprinting full speed towards the boy as I pulled my right arm back, the burning sensation all over my body momentarily pausing as everything gathered at the tip of the broken blade.

Words couldn't describe the ethereal beauty that was present in front of me, the fire dancing at a mere thought of mine. I had no other name for this attack, and I knew that this was the final attack, the final push of this fight. I had already made Todoroki use his fire so there wasn't anything left for me to do other than strike to win. Cementoss was on the move as walls upon walls of cement suddenly tried to block Todoroki and I's trajectory towards each other. Still, I couldn't help but thank the UA faculty for giving me a slight advantage.

I leaned to the ground as low as I could without tripping over myself, dragging the blade across the ground. I was going to shatter the arena first and foremost. My firepower wouldn't be strong enough to beat Todoroki's, I knew that I would lose in a fire battle, while my flames felt warm his flames could be felt throughout the arena. No matter how brightly my flames shone, his flames would always beat mine. And that was because my flames, the white flames, weren't traditional flames. No, Zero's subordinate, the one who I faced during the USJ attack also had a flame Quirk, although his made my body slower when it touched me.

I willed for something similar.

Flames that would explode.

I was insane and I knew it, and the thrill of the fight, the pure excitement of what would happen next was an alien concept. It felt natural, yet it also felt so perverse. So uncommon for me, and I knew why, after what Tokage told me it wasn't hard to understand. My desire to win came from myself, the other part of my personality. Whether it was Sora Yamazaki himself, or the ghost of my past, at this point it didn't matter. Ever since Todoroki's flames had burst out, the desire to win had been swelling up within me more and more.

The ground beneath me started to explode violently, like one of Bakugo's attacks. A piece of rubble managed to crush my other foot, but thankfully it wasn't broken. Cementoss looked increasingly uneasy as Todoroki's flames burned his walls down, while my flames were destroying the ground completely. Dragging my blade through the ground, a quick upwards swing took all the strength in my arm to achieve as I willed for the flames to fly. And fly they did, they flew through each of Cementoss's walls.

They even reached Todoroki, who still had the uneasy grin plastered across his face, his left arm raised forwards as he cut through my flames. His grin tightened; he had beaten me. Or so he thought, even if my eyes felt heavy as my hair covered my eyes, even if I fell to the ground on my knees completely exhausted, even if I dropped my broken bokken my flames, swirling behind Todoroki in multiple various parts still existed. That was before the pure white turned into orange and exploded, blasting the confused Todoroki forwards towards me.

I couldn't get out of the way in time as his body bumped into mine, and we were both sent flying backwards. I couldn't see anything for a few seconds as the smoke obscured my line of sight, but even I could tell that the arena was ruined. And it didn't take a genius for me to realise that I in fact couldn't move my legs, not that they were trapped under rubble but because I couldn't feel them at all. My right arm was coloured with different burns and my blood, hell even one of my teeth was knocked loose as I tasted blood in my mouth.

My left arm was still broken, although not like I expected it to be mended. At least I still had one arm that had a normal injury. The UA gym training suit was tattered and torn from every angle leaving my torso exposed to the world so that even they could see the burns on my chest. My head felt extremely light and what was more was that blood was trailing down my right cheek. One of my ribs was definitely broken as it hurt for me to breath, and I probably burst one of my eardrums. My throat was sore, and when I opened my mouth to say something, to say anything no sound came out.

But Todoroki was still breathing judging by his groans. He was about two metres away from me. Eventually the smoke cleared up and we were met with silence, seems like the crowd's view was just as obscured as ours. Cementoss and Midnight both sighed in relief as they saw Todoroki and I were fine, well maybe I looked fine, but I certainly didn't feel fine. I dreaded meeting Recovery Girl in my current state, Aizawa-sensei even more because I knew that he was going to shout at my stupidity as well as probably expel me.

Ha, as if they would expel me.

I just won't accept their expulsion, then what would they do? Haha, ha-ha... I was seeing things. Shapes, unusual colours, was that a ghost or two? Haha, was I hallucinating? Shinigami, please don't take me away just yet. I have...

I have a lot of things...

...to do.

My eyelids felt heavy. Todoroki won, there was no doubt about it. I was spent, and truthfully, I was looking forward to getting a few hours of shut eye. What was worse was that I felt my minor healing Quirk kick in. Feeling my cells repair themselves all over my body was an excruciating experience and contrasted with the pain. I suppose it was fighting that it stopped me from passing out on the floor, so it came as a surprise as Todoroki looked to the ground dejectedly, but also happy at the same time. And that was when my eyes widened in shock.

Todoroki's legs, they were past the ring.

"AND OUR WINNER HAS BEEN DECIDED!" Present Mic shouted. "IT WAS A HARD-FOUGHT VICTORY, YET THE BOY WITH THE MOST PLANS, THE BOY WHO SURPRISED US ALL MANAGE TO WIN BU PUSHING HIS OPPONENT OUT OF THE RING JUST LIKE HIS PREVIOUS MATCH! GIVE IT UP FOR THE INCREDIBLE, THE WINNING STUDENT FROM CLASS 1A, SORA YAMAZAKI!" I was coughing violently, and thankfully no blood came out.

Somehow, I had won.

But I was spent. There was no way my journey in the tournament could continue, which meant Todoroki would have to fight my battles for me. Sorry chump, taking a break isn't as easy as just loosing. Still, I had a lot of free time to look forward to, and ice cream. I couldn't forget about ice cream, as the winner and the person in a lot of pain I couldn't be expected to pay up for a lot of ice cream.

Then and again, the winners always say 'drinks on me' or some shit. But that was a cliché, there was no way I was going to do something as stupid as that. Nope, I was going to order a strawberry sundae and maybe share it with a cute girl. Actually, that's my strawberry sundae bitch, get your fucking own. I deserve three strawberry sundaes after my performance, and another three to ease the pain I was currently in, and the pain that I was going to feel while eating it.

Hell, everyone in 1A ought to buy me a sundae. That's nineteen sundaes, heh, could I even finish that many without vomiting? Well, I'd share some with Kyoka. I'd give her half of my sundaes, hell I'd give her all of my sundaes if I could... Nah. Why would I do something like that? Who shares strawberry sundaes anyway. Midnight came rushing towards me, checking if I was alright. I mean the answer was obvious, so I grinned through the pain as she asked me that dreaded question.

"I'm fine."

She didn't believe me, and so using a stretcher, both her and Cementoss carried me towards the infirmary. Todoroki stood there shocked at the state of my injuries. But to be honest, I felt much worse at the USJ. No, my injuries during the USJ were much worse, Zero's subordinate was an extremely formidable opponent. I couldn't even finish him on my own, wait that meant that my first in a fight, that my first win without any help was against Shoto Todoroki?! Oh my god, oh my god, I was incredible! This was more than just an ego boost; I could laud it over Bakugo and piss him off even more.

I could brag about it to Tokage, the only one who knew how big of an achievement that actually was. Although knowing her, she would probably point out the fact that I one on a technicality, that this was Todoroki's weakest appearance in the series and that he only grew stronger from here, that he was using half of his Quirk for most of the fight and that I had more injuries compared to him. But that was all background noise, I had actually won.

More so than that, I had made the bastard actually use his flames. He looked like he wanted to talk to me but decided to leave our conversation for later. Shit, I'd have a lot of explain to do. Knowing that he told his mother about wanting to be a hero like All Might was a secret that only he knew, so that meant I had best start preparing my excuses now.

"You hang in there, alright Yamazaki?"

I nodded at Midnight. "M' fine. Honestly, it tickles."

Cementoss sighed, nearly dropping me in the process as he reached out to rub his eyes. "Kid, your definition of 'fine' is so messed up I don't even have enough words to describe it. Why would you go that far for a fight? Did you want to win that badly?" I mustered my best grin for Cementoss, hopefully it didn't make him turn away in disgust. I wasn't the best smiler, in fact photos of me smiling in them were so rare because of the fact that they looked so forced on me.

"It wasn't for me to win. It was for him to use his flames." I explained. "His flames are pretty, so I wanted to see them in action." It was an obvious lie, but they did believe me. "He didn't want to use his flames, and I thought that was wrong. His Quirk is his Quirk, and if he wants to be a hero, he has to get over tha' fact. He has ta' accept responsibility and use his Quirk."

"Just like how you use your Quirk?" Midnight asked. "Not your Nimbus, that other one. You used it recklessly, just how much did you gamble this time kid? I don't want any nasty surprises of you drying on me here just because you decided to be a hero and save someone. Which yes is commendable but doing so and ending up like you is stupid. Gosh, you remind me of Shirakumo so much it hurts." My ears perked up at that, Shirakumo?

Wasn't that Aizawa-sensei's friend?

"I don't know. But the toll was less compared to last time, I don't feel as bad." I replied. "Although I can't feel my legs, but I think that's because my right foot is broken or something. My arm is definitely broken, it's floppy." I laughed as I poked my left arm... I probably shouldn't do that. "I feel much better now anyways, but healing Quirk is working so that means that whatever I gambled was something trivial. Something that doesn't prevent my healing Quirk from kicking in, so if I can't feel my legs maybe I lost the ability to walk?"

Midnight and Cementoss nearly dropped me at that.

"Huh?!" Midnight yelled.

"Jeez... what the fuck kid." Cementoss groaned.

Hehe. "...For a brief period of time of course. Not forever. Or maybe I gambled something else? I'm pretty sure my arm wasn't broken during the fight." I joked.

"Not funny." Midnight lectured me sternly. "You have been such a bad boy; I think two weeks of detention ought to be more than enough to teach you a lesson." I grinned at that. Detention? Not likely, detentions were supposed to be skipped, and while Aizawa-sensei always chased me down to try and force me to attend, Jiro and Kaminari were incredible at finding hiding sports for me.

Like Jiro's locker.

Or in a bin.

It was a fun game to play.

"Hang in there, alright? We're close." Midnight said.

"Roger that!" I replied enthusiastically. Great, another trip to that screaming banshee-, er, Recovery Girl. She was totally going to kill me, or at least put me in a permanent coma. And than Aizawa-sensei... oh man. He was gong to revive me just so he could shout at me some more, and than probably expel me, before killing me once again. And than Miwa, Gekko and Hinata, Jiro-,

Oh shit.

These next few hours are going to be rough. So that's how it is going to be. Ice cream? More like I'm going to scream, haha, that wasn't funny at all. Was I supposed to feel this light-headed? I don't think I was. What type of ice cream should I get? DIdn't I already agree on a sundae? A strawberry one with extra scoops. Pff, scoops. Haha. What a funny little word.

But before any of that, sleep came first.

---

Dark.

Darkdarkdarkdarkdarkdarkdarkdarkdark.

There was no light to be seen, it was just empty.

Pitch black.

Even when looking down I couldn't even see my own body. It felt like I was floating somewhere, flying, but I couldn't feel the breeze. I couldn't feel the rush of wind, instead I felt emptiness. I couldn't feel anything here, wherever I was – It felt like I had died. I tried to move, but nothing happened. Was I even breathing? I didn't know where I was, nor what I was doing.

"Yo."

A voice called out to me.

"Yo, are you awake yet?"

That same voice. It was familiar.

"I suppose you can't see me yet."

See you?

"Right, right. The piano, play it when you have the chance. Or else you might regret it forever." The voice sang.

Piano? What?!

"Goodbye... for now."

---

Suddenly, I found myself attacked by a blinding light. I sat up panting heavily, I could finally see again. I could see my body, my surroundings – I could move and breathe. It was over, whatever happened was like a dream. Did it even happen in the first place? My left arm was in a cast, and there were bandages wrapped around my body. The bed was comfortable, and warm which meant I had been sleeping here for a while.

The window was wide open as seen as the curtains billowed in the breeze. The birds were happily chirping, it made me feel at peace. I don't know how long I sat there, just staring at the open window in wonder. Musutafu was a bustling city, you couldn't go anywhere without hearing the horns from angry drivers, the chattering of the students as they walked home from school. Hearing the birds singing was rare, more so on such a lovely day.

Crap. What happened? Last thing I remember... was pain. Indescribable pain, more so then that I didn't feel like I was in control. I felt conflicted as I shifted the pillows behind me so I could sit up, sighing heavily while doing so. I regretted. Helping Todoroki the way that I did, I really could have handled the situation differently. And then letting my other half take control for the last skirmish, yeah I totally regretted that.

While I helped him, what was the cost.

Did I really help him, or did I just make myself feel better? Just because he used his flames once doesn't mean that he will use them again. Shit, think positive, think positive, think positive-, Argh screw this. I helped Todoroki, I saved him and I'd deal with the consequences just like I promised. A real man never goes back on his words! That's what a badass protagonist would say!

"Oh good, you're awake." A voice drawled. Shutting the book, which from the title alone sent shivers down my spine. Genealogy was a form of science, and I hated science. Aizawa-sensei, however, seemed amused as he pulled his chair forwards and made his way closer to my bed. He set the book aside and smirked at my shocked face. He was wearing... a suit? That was so unlike him. And he had shaved, something that was even more shocking to me.

"What? Surprised to see me like this?" he joked.

"W-where am I?" I asked him. I finally realised that I was in a room. An unfamiliar room, and Aizawa-sensei was sitting here whilst reading a book as if it was normal. Plus he looked different, was this really Aizawa? Or his twin brother? A clone maybe? Or was this just an illusion? Shit, how did it go in Naruto? KAI! Dispel the Genjutsu! This isn't real, this is just a dream-,

"This is the hospital wing. The infirmary of U.A, although on the east wing of the school. You always go to the one on the west wing as it is closer to our classroom, the east wing is predominantly used for those sleeping after being injured, or guests. The west wing is fully booked out, as you can imagine the rest of the tournament was a brutal affair." Aizawa explained.

"Oh right the tournament, I was in a middle of a-,"

"Your arm will be fine soon." Aizawa interrupted me pointing at my left arm that was in a cast. "It broke very cleanly, which means it could be stronger compared to before when it eventually heals. But as you teacher I must give you some advice, even if I've been forcing down your throat for a few weeks now. It's okay to push for your way sometimes, but there is a right time, place, and situation for everything. You could end up with consequences that you didn't foresee if you can't grasp that, which is what I've been trying to teach you. But I realised that the way that I was previously trying to teach you wasn't helpful for you to learn from, and for that I apologise." He bowed his head down at me.

I felt guilty just looking at him. He was my teacher, the person the school and my parents held accountable for my health and safety, and he was the one that took it the hardest. Even after he did so much for me, I just disregarded his lessons without any care in the world. No. I-, I-, I had to. But even if the choice wasn't there, even if I didn't have that Quirk, my actions would be the same regardless.

That's not true, a part of my mind told me. Maybe it wasn't, maybe if I didn't have this Quirk I would have been knocked out during the second round, maybe I would have trained my Nimbus to complete perfection. Just maybe, I'd be in a better position compared to now. Because I was a hypocrite, and I felt like shit. Did I really give it my all? Did I really try?

And even if I did...

...I still felt guilty.

"There isn't a need to apologise sir, and I know that." I replied. "You only have one life after all, so you have to protect it as much as you can. You have to be safe instead of doing something silly that could result in your life being cut short. I know that sensei, you don't need to remind me of that." Aizawa-sensei smiled at that, this time the smile met his eyes. Compared to before his smiles felt forced, suspicious even when it came to me, but now it seemed like everything was clear for the man.

It seems like... he found a long lost relative? Is that why he looked so different today? Huh. Maybe he has a girlfriend, or a boyfriend, and went out on a date with them. Or he was going out with them later on, which meant instead of getting ready he was too busy looking over me. Oh damn, oh no, this was bad! Shoo! Go and win some Aizawa-sensei, you can do it!

"At any rate, I would like to congratulate you on your performance during the annual U.A Sports Festival." He said. "You made a lot of head turns multiple times during all three rounds, and it's safe to say that you made an impression on many heroes that were watching it. More so than that, you impressed me as well. You truly did give it your all, and no one can take that away from you. You put in the work and got satisfactory results, don't ever forget that." Aizawa told me, raising his hand to shake mine.

But I...

I still felt guilty. Nezu warned me, and so did Recovery Girl. I broke the rules, using that damned Quirk. And to top it all off, I allowed myself to be influenced by an unknown variable, I allowed my one moment of weakness to try and do something stupid. My final attack didn't come from me, my moment of happiness at getting Todoroki to use his flames was quickly taken over by my selfishness.

I failed.

Being expelled is what I deserved, for constantly disregarding what everyone else advises me to do. People who have experience in this field, unquestionable knowledge on the subject, people who have spent entire life times dedicated to the betterment of society, life times dedicated to helping others. Being a hero, an honest to God hero, and I thought that my decision making skills was better than theirs?

Ha, what a fool I was.

"Aizawa-sensei, I-,"

"No." He cut me off. "No, I won't consider expelling you." I blinked at him in surprise, I used the damned Quirk with no remorse. I could have killed myself, or I could have killed my opponent. I broke my promise, even though I said I could break it I still felt bad about it. Aizawa-sensei just wanted what was best for me, he wanted me to be safe. And I was constantly nearly getting myself killed, I deserved to be expelled.

"You can't change the outcome of what happened Yamazaki. But you can change the future, you will always have the chance to change your future. If what happened makes you angry, makes you want to scream then the rest is up to you. You have what it takes to be a hero, this has been proven before and during the exam." Aizawa explained to me. "Expelling you now would be irrational, you would never truly learn. It was a ruse, the entire time I had no intention of expelling you. Which I'm sure must aggravate you, after all I lied, but had you truly not understood what I said you would have been kicked off the Hero course."

My nails scratched the palm of my right hand as I clenched my teeth in anger. "But I lost. If it wasn't for that other Quirk, I would have lost so many times during the exam. I beat Todoroki on a technicality, it wasn't even a fair fight. He should have won, not me. I'm not a hero, even though I tried to do good I still didn't become a hero sensei, I'm just the same person as always. Strong enough to want a carefree tomorrow, but weak enough to not make it happen."

"And is that so terrible? Let me be completely honest with you Yamazaki, many heroes who I know personally didn't find your performance anything to write home about. The fact is you are young, young and inexperienced. Being weak is perfectly normal, and so I do not blame you for choosing to rely on something that makes you strong. You have tried to cut back on it, you have tried to create moves that combat it and it still didn't work. I don't blame you for giving up and resorting to using it." Aizawa stood up from his chair and walked around the room a little.

"No one expected you to make it to the final round Yamazaki, even if you are a hero course student it's still hard regardless of what path you are on. Many members of your class didn't make it to the second round, let alone the final round." Aizawa said. "The fact that you did so, even with some extra help is still impressive. There is no point thinking about what would have happened had you not been gifted with more than one Quirk, because that isn't your reality. Once again, I failed as your teacher because I wasn't able to teach you that using that Quirk isn't inherently bad, rather the way you were going about it. I was so caught up in protecting you as my student that I failed to understand that I was putting you down a path that meant you use the Quirk in a dangerous way, and for that I am sorry."

He once again bowed his head down at me.

Guilt.

Why do I have to feel so guilty?

"Yeah... maybe. But it was all luck. I didn't win because I was that strong or smart, it was pure luck. There isn't a need for any of you to be proud of my performance, because I myself am not proud of it. But I'll try and be better, I promise. I'll try and not use it, or try to use it in a safer way. I promise I won't make anyone worry, I'll work hard to get it under control." I responded, but deep down I know that it's a lie.

A comforting lie.

Conflicted wasn't even the correct terminology to use to describe myself, I was split. I really wanted to use it, I really wanted to fight and at the same time I wanted nothing more than to run away from it. To discard it, to burn it away completely. I guess having two souls inhabiting one mind really does lead to insanity, maybe I should talk to a therapist?

No.

That wouldn't work.

"Just because you were disappointed in your performance doesn't mean you didn't achieve something," Aizawa added as he turned to look outside the window. "You had proven all of us at U.A all wrong. The true purpose of these exams isn't about 'winning' or 'losing.' It tests something more than that, at least that is what I personally believe and what I try to teach my students. It's irrational to assume that you had to win in order to be a hero, your classmate Bakugo won the whole thing and yet he failed to grasp the meaning of the tournament. Winning doesn't make you a hero, it just makes you a winner."

My eyes widened, Bakugo won? That meant-,

"Oh yes. The tournament has been finished for quite some time. Yesterday to be precise, but that isn't the point." Aizawa turned back to face me, leaning on the windowsill as he pointed at me once more. "You helped your classmate. Before your fight with Todoroki, his fire had not been used at all. Being a hero requires you to put someone else's needs in front of your own. I was angry at you after the second round because you tried to justify wanting your team to win when you used an attack that wasn't for your team, it was for yourself. You wanted to win, and so you jeopardised everything – Even your own teammates for your own selfishness, your own desire to win."

I-,

"Nonetheless Yamazaki," Aizawa continued, "You went forward to the third round. But you seemed different, you helped someone who wasn't even in your class. Sure, it was a bit hypocritical for you to talk about working hard, but the lesson still stuck with the boy. If anything, he looked promising to me. Then after that your fight with Todoroki made it so you helped the boy, it struck me that you could have easily won if you used that Quirk earlier. But you did help him first and foremost, and while in the end you won, while in the end you were selfish, it was a mistake. It wasn't the goal of the fight, and we both know it. You wanted him to use his flames, and so you got caught up in the moment after it happened and went for the win. Judging by the look on your face, you really didn't want to win, did you?"

I shook my head. No, I already achieved my goal. Me winning was just... It was something else entirely. The other side of me wanted to win, and in my one moment of weakness I allowed it to take over me. I allowed it to affect me, and that made me angry. I felt so conflicted, something that should be joyous was instead taking a toll on me. I should be happy, I beat someone as strong as Todoroki, but instead it made me feel empty.

It wasn't what I truly wanted.

"You are a teenager Yamazaki, a teenager. Don't put the weight of the world on your shoulders, don't blame yourself for what happened. Just move on, be better for next time. In the end, your actions showed to me, and many of the staff here that you indeed do deserve to be a hero. That you are one, and if you disagree then feel free to not come into school tomorrow. Feel free to hide your U.A identity card, or even sell it for some money. The most others can use it for would be as a display item, as the cards validity would be terminated on the database. Even so, many would give small fortunes for a card, you could live the rest of your life in luxury if wanted to." Aizawa said.

"But why would I do that?" I asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders in response. "What matters the most is what you chose to do, not as a hero but as a person. No one would blame you for giving up now, being a hero isn't easy. In fact, I've spoken to some of your classmates regarding their position in the course, but all of them chose to stay despite their fears. If you feel like you owe people something, then you can stay and be a hero. If you want to protect others, you can stay and be a hero. If you want some peace and quiet, no one will blame you for leaving. It may be seen as a cowards move, but your safety is our priority at U.A."

"Heh, my friend said something similar." I replied. Tokage was pretty smart.

"You have some good friends then. I hope you appreciate them, because the amount of trouble you cause in class with Kaminari and Mineta is infuriating to say the least." Aizawa joked. "But my point still stands, are you still willing to continue? The mental torture that comes with being a hero is no joke. You will feel lost and confused a lot. You will doubt yourself, and you will feel like you are all alone often. Do you understand? It isn't a profession if you want to only protect people who you care about, because there will be times when you fail. I know that you are willing to take the risk and the responsibility, but now you truly understand what it means to save someone. That stress you felt during the fight, the stress of your plans not working, and the feelings that come after a fight. You will get used to it if you decide to continue walking down this path."

"I didn't understand what you, or my friend really meant, but I do now. Sort of." I said with a smile. "Still, there is far too much that I want to accomplish as a hero to just give up now, even if it's only been a month, everyone here is like my second family. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I walked away now. I've already resolved to change canon-,"

Before I could finish my sentence, I felt a presence tighten around my body. It was as if I was getting crushed to death, and I couldn't breathe as I gasped for air. It was indescribable, as if the world had stopped moving completely. I clutched my chest and tried to scream for help, but no sound came out. Aizawa stood there, emotionless. No, he couldn't react in time.

It felt like there was a hand wrapped around my heart, waiting to make sure that my heart stops beating forever. I could feel it, one by one a finger was let go, and after a few seconds, the pain went away as I could finally breathe again, not without coughing heavily. Aizawa offered me a glass of water, thanking him I drank it all in one gulp. Just what in the bloody hell was that?!

Was it because I mentioned canon? Just what the hell was happening to me. First I have multiple Quirks, then a 'other self' and now this?! Here I thought I was a uncomplicated person, but I was turning out to be a tricky bastard myself. Still, if it truly did trigger because I mentioned 'canon' in that context, I have to wonder why. Why is something, or even someone blocking me.

And who put it a block there in the first place, if it even was a block.

I wasn't going to risk my life talking about it again. But it did make me think, why didn't it trigger when I was speaking to Tokage about it? Hm. Maybe it was a secret? I could talk about it to whoever was in the know, but if I tried to mention it to someone who didn't know I would be penalised? I was going to have to test it some other time. And also speak about it to Tokage, could she have some information about it?

Still, I was resolved. Any doubts I had were gone as I tried to stand up from the bed. Sure, I wanted to build a better future for everyone, to live my life the way I wanted to. But it wasn't going to be easy. Tokage was right, changing canon was going to be a hellish undertaking. If I was going to do it alone, which was why she offered me help. Even if she was wary of changing it, even if she didn't really want to do it, she still offered me help in doing so.

It felt like I was constantly going around in loops, especially with myself. Maybe that was because I was weak, maybe it was because of the other side of me that I didn't want to accept. Because I knew who it was, I knew why it was there and what it wanted. It was the selfish side of me that wanted to win, that wanted to be the best. The side of me that looked at our past and wanted things to be different, to not be the loser that I once was.

Making a carefree tomorrow was harder than I ever expected it to be. Just saving Todoroki had put me in the hospital for a day, and yet I couldn't wipe my grin off my face as Aizawa helped me up. I was a step closer to building the future that I wanted, to achieving my dreams. I suppose it was arrogant for me to assume that I could do it singlehandedly, but that was neither here nor there. I was getting there, and eventually I'd be a hero.

"Oh, and a carefree tomorrow? What is that all about?" Aizawa asked confusedly, tilting his head slightly to the right.

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Oh, uh, yeah. That is my dream. To build a carefree tomorrow for everyone, one which I can live to see. Where everyone is happy to live the way they want to live. Just protecting everyone I care about isn't enough sir. I want them to be happy, genuinely happy and I want to see it with my own eyes." I told him. "It's a little childish, isn't it?"

"No, it isn't." Aizawa replied. "On the contrary it sounds rather nice. A lot of your classmates would agree with me, agree that your dream is a beautiful one. I've seen many students walk these halls with hopes and dreams that don't reflect what a hero truly is, not that there is anything wrong with it. The world isn't a hopeful place, and so it's always a pleasure to see people like you try and build something better out of it."

"People like me?" I asked.

Aizawa nodded. "Oh, you think you are special. Believe me Yamazaki, I've met my fair share of people who are like you." I snorted at that, I doubt he's actually met someone who died and was reincarnated into a new world. But if he did, then I'd eat my socks or something. Tokage didn't count, she wasn't his student. Apart from maybe a nod here and there as they passed each other in the corridor, I doubt they had ever really met.

"So, how did the tournament go?" I asked.

"How do you think it went? After you were unable to fight for the rest of the tournament, Todoroki took your place. But he quickly dropped out. Iida dropped out as well, although that was mostly due to his family circumstances more than anything." My ears perked up at that. That meant his brother was attacked. "The next fight was between Jiro and Tokage, at which they fought to a stalemate, and neither could continue on with the tournament. This Sports Festival was criticised for being boring, too many kids gave up. The principal is thinking of introducing a new rule for next year's one, making it so you can't give up or else you face expulsion."

I shuddered at that.

The rat really wanted to kill us. Well not literally, but-,

"Don't worry about it." Aizawa interrupted my thoughts. "The principal thinks of many things, not everything is passed. Still, you should know that everyone visited you while you were in the hospital. People even brought some sweets, but someone ate them. The girl, Tokage from 1B, said that you promised her your next batch of sweets." I growled at that.

She just stole my sweets! That fucking bit-,

"Everyone was worried for you kid. You nearly didn't make it."

Huh?! I looked up at him surprised. I nearly died? But-, how?! I mean I was safe. I didn't go overboard with anything, I made sure not to sacrifice anything stupid. I wasn't even that injured. "What do you mean sensei?" I asked him confused. "I thought I was fine? How did I nearly die? This sounds like a joke, are you pulling one over me?!" I yelled at him.

He grabbed me by the shoulders as he sternly told me to change my tone. "Your brain just... even Recovery Girl was stumped. Brain failure, it was just empty. Your brain wasn't functioning, we truly thought that you had died. Luckily it was for a few seconds, and you did manage to pull through. Maybe it was just a malfunctioning of our machines, in fact that is what Recovery Girl thinks. She threw them out and called them 'useless garbage' but you didn't hear that from me." He said with a smile.

"I thought you weren't the type to gossip?" I asked him.

"I'm not," He replied. "I'm just merely informing my student of what happened while he was away, there is a clear difference you see." His eyes shone brightly, and to me it looked like he was catching up with an old friend. Tch, old people. Getting lost in their memories of their youth, it happens all the time with these old farts. Maybe I should play along in this case?

"Oh and Yamazaki, your 'fighting style' was impressive. Well not really, but mixing in kicks and speed in the air is a creative way of using your Quirk. But it has a lot of glaring weaknesses, which I'm sure you have realised by now." I nodded. It was like a fighting game, I was weak against zoners as they probably had anti-air options. My speed meant nothing if they could hit me out of the air.

So I needed a ground based style to match it. I already had a bokuto, so maybe I should try and do some formal training with the sword? It would go a long way, and I'd be able to properly use it instead of swinging it wildly like a madman. I probably embarrassed anyone who studied kendo, or any form of the sword, any minute now they would come after me and give me formal training.

"Oh, and here." Aizawa-sensei handed me my phone. All fixed and looking newer compared to before. "We gave it to the support department. While yes, it was your fault for bringing it with you, the fault also lies with me for distracting you to the point of forgetting to put your phone away. Next time this happens, you are on your own." I smirked at that, oh yes now that was one less thing to worry about!

Hopefully my progress on my dacha's weren't deleted-,

Gah. My mind was fried, I really couldn't think straight. But walking down the corridor with Aizawa as my crutch made everything feel simple. I still had a lot of growing to do before I even had the chance to take down Zero. If his subordinate was filled with a shit ton of Quirks and was that powerful, then how strong must be the bastard himself? I was a fool to think that just one wooden sword would even the odds, even more to think using my legs to propel myself towards my opponent and rotating to build up speed was any good. It was a good attack, and while I was tempted to name it 'Shoot Style,' I already had a better name in mind for it.

'Steps towards the future' seemed like a good name...

Bah, who was I kidding that sounded so shit. I was super unoriginal sure, but that sounded so lame. 'Mwuahaha, my next attack will defeat you! Prepare for my steps towards the future!' That nearly made me want to sit down on the ground and laugh at it. What a stupid name, gosh what the hell was I thinking? 'Shoot style' sounded equally as stupid, because what was I shooting? Still, having a name would help me visualise it better.

Plus, if I yelled it out during a fight, as I sounded cool maybe I'd get a power boost?

'Devil's footprints?' No, that was way too edgy.

'Kicking brightly?' God no, that sounded awful.

Dancing in the air? Flying through the air? Domain Expansion? Kicking Breathing Style: Form Four? Kicking Union Mode? KCM (Kicking Cunt's Mothers) mode? X-Burner? Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu: 'Kicking?' Gear Fourth? Ether Limit Mode? Dragon Force? Prancing through the sky? I wanted to fast, to fly over everyone and beat the opponent. I wanted to show off, to be-,

Heh, just thinking about it made me laugh. But it fit me like a glove, and truthfully it had a certain charm to it. Naming things was hard, especially since names had important meaning behind them. You wouldn't call your child Jimmy for fun, not unless you are a psychopath which is an entirely different reason.

I'd protect my friends and family; I'd save everyone that I can. More so than that, I'd fight anyone on my own terms. I'd reach the heavens with my will alone, on second thought that made me sound like a 'Chunni', still suck in middle school syndrome. And I most certainly was not like that, I was a realist first and foremost! Saving everyone that I cared about, and helping them grow sounded better.

I died and became a realist in another world to save others sounded like a title for a new light novel.

But it fit me, I guess I really was 'Over the Top.'

---

Jiro: Hey I heard you got released from the hospital

Jiro: How you feeling?

You: Like shit

You: Gonna go play some games

You: Watch some anime or something

You: Wanna join?

Jiro: Maybe

Jiro: Yours or mine?

You: Which ever you feel like

Jiro: Yours it is then

Jiro: Can't have you getting injured while trying to reach my house

You: Oi

You: That isn't fair

You: I'm not that injured

Jiro: Want me to bring some snacks?

You: Nah my parents did the shopping

You: Just bring your CD's

Jiro: ?

Jiro: Why?

You: I'm in the mood for some music

You: Or would you rather I use PlayTube instead?

Jiro: NOPE

Jiro: I'll bring my favourite bands

Jiro: Want me to invite others to come?

You: Last time someone else was invited it led to me getting bullied in a picnic

Jiro: Such a drama queen

Jiro: But all right then

Jiro: What time should I come over?

You: Now?

You: What did you want me to bring you over to my room at three in the morning?

Jiro: I never said that

You: That's what you implied

Jiro: I asked what time I should come over

Jiro: Get your head out the gutter

Jiro: You disgusting perv

You: I'm not a pervert!

You: I'm a gentlemen

Jiro: You would sleep with any girl that opens her legs to you

You: That's not true

Jiro: Don't try to deny it

Jiro: Everyone can hear your conversations with Kaminari and Mineta

Jiro: It really scares us

You: Why's that?

Jiro: Because you are normal most of the time

Jiro: But with them you turn into a monster

You: I was always a monster

Jiro: Haha

Jiro: You aren't some edgy anime swordsman

Jiro: You are a cute chibi person

You: Are you calling me short?

Jiro: Yes

You: I'm going to kick you when you come over to mine

Jiro: I'd like to see you try

Jiro: I'm not afraid of fighting you

Jiro: I'll show to you how strong I am

You: Go on then

You: I'll break those discs you love

Jiro: I'll castrate you

You: Okay and?

Jiro: What do you mean by 'okay and?'

Jiro: Shouldn't you be squealing like a little girl?

You: Honey please

You: I've nearly died

You: The threat of being castrated isn't as scary as you would think

You: Plus Mineta would get a hard from it

Jiro: I'll actually block you

Jirou: Like you won't be able to message me

You: You wouldn't dare

You: If you block me then who would you speak to when it's 2 am

Jiro: Maybe I can finally go to sleep

You: Admit it you enjoy talking to me way too much

Jiro: Nope

Jiro: Does 6 sound good?

You: That's in an hour

You: Think you can make it in time?

Jiro: Please

Jiro: I don't get lost

Jiro: I actually know how to take the correct train

You: I take offence to that

You: It's hard you know

Jiro: Yes it's hard to read signs on where to go

Jiro: Truly your plight encapsulates the worlds suffering

You: Not funny

Jiro: Duh

Jiro: It's sarcasm

You: No I was saying your sarcasm isn't funny

You: Duh

Jiro: Shush

Jiro: Or else I won't come over

You: PLEASEEE

You: I'm bored

You: Everyone else is out

You: They aren't coming back until 9

Jiro: Why?

You: Something about Miwa's school

You: I think it's parents evening

Jiro: Already?

You: Yeah it's stupid

You: I can't wait not to go to ours

Jiro: Yeah I can see Aizawa-sensei complaing to your parents

Jiro: But Present Mic will give you a glowing review 100%

Jiro: He's like your number 1 supporter I swear

You: I'm just that awesome

You: Even the teachers are on my side

Jiro: I dare you to skip lessons then

You: You want me to die?

You: Aizawa would murder me

Jiro: That's what I thought

Jiro: What a chicken

You: Are you trying to goad me?

You: It won't work

You: I'm not a child

Jiro: Okay okay

Jiro: I'm twenty minutes away

You: Already?

Jiro: My dad decided to drive me

Jiro: Didn't want me to get recognised on the train

You: Oh right

You: I heard you drew with Tokage

Jiro: Yep

Jiro: We both knocked each other out

You: Ouch

Jiro: But I gave her a bruise at least

Jiro: And I have a scar now

You: ?

You: Does it ruin your face?

Jiro: As if

Jiro: I'll show you when I get to yours

You: Ite

You: I'm gonna set everything up

Jiro: Cool

Jiro: See ya' in a bit

---

As I opened the door, she flung herself towards me hugging me tightly. I was surprised to say the least, usually she never shows this type of emotion. I patted her back gently, and nodded at her father who stood below us. Our house, or rather apartment, was on the second floor and the door faced the parking space. Jiro's father was a very scary man, he had wavy shoulder-length light-gold hair and the same eyes as his daughter.

However his eyes seemed to always glare at me.

He didn't trust me with his daughter, and I couldn't blame him. I wouldn't trust me with anyone's daughter either, not that I would get far with them anyway. But alas, I could dream, dream of getting a girlfriend and inviting her to my room. Of watching some movies with them, maybe playing some games before checking to see if anyone was in the house before proceeding to have some 'alone time.'

"Come on in then." I told her as I closed the door behind us. I sighed. Jiro had bought food for us, even though I said it wasn't necessary. She had gotten some mochi, Uraraka recommended it for its cheap and quality flavours. "Why? I told you there wasn't a need to bring some food. Honestly, do you listen or not? Or did you bring them along because you craved them?"

Jiro blushed slightly at that. "It's not like that!"

"Right." I sarcastically replied. "Want some soda?"

"What type?" She asked.

"Cola. As if I'd drink anything other than cola, or Dr Pepper."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not really a fan of soda. But sure, I'll drink one since you offered so kindly. You would make a really good waiter, you know that right?"

I snorted at that. "A waiter? Really?"

"Well it was that or being a teacher."

I nearly tripped over myself at that. A teacher?! That was even worse, as if I'd teach some snot-nosed brats how to calculate four times four, no I had much better things to do with my life. Like not being a teacher, like playing my games in peace, like hanging out with my friends, like doing literally anything else. But Jiro didn't retract her statement, in fact it made her more bolder.

"You would be a really good teacher Sora."

"Kyoka, do you honestly think I should be around kids?"

"Why not? You aren't some sort of pedophile are you?"

I nearly dropped the cans of soda at that. "What?" I yelled. "Are you trying to get me arrested or what? The walls here are paper thing, and my neighbours already hate me. If they heard you they would probably call the police, and goodbye to U.A. You would never see me again, is that what you really want Kyoka Jiro? To see your best friend locked behind bars for a crime he didn't commit?"

To her credit, she didn't roll her eyes at me. "Oh shush, you are so dramatic. You should have been an actor, the amount of awards you would have won would be staggering."

"For my good looks?" I joked.

"As if," Jiro snorted. "Are you feeling a bit tipsy? Maybe you need another trip to the hospital."

"Oi, are you trying to say I'm unattractive?"

She stared at me for a few seconds, looking up and down before finally coming to a decision. "Hm... You aren't bad I suppose."

"Not bad isn't encouraging ya' know."

"Well Sora, do you want me to call you Kami's gift to woman everywhere?"

"Yes, that would be nice."

"But I thought friends aren't supposed to lie each other." Ouch. That was a good line, and she knew it as she smirked at me playfully. She wasn't like this before the Sports Festival, the Kyoka Jiro I knew would be blushing right now! An then she would look away to the left slightly, her lips slightly twitched upwards and her eyes softened as she would stammer her words out.

This new and improved Kyoka Jiro was-,

"By the way, next time you get sent to the hospital I really will break your games." I chocked on on my drink. "I'm not joking Sora, if I didn't know you as well as I did I would have thought that you have a crush on Recovery Girl." I cringed at that. Ew, Recovery Girl and her old, wrinkly ass-, Nope! Positive thoughts, happy thoughts, think of dogs. Everyone likes dogs.

"What on earth would possess you to think that?" I asked her. "And for your information, it hurt. Going to the hospital hurts a lot."

"Really? You don't say." She replied sarcastically.

"Tch, cut down on the sarcasm."

"When you cut down your visits to the hospital wing is the day I'll finally stop being sarcastic."

"I've been to it like... four times!"

Jiro sighed. "Four times in the past week. That isn't good now is it?"

"It's better than not going at all! I'm just taking my health very seriously!"

"You get injured and are put there, you don't willingly go there. That's like comparing apple cores to apples in general, wait no I believe the saying is..."

"Apples and oranges?" I offered.

"Ah." Jiro clapped her fist in her other hand. "You're right. Shit."

"Is me being right a bad thing?" I asked her confused.

"It's a very bad thing." She sighed. "We all made a bet, the first person that let you answer a question and got it right would pay for everyone else's lunch."

"We?"

"Yaoyorozu, Kaminari, Mineta, Sero and myself."

Sero?! That bloody moocher, I bet he joined in on it just so he could get a free meal. Next time I see that bastard I'm going to sock him right in the face. Multiple times, that bastard deserves it. We shared the mochi she got, as we entered my room. Still as I ate the chocolate flavoured mochi, I couldn't help but smirk. Jiro was using a napkin to avoid making a mess in my room, whilst I ate like a barbarian. It was no problem if I made a mess anyways, I'd clean it up right after anyway.

"What?" She asked me. "Why are you looking at me funnily?"

"I'm not."

"You are."

I sighed. "First thing out of the hospital wing and you already trying to pick a fight with me. Great, what's next, is Mineta going to come knocking and pass me porn or what?" Wait no, don't speak things into existence! I leaned to the side, pressing my ears to the wall. I'd be able to hear if someone were close to our door.

Nope, no one was knocking on our door.

Jiro giggled. "Oh, come on, did you really think Mineta would do something like that?" I didn't bother to reply, only choosing to turn on my computer and scroll through the movies to watch. Not that I paid for a subscription service, no this was a more, uhm, exclusive website? Fine, it was a pirate website full of illegally dumped movies. To be fair I try to rent new movies or watch them during their theatrical run.

But before the release of the DVD's there was a small period where in which the movie was unavailable. Which was a sweet spot, no one could blame me for wanting to watch a movie when I had no legal access to it. But to be fair I'd still pirate it even if there was legal access, I guess I've always been a pirate at heart. Give me an eye patch, and a couple of swords and you can call me the captain of the Blue Haired Pirates, Soranks!

"Hey do you mind if I use your pillow?" Yes, I minded a lot. I was very picky when people came into my room, usually I always sat right next to my pillows so no one could use them, but I was tired so why not.

"Sure."

"Thanks... I didn't get a good nights sleep."

"Because of me?" I asked. "Sorry. I didn't want to worry everyone, least of all you."

"..."

"What did I say something bad? Jiro?"

She didn't reply. Huh. Maybe she was ignoring me, or trying to move away from the conversation. Ah, that must be it! I launched the first website without adverts that I could find as I scrolled down and filtered them out all the romance movies. Ugh, as if I was going to watch them. Not that Jiro watched them anyways, because it's not like she did, but just to be sure.

Plus, I can fix the movies to fit my preferences more.

"So uh, what do ya' wanna watch?" I asked Jiro. "Ooh, I heard this is a good action movie. You up for a horror movie? Wait-, Holy shit they made a live action adaptation of Kiss X Miss? No way, this must be a dumpster fire. Hey, do you want to watch it-," I spun around on my chair, only to see that Jiro had already fallen fast asleep.

My eyes must have been deceiving me, as I blinked once. And then again. A cute girl was fast asleep... on my bed...

Oh god, this can't be happening to me right now?! I mean where was I going to sleep tonight? It was already eight PM, and tomorrow was a school day. I already missed one day of school; I couldn't afford to miss another. Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, this wasn't good. But she looked so peaceful, she looked so happy being fast asleep.

And she was tugging on my pillow lightly as well. Oh my god she looked so cute, wait hold on. Since when was Jiro 'cute'? I stroked my chin as if I were a detective as I pulled my chair closer to where Jiro slept. She was lightly snoring, an action that I found adorable. I wonder what it would feel like if I slept beside her-,

Hold on.

Chotto matte kudasai.

I resisted the urge to poke her cheeks. I also resisted the urge to kiss her on the forehead-, KISS?! Why would I want to kiss her? She was like my best friend-, No she was my best friend. Apart from her, only Kaminari was really the only one I'd trust with helping me hide a body. Yaoyorozu would probably get caught with me due to not being able to dissolve the body in time, and Mineta would scream and pass out.

What the hell was happening to me? And why did I feel so flustered all of a sudden? She just fell asleep on my bed. Friends do that all the time, even if this was the first time of it ever happening to me personally. Ah, she must be cold. I ran over to my wardrobe and pulled out the first blanket I could find-, Wait no that was one with an anime protagonist on it! Uhm, where is that damn blue one?! Gah, it's not clean?! Crap, crap!

I turned back to look at her again. Damn, she was curling up. She was cold, but the only blanket I had was slightly embarrassing. I made up my mind, I was going to sacrifice everything. Taking the blanket, I threw it over her carefully making sure that it didn't cover her face. I then tucked it in slightly, only to make it more comfortable for her. Wait, she was still wearing her socks, should I take them off? No, maybe she liked to sleep with her socks on.

I don't know how long I stood there, just watching her sleep. Wait, hold on why was I watching her sleep? Well, she was in my room. What else was I going to do? I had already turned off my PC so that I didn't get a notification making her wake up. And I couldn't exactly go and watch a movie in the living room, what if someone invaded the house through my window? Who would protect her then? Which meant, the only thing I could realistically do would be to sit down on my chair and make sure that her sleep wasn't interrupted.

Turning my phone off completely so that a message wouldn't vibrate loudly and wake her up, I leaned back on my chair and repressed the urge to sigh. This was going to be a long few hours. But at least I had my books to keep me company. Grabbing the nearest light novel that I could find; I opened the first page and began to read it. From left to right, I was reading each individual line as hard as I could trying to discern why Jiro looked nice-,

Hold one, Jiro wasn't even in this book?

And that was when I realised that I wasn't even reading the book. It was upside down, and my attention was focused purely on Jiro. Why the hell was I acting weird?! And was I sweating? Raising my right arm, I gave it a quick sniff before reaching for some deodorant. Damn it, I couldn't be smelling slightly off when Jiro was in my room. Wait, I couldn't spray this in here. What if it woke her up? Damnit, this was trickier than I thought.

Getting up from my seat, I left the room to make my way to the bathroom. After adequately using the entire bottle of deodorant to spray my armpits, and my clothes in general, I threw the empty can in the bin and made my way back to my room. Wait, what if she got thirsty? I couldn't expect her to get up and walk all the way to the kitchen, now, could I? No. It was my duty as the host to make sure that all her needs were catered to!

And so, I poured a glass of water for her and left it on the ground beside my bed. I was lucky my parents thought having a futon was a bad idea, because God, I hated them. Sure, they were easier to clean up after and took less space. But having a bed, a real tangible bed that didn't move and was above the ground was better than the floor. If I wanted to sleep on the floor, I'd get a damn tent and do so! However, futons were tradition. And they were cheaper. It wasn't that I had anything against futons, just that they weren't as comfortable compared to a bed in my humble opinion.

Eventually, I too drifted to sleep. I mean it wasn't like I could do anything apart from sleep as I didn't want to wake her up. I should have been pissed, but oddly enough it amused me. I sort of enjoyed it, looking after her in a weird way. No, not in a weird way! In a perfectly normal, platonic way! In a way best friends look after each other when one is sick! I'm sure she would do the same for me if I ever fell asleep on top of her bed.

...I wonder, what does her bed feel like? I had been to her room before, just I never had the chance to fall asleep on top of her bed. It must be comfortable; she probably had a better mattress then me. But what about her pillows? Were they soft? Or did she prefer more rough pillows. Hm, so many questions. Did she have a secret teddy bear? If she did, I wonder how she held it, was it close to her chest? Or did she lazily throw one arm around it?

Tch, what was wrong with me? Who cares how her bed is, or if she has a teddy bear. Why does that even matter? Stupid brain. Stupid hormones, she was just a friend. There was no way in hell that I like Kyoka Jiro, and there was no chance that she would ever reciprocate any feelings I could ever have-, Not that I'd get those feelings in the first place! Grr, this was annoying. Couldn't I just have one relationship with a girl that didn't have a romantic dynamic attached to it?

This was why Miwa was so much fun to hang out with. She was my sister in all but blood, more so than that we acted like siblings. But if I tried to act that way with Jiro, people would start to speculate that we were in a relationship, and then we would both get flustered. But why did she get flustered? I mean it wasn't that embarrassing to be with me... right? Hold on, wait up, was she flustered because I was that undesirable?

Why did that make me feel relieved, and also slightly insulted at the same time. Did I want her to find me desirable? Well, wasn't it every boy's dream to be desirable by someone that they like? Not that I like Jiro, because I most definitely didn't-,

Oh, who was I kidding. I was a liar, but I couldn't lie to myself any longer.

Staring at her face made me realise how much I truly liked Jiro, how much I liked my best friend. It was weird for me to say this, but if she was interested in me then I wouldn't be opposed to dating her. Then I could take care of her like this all the time, I could treat her like a princess. No, that was stupid. I'd treat her good, taking her out on dates and shit. But there was no way in hell that was going to happen, because there was no way that she would ever like me.

Heh, sad to say but I wasn't gifted when it came to the romance department. I had never had a girlfriend before, at least not an official one. But even if I did manage to get a girlfriend, I was an idiot and I'd worry her half to death practically every time I'd get in a fight. And with my other Quirk, along with the truth of who I was, it was a death wish. I wouldn't want to wish that life upon my worst enemy, let alone the girl who I like.

No.

I'd rather be alone. Ha, sad to say but it's the safer option. At least I won't unintentionally hurt her, at least I won't make her feel unloved. Then she can find someone else that will make her happier than I ever could, because that was the future. I didn't need to have a premonition of the future to see this, because it was the truth. I was bad boyfriend material, and I knew it, and so I wasn't going to be selfish for once.

I'd never hurt Jiro, intentionally or unintentionally. That was my promise to myself. I wouldn't forgive myself if I ever did, and so I was drawing the line at best friends for life. Even if it hurt me, I'd rather that than have her crying over the fact that her boyfriend got in trouble again. God, the amount of stress she must face as my best friend must be unfathomable, having her be my girlfriend would mentally destroy her.

That was the truth.

I wasn't going to enter a relationship with someone until everything was sorted out, and so I'd never admit my feelings out loud. Not to her, not to Miwa, not to Kaminari, not to anyone. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to be a hero, that is true, but not all sacrifices are to do with your body. No, I already have enough scars all over my body to last me a lifetime. My mind was already fractured, split personality and all.

And so, I was now prepared to sacrifice my relationships, my happiness to be a hero. Did that make me a piece of shit? No. I was doing good. This was another step towards a carefree tomorrow, one which Jiro could be happy with whoever she wants. One where I can congratulate her for getting engaged and spoil her kids like a cool uncle. I smiled at that, it sounded nice. A future where Jiro had kids... I wonder what they would be called.

Well, it's not like it matters to me.

---

The ice cream parlour was nearly empty. Yaoyorozu had decided to book it for us, and surprisingly nearly everyone came along. Minus Iida, for obvious reasons, and so the remaining nineteen of us sat down at our long table. Kirishima was annoying Bakugo about a new training regime, and Uraraka and Midoriya were discussing all the flavours on offer. Everyone was fractured, even Kaminari and Mineta were engaged in idle conversation far away from me.

It left only Todoroki alone with myself in the corner. Ah, how awkward. I ordered the triple strawberry sundae with extra fudge and a chocolate scoop on top of it before turning to face the boy. "Yo." I waved at the boy. "Long time no see, right?"

"...It's been two days." Gah, he was as blunt as always.

"How are you doing?"

"Fine."

Ah, he wasn't in a very talkative mode.

"Yamazaki," Todoroki stared directly in my eyes as he spoke, he seemed unsure of what to say at first but after I coughed slightly, he found his bearings. "You compared me to my father when we fought, and I was just wondering..."

"Why I made the comparison?" I asked. Todoroki nodded in response. "Well, it's simple, Endeavour wants to be the number one hero, he wants to surpass All Might. Everyone knows this, but no matter how hard he works it won't happen. All Might is just that strong. Yet Endeavour continues to do so anyway, not really understanding why All Might is above him in terms of rankings. The same situation can be applied to yourself, you want to be a hero but not using half of your Quirk will make it impossible for your dream to happen. That promise you made to your mother; it won't become a reality. You are deluding yourself in trying to do so, that isn't being a hero, and it won't show you father that you don't need him."

Todoroki clicked his teeth. "And how do you know about such a promise? I don't recall discussing my personal life with you, especially when you made it clear that you didn't want anything to do with it. What changed? And how did you find out?"

I leaned back, a smirk forming on my face. "I know a lot of things. For one you have a hot sister. How I got that information is irrelevant, but it came from a trusted source I can tell you that much. As for why my policy changed, well that has a simple answer. I changed." Todoroki snorted at that; he clearly didn't believe me.

"People don't change as quickly as you did. That's impossible."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Oh, come on, you seriously don't believe that I had a change in heart? Because I'm telling you that I did. To be honest I'm still unsure about involving myself with your personal affairs, if you will allow me that is, but if it helps you in anyway then I'm game. Just tell me what's needed, and I'll help ya' no problem."

"But why?"

"Because ya' doofus, we are friends. Maybe not close friends, maybe you don't even consider me as a friend. But to me you are a friend, and for that alone I'd go through hell to help you. And I'm not alone, believe me everyone else in our class would do the same. That's what friendship is, I'm surprised you haven't realised it yet." I answered.

"...friends? When were we ever friends?" He spat out confused. "I thought I made it clear, I'm not here to make friends."

"And how's that going for you?" I asked. "Don't answer, because it is clear to literally anyone that it really isn't going well for you. The 'loner act' will fall with time because it won't work. It will never work, it's okay to not want to have a lot of friends, but having no friends at all is unhealthy. You aren't possibly strong enough to tackle your issues by yourself, and even if you are strong enough – It is stupid to even try to do so. No one really wants to be lonely, and so no one buys your whole act."

"I'm nothing like my father-,"

I sighed. "Listen kid, I don't care. I've said my piece, I made you use your fire. Key word, your fire. If you want me to beat the lesson into you again, then I gladly will. Just give me a time and a place and I'll be there no questions asked as many times as it's required. But something tells me that won't be necessary, will it?"

He nodded. "Our fight left me confused. Even with the fire, I still lost. If I had just used my ice, I would have lost either way. But using the fire in tandem with my ice.. it should have led to my victory, but somehow you won. It was because of my inexperience, because of my weakness of not using the fire. Of not using my fire, but I'm still conflicted. If I had just used my ice, the result would have led to the same victory. So then what is the strength?" He questioned.

Shrugging my shoulders, I took a sip from my water. "Only you know the answer. But I'm sure you know what the correct path is, strength isn't something easy to understand. You can be physically strong but mentally weak, and vice versa. Not using your fire makes you both physically and mentally weak, and I'm sure that you know this. I'm also sure that you know that using your fire is the only way you can be a hero, a hero that honours up to the promise that you made with your mother. To be a hero that she can be proud of, so that she doesn't feel guilty when she looks at your left side."

"Has anyone ever told you that you know too much?" He asked me.

"Eh, probably. Not like I'll listen; knowledge is power after all. But the ability to help others, to help them grow I think is a much more useful ability. Look at you, very different from the tough bastard I faced only two days ago." I responded. "But I know a bunch of stuff. Knowing a lot of things I really shouldn't know doesn't make me better, it just makes me, well, me. I'm a friend, and if you wish to think of me as the annoying kid in your class, I won't blame you. But if you ever need help, just know I'm there, no questions asked."

Todoroki nodded slightly. "...I see."

Grabbing my drink, I left him alone to think for a while. He had to get his head together and make his decision, not that I doubted that he would make the right one. He was a smart lad; he didn't need me to be his metaphorical backpack telling him what to do. Plus, he already had the answer, it was within him the entire time. All I did was knock some of the clouds in his mine out, or was it the clouds that were clouding his judgements?

Gah, what's the difference.

I made my way to Yaoyorozu's section. She and Mina were chatting innocently about their morning workouts, while Jiro was explaining the different musical composition between her two favourite bands to Hagakure. I can't believe this was the Jiro of now, just a few years ago she would have been too afraid to speak about music in public, let alone explain it in such detail. I guess I really did have a positive impact on her.

"So, what you lovely ladies discussing?" I asked.

"You were listening to our conversations, don't play the fool."

"Was just trying to be polite." I sighed. They really don't want to give me a break, do they?

"Still, you have offered your condolences to Iida, right?" Yaoyorozu asked me.

I shook my head. "Nah, not yet. And why? Condolences for what exactly? His brother is just in the hospital. It's sad, but I can speak to Iida face to face about it." Yaoyorozu looked nervously at me. Was I missing something?

"Sora... don't you know?"

"Know what?" I asked. Tensei Iida was attacked by the Hero Killer Stain and was unable to continue his duties as the pro-hero Ingenium ever again. What was so complex in that? It was just the same as in canon, Iida got over it with some therapy in beating Stain's ass. This time I would be there to help him, because nothing is better than beating up crazy murdered with the boys. Seriously, it has a one hundred percent track record across the board.

"Iida's brother was murdered. In the hospital." Yaoyorozu explained.

Oh.

Fuck.

---

And so the Sports Festival comes to an end, and with it comes the start of a new arc. The Stain arc, only this time Tensei Iida was murdered. Oooh, I wonder who killed him? I mean that changes a lot of things, it makes Iida's quest for revenge so much more serious because his brother will never return to him, because his brother is permanently gone.

And of course Sora finally admits that he has feelings for Jiro, but that doesn't mean that he will act upon them. As I've said before, romance won't be apart of this story in a major way. At least not until they are much older, partly because romance at that age doesn't last. Maybe one or two relationships go long term, but after that it's a gamble.

Sora liking Jiro does not mean she likes him, nor does it mean he will get with her.

That is what I'm trying to show.

Next chapter will kick things off, as well as having a few shorter mini-chapters spread out.

And Aizawa's actions this chapter are extremely fun, a complete 180 from before. I mean he shaved and wore a suit, but he didn't explain as to what it was for. I wonder why? Maybe it might be revealed soon, maybe it won't. But the reason that I'm choosing to talk about Aizawa now is because he is important, and maybe you will understand why soon enough.

Overall I'm mixed on this chapter. Hopefully it was fun to read. It was redrafted many times, even having around 5k of words completely cut. Originally Sora was going to be awake for the rest of the tournament, he was going to try and find Iida and would have found a few students having sex on top of Bakugo's desk (Haha unfunny joke) eventually he would find Iida and the chapter would have ended with his brother being revealed to have died.

I changed that.

I'm still not too happy with how it turned out, but I just wanted to skip straight to the Stain arc. I wanted the Sports Festival arc to set up the responsibility Sora has to accept, both as a hero and as a person. And now will come the times where he will be tested, when he might eventually lose hope. He is still naive in the sense that he thinks that he can do it.

Even with help from others, what he is trying to do isn't possible.

But maybe he can do it.

Which was why I skipped the ending of the tournament, because it wasn't needed for Sora's journey. It would have been filler, straight up trash that I would have scrapped anyways.

Now onto some questions!

Guest: Well it keeps him alive, and that's all that is required.

Brocole07: Well, nice theory. But I hate to break it to you but that won't happen. Crust will feature at some point, and may or may not give Sora advice, but as for the internships it should be pretty clear as to who he will intern with now.

Trux-killer: Yep. Tokage is a coward, and I mean who can really blame her? Not that I agree with her reasonings, but living out a nice life does seem nice. What's that saying about good men who do nothing allow bad people to get power or something? Well that applies to Tokage. In my opinion, she's pretty interesting to write so expect to see more of her.

Aacent: Thank you. I wouldn't say it's 10/10, but hearing you say that it is means a lot to me. I'll try my hardest to keep at the same level until it eventually ends.

MBS41: Sora grow? Like in height? Afraid to say, but the maximum height he will reach is 5"8 feet. Around 172 cm, Sora isn't 'tall' nor will he ever be tall. If anything, if I read a story here that has an SI/OC at 6"4 at 15, with a well toned body I drop it immediately. It's just self indulgence at that point, if I was insecure about my height than I would write Sora as a 7ft+ tall giant etc.

I'm not tall, but I'm not short either.

Height is meaningless.

Now if you meant character growth, well that's continuous. His arc isn't done just yet, and we have a long way to go before this story ends.

Guest: Rest in peace Tommy the cat. (I might write an omake with him getting transported into another world soon :)

Greenarrow679: Pretty much. I would love to write 1k words explaining his Quirk in detail, and spend even more time on him explaining the mechanics behind his attacks but it would be a waste. Him burrowing a bunch of moves from other series that he likes serves two purposes:

1) It allows me to be creative, but also have a definite limit to it.

2) It also serves as a way to inform the reader that as much as Sora wants to let go of his past, of his previous life - He can't. A little bit of conflict if you will, how can he move on to a 'carefree tomorrow' if he's stuck in the past? A bit of hypocrisy that may or may not be thrown at him soon enough.

And hearing you say that I've succeeded in making this feel like his home means a lot to me. Over the Top relies on you, the reader, feeling connected to not just the characters, but the world at large. That's always why a superhero has a city that they protect, it's their area so to speak. Sora here protects the community at large, he saves them.

If you don't buy into the love he has for the community, then you really won't care for his goals and thus everything here won't 'hit as hard' so to speak.

That's all folks!

Next time:

Ugh I'm tired. Can't we just cut this section? It's nearly 4 in the morning. 03:43 to be precise, this crazy author doesn't know what sleep is. Tch, what an asshole. To be honest not even I know what's happening next time. Maybe some big reveal? Uh, hero names? Yeah! Hero names. Watch as half the chapter will probably be relegated to picking hero names.

Ha but the author has had a joke up his sleeve for this one! Since before chapter 1 even was published. Haha, I hope it will make you laugh.