My Hokuto Academia
I DO NOT own Hokuto no Ken or My Hero Academia, they belong to their respective creators, Tetsuo Hara, Buronson, and Kohei Horikoshi. Support the official releases, especially of Souten no Ken. Oh, someone's already translating Souten no Ken: Regenesis [manga version] already!
Italics = Flashback
"Italics" = Speaking in a Different Language
'Italics' = Inner Thoughts
Italics = Flashback
"BOLD" = All-Might's tone or Present Mic [excited]
Note: All music mentioned here belongs to its original makers and owners.
Chapter Fifty-Six: Red is Breakable
"FIGHT!"
Kirishima and Tumbo both start moving but they keep their distance.
"Alright, folks! It's underway! Both Red Stone and Tumbo getting a feel for each other!" said Setsuko as both fighters were throwing light punches to gauge the distance between them. However, the Nicaraguan boxer demonstrates why he's still a champion...
Vibro Combo - Picadura!
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Kirishima guards up immediately!
"Holy! Red Stone just took one of Tumbo's signature moves, Picadura, head-on! Wait a minute! Red Stone's still all of a sudden!"
Red Stone kept his guard up, but he was trembling a bit, barely moving. The moment he let his guard down, the red-haired fighter closed the distance and responded with a one-two combo. However, something felt off. Very off. Tumbo barely reacted.
'What the?!'
He threw another punch again but the four-time champion side-stepped and sent out a hook punch into Kirishima's cheek.
Vibro Blow!
Kirishima stumbled back a bit while Tumbo got back into position. The red-haired boxer had some difficulty standing back up, but some onlookers noticed something was wrong. A certain section noticed it too, but a specific ginger-haired girl whose mouth gaped in worry.
"No... Kirishima..."
"Shit! Shit!" cursed Rouga, "Tumbo's the worst type of opponent for Kirishima!"
"W-wait, what do you mean?!"
"Kendo, it's his Quirk."
BAM!
Kirishima's guard went up at the last second, but he felt himself shaking again. He's not entirely sure if it's the guy's Quirk or he just hits that hard. Despite it, Tumbo doesn't seem to be the type that hits you while you're down.
"Red Stone's down to a knee!"
The red-haired fighter struggles to stand. All while Tumbo is in his stance, waiting for the signal to continue. As soon as he's able to stand back up, it continues. Tumbo closes in, ready to deliver another Vibro Combo - Picadura. On the other hand, Kirishima was waiting? Guard up and everything.
BAM!
Kirishima activated his Quirk at the moment of impact, focusing on his arms and shoulders.
Red Castle's Wall!
"Que? Que demon-" sputtered Tumbo as he fired off another Picadura into Kirishima's guard, but he kept moving forward no matter what. If anything, Tumbo had to give him this bit of credit, no one, no one ever tanked this move head-on and lived to tell the tale. Kirishima might be the first. Emphasis on might.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
WHAM! WHAM!
No matter what, he kept pushing forward despite the pain.
WHAM! WHAM!
"You're wide... open..." muttered Kirishima to himself. He briefly let his guard down and shocked Tumbo with an uppercut to the chin, now dazing him. The whole crowd was shocked, Tumbo was hit, right under the chin, and worse of all? Kirishima wasn't done it seemed he was trying to end the match quickly.
"Tratando para terminar el partido rápidamente...?" Tumbo said to himself, launching a body blow into Kirishima's side.
GACK!
"This... hurts... but I got you right... where I want you..." Kirishima said, though in pain.
Red Stone Counter!
BOOM!
"Incredible, Red Stone risked tanking one of Tumbo's blows to pull off a counter-attack!"
Tumbo's head is sent back, causing him to buckle, and Kirishima planned to take full advantage of it. As he went forward, he unleashed a complete volley of strikes into the champion's frame.
BAM! BAM! WHAM!
"Red Stone is turning this match around!"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
"The Pride of Managua's in danger! I repeat, he's in danger!"
Tumbo was felled by a body blow...
"DOWN!"
1!
2!
'That felt too easy...'
3!
4!
In an instant, he shot up, taking his stance again. "No eres un novato," Tumbo said with a grin. "Recuerdas cuando dije que les diéramos un espectáculo? Comienza ahora..."
"I don't know what you said," Kirishima replied. "Fine by me, though!"
Tumbo was still as Kirishima went after him...
WOOSH!
He missed! He quickly wondered where he - he was right below him, no, his upper body swayed to the side.
"What-"
BOOM!
Vibro Uppercut - Terremoto!
Kirishima's skull went upwards, stumbling back for a bit, but Tumbo took advantage of it by wailing blow upon blow upon him. In response, the former hardened his upper body. He was now on the receiving end of another Vibro Combo - Picadura, each jab pounding away at the red-haired boxer's guard.
KRIK!
Kirishima felt a chip, he was thought it was nothing.
KRIK!
Okay, that had to be some-
CRACK!
Kirishima yelped in pain, letting down part of his guard... leaving him wide open.
BOOM!
That jab sounded like a gunshot. The mark happened to be Kirishima's face.
In five seconds, he was bleeding from the mouth.
In another five seconds, he muttered that his head was throbbing.
THUD!
"Down!"
1!
2!
3!
ER
"Fucking hell..." Gakuto said to himself.
Momo was analyzing the fight and was sure that Gakuto noticed it but decided to speak up. "You noticed it too, Kirishima's skin cracked."
"Wait, is that his Quirk?!" interjected Kyoka.
"Plus the shaking from that first combo..." Gakuto muttered to himself. "Fuck... it's a vibration-based Quirk."
"Wait, so you're saying-!"
"Kirishima might be at his limit..." Momo said, a bit somber.
4!
"Red Stone got up by the four-count! Oooh... he's not looking too good..."
Kirishima was clutching his head, wondering how hard Tumbo hit him... but it hit him, pun entirely intended.
"It's your Quirk... your Quirk's powering all those strikes!"
'Así que se lo pensó. Bien. Esta pelea será más interesante,' thought Tumbo. "También te has dado cuenta de cómo funciona mi Quirk, verdad?" as he was ready to box. Kirishima, on the other hand, had to play things carefully. Any more of those vibration-enhanced strikes and he'll be down for the count again. Still, his head hasn't completely recovered from that left jab.
If he was gonna lose, he was gonna go out in a blaze of glory.
Kirishima threw a one-two combo and the strangest thing? Tumbo let his guard down and received those punches like Christmas presents.
Vibro Barrier - Choque
Kirishima now felt his hands shake a bit, very likely from his Quirk but kept it to himself. As he stepped back, Tumbo went after him to close the gap between them. The former threw a desperate jab to keep some distance. Big fucking mistake. Tumbo evaded that and capitalized on it by landing a quick punch to the head.
He threw another punch only for Tumbo to throw one himself and beat him to the punch quite literally.
Rouga's Section
"No, no, no..."
A worried Kendo was seeing this unfold. Rouga grits his teeth a bit, realizing that Kirishima might have bitten off more than he can chew.
"Don't count him out yet, he's still standing."
Kirishima was shaking again, realizing that he might need to - no. He's not gonna throw in the towel, especially for his debut fight. Tumbo could say he was a bit disappointed, but then again, the difference between them was clear as night and day.
He's a four-time champ while Red Stone was just a rookie. A tough rookie though.
'Lo terminaré rápida y tranquilamente.'
As he quickly threw the finishing blow - there was only air. He was dumbfounded. He was sure - no, he was sure that Red-
BOOM!
Tumbo's chin went up like it he was hit by a sledgehammer.
"I'm… not… done… yet!" said a panting Kirishima. He launched a left shovel hook into Tumbo's ribs and followed up with a right hook into the cheek.
"HOLY! Red Stone was almost done in but he just turned it around again! Has the Pride of Managua met his match?!"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Tumbo's face was becoming Kirishima's sandbag. He needed to keep at it a little more.
BAM! WHAM!
A little more…
WHAM! BAM!
Almost there…
BOOM!
Tumbo was getting slaughtered, he barely put up his guard, but he seemed to have a small smirk on his face, almost as if he's waiting for the right moment…
BOOM!
"OHHH! RED STONE TOOK A NASTY HOOK TO THE FACE! Wait, it's Tumbo's infamous counter! Vibro Counter - Trueno!"
Kirishima was stunned, blood leaking from his mouth like a faucet, and he was stumbling a bit.
"Folks, Red Stone's still reeling from that blow!"
Tumbo had to give credit where credit is due, this Red Stone lasted longer than he expected, but if anything, he was sure that this opponent didn't play his full card. Yet. Kirishima was coughing up some blood.
"I'm… not… done..." Kirishima responded between pants. "I'm… not going… down."
"Eres mucho más fuerte. Más fuerte que los que me desafiaron por el cinturón de campeón," Tumbo replied as he took his stance.
"Vamos."
Kirishima let out a war cry as he blazed towards him! Tumbo cocked back his fist, ready to fire in about 5 seconds…
4…
3…
2…
1…
An explosive straight punch was sent-what?!
"Like I'll take that risk again!"
"Bien. Sabía que tenías más reservado," Tumbo said, impressed. Kirishima barely slipped by the champion's punch. He was lucky to have dodged that, otherwise, it would have spelled an early end.
Kirishima was desperately dodging the onslaught that was Tumbo's Picadura, there had to be an opening, he thought. Right?
'Eres más astuto de lo que pensaba.'
As he kept dodging, Kirishima needed to take a shot. Any moment would be good.
'I need to time it...'
In about three seconds, Kirishima smirked.
Red Stone Counter!
Tumbo's volley of strikes stopped instantly. A one-two combo was unleashed on him right after, Tumbo was sent ass over teakettle to the mat. Before the ref would start the count, Tumbo got up in a flash, coughing up a bit. "Tengo que decirlo, Red Stone. No me decepcionas," the champ said.
"Nah, it's unmanly to deceive your opponent," Kirishima said with a grin.
"Creo que nos estamos acercando al clímax, qué dices?"
Kirishima took his stance prompting Tumbo to do the same. The latter dashed towards the redhead who then hardened his arms. In five seconds, they made contact. A scream of Kirishima's name was drowned out by the volley of strikes launched by both fighters.
"Red Stone's slowly gaining on the champ! He's aiming for the corner!"
Tumbo just realized his predicament, his opponent is trying to box him in.
'Tratando de encerrarme, eh?'
Kirishima needed to score one decisive strike to take down Tumbo even if-wait, he suddenly stopped-
Vibro Uppercut: Terremoto!
"Oh shi-"
Kirishima stepped back, barely dodging that lethal uppercut! However, he made his first mistake. Trying to corner Tumbo once again. An explosive sound was heard as he gagged, Tumbo planted his fist firmly into the boxer's liver. Kirishima's second mistake? He let down his guard.
Vibro Combo: Mosquito!
Tumbo unleashed a volley of strikes into Kirishima's head! No amount of hardening can protect his brain from the champ. None. The cursed combo lasted for about 10 seconds. He stood and fell to the mat, face-first. The dreaded 10-count started...
1!
2!
"GET UP!" screamed Kendo, shocking Rouga and the rest. Mina, Shoto, and Izuku followed suit.
"Get up! Is this how you want your debut to end?!" shouted Izuku, standing alongside Kendo. Shoto and Mina followed suit by chanting for Red Stone.
"RED STONE! RED STONE! RED STONE!" as the cheers intensified.
"Get up! Are you gonna let that string bean take you down like that!" screamed Mina as she stood up.
3!
4!
"Levántate. Levántate, carajo," Tumbo said, teeth gritting. "Haz tu elección: deja que todo termine aquí, o no lo hagas."
"GET THE FUCK UP! DO YOU WANT TO END THINGS LIKE THIS!" shouted Kendo, tears starting to form. The cheers for Red Stone became a chant at this point. Even Rouga took part in it but had one thing to say.
"You didn't train your ass off just to lose!" screamed Rouga. "So get your fucking ass up!"
5!
6!
7!
8!
"Oh, shit! Red Stone beat the 8-count! He's taken a lot of damage but you gotta give credit, folks. He's the living embodiment of a tank!"
Kirishima was on his knees, slowly getting up, hands up, and despite all the bleeding… he mustered the strength to say a few words. "I… didn't… hear a bell… let's go..." he said, slurring his words. The last stretch of this match starts now. Even if it means one of them going to the hospital. Tumbo only responded by taking a stance once again.
Vibro Combo: Avalancha!
A series of fast hooks, jabs, and straight punches were delivered into Kirishima who put his guard up right away! On top of that, he hardened his forearms to bear it!
KRIK!
A little more…
KRIK!
Just a bit more…
KRIK!
Kirishima's guard was holding up as best as he could.
CRACK!
Kirishima's hardened skin was just broken through! Cracking like glass! All he could do was keep his guard up and wait for his moment. If anything, Tumbo was tiring out from that combo alone. The champ made his first mistake: trying to end this fight up-close. His weapon of choice: Vibro Uppercut: Terremoto. As soon as he launched it, there was supposed to be a KO. Red Stone's supposed to be on the ground!
However, he missed.
Kirishima managed to side-step, getting out of the uppercut's firing line.
"Got...cha..."
Tumbo attempted to throw another-
BOOM!
Kirishima slightly lowered himself and launched a hardened uppercut into the champion's jawline. The champ was sent reeling, blood flying from his lips, and the rookie charging in like a mad bull.
"Oh, shit! Is the champ gonna meet his end here!?"
Kirishima followed up with several compact jabs into the champ himself, taking advantage of his lighter frame. Lighter frame = Less endurance.
"Red Stone is just wailing on Tumbo! The tide's turn against the champ now!" as Kirishima kept pummeling him. He just needed a little more to put him down for the count. Two more body blows should do it, he thought.
Or so he thought...
Tumbo pulled off a Vibro Barrier at the last minute, nullifying Kirishima's body blows. The boy's fists were shaking a bit but did that fucking stop him? No. He kept firing off punch after punch into Tumbo's body despite his barrier.
BAM! BAM!
Tumbo still kept strong…
BAM! BAM! BAM!
'Espera, él piensa eso!' as Tumbo's Vibro Barrier was starting to weaken.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
"F-Folks! Red Stone's starting to overwhelm the champ's Vibro Barrier!" exclaimed Setsuka as Red Stone was landing body blow upon body blow into Tumbo. The strain on the champ's face was very fucking evident.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
'I'm almost done...'
BAM! BAM! BAM!
'Just a few more...'
BAM BAM!
The opportunity presented itself: Tumbo let his guard down as the pain caught up with him. He hardened his left arm to deliver one… more… strike. An overhand. Right into the champ's unprotected face.
Red Siege!
The strike landed dead-center in Tumbo's face, sending him into the mat.
1!
2!
'There's no way he's getting back up from that.'
3!
4!
'Just… stay… down.'
How wrong he was, Tumbo twitched a bit, still reeling from Kirishima's Red Siege, and it's very likely that he figured out the champ's drawback with his Quirk.
5!
6!
Tumbo beat the 6-count by standing up quickly despite the pain he's in. However, he was smiling. "Me pregunto qué caerá primero. Mi orgullo o tu espíritu?" Tumbo said with that same grin.
"I still don't know what you said… but you want to finish this?" Kirishima said, having enough strength and stamina for the last combo. "May the best man win!"
"En eso, podemos estar de acuerdo," before Tumbo dashes forward and… landing a nasty punch. Into Kirishima's eye. Despite it all, he only grunts. Tumbo's shocked at this point, he should be-Tumbo's thoughts were interrupted by a shovel hook into his already damaged ribs. He was sent back a few inches.
'Eres testarudo, lo reconozco. '
Tumbo was prepping one final combo. One that will KO Red Stone. It didn't annoy him at all, he was glad to fight someone like him. Kirishima, on the other hand, was slowly getting desperate.
'No, now's not the time to think like that.'
Red Stone likely was out of options. Was something like that going to stop him? No. He hardened his arms for one last time. Tumbo was ready to take down Red Stone, even if it means ending his boxing career here. Both fighters dashed towards each other, fists ready, and ready to unload.
Vibro Combo: Avalancha vs. Sharpened Rock: Red Mountain!
A barrage of blows was sent into both fighters but there's a catch. Both Tumbo and Kirishima were on their last legs, even to the point where they briefly paused to recover. Only to resume striking each other again. Tumbo's advantage was his speed and accuracy while Kirishima's advantage was his durability and overall higher punching power.
"Both fighters seem evenly matched! Folks, this is likely the final exchange! " exclaimed the commentator. She made one error: Kirishima was feeling the effects of Avalancha and in turn, started slowing down.
BOOM!
He launched a body blow into the liver.
BOOM!
A lethal uppercut into Kirishima's chin. 'Lo tengo!' mentally screamed Tumbo as he fired one last strike into Red Stone's body.
Vibro Combo: Mare-
WHAM!
"OHHHH! Red Stone did a last-minute save! I guess we can call that the Point Blank Red Siege!"
Tumbo's mind was in pain. Absolute fucking pain. He didn't expect Red Stone to recover that quickly! And plant that hardened fist into his nose, interrupting his Maremoto. However, Kirishima's hand was cracking.
'Only a little more! Just a little more!'
Tumbo couldn't believe this but at the same time? He was glad for this, someone that can make him work for his win! The champ knew this rookie had potential but the fact that he was still standing?
'You'll go far in the world of fighting. Very far.'
Kirishima formed up Red Castle's Wall and once the hits came, he didn't feel any vibrations. None at the slightest. He realized it, Tumbo's Quirk had a cooldown period. How long? Hopefully a few minutes. As the blows rained down on the boy's guard, his skin was tearing.
He needed to time a counter-punch or it would be all over!
In one second, he threw a counter. Bad news, Tumbo reacted to that counter. Worse news, he dodged it and struck him right in the face! Kirishima's head dropped, drops of blood leaking from his mouth, his eyes glazed, and very likely, his concussion worsening…
the ringing was becoming very apparent. Even as things slowly went black.
THUD!
"Ohhhh, man! Red Stone's down but that might be it! The champ's not looking too good either!" exclaimed the announcer. "Looks like the ref confirms that he's-wait, did I just see him twitch?"
Kirishima's arms showed a bit of movement, followed by one of his legs, but that didn't stop the 10-count from starting.
1!
"Get up…. Get up!" screamed Kendo.
2!
"Get up, I know you're manly enough to see this fight through!" screamed Mina. "So get up!"
3!
"GET THE FUCK UP!" screamed Shoto in a rare show of intensity.
4!
"RED STONE! RED STONE! RED STONE! RED STONE! RED STONE!"
5!
6!
7!
8!
9!
By some sort of miracle, he rose, beating the countdown. He used whatever remaining strength to get on his knees and slowly stand up. As soon as he was ready, the fight was back on. Both fights stood motionless but it was more of shock on Tumbo's part.
'Has tenido suficiente, Red Stone?'
Kirishima said nothing as he dashed forward to deliver two hooks, all Quirk-enhanced.
FWSSH!
FWSSH!
Tumbo dodged them by a hair, was he getting faster?! He responded by side-stepping and sending out two jabs followed by a shovel hook into his body. He only heard a grunt.
'Que?!'
BOOM!
A nasty body blow was planted into Tumbo's abdomen, followed up by a hardened uppercut. The champ was reeling back a bit but Red Stone wasn't going to let him put any distance between them.
"You're… not… getting… away..." slurred Kirishima as he landed another body blow into his liver. Tumbo grit his teeth as he sent a straight punch into the other fighter's face, briefly stunning him. "Nice.. try..."
"Ah, mier-" that line was cut off by a hook punch into the temple, cutting it too. He recovered by backing away and was forced to use hit-and-run tactics on Kirishima. A quick one-two and backstep.
It only worked three times before Kirishima launched a Point Blank Red Siege into Tumbo's face.
KRIK-CRACK!
Tumbo noticed it, his opponent's fist is cracking apart. 'Acaso siente eso?' as he noticed that he kept coming at him despite the injuries on his knuckles.
KRIK-CRACK!
KRIK-CRACK!
Two hits. Two hits that were supposed to down Tumbo dealt less damage than he thought but noticed it: Red Stone's skin cracking further apart. The champ sent out two more jabs into his face which stunned him for a few seconds…
Kirishima was borderline snarling as his pace slowed, "I… didn't… hear… a… fucking… bell...". Tumbo responded with a one-two combo and backstepped once again. The red-haired boxer was still slowing down, throwing punches at a delayed rate. All in all, Red Stone's not doing so great.
Tumbo did not plan on getting close. It hit him, he didn't need to beat Red Stone. He just needed to wear his stamina down. Then deliver the finishing blow.
Just. A. Little. More.
FWSHH!
FWSHH!
Kirishima misfired once again, allowing Tumbo to get in three hits: a jab and two hooks. The former was barely standing… and despite it all, he trudged on. Cheers for Red Stone increased in intensity and to Tumbo's surprise, he was still determined to see it through.
"Como muestra de mi respeto, acabaré contigo con un golpe más."
Kirishima grunted in response, prepping one last punch. So did Tumbo. In five seconds, they dashed towards each other.
BOOM!
It sounded like a gunshot! However, it was clear as day… they landed counter hook punches into their faces. A fist was planted into Kirishima's injured eye while Tumbo's left cheek had the other's fist firmly planted into his.
"Oh… my… both fighters landed the hit! However, Red Stone's not looking too good and neither is the champ!"
Kirishima defied that statement by launching another Point Blank Red Siege into Tumbo's face, breaking his nose. The champ wasn't done yet...
"Toda...via..." sputtered Tumbo as he prepped one last punch, Quirk-enhanced. Kirishima dashed towards him, right into the line of fire. "Per...fecto..." grinned the champion as he launched a devastating left hook into the other fighter's face! Some of the audience swore they saw blood fly from Red Stone's mouth like it was bullets.
"Folks, you saw it here! These two are still standing by sheer stubborn-"
THUD!
"This was unexpected! Both fighters are down! I repeat, both fighters are down!" said Setsuko. "Let's see what the ref says, folks!"
The dreaded 10-count started.
1!
"Get up! Get the fuck up!" screamed Kendo.
2!
Tumbo was twitching, getting on his knees.
3!
Kirishima was coughing a bit but he was down to a knee.
4!
5!
6!
Tumbo fell on the ropes, trying to prop himself up. Kirishima got himself up but was shaking quite a bit, evidenced by the wobbling of his knees.
7!
"Finish this, Kiri!" yelled Mina, arms in the air.
8-
Kirishima fell to a knee and tipped over like a tree cut down. A loud thud was the result of his fall. A suffocating silence emanated throughout the entire arena where even Kendo was silent. The ref quickly walked to where Kirishima was, then checked his eye, and gave the signal.
"WE HAVE A WINNER! BY KO! RUBEN TUMBO!"
Cheers exploded for the champ. However, Tumbo tuned that out by walking to the ref, saying in his best Japanese, "Oi, he needs a... hospital..." despite the Nicaraguan accent. "Fuck, hey! Get a stretcher for Red Stone!" screamed the ref. "Get one! Right now!"
As a crew of paramedics was making their way to the ring... there was a small murmur amongst the crowd. However, a few stood out...
Section B
"Hmm... that Red Stone fighter reminds me of someone," said a built man with a beard. It then hits him like a bullet, "Oh, bloody hell! That's right, Kirishima!" as the man revealed himself, Duncan Bar Cruach. As he gets up, he mutters to himself about saying Lethwei would fit Kirishima more than Boxing. Another thought was about personally training the kid himself if he gets the chance.
Oh if only he paid attention a little more.
Section M
"Interesting... very interesting..." an older man with slicked-back dark hair commented. "Kyogami and Red Stone would make fine additions to the United States underground fighting circuit."
"You sure about that, mate?" spoke up a brutish man with a thick British accent. "I mean, the UK underground fighting world has their doors open if they grow bored of the oversaturated US scene."
"Yea... but call it a hunch. These two might give it the boost it needs right now," said the dark-haired man. "Especially some of the current ones, Ultimax Fighting, MAX-COM Championship, and well the newest one, Beast's Lair."
"Oh... right..." said the brutish man. "In case they grow bored of it, here's my card. Name's Jack Creighton, a recruiter for the Gentleman's Duels Club, premier in the UK underground fighting industry."
"Likewise, the name's Johnny Morgan. Head recruiter for MAX-COM."
As both recruiters said their goodbyes, one of them muttered if Kyogami had any reservations about fighting bare-knuckled.
Rouga's Section
Kendo was very worried... muttering to herself if Kirishima was gonna be okay. That is until she felt a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her, "The kid's tougher than he looks. You should know, you sparred with him."
"Wait, we can visit him in the ER!" exclaimed Mina, trying to reassure Kendo. "Right now! Come on!" as she signaled for Midoriya and Kendo to come with her. Todoroki and Rouga would come by a little later. Kendo nodded and followed the pink girl alongside Midoriya to where the ER was. As the trio left, Rouga asked Todoroki the following.
"What did you think?"
"Kirishima should have put some distance between himself and Tumbo. The X-factor was this: would Tumbo's Quirk have a cooldown period?"
"Good question, likely two-three minutes. What else, Todoroki?"
"Kirishima should have dodged more, he would have taken less damage. On top of that, he should have aimed for the liver and the side of the head," he said. Rouga nodded, confirming what Kirishima can do to improve for his next fight, whenever that might be. He then got up, motioning for Todoroki to come along.
"I'm surprised Kirishima never thought of taking up Lethwei, it would fit him more than me," as he walked behind Rouga.
Fighters' Locker Room
Tumbo managed to walk to the locker room despite his injuries, coughing up blood occasionally. He smirked, muttering to himself, "Ese tipo hizo más daño de lo que pensé," before sitting down on a bench to recuperate. "Si fuera un combate oficial de boxeo, habría perdido en el sexto redondo..." he said without a hint of venom. This was before he heard the shouts of his manager and likely a medical team.
"Oye, está aquí!" yelled his manager, a short and stubby man with a clear Italian accent.
"Hola, jefe. Como estas?"
Tumbo's manager sighed a bit but said, "Fue un buen partido. Cuál es tu opinión general sobre el novato?"
"Oh, te interesa?" responded Tumbo. "Te lo diré..."
ER
Kirishima was carried on a stretcher, groaning in pain, and the doctor barked orders to set him down on the bed. "Stand clear!" as the doctor rubbed his hands, generating static electricity, and then...
"CLEAR!"
BZZZZ!
"CLEAR!"
BZZZZ!
Kirishima was twitching a bit, but managed to say, "Ow... it hurts less than I thought... whoa."
"I don't recommend moving for a bit. Just ask Kyogami," the doctor said, pointing out Kyogami who looks fully healed. The red-haired boy then thanked the doctor who interjected, "It's nothing, the name's Dr. Odoroki and that was my Quirk, Shocking Touch."
"Wait... what about the concussion...?" asked Kirishima.
"Oh, I still recommend resting, and if it gets worse, pills for headaches. My Quirk can do so much," replied Odoroki. The red-haired boy then turned to see two other individuals, Yaoyorozu and a brown-haired boy who's as tall as Iida.
"Who are you...?"
"The name's Gakuto. Gakuto Soraho. Plus good job out there."
Kirishima nodded a bit, feeling less pain as time went by, but responded with a question of his own. "Wait, do you know both Jiro and Yaoyorozu?"
"Yea, a bit of a long story though. It all-"
"We met by accident," interjected Kyoka. Gakuto deflated a bit in response, prompting her to say, "And we got to know each other through a triple date." He deflated a bit more. "What?"
"I wanted to tell it..." he said with a pout. "But... yea... that's the summarized version." Kirishima wanted to ask a little more until a trio arrived in. As the red-haired boy turned to look, it was-
"You worried me... a lot, you know..." piped up Kendo, a mix of worry and anger. Kirishima was about to respond until the orange-haired girl ensnared him in a hug, muttering to not scare her like that again.
"H...hey, I'm tougher than I look," he responded, getting back his composure. Whether it was his attempt at a joke or not, it helped lighten things up a bit. The whole room chuckled for a bit. Jiro saying "Good first attempt though, Rocky."
"Rocky?"
"Because your Quirk makes you hard as a rock and obviously that Pre-Quirk Era boxing movie," Jiro added. Some stared at her like she grew an extra head, prompting her to say, "What? My parents saw the movie at a special screening one time."
Midoriya interjected, "Still, good match, Kirishima." The red-haired boy was appreciative of the praise but still wished he could have won that match. He had to admit, Tumbo was far stronger than he appeared despite his slimmer build. The fact that he was a four-time boxing champion was redundant in his eyes. Wait, maybe Midoriya might have some insight, he thought. It's worth a shot.
"The champ's Quirk was vibration-based," spoke Kirishima. Midoriya took note of it, then asked if any drawbacks were revealed during their match.
"Well, his Quirk doesn't apply to his head, that I remember."
"Anything else?"
"Wait, he has a cooldown period. If I had to guess, two-three minutes because he didn't use his Quirk during the last stretch of our fight. He's still manly though," with a grin forming on his still-healing face. Midoriya made note of this, maybe Kirishima could have capitalized on that.
"Tumbo was an in-fighter, so you should have kept your distance, Red."
Midoriya turned to see who answered, it was... Gakuto... "Oh... hi... there." Jiro rolled her eyes, Yaoyorozu? She sighed a bit. Mina nudged him a bit for a proper greeting.
...
...
"Is there beef between you two?" asked Kirishima.
"Long story."
Midoriya wanted to say something but kept his mouth shut. Jiro coughed a bit, trying to derail whatever tension was in the air. Thankfully, it was cleared by another pair of footsteps, revealing to be Rouga and Todoroki who flinched upon seeing Gakuto again. The former walked up to both beds and asked the following question.
"What did you learn from your matches? Jiro, you start off."
Jiro cleared her throat first, then started, "Using both my skills and my Quirk in tandem will work more to my advantage. On top of that, wearing down the opponent would work better in the long run. Especially on that bitch Qiang," with a grumble.
"Alright. What about you, Kirishima?"
"I should stay my distance and well, fight smarter..."
"Elaborate."
"Oh... well, don't tank every hit because my Quirk can do so much?" said the boy sheepishly. Rouga nodded, knowing what they can improve on for their next fights. However, he also noticed two more individuals but Jiro quickly introduced them as Gakuto and Yaoyorozu.
However... Rouga sensed something off about the boy and the girl to a lesser extent.
"Rouga... they're good people. Seriously, they are," Jiro said. Rouga sighed, accepting it but kept his guard up. There was something off about Gakuto, he thought. It was like an overwhelming force of power. The girl, this Yaoyorozu felt more elusive. Like a cobra waiting to strike if his guard's down for the slightest moment.
"...I'll take your word for it," Rouga said, still unsure about the two. "Anyway, you got your first taste of an underground match. Other fights will be around the same level of intensity, just take note of that going forward."
Jiro and Kirishima nodded in response.
"The same goes for the rest of you," he continued. "You're only going to get the bare-bone details on fighters you're facing, but it can work to your advantage."
The rest of the group nodded, Yaoyorozu and Gakuto understood right away, the former more so. However, something came up for Gakuto, him mentioning that his mates are waiting for him. "Oh, by the way, text me when you get home," as he jogged away. Yaoyorozu excused herself too, saying that her mentor expected her back.
Outside Arena Entrance
As soon as both Jiro and Kirishima were given the clear, the group was making their way to the entrance. There was a surprise, a 5'4 surprise. Accompanied by a short and stubby man.
"Wait, Tumbo?" piped up Kirishima. The champ grinned a bit but the stubby man introduced himself as Tumbo's manager.
"Oh, my name's Sonny Albergo. Boxing manager and also honorary Tío to Mr. Luna."
"Mi nombre completo es Ruben Tumbo Luna," replied Tumbo. "Mi japonés no es tan bueno. El kanji es una puta para aprender. Sin embargo, tengo que decir que me has dado un buen partido."
Rouga spoke up, "What's he saying is that Kanji's a pain in the ass to learn and that you gave him a good match. What? I can speak Spanish."
"Ah, that makes it easier then," responded Sonny. "Tumbo wanted to say something before we left for the night," as he motioned for Tumbo to say what he needs to say. The boxer cleared his throat a bit.
"Tienes un potencial como luchador, joder, fuiste más duro que los últimos cuatro tipos que intentaron quitarme el cinturón de campeón. Qué es lo que realmente quiero decir? Si quieres la revancha, búscame en Ciudad de México," Tumbo said. Rouga in response, smirked a bit, realizing that a challenge's been issued.
"Summary? He says you have potential and if you want a rematch. Mexico City."
Kirishima's eyes widened at that praise and replied, "Manly! I accept the challenge, Mr. Tumbo! Oh and it's only fair that you know my full name, it's Eijiro Kirishima, and my hero name, Red Riot!"
Tumbo was caught off guard by that statement but a grin grew on his face, saying "Red Riot, eso suena como un icono de la masculinidad. Póntelo bien." As Tumbo walked away, Albergo followed after a few seconds but said one last thing.
"Oh, right! When you're ready to cash in on that rematch, call this number right here!" as he handed a personal card to him. It had his number, his occupation, and the gym he's training at, Narukami Boxing Gym.
Kirishima could only grin in excitement while Kendo could only sigh. Rouga signaled for everyone to get moving as they needed to catch the train back home. If they were lucky, the train would not come late. As they made their way to the train station, one asked if more fights will come through.
"Yes... so who wants to claim the next match?"
"I do," interjected Kendo, followed by Todoroki too.
"Perfect. Keep in mind, these matches can happen between next week or next month. So no slacking off, got it? Good."
The train ride back home would be a quiet one, especially for Kendo and Todoroki. For the latter, he knew his master would be overjoyed to hear this opportunity. In addition, all of that painful sparring will be put to good use. In the orange-haired girl's mind, this would be a good opportunity to prove herself worthy of being her grandfather's successor.
Another thought was this: this will be the closest thing to fighting an actual villain if they had an opponent like Kyoka's.
Might Tower
Three people were in an office discussing an important issue. The Midoriya issue. Yagi started, "Are you truly sure if Midoriya is still fit to be in Heroics?" to the two in front of him, Sir Nighteye and Mirio Togata.
"If you ask me, it's debatable," Nighteye replied. "Especially since you told me how he reacted to a fellow student's teasing. However, like Togata here, I'll give him a chance," with some reluctance.
"Thank you both!" interjected Togata. "Midoriya may be a bit infamous-"
"He's called the Ashura of UA," Yagi bluntly added. "His aggression and the way he fights, all too similar to him-"
"Shichisei, you don't need to repeat it. However, we need to face facts. He's done his time, even though it was house arrest. The best I can do is monitor him and that's it."
Yagi grunted in displeasure a bit but had to agree with his logic.
"Sir, you have to admit. Midoriya still has the Final Exams to prove that he belongs in the Heroes Course!" exclaimed Togata with a bit of enthusiasm. "All-Might, you have-"
"You know what, Young Togata..." Yagi replied, "I'm listening but there's one thing I can suggest."
"What's that?" asked Togata, wondering what he has planned.
"That I take part in his final exam."
The two were caught off-guard by this, prompting Nighteye to question his reasoning for this.
"It's really simple... it's to verify if his teachings are truly ingrained within Young Midoriya," said with some venom. Nighteye's eyes widened a bit while Togata couldn't believe what he just heard, did this Shichisei really affect him that much?
Author's Notes: I'll be posting on A03 more so than FFN. Oh and there we establish an antagonistic All-Might. Apologies to AM fans in advance. The main inspiration for Kirishima vs. Tumbo was Sawamura vs. Ippo and Wakatsuki vs. Ohma. Ruben Tumbo's based on two sources: Roman Gonzalez and Carlos Medel [Kengan Omega]. Tumbo's full name was structured like this, Tumbo [Spanish for jolt], Ruben [behold], and Luna being the real-life second family name of Roman Gonzalez. [cue some reviewers saying it's too analytical]
Red Siege - A hardened overhand punch. One variation that's very up-close is called the Point Blank Red Siege
Red Castle's Wall - A defensive guard that involves hardening the arms and shoulders; can be used as a battering ram.
Vibro Uppercut: Terremoto - A fast uppercut enhanced by Tumbo's vibration-based Quirk, viable as a knockout blow. In English, it's Earthquake.
Vibro Combo: Avalancha - A rapid series of hook punches, jabs, and straight punches. All Quirk-enhanced. In English, it's Avalanche.
Vibro Combo: Mosquito - A volley of strikes into the opponent's head and the side effect leaving a buzzing noise like a mosquito.
Red Stone Counter - An instant counter-punch that comes after tanking a body blow.
Vibro Combo - Picadura - A series of jabs sent into the opponent's frame, all Quirk-enhanced with the purpose of bypassing the opponent's guard. A stinging sensation is felt. In English, it's called Stinger.