My Hero Academia: Lion of Courage
Chapter 38: Complete Victory
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia. All rights go to Kohei Horikoshi.
"Unbelievable," Takeo groaned after having witnessed Bakugo try to attack Furaya after being pushed out of bounds. "So that's what Bakugo thinks. He thinks that he's the only one who deserves to win and when he doesn't get what he wants…"
The Inventory user was in complete disbelief at what he saw on the monitor. Is that what Bakugo would've done had Takeo beaten him in their fight? Is that he'd do whenever he was faced with defeat? Furaya beat him fair and square; Bakugo had no right to try and attack him just because he didn't want to accept defeat. As he frowned, he felt a tap on his shoulder; he turned around to see his classmate, Nagami Kiyama.
"I wasssss wondering where you were," she spoke. "Good thing I have thermal heat ssssensssssing ssssso I could find you."
"Oh, hey Kiyama," Takeo replied. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to check on you," she answered. "Sssssinccccce the Sssssportsssss Fessssstival issssss over, I felt I sssssshould come and get you."
Takeo was hesitant to go back, knowing several of his classmates would be disappointed in him for how he handled his fight against Bakugo. Only Kirishima, Ojiro and Yaomomo knew of Bakugo badmouthing his Uncle Nobu. How could he go and tell this to his classmates if they raised questions? Judging by how Yaomomo and Satoshi acted, his classmates would undoubtedly be disappointed by his fight.
However, in his eyes, what Bakugo tried to do to Furaya was arguably just as bad, if not worse. Furaya had fairly beaten Bakugo by knocking him out of bounds and winning the final match. But instead of taking this defeat in stride, the Explosion user attempted to attack Furaya, only stopping because Cementoss knocked him unconscious. Now he was being taken to the infirmary to address his head injury while Furaya was heading down to meet Midnight and Cementoss.
"So since Furaya won, Todoroki will take 3rd Place," Takeo brought up.
"Yep, that'sssss what it lookssssss like," Nagami agreed. "Man, Bakugo'ssssss going to be pisssssssed when he wakesssss up."
"Then he can forget about that rematch," Takeo growled. "That was just disgraceful and yet he had the gall to…"
Why was it that no matter what Bakugo did, it only made him sink lower and lower? So what if he had a good Quirk and was smart? That didn't change the fact that Bakugo's personality was the exact opposite of what a true hero should be: arrogant, violent, hypocritical, egotistical and full of double standards. This proved that Bakugo ultimately didn't belong in the Hero Course.
"So it'sssss true," Nagami deduced after hearing her friend. "You turned down Bakugo'sssss demand for a rematch."
"Yes, I did," Takeo replied solemnly. "But if this is the way he'll react to defeat, then he can forget it." Nagami put her hand on Takeo's shoulder.
"Accepting the rematch wouldn't be about Bakugo'ssssss ego, but about your willingnessssss to learn from your misssssstakessssss," she stated. "Sssssso what if Bakugo hasssss an ego the ssssssizzzzzze of the world? Don't make the rematch about his ego and pride, make it about your improvement."
Takeo hadn't thought of it that way. He admitted that he was so consumed first by anger, then by shame, that he didn't consider to think of the rematch that way. If he had accepted the rematch, he could've beaten Bakugo and proved to the world that he had learned from his short-sighted mistake. He'd have to wait until later to remedy this mistake, though it was easier said than done when Takeo harbored immense disdain towards the Explosion user, which only grew worse after what he just witnessed.
"If Bakugo won't learn from hissssss missssstakesssss, that'sssss hissssss problem and hisssssss alone," Nagami stated. "You don't need to go down with him. Now come on, let'ssssss go back and hear the ressssssultssssss."
"Well, since Furaya won, Todoroki will be 3rd Place since he was Furaya's opponent," Takeo brought up before something crossed his mind. "Hold on, how did you know about the rematch-"
"Todoroki told ussssss. So, exxxxxxpect ssssssome dissssssappointment from the classssss."
"Figured, though I wish Todoroki had kept his mouth shut," Takeo responded as they kept walking. "That wasn't for him to tell."
"We would've found out eventually," Nagami brought up as she slithered with Takeo.
"I only meant to stop Bakugo, not knock him unconscious!" Cementoss argued to Open Palm, who was with Eraser Head and Midnight. "Even then, he's the one who tried to attack Furaya after he lost the match."
"You could've just trapped him!" Open Palm stated. "The match was already over. You didn't need to knock him unconscious."
"Bakugo knew the rules of the Sports Festival," Cementoss stated. "Teachers are allowed physically restrain or stop students should they attempt to attack another outside of an authorized match!"
"Yes, and in those situations, the student is subdued with caution so no one is hurt!" Open Palm brought up. "That's why Midnight, Eraser Head or myself usually handle these situations. We disable the attacking student before either party is harmed."
"I didn't mean to knock Bakugo unconscious," Cementoss claimed. "I only meant to stop him-"
"With a twenty-foot cement wall that rose at the last moment!?" Open Palm criticized. "As I said, you should've left it to one of us three. You don't stop a student by raising a twenty-foot cement wall in front of them when they're running!"
"You've seen how violent and fast Bakugo can be!" Cementoss shot back. "Midnight's Somnambulist wouldn't have reached him in time, you were in the bleachers and Eraser Head's still recovering from his injuries sustained at the USJ!"
"So because Bakugo has a violent temper and has a dangerous Quirk, we subject him to excessive force!?" Open Palm shouted. "Bakugo is still a student and we need to treat him the same as any other! Don't you understand how stupid you were!?"
"Okay, knock it off!" Midnight interrupted, breaking between the two of them. "What's done is done. I believe Cementoss when he says he only meant to stop Bakugo."
"Well, that doesn't matter," Eraser Head commented. "The reporters are going to have a field day after what happened. Not only because of Bakugo attacking Furaya after the match was over, but because Cementoss knocked him unconscious. Sorry to say this, Cementoss, but I think you made Hiretsuna Shita very happy today."
This was turning out to be a mess for the U.A. Faculty. Bakugo was already being booed and shamed for trying to attack Furaya after losing to him in the final match. The Explosion user's pride couldn't handle this outcome, so he violently lashed out, leading Cementoss to raise a wall to stop him. Sadly, Bakugo didn't stop and he was knocked unconscious by the impact. This action unfortunately led to anti-mutant sympathizers to demonize Cementoss's actions.
"Unfortunately, Eraser Head's right," Nezu informed. "Bakugo's actions and Cementoss's have painted a negative image for our school in the eyes of the public and the reporters are sparing no effort to demonize us yet again." He turned to Cementoss.
"I understand what you were trying to do, but it would've been better to leave it to Eraser Head or Midnight," Nezu stated. "I believe you when you say it wasn't your intent to knock Bakugo unconscious, but that was indeed a rather reckless move." Cementoss let out a remorseful sigh, disdaining that his actions had led to U.A. detractors having more means to demonize them.
"How is Bakugo recovering?" Open Palm asked.
"Recovery Girl has said he'll wake up soon," Nezu informed. "Luckily, there's no severe damage to his head. It could've been worse."
"But I imagine he's going to be quite angry when he wakes up," Midnight brought up.
"But you won!" Mei told Hayata as she sat with him in the waiting room. "You beat that jerk fair and square."
"It wasn't a complete victory," Hayata responded.
In the eyes of the Quirkless swordsman, this wasn't a victory capable of qualifying him to join the Hero Course. Bakugo was right; the fight could've continued since they were both still conscious and able to combat each other. If he accepted a victory based on a technicality, then what reason did he give his doubters the means to stop viewing him as incapable?
"Bakugo could've still fought," Hayata stated once more. "The fight isn't over until one of us is down for good."
"Oh, come on," Mei insisted. "So Bakugo was knocked out of bounds. Many of the other combatants were knocked out of bounds, like Ten Million, White and Red, Birdy Boy-"
"I cannot accept a victory based on a technicality," Hayata interrupted.
She understood where Hayata was coming from, but having a rematch was too much of a risk for him. Only one rematch would be allowed according to the rules of the Sports Festival and whatever happened would be the final result. If Hayata lost the rematch, then everything he worked for would be for nothing.
"Hayata, I get it," Mei stated. "But you saw how strong Bakugo was. Asking for a rematch may cost you your chance to get into the Hero Course."
"Exactly," Hayata responded. "It is because Bakugo is that strong that I must truly beat him. Knocking him out of bounds doesn't truly secure my victory."
At this point, Mei felt nothing she'd say would change his mind. Having grown up with him, she knew how stubborn and proud he could be, especially when it came to combat. There was simply no persuading him to give up on this course of action; either he would accept a total and complete victory or accept no victory at all. But before she could say anything else, the door opened and Midnight and Nezu walked inside.
"Congratulations, Furaya," Nezu addressed the Quirkless. "You did what you said in my office long ago. Now please come along; we must prepare for the Award Ceremony-"
"I'm not going," Furaya refused. "I'm not truly champion until I defeat Bakugo. He wasn't beaten, he was pushed out of bounds."
"Furaya, you shouldn't be ashamed of how you won," Midnight insisted. "You beat Bakugo within the rules of the Sports Festival."
"With all due respect, Miss Midnight, you're wrong," Hayata responded. "I'm Quirkless and if I accept a victory based on a technicality, it leaves room for doubt and question. I must request a rematch." Nezu and Midnight looked at each other and then back at the Quirkless.
"And if we cannot arrange a rematch?"
"Then I won't go to the Award Ceremony. Simple as that."
Luckily, Bakugo was expected to wake up soon, so it was possible for Furaya to have his rematch. However, even if he did wake up, there was the chance that Recovery Girl would state that he's not fit for an immediate rematch. But if they couldn't have a rematch, then Furaya wouldn't go to the Award Ceremony, which on the outside, didn't seem like much of a big deal. However, it could show a potential lack of U.A.'s control over its students, which would only add to the negative reception they had been receiving ever since the USJ Attack.
"If you feel strongly about a rematch, then we'll see about getting arranged," Nezu stated. "However, Bakugo will need to be checked out by Recovery Girl first to see if he can go through with it."
"I can already imagine Bakugo won't oppose the rematch," Midnight brought up, remembering how he violently lashed out against Furaya after losing. "We'll talk to him when he wakes up, but as Nezu said, if Recovery Girl doesn't check him out, we're not holding the rematch. But if we do, then whatever happens is the final result, technicality or no technicality. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am," Furaya responded. "Thank you."
BOOM!
"Sounds like Bakugo is awake," Nezu spoke calmly.
"Hell yes, I want a rematch!" Bakugo shouted, his face filled with immense rage, though it was focused completely at the outcome of his fight with Furaya. He couldn't care less about the fact that Cementoss had unintentionally knocked him unconscious to stop him from attacking Furaya after being knocked out of bounds.
"Well, luckily, Furaya has requested one," Midnight informed Bakugo. "But we'll need to make sure Recovery Girl-"
"Screw that!" Bakugo interrupted. "I'm good to fight! That outcome was horseshit, a shallow victory! The fight's not over until one of us is down for good! I'll kill him!"
"Now you just wait a minute!" Recovery Girl demanded sternly. "You are not going onto that arena until I've made sure you're fit for combat. Now sit still and let me run the necessary tests."
Bakugo's pride led him to view Recovery Girl's request as a complete waste of time; he had taken worse injuries and had come out just fine. Why should one head-on impact with cement be any different? But if Recovery Girl didn't run the tests, Bakugo wouldn't be allowed to go through with the rematch. Begrudgingly, he allowed Recovery Girl and Sunhealer to run the tests to make sure there was no lasting damage.
"He's fine," Recovery Girl approved. "He's good to go through with the rematch."
"Then what are we waiting for!?" Bakugo barked. "Let's go!"
"Hold on!" Midnight spoke, holding her hand up and stopping Bakugo. "I want to be clear on a few things. First off, do not repeat what you did after you were pushed out of bounds or you will be disqualified from participating in the Sports Festival again. If you wanted a rematch, you could've simply requested one instead of lashing out the way you did."
"Ugh, fine," Bakugo groaned.
"Second, whatever happens in the rematch is the final result. It won't matter if you win or lose, technicality or no technicality. There will be no 2nd rematch. Understand?"
"Yeah, sure," Bakugo responded. "Now will you let me go so I can kill this damn Quirkless!?"
"Yes, you can go," Midnight spoke. "We'll hold the match in 15 minutes." She stepped aside and allowed Bakugo to walk out of the infirmary so he could go to the Waiting Room.
"That boy has the poorest manners I've ever seen," Recovery Girl spoke. "But Cementoss could've really hurt that boy. What was he thinking? He knows restraining students is often left to you, Eraser Head and Open Palm. Does he think Bakugo is so violent that he should be treated with excessive force? He's lucky Bakugo doesn't have severe brain damage."
"I-I'm sure he didn't mean to actually hurt him," Himari suggested. "Mr. Cementoss would never intentionally harm a student outside an authorized fight."
Midnight agreed that Cementoss didn't mean to intentionally harm Bakugo, but that didn't change the fact that his actions were rather reckless. As Open Palm stated, despite how the teachers may view Bakugo, positive or negative, he was still a student of U.A. High School and shouldn't be susceptible to excessive force based on his aggression and temper. There was no telling of how much negative backlash U.A. would receive, especially from Hiretsuna Shita since Cementoss was a mutant.
"You might want to stay seated, folks, because the Sports Festival ain't finished!" Present Mic announced. "The last two competitors have requested a rematch which will be held in the next fifteen minutes! So can Bakugo claim victory from his humiliating defeat or will Furaya remain the true winner!? Stay here to find out!"
The students of U.A. were surprised to hear the request for a rematch, especially after what Bakugo did after he was pushed out of bounds. This led to them speculating who requested the rematch and why, some claiming Bakugo while others claimed Furaya. Whatever the reason, they weren't satisfied with the outcome of the last match. Due to the backlash of Cementoss's actions against Bakugo, Nezu decided it'd be wise for him to sit this match out and let Open Palm take his place.
In spite of this rematch, Bakugo was furious. Even if he considered the victory shallow and empty, the world considered it legit since Furaya had won within the rules of the Sports Festival. He had lost to a Quirkless, the kind of people he believed could never become heroes, the same kind of person he had bullied and tormented for years. He had already lost to Deku, who had won mostly without a Quirk, but losing to someone who was actually Quirkless…Bakugo's mind couldn't comprehend it nor would he truly accept it.
"I did not come all this way to be considered inferior to some…some Quirkless reject!" Bakugo roared mentally. "He only won because he pushed me out of bounds! But I will claim this victory! I will beat him and every other extra that comes my way! I WILL be the best!"
He only had one chance to truly beat Furaya once and for all and claim the title of victor. He couldn't let it end on a technicality, he wouldn't; his pride couldn't handle the idea of the fight ending on a technicality a 2nd time. Not only that, his ego would never recover if he lost to Furaya a 2nd time, especially if he truly defeated him.
"I can't lose!" Bakugo reminded himself. "I mustn't! How can I be #1 if I lose to a- No! I will win this!" The alarm sounded, signaling for the combatants to make their way to the arena for their rematch.
"Had enough time sulking?" Zankoku snarked as Raionhato returned with Kiyama to the bleachers. Raionhato sighed as he had no satisfactory answer to give to the scorpion or to any of his classmates who questioned on where he had been after he had lost to Bakugo. Several of his classmates looked at him with disappointment and disdain, obviously not condoning his fight against Bakugo nor his refusal to a rematch.
Takeo looked at Ojiro, whose scowl was a mix of disappointment and sympathy. Ojiro knew his friend wouldn't have taken kindly to Bakugo badmouthing someone he respected and loved, but that didn't justify Takeo's reaction and poor handling of the match. However, based on Takeo's expressions, Ojiro believed that his friend had been punished enough and chose not to say anything.
Raionhato sat down and waited for the rematch to start, though he was quietly condemning Bakugo for trying to attack Furaya. Would it have mattered if Raionhato beat Bakugo or not? The Explosion user couldn't handle the thought of losing to a Quirkless, so he violently lashed out and tried to attack him in a rage. It was almost enough to make him forget about Nagami's reasoning about accepting a rematch with their classmate.
Midoriya looked at Raionhato and could see the disdain that developed in his eyes, suspecting he had witnessed Bakugo's actions. That was his problem: he couldn't hold back his condemnation, his hatred for Bakugo. Whatever he saw from Bakugo, he saw only the worst of him and could never view him as anything more than a heartless monster. He was worried for him, wondering if he'd find some way to deal with his anger towards Bakugo in a way that didn't sabotage himself as it did during their fight.
He grew up with Bakugo; he knew how much of a pain he could be, but Midoriya also knew how genuine Kacchan was about becoming a hero. Raionhato couldn't see that, only seeing the negative qualities that fueled his deep loathing for his childhood friend. But what made it worse was that Bakugo made no attempt to prove Raionhato wrong, to prove anyone who doubted him wrong and show that he was more than his temper and arrogance.
"Are you all ready!?" Present Mic shouted as Bakugo and Furaya walked onto the arena. The crowds cheered for the two combatants, either rooting for Bakugo to take the victory or for Furaya to keep it.
"Why did you request the rematch?" Bakugo questioned.
"It wasn't a true victory," Furaya replied. To the Quirkless's surprise, a smile stretched across Bakugo's face.
"No, it wasn't," he spoke, but his tone had begrudging respect for Furaya rather than mockery. "Anyone who fights should seek nothing less than a true victory. So you better come at me with everything you've got!" Furaya smiled back.
"Gladly."
"Ready!? CLASH!"
The two fighters immediately lunged at each other, Bakugo attacking with his explosions and Furaya with Falcon's Talon. Their fighting speed and prowess made it seem as though this was only their first fight, as if the 1st one never happened.
Bakugo and Furaya were better this time about dodging each other's attacks, almost neither of them landing a hit on the other. The two of them had gotten a grasp on the other's fighting style and were more knowledgeable in this round, but the fighting stalemate was broken when Furaya managed to slash Bakugo's lower leg. He tumbled to the ground since he was in mid-air, but quickly recovered.
By now, Furaya was convinced that Bakugo had the means to back up his massive ego with the skills, smarts and reflexes to match. He had a great handle on his Quirk, amazing battle sense and prowess and able to adapt to the fight well. He couldn't deny the truth: Bakugo was one of the strongest fighters he had ever encountered. This only placed more importance on why Furaya had to truly beat him rather than just knock him out of bounds as he did earlier.
"I want you to know, Bakugo, I didn't intend to knock you out of bounds earlier," Furaya told Bakugo during their fight.
"Don't look down on me!" Bakugo barked as he attacked with a frenzy of explosions. "Now DIE!"
The two fighters continued to clash with matched ferocity, pride and determination, neither fighter willing to back down. The two of them simply had too much at stake to lose now, but only one of them could win this fight and they were determined to do so.
As Midoriya watched the fight, he was filled with amazement at how Furaya could match Bakugo despite his Quirklessness. At the same time, this also filled his sense of shame that he had been feeling ever since he ran into Furaya that day. The swordsman was proving that with training, determination and hard work, anyone could become a hero, Quirk or no Quirk.
Could Midoriya have ever adopted this mindset? Would he have come to U.A. if he hadn't inherited One For All from All Might? Would he have been anything like the Pro Hero he envisioned himself being without One For All? He had been asking himself these questions, wondering if he had truly earned his way into U.A. or if he had simply piggybacked on All Might to get a miracle no other Quirkless would ever get.
What made it worse was that Furaya believed Midoriya had lied about being Quirkless simply to earn sympathy and portray himself as a 'miraculous case'. He wanted to explain to Furaya the truth, to prove that he wasn't the fraud the swordsman viewed him as, but All Might had made it abundantly clear that he was not to tell anyone else without his permission. He was already in hot water with Kacchan, believing he had lied to him their whole lives and was determined to prove him a fraud; he couldn't risk the same thing happening with Furaya.
"Don't worry, Midoriya," Shiruku told the One For All user, mistaking the expression on his face for something else. "Furaya beat that jackass once; he'll do it again."
Before Midoriya could clear up the confusion, the sound of battle stopped. Both Furaya and Bakugo stood several meters away from each other, their exhaustion finally catching up with them after such an intense, ferocious fight. They both looked like they could collapse at any moment, but they refused to let their fight end without a result they deemed a complete victory.
"You gave a good fight, I'll give you that," Bakugo spoke. "But I'll be damned if I lose to a Quirkless for real!"
"Then come end it!" Furaya responded.
Both fighters knew they didn't have a lot of stamina left and couldn't keep up the intense match for much longer. They had to end it before they fell from exhaustion and gave victory to their opponent. Both of them had to end it in one final attack, using whatever strength they had left to defeat their opponent and win the rematch.
For a short while, neither of them made a move, taking the opportunity to catch their breath before their attacks. Furaya placed his hand on the hilt of Falcon's Talon while Bakugo held out his hands to create several small explosions. The stadium was dead silent, waiting for them to either end the fight or pass out; the former happened after they caught their breath and raced towards each other.
As soon as Furaya and Bakugo were close enough, they launched one final attack at the same time: Bakugo hitting Furaya with a massive explosion while screaming 'DIE!' and Furaya hitting Bakugo with all the force stored in his katana's blade. Smoke rose up from where they were fighting, small debris going everywhere in the stadium from the force of their attacks.
The viewers watched in shock at the final attacks of the combatants, wondering who had won the fight or if both of them were knocked out. They watched the smoke clear from the stadium to see what happened; to make things more shocking, both Furaya and Bakugo were on their feet, but were clearly close to passing out.
"They're still not down!?" Sato gasped.
"Bakugo's tougher than he looks," Jiro stated. "Man, he doesn't go down easy."
Furaya and Bakugo stood where they were, breathing heavily as the last of their strength had been spent; now it was just a matter of who would pass out from exhaustion and injury first. Neither of them could even move, Bakugo couldn't create any more explosions due to his hands aching and Furaya being unable to lift his sword off the ground. The stadium watched with uncertainty of who would win the fight.
Suddenly, Bakugo's vision began to blur. He realized what was happening, that exhaustion was catching up with him and he was falling unconscious, but he stubbornly held on as long as he could. He couldn't lose against Furaya a second time, or his pride would never recover from such a loss. As stubborn as he was, Bakugo's mind was slowly turning blank and his vision getting blurrier.
"No," he groaned as he fell onto his knees. "No…I can't…" Bakugo tried to stand back up, but it took all his strength to simply not fall over; he didn't have enough to get back on his feet.
As for Furaya, his fatigue caught up with him and he dropped his katana onto the ground, no longer having the strength to hold onto it. He leaned on the scabbard of Falcon's Talon to keep himself from falling over, which only worked for several moments before he too fell to his knees. Whatever strength he had left, he used to keep himself upright.
"I'm sorry…if I've failed," Furaya spoke quietly, speaking to all those who supported him in his journey.
But that apology wasn't needed. Bakugo's eyes started to fall shut, his stubborn will no longer able to keep him conscious. He fell to the ground, defeated and unable to move. Midnight walked over to check on Bakugo and confirmed that he was unconscious.
"Bakugo is unable to fight!" Midnight announced. "Furaya wins!"
"No way," Kirishima gasped. "Bakugo lost twice."
"Man," Takeo whispered in amazement of how Furaya had beaten Bakugo a second time.
Now Furaya could claim true victory. His opponent lay beaten and unconscious, leaving no room for doubt that he was indeed strong enough to defeat one of Class 1-A's strongest students. His doubters had no solid ground to harbor reasoning on why he shouldn't be allowed into the Hero Course. The U.A. Board couldn't deny him entry after he had won against four opponents who should've been 'superior' to him.
With victory now his, Furaya allowed himself to fall unconscious, a small smile on his face. He had done it.
Both Bakugo and Furaya were taken to the infirmary to be healed up by Recovery Girl and Sunhealer. While their injuries had knocked them unconscious, they were easily healed, though they'd probably be unconscious for up to an hour. They were simply that exhausted from their intense fighting match.
Since everyone had around an hour before the Award Ceremony, Ojiro decided to go and walk to get some fresh air. He couldn't help but feel rather down, knowing that since he didn't make it to the Tournament, the odds of him receiving internship offers were low. Not only that, his very plain and unflashy Quirk made him seem undesirable in contrast to others like Todoroki and Bakugo.
"Am I just…plain?" Ojiro asked to himself.
"You're plain handsome~" Kana's voice spoke in a flirtatious manner. The Tail user quickly turned around to see the gorgeous blonde standing several feet away from him.
"Hironaka!" he gasped. "Um…hi?"
"Hey," Hironaka replied, walking up to him. "How'd you enjoy the Tournament? I still can't believe Furaya won. Isn't the 1st time a Quirkless has ever won the Sports Festival?"
Indeed it was and the world was in an uproar right now. No one had ever once expected a Quirkless being capable of winning the Sports Festival, let alone passing the 1st event. But now, Hayata Furaya, the Quirkless swordsman, had won against four Class 1-A students and paved his way to victory. Now U.A. had no grounds to deny him entry into the Hero Course, not when he have gone up against fighters like Todoroki and Bakugo.
"I never would've suspected it," Ojiro responded. "But Furaya fought hard today; he earned this victory."
"Yeah, he was pretty strong," Kana agreed before changing the topic. "Are you okay, Ojiro? You looked…rather down before I started talking to you."
"Oh, I'm fine," Ojiro assured. "I was just…thinking on myself, that's all."
"You sure?" Kana asked with a very empathetic tone. "You sounded pretty sad."
"I'm okay," Ojiro repeated. Hironaka suspected that Ojiro wasn't as okay as he claimed, but she felt it was better not to push him.
"Well…I'm going to the martial arts gym after school," she informed. "Maybe you'd like to train with me again?"
Ojiro's face turned red at the idea of fighting Hironaka again. That image of her in her sports bra, showing off her beautiful body had been burned into his mind against his will. The thought of doing so again…oh man, Shiruku and Kaminari would've been jealous at Ojiro seeing Kana in a sports bra and not them.
Before Ojiro could give his answer, he suddenly felt a cold chill as if a freezing wind had just blown through the hallway. Much to his shock, three male students stood several meters away from them, their eyes focused on Ojiro with immense jealousy. It felt as though they could've killed him just by looking at him. Miraculously, Kana seemed very oblivious of the death glares Ojiro was receiving.
Kana waited for a while for Ojiro's answer with her usual cheerful and bright smile. But as Ojiro remained silent, feeling the chill of death glares that Kana didn't see, her smile started to fade. She was taking his silence as refusal to meet up with her, so her smile dropped into sadness and her head lowered.
"Okay," she spoke solemnly. "I'll see you later." She started to walk off, but Ojiro having realized that he hadn't answered Kana's question, impulsively grabbed her arm and stopped her.
"I-I'd love to meet up with you at the gym!" Ojiro answered, which only intensified the glares of the three male students.
"Oh, good!" Kana cheered, her happiness swinging right back in as she hugged Ojiro for several moments. "I'll see you then!" After breaking away from Ojiro, she smiled with great happiness and then skipped down the hallway…leaving Ojiro at the mercy of Kana's jealous admirers.
"How does she not know how jealous you guys are?" Ojiro wondered.
"GET-!" Before one of them could finish the sentence, Kiyama appeared and let out a ferocious hiss at the boys, her face frightening and mortifying to them. The three of them ran off in sheer terror of the snake.
"Kiyama!" Ojiro gasped. "How did you know where I was?"
"I have thermal visssssion, remember?" Nagami reminded. "Are you okay? Thosssssse guyssssss really looked like they were going to hurt you."
"I'm fine," Ojiro assured. "I think they were jealous of Hironaka talking to me."
"You mean Kana Hironaka?" Nagami asked. "That girl'ssssss got ssssssso many admirersssssss it'sssssss not even funny."
"How do you know Hironaka?" Ojiro questioned curiously. "Is she really that popular?"
"Yep," Kiyama confirmed.
Ojiro wasn't surprised to hear that, considering how beautiful, cheerful and charming she was. He remembered after his sparring with Raionhato one time when she came to talk to him and her classmates glared at him with immense jealousy and rage. Would that happen every time he spoke to her or when she spoke to him? Would he always be greeted by the angry and jealous glares of her admirers?
It wasn't a pleasant feeling for Ojiro, especially since Hironaka didn't pick up on this. Did she know she had so many admirers among the male students? But whatever the case, he had promised to meet her at the gym after the festival had concluded and the awards given out at the ceremony after Bakugo and Furaya had recovered.
"Well, ssssssshe certainly hassssss her eye on you~" Kiyama teased her friend.
"N-no, it's not like that," Ojiro replied. "W-we're just training, that's all."
"Uh huh, ssssssure," Kiyama spoke.
Bakugo was the first to wake up in the infirmary. On his right was his opponent, Hayata Furaya, who hadn't woken up yet from his unconsciousness. The Explosion user looked at Furaya for several moments before he remembered the memory of the rematch, the intensity and ferocity both of them fought with to obtain the victory they sought for 1st Place.
"Wha…what happened?" Bakugo groaned. "Who won?"
"He was declared the winner," Recovery Girl answered, gesturing to Furaya.
Bakugo's world froze in response to this revelation. Furaya had beaten him again and for real this time? He had lost to a Quirkless…twice? Twice? He had lost to the very kind of person he always claimed could never become a Pro Hero, to the kind of person he viewed as worthless and having no place in U.A.
"Stop living in a dreamworld, you Quirkless wannabe! What hope do you have of becoming a hero without a Quirk!?"
"Let him dream; it's all Deku has."
"You want to be a hero that badly? I have an idea: pray you'll have a Quirk in your next life…and then take a swan dive off the roof of the building."
Just when Bakugo thought he had someone he could claim superiority over as he had with Deku and his classmates from Aldera, that had been torn away from him. Furaya had truly beaten him, unlike before when he had been merely knocked out of bounds. He had no grounds to challenge this outcome, not when he had already gotten the rematch he wanted.
Bakugo's pride had been bruised again and again ever since he had come to U.A. He had won 1st Place in the Entrance Exam, but he had lost to Midoriya during the Combat Training at the start of the year, was beaten by Talos during the USJ Attack, and failed his first rescue exercise. He viewed the Sports Festival as a means to prove his superiority over everyone, to take the place of alpha as he had back at Aldera.
But all that had gone down the crapper. He had beaten Uraraka and Wolf Boy, but he didn't go up against either Midoriya or Todoroki as he wanted. Kitty Boy didn't take him seriously and denounced him after refusing to a rematch, leaving his pride wounded. To top it all off, Bakugo had lost to a Quirkless twice; even if he didn't consider the first win legit, he knew that within the rules of the Tournament, Furaya had won twice.
His ego lay shattered in pieces, his pride injured beyond repair and his desire to claim superiority over his classmates gone. So many Pros would think of him as someone not to be taken seriously when he claimed he would win, yet only won against Kitty Boy because he didn't take him seriously and then lost against Furaya twice.
"Dammit…" he spoke quietly as his mind was left barely able to comprehend this reality. "I lost…? I lost? To that Quirkless…twice?"
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Midnight announced after the Award Ceremony declared underway and all the students had been gathered in the stadium. "We've had some twists and turns today, but now is the moment you've all been waiting for! It is my pleasure to introduce to you this year's winners of the annual Sports Festival!"
A blast of confetti went off behind her as fog rose up from the ground. Up came three podiums, with Shoto Todoroki on the 3rd, Katsuki Bakugo on 2nd and Hayata Furaya on 1st. The crowd cheered as this year's victors emerged from the fog, especially those who had rooted for the Quirkless falcon-themed swordsman of General Studies.
Midoriya saw the look on Kacchan's face: a mix of begrudging respect, confusion, anger and frustration. He couldn't imagine how badly Kacchan's pride had been damaged, especially since he had lost to Furaya twice. Midoriya knew better than anyone how Kacchan viewed those who were Quirkless; he had suffered that treatment ever since he himself had been revealed to be Quirkless in his youth.
Kacchan had deliberately put himself in a corner at the start when he had declared he would win rather than delivering the student pledge, leaving him with no choice but to win. He may've been the biggest jerk Midoriya ever knew, but he knew Kacchan enough to know that he wasn't one to make empty promises. Sadly for him, that promise was left unfulfilled.
"And who better to give out the award medals than by this man!" Midnight announced, which was followed by the iconic laugh that everyone recognized. The stadium burst into cheer as All Might made himself known from the roof of the building and then leaping off.
"Our very own #1 Hero, All Might!" Midnight announced as All Might landed and shouted "I have brought the medals here!", trying to be clever with his iconic phrase. However, since they were said at the same time, an awkward silence followed between the two teachers.
"Sorry, I talked over you…" Midnight apologized, though she herself was frustrated over All Might talking over her. She then presented the case with the three medals of the Sports Festival, 3rd Place in bronze, 2nd Place in silver and 1st Place in gold. All Might first grabbed the 3rd Place medal and walked onto the podium where Todoroki stood.
"Young Todoroki," he addressed as he placed the medal around his neck. "I'm guessing there's a reason why you chose not to use your left side during the semifinals?"
"I had an opportunity against Midoriya." Todoroki explained. "But when I went up against Furaya…I became unsure. However, I've grown to understand a bit more why you're interested in Midoriya. Still, there is still something I must settle." All Might wrapped his arms around Todoroki and patted his back.
"I won't ask the details, but I'm sure you'll be able to do what needs to be done," he spoke.
"Yes," Todoroki assured.
All Might then walked down to grab the 2nd Place medal and approach Bakugo. He could see the confusion and conflict on Bakugo's face as well as the immense humiliation he was feeling.
"Young Bakugo," All Might addressed as he reached out to put the medal on Bakugo's neck, who begrudgingly accepted it.
"I could've won," he growled with anger. "I hate this damn medal."
"I understand your frustration." All Might spoke to empathize with the Explosion user. "But if you hate that medal, then think of it as a wound. You are strong, Young Bakugo, but you still much to learn. You must learn to channel your pride into other aspects besides your combat skills. If you deny your need to grow, then how can you improve yourself?" He left Bakugo to reflect on his words while he grabbed the 1st Place medal and approached Hayata Furaya.
"Well done," he congratulated. "You're the first ever Quirkless to ever win the Sports Festival. You must be very proud of yourself." He placed the medal around Furaya's neck and then gently hugged him.
"I heard of what happened to you," he continued. "I'm sorry you suffered that injustice. But today, no one will have any room to doubt you."
"Before this concludes, I have something I wish to say," Furaya spoke to All Might. The Symbol of Peace gestured for Midnight to give him the microphone, which the R-Rated Hero did and gave it to All Might so he could hand it to Furaya. The Quirkless held the microphone to his mouth and looked up at the audience.
"Listen up, I don't like repeating myself. I know many of you doubted me today, but, I triumphed. I went up against four students who, in many of your eyes, should've easily beat me because I was Quirkless. But I won against each of them, including the son of the #2 Hero. For too long, Quirkless have been viewed as inferior, worthless, second-rate for something we had no control over. None of us chose to be Quirkless; we were born this way and yet you treat us as though we're garbage. But today, I have proven that with determination and training, I can beat those who have Quirks. To all the Quirkless who have been told 'No, you can't', I say 'Yes, you can," and today proved it. To all those who still claim that Quirkless cannot be heroes and have no value as people, your sun is setting and a new dawn is rising, one where everyone can be a hero, Quirk or no Quirk."
The stadium was in silence after Furaya's short yet direct speech, divided on how to feel. Some, like Yukine and Midoriya, wholly supported his declaration and smiled to silently congratulate him. Others sneered at the Quirkless, viewing his speech as condescending and patronizing, fueled by their anti-Quirkless bias towards him.
"Well, that was quite a speech!" All Might declared. "I present to you this year's winners! Just remember, everyone: anyone of you could've been on these podiums. It's just as you saw…Competing! Improving yourselves and each other! Climbing even further! The next generation of heroes is very promising and definitely sprouting!" He then raised his hand into the air.
"I have only one thing left to say! Everyone, please say it with me! Ready, go!" The crowd shouted, 'Plus Ultra!' while All Might said 'Thanks for your hard work!' An awkward silence followed, and the crowd jeered at All Might for saying something other than 'Plus Ultra'.
"Oh, All Might," Open Palm chuckled as the crowd moaned and groaned at the awkwardness.