My Hero Academia: Lion of Courage

Chapter 37: Shattered Views

Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia. All rights go to Kohei Horikoshi.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Edit: Had to go back and make some changes.

"If that's the way you're going to treat him, then you're no different than your father!"

Those words hurt worse than any injury Takeo had ever sustained in his years of training. He had suffered cuts, bruises, an occasional broken bone, all of which he recovered from and bounced back. But those words…those words hurt horribly, as if a burning hot blade had pierced his heart and then was twisted.

As Raionhato walked to the Waiting Room where his phone and belongings were, he felt as though he was trudging through knee deep water. He was barely paying attention to where he was walking, leaning on the wall as he walked as his mind remained preoccupied with what Satoshi said.

"If that's the way you're going to treat him, then you're no different than your father!"

"Don't you remember what you said to Uncle Nobu after Anzu died?"

Takeo could never forget the rage-filled and hurtful words he said to Nobu after Anzu died. His words were impulsive, angry, motivated by rage and poorly chosen, so much so that Takeo was grounded for a month by his parents. Sadly, he could never forget the look on Nobu's face after he said that: it was the face of a man who had been broken and hurt beyond words, who had been insulted by one of his late daughter's closest friends.

"Uncle Nobu…I'm sorry…" Takeo whispered as he kept walking to the Waiting Room, hoping he'd walk into the one with Furaya rather than Bakugo. Much to his relief, neither of them were in the room, but he didn't want to wait around. He went over to the locker where his phone was and picked it up before leaving the room.

As he walked away, the Inventory user checked his phone and his heart sank when he saw two text messages from his mom. The first was 'Call me when you can. We need to talk.', followed by a 2nd one reading 'Takeo, you better not ignore this or you will be in big trouble.' Takeo really didn't want to call his mother, knowing she'd be angry at him for what happened, but she wasn't one to joke around in serious situations. He reluctantly opened up his contacts, looked for his mom's number…and then slowly pressed it to dial her phone.

"Takeo Raionhato, you better have a VERY good explanation for what happened out there," Lioness scolded.

"I was angry at Bakugo for…for insulting Uncle Nobu," Takeo spoke, hints of anger present in his voice. "He called him a 'trashy extra'-"

"So because of a few insults, you fought Bakugo with NO sense of strategy or prowess!?" Lioness scolded. "Oh, but of course he insulted Nobu. You had no choice but to throw the match away because you let your anger get the better of you! Do you have any idea how stupid you looked!? There's no telling how many internship offers you just threw away!"

It was very clear that Lioness wasn't pleased at all by her son's stupidity in how he handled his fight against Bakugo. She knew her son could struggle with anger when things got personal for him, but she never thought he'd act so stupid and with such disregard. As she said, there was no telling how many Pro Heroes were turned off by his fight against Bakugo, despite having triumphed against Ashido and Tokoyami earlier.

"I hope you're preparing for a rematch," Lioness stated. At this point, Takeo knew he was in for it now.

"I…I turned it down," Takeo answered reluctantly.

"You did WHAT!?" Lioness roared. "What possessed you to-!? I don't have even words to describe this! You let your anger get the better of you and then you throw away the chance…! Good Lord!"

He heard nothing on the other end of the line, suggesting that she had put her cell phone down. Takeo waited patiently yet awkwardly for his mom to speak up; he wanted to hang up, but knew he'd just make her even more angry if he did that. All he could do was wait until she picked the phone up, which felt like hours despite only mere moments passing.

"Takeo Raionhato, we spoke of this before the Sports Festival! What did I say about fighting your opponent? Tell me you listened!"

"You said…give it my all."

"Yes, give it your all. You did it against Ashido and Tokoyami, but not against Bakugo! Just because he insulted someone you cared about doesn't mean you throw away your strategy and act solely on anger! I deal with insults all the time because I'm a mutant, but you don't see me getting angry and attacking people out of rage! And you certainly don't see me tossing aside my strategy and skills because I'm too angry to think! The next time you have a chance to do a rematch with Bakugo, you do it! Don't you dare do something so stupid like this again!" Before Takeo could reply, Lioness hung up.

He was left speechless in the wake of his mother's angry verbal tirade. She had no words to describe the disappointment and frustration she felt at her son for how he handled his fight against Bakugo and his refusal to a rematch. So many Pro Heroes would be dismayed by Takeo's rage-fueled fight, which showcased a lack of strategy and thinking on his part. If he wasn't feeling like crap after Satoshi's criticization, he was definitely feeling like it now after his mother's tirade.

"Raionhato," the voice of Yaoyorozu addressed, but Takeo paid no heed. He suspected what she was about to say, but didn't want to hear it.

"Not now," he responded and prepared to walk off. However, Yaomomo reached out and grabbed his arm to keep him from leaving.

"I know you hate Bakugo and I have issues with him too," Momo stated. "Kirishima and Ojiro told me of what happened before your match with him, about how he insulted your uncle. What Bakugo did was not okay, but that doesn't mean you get to underestimate him. In spite of Bakugo's attitude, he is strong and intelligent, which he proved several times."

"No offense, Yaomomo, but I've been scolded twice already," Takeo spoke. "I get it, okay? I messed up."

"Just hear me out, Raionhato," Yaoyorozu demanded, her voice sterner than before. "I agree about Bakugo's behavior: he is arrogant, disrespectful, vulgar, and selfish. It is very difficult to be around him, but even if you disagree with his behavior, that doesn't change the fact that he is a skilled fighter and an intelligent person. You cannot disregard his abilities just because you hate him. He most likely hates you, but he didn't underestimate you."

Takeo kept his face turned away, so Yaomomo couldn't tell if he was listening or not. Needing to make sure he was in fact listening to her, Momo walked in front of Takeo and made him look at her. The expression on his face said it all; after having been scolded twice, first by his best friend and then by his mother, Takeo did acknowledge that he messed up. Yaomomo considered asking him a question she felt that was rather risky to bring up, but she believed that the two of them had developed enough trust to do so.

"Raionhato…do you remember when you told me about Fukushu?"

"Don't talk about him right now," Takeo spoke. "I…I don't want to hear that name right now." There were hints of anger and sadness in his tone when he responded. As Momo suspected, it wasn't the best time to ask what she was thinking, so she decided it'd be best to leave it for another time.

"I get it, Yaomomo; I lost because I didn't think. Now please, I just want to be alone right now."

"At least tell me where you'll be so I can find you later," Momo asked, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I'll be in the forest near the stadium entrance," Takeo answered. This time, Yaomomo let him walk away to be on his own as he requested. She believed him when he said that he had already been scolded twice for his mishandling of the match, judging by how he walked and by the low spirit in his scowl. She could tell that he understood the severity of what he did, that he had messed up big time and had to learn from his mistakes.

However, Yaomomo couldn't help but feel that Raionhato's anger towards Bakugo was connected to his anger towards Fukushu. Was Raionhato projecting his anger at the Blade of Terror towards their ill-behaved classmate? She hoped to know so she could help him, but now clearly wasn't the best time to ask him.

"Bloody hell!" Bakugo barked as he flipped a table in the Waiting Room he was in, filled with anger at his wounded pride and being left unable to repair it. "Damn you, Raionhato, you filthy, jealous coward! You don't get to underestimate me and then spit in my face like I'm trash! How dare you call yourself a hero when you…you…DAMMIT!" He grabbed a chair and then threw it at the wall with an explosion, creating a large dent from the impact.

Bakugo knew that he and Kitty Boy didn't get along; suffice to say, Bakugo returned Kitty Boy's great enmity towards him. All the more reason why Bakugo wanted to fight him at his best, to prove to him that he is indeed as strong as he said he was, to prove that he was better than Raionhato. Instead, Bakugo was left with a very unsatisfying and hollow victory because Raionhato didn't fight him with the same prowess and skill he fought with his two prior opponents.

Was it all because he badmouthed his uncle? Was it because Raionhato was jealous of him? Bakugo simply couldn't understand. Why did Raionhato not fight him with the same prowess he fought with against Raccoon Eyes and Bird Boy? Why did he not give it his all and then turn down the rematch? Why?

"I won't accept this," Bakugo snarled. "One way or another, I WILL get that rematch and then I'll prove to Kitty Boy that I am the best! That is if he doesn't cower like he did before!"

However, there was nothing he could do about it now. Bakugo only had one match left…and that was against Hayata Furaya, the same Quirkless who said he'd win the Sports Festival. He had triumphed against Glasses, Kirishima, and IcyHot, though Bakugo didn't think he deserved to call his fight against IcyHot a victory since Todoroki didn't go through with his fire attack. Had he done so, there was no doubt that Furaya would've lost and Todoroki would've won.

But that victory in 1st Place was going to be Bakugo's and Bakugo's alone. He knew what would happen if he lost after arrogantly claiming to everyone that he would win, a position he purposely put himself in as if trapped in a corner.

Ever since he came here, nothing had gone according to what Bakugo planned. He planned to establish himself as the strongest student, but that title was claimed by Shoto Todoroki. He hoped to become popular among his peers and be treated like a prince, but it was Midoriya who received that praise while Bakugo was disdained. Instead of receiving the glory and praise he desired, he was Class 1-A's most hated student with most of his classmates having no tolerance for his disrespect and selfishness.

He had to win this fight, to win the Sports Festival. If he failed, he'd be humiliated as someone who makes boastful claims yet cannot live up to them. It'd cause Pros to think that he cannot back up what he says and lose any interest in him. Failure wasn't an option for him, especially against a Quirkless.

Losing against a Quirkless…Bakugo couldn't even comprehend the idea of it. How could he, a tried and true prodigy, lose against a Quirkless? Glasses and Kirishima lost against him because he was able to overpower them with his katana. IcyHot lost because he wouldn't go all out with his powers, which in Bakugo's opinion, left the victory hollow. He would've felt the same had he gone up against the son of Endeavor and won because his opponent didn't use his flames.

No, he couldn't treat failure like an option. Bakugo was determined to prove himself the best among the first years. He wanted to prove that he deserved the glory and praise he craved.

Just then, the door to the room opened and Hayata Furaya stood in the doorway. As usual, his scowl was stoic and stoneclad, so Bakugo had no idea what he was thinking as he simply stood still for a few moments. He then turned to look at the right of the room and was prepared to walk off.

"STOP!" Bakugo shouted. Furaya stopped and turned to look at Bakugo.

"I came to the wrong room," he answered. "I need to-"

"Shut up!" Bakugo interrupted before walking over to the Quirkless swordsman. The Explosion's user face was twisted with rage, anger and arrogance as he looked upon the General Studies student.

"You came far, I'll give you that. But don't get cocky: you only won against IcyHot because he didn't go through with using his flames. But I'm not him. I never pull any of that half-assed crap; when I fight, I fight for a complete victory!"

"Then bring your best," Hayata replied. "I won't hold back either."

"What the hell are you even trying to accomplish?" Bakugo questioned. "Just because you've made it this far doesn't change what I think: Quirkless rejects like you cannot become heroes."

"I've heard that so many times," Furaya spoke with annoyance.

He had heard it over and over and over again. Quirkless cannot become heroes, there's no chance of becoming a hero without a Quirk, Quirkless people should seek more 'appropriate' careers. But it was that degradation, that sense of underestimating the Quirkless, the discrimination they suffered that pushed Hayata to become a Pro. The jeering and doubts would continue, but at least finally would have the courage to stand up and say 'Enough is enough'.

"Because it's true," Bakugo spoke. "And I'll prove that when I beat you, you damn extra."

"I won't give you an easy victory," Hayata responded.

That unknowingly made Bakugo's blood boil, the mention of an 'easy victory'. He was still very sore from his previous match and Takeo's refusal to fight again out of anger and spite. The scars of an easy victory already burned like hot iron and Kitty Boy's refusal to a rematch was like pouring alcohol on the open wounds. He couldn't handle the idea of another fight yielding a similar result. But before Bakugo could respond, Furaya walked to his Waiting Room.

"Damn Quirkless," he growled before going back.

Hayata was about to place his phone in his locker, but stopped when it started ringing. He looked at his phone and saw the name 'Uncle Genkei', so he answered it.

"Hello, Uncle," Hayata greeted, though his tone was a bit more amiable.

"Hey, Hayata. I've seen your matches; you're doing good. Just one more match and you'll be the first ever Quirkless to win the Sports Festival. Aren't you excited? Then again if you were, you wouldn't sound it."

"No, I wouldn't," Hayata acknowledged. "But it's thanks to your training that I was able to make it this far."

"Those U.A. bastards are going to see what a mistake they made cutting you from the Hero Course! If you win this, they'll have no choice but to let you in. Though…I really wish you hadn't made that stupid bet with Principal Nezu."

"It's too late to change what I promised. If I lose this, I leave U.A. and never come back."

His uncle let out a sigh. Even though he had faith in his nephew to succeed, he considered it an extremely risky move to walk out if he didn't win the Sports Festival. All their years of training, all their hard work, all his teaching and all Hayata's learning could go down the drain.

"I just wish Mother would support me," Hayata spoke.

"She's not going to," Genkei replied. "Any time you spoke of becoming a hero, she'd shut down the conversation. She's so afraid that what happened to me will happen to you, so much so that she's content with letting people like us roll over and accept discrimination. She's never going to change her mind, so forget about her."

Hayata hated it when his uncle said that about his mother. It was true that she didn't support his decision to train and become a Pro Hero, but he felt that was born out of concern rather than weakness. After a terrible event left Uncle Genkei paralyzed from the waist down, his mother didn't want her son to end up like her brother. She feared that the world would react to him the same way they acted to Genkei: with hatred and contempt.

As for his uncle, Hayata was truly gracious to him having trained him to become the fighter he is now. Like his uncle, he hoped to put an end to the belief that Quirkless people cannot be heroes. Sadly, he felt his uncle went too far in how he treated his mother, especially since she kept him in her life after his injury when their parents died. He didn't agree with his mother, but he wouldn't think of her as a coward like Genkei did.

"Someone has to stand up and say 'Enough is enough'. People like us have been looked down upon ever since Quirks became widespread. I wish I could fulfill that dream, but I can't…not anymore. But after seeing your dedication, your strength, I truly believe you will make a difference if you win today."

"That's what I hope for, Uncle Genkei," Hayata replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to prepare."

"Do good out there, Hayata."

Midoriya had decided to go into the hallway and think back on the match between Raionhato and Bakugo. Like several of his classmates, he was disappointed in how Takeo had handled the match against his childhood friend, Kacchan. Todoroki had recently healed up and returned to the bleachers, informing everyone of what had transpired after the match from Bakugo demanding a rematch to Takeo clearly refusing it since there was no mention of a rematch from Present Mic.

The One For All user knew that Kacchan was an egotistical, disrespectful jerk and had been that way for many years. Years of being praised and glorified as a great example of a hero while also never being held accountable for his actions had given Kacchan an ego the size of Asia. But regardless, despite Kacchan's poor attitude and general disrespect, he had the means to back up his ego and arrogance.

No doubt Kacchan would be livid in response to Raionhato refusing to a rematch. His childhood friend and tormentor accepted nothing but what he viewed as a complete victory and his triumph against Raionhato could be seen as anything but such. Kacchan would never truly accept this victory, not when it damaged his pride so much.

Bump. Midoriya unintentionally walked into someone while he was thinking.

"Oh, my gosh!" he exclaimed. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you!"

"It's fine, kid," the voice of Nobu Yamashita replied, holding a beer bottle in his hand. Midoriya was about to apologize once more, but stopped when he realized that the man he bumped into seemed familiar. He couldn't put his finger on it until he started to remember a powerful Pro Hero from his youth…and his face lit up like a Christmas tree in excitement.

"Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh!" Midoriya squealed. "Are you Rebound, the Reflection Hero!?" Midoriya tried to contain his excitement, but was clearly failing miserably as his happiness was far too clear to see. Rebound sighed and took a sip from his bottle.

"Yes, I am the FORMER Pro Hero, Rebound," he answered. "Who's asking?" Midoriya hurriedly rushed to compose himself in the presence of such a great hero.

"My name is Izuku Midoriya, Hero Course Class 1-A! I'm deeply honored to meet such a legendary hero, especially one who was believed to one day surpass All Might! You were the #2 Hero for years until Endeavor took the title, though…it was due to your retirement. I was actually very sad to hear that you had retired from Pro Hero work."

"You shouldn't be sad," Rebound responded, taking another sip from his bottle. "If you should be sad about anything, it's the fact that you're actually trying to be a hero when it's ultimately pointless. It drains you of everything you hold dear until you have nothing left to give. If you're smart, you'll wise up and drop this whole 'Pro Hero' nonsense."

Midoriya was shocked to hear this from the Reflection Hero, someone who had held the position of #2 Hero for years and was believed to one day surpass All Might had he not retired. He didn't know why he retired, but he assumed it had to do with his family. However, he never once imagined seeing the former #2 Hero in such a state.

"Being a hero is a great privilege," Midoriya responded. "True heroes like you and All Might are amazing! Always reaching out to others in need, protecting those whose need help…being a hero is something I've always aspired to be. I don't understand why it'd be draining." Rebound shook his head.

"I'm not a hero, kid. There's always someone you fail to save for every person you do rescue. You take down one villain, another simply takes their place. It's a never-ending cycle that takes everything and gives back nothing. All Might is fooling himself and everyone around him if he calls this an 'Era of Peace', especially when so many tragedies occur and no one cares."

"How can you say that?" Midoriya questioned. "All Might has always protected the innocent, always helped out others in need. We save who we can; doesn't that matter most from being a hero?"

Rescuing and reaching out to others in need. That's what Midoriya believed made a great hero and All Might fit that bill to the letter. He always remembered the great fire, where All Might emerged carrying several people before giving his iconic line 'Because I am here!'. Whenever he thought of true heroism, he thought of that clip of All Might, rescuing people with a smile in the face of great danger.

"Hey," Rebound spoke finally shaking from a drunken daze, taking a closer look at Midoriya. "Aren't you the kid who broke his hands earlier?"

Midoriya's face lit with embarrassment at how Rebound phrased it. It was true that during his match with Todoroki, Midoriya practically destroyed his hands to the point that his right one was now permanently disfigured. Recovery Girl had scolded him for his reckless attacks and stated that she wouldn't heal him if he did this again. His heart was in the right place, but in the eyes of others, it was very poor timing.

"Well, yeah," Midoriya reluctantly answered. "But I…" He did his best to calm down.

"I did it to help Todoroki, to make him use his flames. It's what All Might would've done-"

"See?" Rebound groaned, pointing his half-full bottle at Midoriya. "THAT attitude is EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Sacrificing everything and for what? In delaying the inevitable? Can you really say you helped that kid, especially since he didn't learn from his mistake and lost because he didn't use his fire?"

There was no denying that. Midoriya was certain that Todoroki would've used his flames against Furaya; after all, Shoto had used them against him during their fight, but only after Midoriya pushed him to do so. Despite being at a disadvantage, despite trying to use his flames, Todoroki didn't go through with it and ultimately lost the fight, allowing Furaya to now go up against Kacchan.

"You injured your hand for nothing. What if next time, you sacrifice a bone, a limb, a friend to do what you think is right? What about family!? Will you sacrifice them!? You can say what you want, kid, but in the end, every sacrifice you think is worth it…you'll one day realize it's not. How much will you sacrifice for something that never ends!?"

The One For All backed up a bit in response to Rebound's outburst. However, he had to admit that Rebound asked some pretty thought-provoking questions. What if Todoroki ultimately chose to never use his flames again, rendering Midoriya's self-inflicted injuries futile? What if he did sacrifice something he needed or loved and ultimately regretted making that sacrifice? What was Midoriya willing to sacrifice…and what wasn't he willing to sacrifice?

"There has to be a reason for it," Midoriya insisted. "We need heroes. Without them, who would help those in need?"

"Oh, you're such a wide-eyed idealist," Rebound groaned before finishing off his drink. "Do the damn concession stands sell anything stronger than beer!?" He threw the bottle towards a trash can, but it hit the wall instead and shattered into many pieces, falling onto the floor and into the trash.

"Do you really think being a Pro Hero is 'such a privilege'? Let me tell you, kid: don't aspire to become All Might. Unlike him, I don't need to put up a front. He's just a placebo at this point, telling people everything's fine and encouraging them to ignore the tragedies that occur because of this senseless cycle. As long as there are Quirks, chaos will always breed out of control."

"No, you're wrong," Midoriya claimed. "How can you say that about All Might after all the good he's done, after all the lives he's saved?"

"Because All Might is just one man," Rebound replied. "One man cannot save everyone in danger, yet the whole world depends on him to save them. The whole world thinks that heroes will come to save them, but when they're not saved, when no one comes to help them, they lose all hope. What's left turns into sorrow and despair and then hate, then that hate pushes them to prey on others to feel better about themselves. Victims turn into villains out of hate for the very heroes they used to admire and worship because they didn't come to their aid. You call THAT a privilege?"

By now, Midoriya was deeply troubled by what Rebound said. He always thought of All Might saving everyone he could…but what about those he couldn't? What happened to them? Did they simply find a way to move on with their lives or, as Rebound said, did they turn into villains because they felt betrayed by the heroes who were supposed to protect them? How many villains were created because All Might, the #1 Hero of Japan and one of the most popular heroes on Earth, didn't rescue them?

The young man had always admired heroes, so much so that he had developed a hobby of analyzing heroes and their abilities. In spite of his former Quirklessness, he always aspired to be a hero himself just like All Might: rescuing those in need with a smile on his face. He always thought of All Might as someone who can do no wrong, who could never cause any harm to others. But if what Rebound said was true, does that mean that some of the people All Might didn't save went on to become villains? He was at a loss for words.

"You've got your whole life ahead of you, kid," Nobu said. "Don't waste it on a pipe dream like I did." He then walked away, leaving Midoriya alone. However, he didn't have much time to think on it since Present Mic announced the start of the final match.

"Where's Raionhato?" Ashido questioned, noting their classmate's absence ever since he lost against Bakugo.

Ojiro was disappointed in his friend for having done something so stupid. He agreed that Bakugo badmouthing his uncle wasn't okay, but that had clouded Takeo's judgment and made him fight on pure rage alone. If he had made that mistake, he too would've been too ashamed to consider coming back to sit with his class.

In the bleachers of Support Course Class 1-G, Satoshi had returned to his seat, thinking back on criticizing Takeo earlier. While he didn't want to hurt Takeo, he had to say what he did to make him understand how badly he messed up in his fight against Bakugo. It didn't matter what Takeo thought of Bakugo or how despicable people found him to be, it didn't change the fact that he had let his anger push him to underestimate his opponent. This was a blunder that wouldn't be forgotten any time soon.

"I didn't want to say that," Satoshi spoke to himself. "But…dammit, Takeo, you messed up."

Only known to Yaomomo, Takeo had made his way to the forest outside the arena entrance and potentially wouldn't come back until the matches were finished. She remembered the look on his face when he walked away, a scowl of defeat, shame and regret. He must've received quite the scolding if it tore him down that much.

"I can't believe that idiot," Jiro groaned. "To do something like this-"

"Can you blame him?" Shiruku questioned. "I mean, we've seen the way those two have fought. Something like this was bound to happen because Bakugo can't stop acting like the world revolves around him."

"This wasn't Bakugo's fault," Jiro pointed out. "Raionhato screwed up. He's the one who didn't fight against Bakugo the way he did against Tokoyami and Ashido. I know he hates the guy, but seriously."

It didn't matter how much Bakugo was disliked by the class and he was generally disliked, but no one could deny his battle prowess. Takeo didn't take that into account when they fought and it made him look like a fool. This was Takeo's failure, not Bakugo's.

"Shouldn't we go looking for him?" Uraraka suggested.

"We sssssshould leave him be," Nagami suggested. "If he hassssssn't come back, then maybe he jusssssst wantssssss to be alone right now."

Kiyama wondered how Raionhato was feeling since he hadn't come back. Was he so angry at Bakugo that he didn't even want to see him fight? Was he so ashamed of his actions that he didn't want to be seen by his classmates? Why was he staying away? Whatever the reason, she believed it best to leave him alone until the Tournament was over.

"This is the moment you've all been waiting for!" Present Mic announced as the final match of the Sports Festival was about to commence.

"From General Studies Class 1-C, the Quirkless who could, the one almost everyone thought wouldn't make it this far, Hayata Furaya!" The crowd cheered at the Quirkless swordsman, who stood razor-focused at his opponent, the very same Hero Course student who had constantly degraded him and claimed he couldn't be a hero.

"From Hero Course Class 1-A, it's none other than the temperamental one who's probably on everyone's bad side-Ow!" Eraser Head hit Present Mic in the head and took the mic away from him.

"From Class 1-A, Katsuki Bakugo," he introduced in a calm tone in contrast to Present Mic's bombastic style. The crowd cheered once more for the Explosion user, despite that as Present Mic said, he had gotten on some peoples' bad sides by his earlier arrogance and those who disapproved of how he fought Uraraka.

This was Bakugo's last chance to prove himself as the best among the first years. It all came down to this: he knew that he'd be treated with humiliation if he lost now. There was no room for failure, no room for error, despite the fact that he was going up against someone he believed had no chance of becoming a Pro Hero.

This was also Furaya's last chance. He had won against Iida, Kirishima and Todoroki and was now in the last match of the Sports Festival. If he won today, then his path into the Hero Course would be paved and even the U.A. Board wouldn't be able to deny him like they had before. Sadly, if he lost, he'd keep his word and walk out of U.A., never to approach the school ever again.

"Don't think you have a chance against me," Bakugo condescended. "You may've beaten those other extras, but I'm aiming for the top."

"I will beat you, Bakugo," Hayata replied.

For all the viewers, almost all the students were rooting for Furaya to win. They wanted to see Bakugo's arrogance and ego stomped into the ground and shattered to pieces. However, there was no denying that Bakugo would indeed be quite a challenge for the Quirkless swordsman, though he wouldn't back down from the fight. Among the students, Hitoshi Shinso and Mei Hatsume were his staunchest believers, wholly supporting him winning and having no doubts that he'd overcome this enemy.

"What?" Bakugo questioned in a mocking tone towards the Quirkless. "You're not going to ask me if I believe a Quirkless can beat me?"

"You gave a very clear answer," Hayata answered. "All I have left is to prove you wrong."

"Ready!? CLASH!"

Both fighters immediately raced towards each other. Furaya prepared to attack Bakugo in his usual iaijitsu style, but Bakugo avoided the sword strike by launching himself above his opponent. Bakugo then held out both his hands to blast Furaya with a powerful explosion, but the falcon swordsmen speedily dodged the attack just as the Explosion blew a massive crater in the cement.

Hoping to blind him, Bakugo used his Quirk to create a smokescreen around the Quirkless so he wouldn't know from which direction he'd attack from. However, Furaya ran out of the smoke before laying a barrage of sword strikes against Bakugo. The Explosion user was quick to dodge most of the attacks, though one of the sword strikes cut his arm. Bakugo quickly retaliated with an upward Explosion, but Hayata dodged the attack and continued his frenzy of sword slashes.

So many people were in amazement that a Quirkless General Studies student could hold his ground against Bakugo. Both of them were fast, strong, skilled and unwilling to give in and surrender. In some cases, Furaya put Bakugo on the defensive; other times, Bakugo was on the offensive against the falcon swordsman.

Bakugo and Furaya exchanged attacks with one another, Bakugo landing some explosive hits on Furaya and Furaya landing sword strikes on Bakugo. Having seen how Furaya's weapon, Falcon's Talon, worked, Bakugo was careful to not let his explosions be absorbed by the blade. On the other hand, Furaya was careful not to let Bakugo out of his sights out of fear that he could perform the same attack he did on Okami.

Again, Hayata's stoic face stretched into a smile again as it did against Todoroki. He was enjoying this fight against Bakugo, against an opponent who was indeed as strong as he claimed he was. He didn't hesitate to go all out, which only made it better for the Quirkless swordsman as the fight continued.

Bakugo leapt into the air and used his explosions to launch himself in a downward spin, flying right towards the Quirkless swordsman. He kept exploding to create a whirlwind of smoke around him as he flew towards Furaya.

"Howitzer IMPACT!" Bakugo cried out as he got close to his opponent and prepared to unleash his most powerful explosion on Hayata. Instead of running to avoid the attack, Furaya waited patiently for Bakugo to close in and attack. Katsuki got close and held out his hands to perform his Howitzer Impact, but just before he created the explosion, Furaya leapt into the air and appeared right in front of Bakugo.

"Final Strike!" he cried out. Just as Bakugo unleashed the explosion, Hayata slashed at Katsuki with his katana, hitting him in the stomach. The massive explosion boomed across the arena, blowing bits of concrete and metal all over the place, leaving behind a massive fog of smoke that covered up everything and obstructing everyone's view of the fight.

When the smoke started to clear, Hayata was seen standing, the smile still on his face as he breathed heavily. He couldn't see Bakugo, but kept his guard up as he waited for his opponent to appear as the smoke started to clear. In several moments, Bakugo could be seen recovering from Hayata's Final Strike attack.

"You're stronger than I thought, I'll give you that," Bakugo admitted. "But this match-"

"Bakugo is out of bounds!" Midnight announced. "Hayata Furaya wins!"

Bakugo and Furaya's faces were shocked at this proclamation, prompting both of them to look at Bakugo's feet. Much to their surprise…Bakugo's left foot was outside the white line; he had been eliminated from the fight.

The Explosion user stood still like a statue, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Did he lose against the Quirkless? Did he truly lose? Did he fail to gain the victory he craved? Bakugo's mind was completely blank at this turn of events. He was at a loss for words…until one slipped out of his mouth.

"No," he whispered. "No, no, no."

This wasn't over. Bakugo could still fight, out of bounds be damned. He wouldn't accept this kind of outcome, not again. As if driven by pure rage, Bakugo let out a violent shout and raced towards the Quirkless swordsman to attack.

"This fight ISN'T OVER!" Bakugo cried out. "This fight isn't over until one of us is down for the count! To hell with-"

Bam. Bakugo ran right into a cement wall that suddenly rose up, knocking him unconscious from the impact.

Outside the arena, Takeo was sitting against a tree, reflecting on what Satoshi and Lioness told him in the aftermath of his loss against Bakugo. As he did some self-reflection, he hated that he came to the conclusion that they were right.

Takeo had allowed his judgment to be clouded by his rage after Bakugo had insulted his uncle. That anger pushed him to fight Bakugo recklessly and without strategy, a complete contrast to how he fought Mina Ashido and Fumikage Tokoyami. This was something many Pros would undoubtedly find unsatisfactory and decline offering him an internship.

Even after Present Mic announced the final match, Takeo couldn't bring himself to face his classmates yet. No doubt they'd be disappointed in him for his fight against Bakugo and refusing a rematch. He had to accept that no matter his own personal feelings, there was no justification for this. He had messed up and Satoshi and Lioness made sure that he knew that fully.

"If that's the way you're going to treat him, then you're no different than your father!"

"Dammit, Satoshi!" Takeo growled. "Did you really have to say that!? I know I messed up, but…you didn't have to go that far."

Takeo looked back at the arena, where a large outside monitor showed the match unfolding between Bakugo and Furaya. He watched as Bakugo unleashed a Super Move, Howitzer Impact, that destroyed a portion of the arena and left it covered in smoke. The explosions was so powerful and loud, Takeo could hear it from outside the stadium walls.

Just like everyone else, Takeo was shocked when it was revealed that Bakugo was knocked out of bounds by Furaya's attack. The look on Bakugo's face said it all: disbelief, rage, uncertainty. He had lost to the very person he had constantly degraded and said he could never become a hero. Takeo would be lying if he said he didn't feel some satisfaction from the outcome.

But then, Bakugo tried to attack Furaya, only being stopped when he impacted on a cement wall erected by Cementoss. A string of boos could be heard from the stadium, hopefully condemning Bakugo's actions.

As for Takeo…whatever opinion he had of Bakugo hit rock bottom.