My Hero Academia: Lion of Courage
Chapter 41: Fall of a Hero, Rise of an Apprentice
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia. All rights go to Kohei Horikoshi.
Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. Getting motivated to start up writing this again took some time, but I appreciate all of you being patient and supporting me.
Also, I changed Kaze's Entrance Exam score to 31 Villain Points and 28 Rescue Points.
Edit: Had to go back and make some changes.
"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?"
Ever since yesterday, Midoriya kept thinking back to what the Reflection Hero had told him after he had lost to Todoroki and then Todoroki lost to Furaya. The Rebound he had seen growing up was nothing like the Rebound he had met yesterday at the Sports Festival. The one he had often seen was brave, humble, kind, but this Rebound was bitter, sad, and nihilistic.
"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!?"
How much would Midoriya be willing to sacrifice to protect others? If the match against Todoroki had prolonged, would he have sacrificed his hand? His entire arm? Every bone in his body? Odds are, if the match had gone on, he probably would've sacrificed his body: it simply wasn't in his nature to ignore those in need of help, even if it were his childhood tormentor when he was attacked by the Sludge Villain. Midoriya would always put others ahead of himself, no matter how much it cost him nor how they treated him.
"Because All Might is just one man. 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?"
Midoriya had never considered that. Whenever he thought of Pro Heroes, he thought of All Might, always remembering that clip of him saving countless people during a fire. He always admired them, respected them so much so that he developed a hobby of studying them in his spare time. But he had never considered the idea of villains becoming that way because they weren't saved by the heroes who said they would.
How many of those villains at the USJ were like that? How many of them turned to villainy simply because they enjoyed it? How many did so out of feeling betrayed by Pro Heroes? When he thought of it like that, Midoriya wished he could reach out to them and show them a better path, but there simply wasn't an option for it at the time.
For Todoroki, had Midoriya wasted his time reaching out to him during their match? He understood where Todoroki came from, especially since he had told Midoriya the truth behind Endeavor. Shoto was nothing more than a tool to satisfy his father's selfishness and jealousy towards All Might; he didn't know how badly Endeavor had potentially abused him, but based on how sourly Shoto viewed his father, it was most likely very bad.
Shoto rejected using his flames for so long to deny his father, the man who had caused him so much trauma and suffering. Despite that, Shoto couldn't hope to become a Pro Hero using only his ice, not when it had nearly cost him victory during the Cavalry Battle and his life during the USJ Attack. He had to learn to use both his ice and his flames, regardless of how he viewed his tyrannical father.
But would he? Could he bring himself to use his flames again? Maybe in time, Todoroki would open himself to the idea of using fire, but as Rebound claimed, it may never happen, not after losing to Furaya after choosing not to go through with using his flames.
"Maybe…maybe he just needs time," Midoriya thought to himself as he past the beach.
"Young Midoriya," All Might greeted, who was sitting on the sand. "How's your hand?"
"Oh, it's doing better," Midoriya answered, looking at his right hand.
"Young Midoriya," All Might addressed. "I understand what you were doing during your match with Young Todoroki. It was admirable, but it wasn't a good time. That was your time to prove your capabilities as a fighter."
All Might admired Young Midoriya's desire to help Todoroki, pushing him to use his flames in spite of his strained relationship with his father. It was a good thing, but it wasn't the best timing: the Sports Festival was his time to show Pros what he was capable of, but due to several factors, including him struggling with One For All and prioritizing reaching out to Todoroki over winning, it wouldn't look too good for him.
"I just wanted to help him," Midoriya spoke. "Was I…was I right?"
All Might's eyes widened in shock. In all the time he had known Midoriya, he had never seen nor heard him question if he was right to try and help someone. Midoriya had never hesitated nor regretted helping anyone, even if it meant putting himself in mortal danger as it did when he tried to help Bakugo during the Sludge Villain attack. Something had happened.
"What's wrong, Young Midoriya?" Toshinori asked. Midoriya sat next to All Might and sighed.
"Do you remember the Pro Hero, Rebound?" Midoriya asked. "He was at the Sports Festival yesterday."
"Ah," All Might somberly replied. "I presume you saw him yesterday. I'm…I'm sorry you had to see him in such a state. I'd still consider him a friend, but sadly, he's made it clear that he no longer wants anything to do with that life." Midoriya thought back to what Rebound said when they met.
"When he spoke of Pro Heroes, he spoke of them with disdain, talking as though…all their efforts were for nothing. I don't understand what happened to him: how could he have developed such a disdain for Pro Heroes? He was believed to one day surpass you as #1."
"Well…I suppose it's not some great secret," All Might replied. "Young Midoriya, ever since Rebound was in U.A., he was always very empathetic, always the peacemaker. He did whatever he could to help others succeed; no one could bring themselves to hate him once they got to know him. His empathy was his greatest strength…but sadly, it later turned out to also be his greatest weakness."
"His greatest…weakness?" Midoriya asked.
"He cared too much. He focused too much on his failures to the point he was prone to ignoring his successes. If he was sent to save 100 people and he let one of them die, he'd consider himself a failure for that. Despite all the thanks he received, despite all his successes, all his victories, he only focused on his failures." All Might paused.
"It's always important to remember those we failed, but we remember them to learn from our mistakes, not torment ourselves. Rebound let the memories of those he failed consume him."
That was a side of Rebound Midoriya had never seen before. He had always seen the brave, kind, and humble Pro Hero who was viewed as a great Pro Hero, deserving of the #1 title. But as All Might said, his greatest weakness was his empathy, his poor tendency to view himself through his failures rather than through his successes.
"But he was such a great hero," Midoriya brought up. "I remembered sometimes seeing him on TV with Lioness-" A bell rung in his head.
"Lioness is Raionhato's mother! Which must've meant he could've known Rebound personally, right!?"
"Indeed, Young Midoriya," All Might replied, but before he could continue, Midoriya kept talking.
"So Raionhato knowing Rebound is such a big deal and I never knew about it! I'm such a failure for not knowing this! How could I not realize that Raionhato and Rebound knew each other when his own mother was one of Rebound's closest friends…" He kept talking and talking, a flood of Japanese kanjis flowing out of his mouth as All Might just sat there awkwardly at Midoriya's rambling.
"Cut it out!" All Might barked. "Seriously, Young Midoriya, you've got to stop that!"
"S-sorry!" Midoriya hastily apologized. All Might shook his head; he couldn't be the only one who found Midoriya's habit of talking incomprehensibly annoying.
"Anyway, you are right: Young Raionhato was friends with Rebound and his daughter, Anzu. But before either of them were born, Rebound was struggling with being a Pro Hero due to what I said earlier. He couldn't see past his own failures, no matter how much support he garnered, but it worsened after a terrible incident."
"What happened?" Midoriya questioned.
"One day…he got a suicide note from a woman whose son he failed to save. In her note, she blamed him for her son's death and her choice to take her own life, despite the fact that he was already dead before Rebound got there. He wouldn't listen to anyone about what happened, so…he turned to alcohol to cope. He started falling in the ranks to the point where we believed his career would be over."
It hurt All Might when he remembered how Rebound started to descend into alcoholism. On the outside, the man was an ideal Pro Hero, but people didn't see how much his empathy and inability to see past his failures took a toll on him. He and Lioness started to fear that Rebound may not recover from his alcoholism…but then someone came into his life, a wonderful woman named Kokoro.
"Then he met his wife, Kokoro," Midoriya brought up. "I remember in an interview I watched, where he said his wife helped him get better. After they got married, he became #2, just behind you, All Might." The Symbol of Peace smiled.
"He was in his prime at that time. Kokoro and their daughter reinvigorated Rebound, pushed him to seek help for his alcoholism and everyone believed that he would one day take my place as the #1 Hero."
"I know!" Midoriya replied cheerfully. "I remember seeing so many of his fights! The way he used his Quirk was amazing!"
The two of them remembered many of Rebound's fights in the past while he was the #2 Hero. He was nigh untouchable and almost unrivaled in terms of strength and skill; even Endeavor struggled to keep up with him. It seemed as though he was destined to take the position of #1 Hero one day.
"Well…he is amazing, but his career ended with a back-to-back tragedy," All Might responded.
"What do you mean?" Midoriya asked. All Might's smile died down as he reflected on the downfall of the Reflection Hero.
"Six years after he became the #2 Hero, a fire broke out at an apartment complex," Toshinori continued. "His wife, Kokoro, was there and her Quirk allowed her to absorb dangerous fumes into her body and purify them; as a result, she was always sickly and had to be in a wheelchair. When the fire broke out…she used her Quirk to absorb the smoke and help get people out. Sadly…she died from smoke inhalation."
Midoriya's eyes widened in shock and he immediately felt sad for Rebound. He didn't know about Kokoro's death, but he then guessed that was why he retired from Pro Hero work. With Kokoro dead, he was the only one left who could take care of his daughter, Anzu. But then…
"You said…a back-to-back tragedy," Midoriya brought up. "What…what happened next?"
"After Kokoro's death, Rebound retired to look after Anzu," All Might continued. "His daughter was as much the hero as her father, always doing what she believed was right and that included standing up to the bullies in her school." All Might paused, remembering the events of the day that truly tore down Rebound.
"One of the bullies was struggling with his Quirk, allowing him to release concussion blasts from his fists. Anzu stood up to him and…when her back was turned, he punched her into a wall. The attack…the attack smashed her head in, killing her instantly."
Midoriya's eyes widened in horror at this revelation. It all started to make sense about what Rebound was talking about after his match with Todoroki. The Reflection Hero had given so much as a Pro Hero, protecting the innocent, reaching out to those who needed help, defeating the villains…and in return, he lost everything. He lost his family in very tragic ways, turning him into the depressed, sorrowful man he was now. All the alcoholism merely covered up the fact that the former Reflection Hero was a heartbroken and suffering man.
"After Anzu's death, Rebound…he just broke," All Might informed solemnly. "He resorted back to alcoholism to deal with what happened. Now he's become overdependent on the bottle to desperately numb the pain he feels. A truly tragic fate for such a great man."
"So that's what he meant," Midoriya replied. All Might reached out and put his arm around Izuku's shoulders to comfort him.
"Have you ever felt that way?" Midoriya asked All Might. "Do you ever feel like everything you do…is for nothing? That you lose more than you gain?"
All Might quietly thought on how to answer Midoriya. There were times when All Might did wonder if his efforts inspired more good than bad or if he was simply 'delaying the inevitable' as Rebound put it. But as the #1 Hero, he couldn't afford to let himself be hindered by his failures: he had to remain strong for the sake of others. He had to ensure that his efforts were making a change and actually keeping people safe.
But what was the personal cost for All Might by giving everything he had? His fight with All For One had weakened him to where he could only use his power for three hours a day, now reduced to one hour after the USJ Attack. He had no family, no wife, no children, no real life beyond his status as the Symbol of Peace. What would he have to go to after he inevitably retired? Ultimately nothing.
"I've always admired heroes like you, All Might," Midoriya continued. "When I think of a true hero, I think of you: saving people with a smile and bravely reaching out to help others. But after what happened to Rebound…is it truly all for nothing?"
"Young Midoriya…" All Might addressed. "I've sometimes felt that way, wondering if I'm truly making a difference. It sometimes seems that every villain that's taken down, another simply takes their place, like the world is still in as much danger as it was before. That's why…that's why it's important to remember the small things that matter and not always focus on the big picture. That's what saved Rebound initially: he stopped saving the world just to save the world. He found a reason to keep going out there and coming back, had someone to be a hero for. It's something I wish I could've done."
Had someone to be a hero for. A reason to keep going out there and coming back. Remember the small things and not always focus on the big picture. Who would Midoriya be a hero for? What or who would be his reason to keep going on and come back? What were the small things that Midoriya would remember when he chose not to focus on the big picture? Was his desire to reach out and save others with a smile enough reason to not lose his faith in being a Pro Hero?
"I wish I could reach out to him," Midoriya responded.
"We've tried," All Might informed. "But he just…he doesn't want to be saved. Maybe one day…but not now. But remember what I've told you, Young Midoriya: don't just save the world just to save it. Focus on the small things that matter and not always on the big picture."
In that case, Midoriya would. He'd look for the small things that mattered the most to him as he trained to become a Pro Hero. Then one day…he'd hope to reach out to Rebound and help him recover from his alcoholism.
"Where are you off to?" Kurikari asked Kaze as he got dressed to head out.
"I received an email from Vlad-sensei," Kaze informed, dressing in combat clothing. "U.A.'s martial arts instructor, Open Palm, has requested specific students to meet up at his dojo at U.A. today. It's optional, but I'm going to go. I wonder what he'd want."
"Did you say Open Palm?" Dakusuta asked, rolling up in his wheelchair. "You know who he is, correct?"
"Of course I do, Dad," Kaze answered. "Japan's greatest martial artist, perhaps the best in the world."
Almost everyone in Japan knew who Open Palm was: the greatest martial artist in the country, a close friend of All Might's, perhaps the only person who could go toe-to-toe with him in their prime, and now U.A.'s martial arts instructor. It was uncertain of what he wanted, but he was the kind of person no one would even think of turning down when he extended an invite.
As he went to grab his rope dart and sai knives in case he needed them, Kaze stopped when he saw a picture of Yoruge again. He stopped for several moments and touched the picture, letting out a deep yet quiet sigh.
"I will avenge you, brother."
After making sure he had everything he felt he needed, Kaze left the house and started walking to U.A. As he walked, he wondered what Open Palm wanted, but he deduced it had something to do with his knowledge of martial arts. Perhaps the students he had invited all possessed knowledge of martial arts, so he imagined Hironaka, Kendo and Kaibara would be there…and potentially Onkyo, someone Kaze dreaded being around.
"Yonaka!" the voice of Tetsutetsu was heard calling for him after he had walked for a while. The son of Shadowfox turned to see his silver-haired, muscle bound classmate run up to him with a big smile on his face.
"Tetsutetsu," Kaze replied. "Are you on your way to U.A. as well?"
"Sure am!" Tetsutetsu confirmed. "Open Palm invited me! I'm so excited! The best martial artist in Japan, wanting me to come meet him! This is such a manly honor!"
"It is indeed an honor," Kaze agreed. "I wonder what he wants…and I hope Onkyo's not invited." Tetsutetsu let out a sigh of disgust directed towards their womanizing classmate.
"That guy's so full of himself," Tetsutetsu remarked. "I can't tell who's worse, him or that arrogant jerkoff, Bakugo."
"Let's just get to U.A. and hope we don't run into Onkyo," Kaze insisted.
"Thank you all for coming," Open Palm greeted the students gathered in his dojo. Much to his surprise and joy, all eight students he had requested had shown up, making a smile stretch across his face. From Class 1-B, it was Sen Kaibara, Itsuka Kendo, Kana Hironaka, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, Kaze Yonaka, and Hinote Onkyo while from Class 1-A, it was Mashirao Ojiro and Eijiro Kirishima.
"Ojiro!" Kana cried out excitedly as she ran over and hugged him, making him blush. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon, but I'm still happy all the same!"
"H-hi, Hironaka," Ojiro responded nervously. "It's great to see you too."
"Uh, hello?" Onkyo called to Hironaka. "Dreamboy right here."
"More like 'nightmare'," Kaibara scoffed, earning some chuckles from the males of Class 1-B.
"Yes, yes," Open Palm snarked. "Would you like to spend this time mocking your classmate or finding out why you're here?" Hironaka broke away from Ojiro and winked at him before going to sit with Kendo. Open Palm sensed the sense of attraction between the two students as well as some jealousy from a few of the males of Class 1-B. He was right: Hironaka was definitely the belle of the ball for Class 1-B.
"All of you have one thing in common: you all possess a better knowledge of martial arts than your peers," Open Palm started. "As I've said before and will again, martial arts and close quarters combat is EXTREMELY important in becoming a Pro Hero, regardless of your Quirk. You never know when a knowledge of hand-to-hand combat can save your life." He then looked over at Kirishima and Ojiro.
"You two, you can attest to this after your experience at the USJ Attack, correct?"
"You bet!" Kirishima answered passionately.
"Okay, take it easy, spike," Open Palm chuckled. "Now, I don't mean to brag…ah, I'll brag anyway: I am Japan's best martial artist. After I graduated from U.A. High School, I traveled around Asia, learning various martial arts. China, India, Nepal, Singapore…I traveled quite a bit and returned to Japan as its greatest martial artist. But…" He gestured to the blindfold covering his eyes.
"Years ago, I lost my sight to a fire villain. Despite the skills I still possess, my days as a Pro are over, but I don't want my knowledge of martial arts to die with me. Future generations of heroes will need to remember the importance of incorporating martial arts into Pro Hero work. That is why I made the decision to search for an apprentice, someone to pass my knowledge onto."
The eyes of the students sparkled with delight at Open Palm's explanation. This is why he had summoned them: one of them could become his apprentice and learn from the martial arts legend.
Onkyo smiled cockily, confident that he could become Open Palm's apprentice. Despite his loss at the Sports Festival, he was arguably one of Class 1-B's best martial artists: combine that with his Quirk and he was a very dangerous opponent or a very powerful ally. Open Palm clearly had good taste to consider him an option and he hoped to earn the position, presumably by beating everyone else. It should be easy for a prodigy such as him.
"However, you haven't made my choice easy," Open Palm continued. "So, I've decided that who becomes my apprentice will be determined…by a tournament."
"A tournament?" Kaibara asked.
"But as with the Sports Festival, there will be some rules to follow," Open Palm continued. "First, this is a tournament strictly for martial arts: the use of your Quirks is forbidden."
"But, sir, I have a mutant Quirk," Ojiro brought up, waving his tail several times. "Wouldn't it be unfair and dishonorable for me to compete?"
"Just don't use your tail," Open Palm answered calmly.
"I want to see your martial arts skills, not your Quirks. Second, the use of any weapons you brought is also forbidden: strictly hand-to-hand. Third, to win, you must either knock your opponent down for ten seconds or make them surrender, at which I'll then declare the match over. Once it's over, it's over. Violate any of these rules and you will be disqualified from fighting. Am I understood?"
"Yes, sir!" the students responded, though Hironaka replied 'Sure thing!' and Onkyo didn't respond, still cockily thinking he'd win this tournament.
"So I ask that any of you who brought weapons, please place them down," Open Palm requested. Ojiro, having brought his new windmill shuriken, took it from his back and placed it on the ground next to where he was sitting while Kaze did the same with his knives and rope dart.
"Nice!" Kirishima complimented. "Where'd you get that?"
"From a weapons store," Ojiro answered. "I've been practicing with it. I hoped to use it in the Sports Festival, but my request was denied."
"Alright!" Open Palm decreed. "The first match of the Tournament shall be Ojiro vs Kaibara!"
The two students stood up and walked into the center of the dojo, standing on opposite sides of the combat ring. Ojiro, to keep the fight honorable, kept his tail close to his torso so as to not use it as a weapon against Kaibara. Unfortunately, Ojiro felt a big unnerved by the hints of jealousy in his opponent's eyes, most likely caused by Hironaka's attraction to him. Was every young man going to give him the stink eye because of Hironaka paying attention to the Tail user?
"BEGIN!" Open Palm announced.
The two students quickly started trading blows with each other. Kaibara fought with great aggression and speed, not leaving Ojiro much room to counter or go on the offensive. Ojiro user was at a disadvantage in this fight as he often incorporated his tail into his martial arts, but that didn't mean victory was out of his grasp. He simply had to find an opening in Kaibara's aggressive fighting.
Ojiro was left only able to block and deflect Kaibara's attacks, as they were as fast as they were aggressive. As the match went on, Ojiro realized that Kaibara's attacks started getting slower and imprecise. Having exerted his energy solely to offense in the hopes of overwhelming Ojiro, Kaibara had made the mistake of underestimating his opponent, believing he'd be easily defeated without the use of his tail.
After Kaibara threw one punch, Ojiro deflected the attack and kicked Kaibara right in the stomach. Kaibara was unable to react in time to stop Ojiro from landing hit after hit on him, his energy spent from his all-out offense fighting; the best he could do was block or deflect Ojiro's attacks. Even then, most of the Tail user's attacks got through and ended with Kaibara on the ground, panting heavily. Ten seconds passed and Ojiro was declared the winner.
"Well done, both of you," Open Palm congratulated. "Now, for those who lose today, do not take these losses as wounds. Take them as times to reflect on how you can improve on yourselves. After all, failure can be the greatest teacher of all."
Ojiro walked over to Kaibara and extended his hand to help his opponent to his feet. Kaibara looked up at the Tail user before reluctantly taking his hand and getting up. He underestimated Ojiro, costing him this match, and it was a mistake Kaibara planned to not repeat ever again.
"The next match is Hironaka vs. Kirishima!" Open Palm announced.
"Yay!" Hironaka cheered as she got up and made her way to the combat ring. She stood in front of Kirishima, a bright smile on her face and got into a fighting stance. Before he announced the start of the match, Open Palm quietly chuckled as he felt the aura of admiration and love from the Class 1-B males.
"Begin!"
Kirishima immediately charged and threw punch after punch at Hironaka, who easily dodged each attack. After pushing one of his punches, Hironaka followed up with a kick to Kirishima's stomach and then swiped at his legs, knocking him to the ground. The red-haired fighter quickly got back and continued to attack, but he couldn't land a hit on Hironaka.
"Man," Onkyo commented. "Beautiful, skilled, and a killer body…I've got to ask her out."
"Right, like she'd go out with an egotistical womanizer like you," Kaze scorned. "Besides, she has her eye on someone else." Onkyo merely smiled arrogantly.
"Well, maybe today, I'll change her mind."
During the fight, Kirishima couldn't land a single blow on Hironaka and he was already running out of breath as she easily countered his attacks. Open Palm identified the problem with Kirishima: his fighting style when combined with Hardening was a force to be reckoned with. However, without his Hardening, his fighting was rather predictable and without tactical prowess. Brawn may be his friend, but brains…or rather, tactical thinking, wasn't. And that was proven when Hironaka knocked him out and he was down for ten seconds.
"Hironaka wins!" Open Palm announced.
"Yay!" Hironaka cheered, leaping up and down for her triumph over Kirishima. The redhead could only smile at the intoxicating positivity of the Class 1-B beauty, especially when she walked over to him and helped pull him up. Despite her shorter stature, she took Kirishima by surprise by how strong she was.
"Good match, Hironaka," Kirishima congratulated. "I have more to learn about hand-to-hand combat than I thought."
"Well, good thing U.A. hired me, isn't it?" Open Palm smirked. Kirishima and Hironaka returned to their seats, Kirishima sitting with Ojiro and Hironaka with Kendo…though she turned to look at Ojiro and winked at him.
"That girl's all over you, Ojiro," Kirishima whispered to Ojiro. The Tail user blushed and nervously shook his head.
"No, no," he denied. "She…well…"
"The next match is Kendo vs Tetsutetsu!" As requested, Kendo and Tetsutetsu stood up and approached the combat ring. The two took opposing stances: Tetsutetsu's was brash and passionate with a wide smile on his face, while Kendo's was calmer and more collected, her face filled with discipline and razor focus.
"Begin!"
Immediately, the two fighters started trading blows, though it was immediately clear that Kendo was the more experienced hand-to-hand fighter. Just like Kirishima, Tetsutetsu's fighting style was brutal and strong, but also predictable and tactless. Whereas Kendo fought with precision and finesse, Tetsutetsu fought more like a battering ram, merely throwing powerful punches at his opponent.
"Man, these students have much to learn," Open Palm thought to himself as he used his Seismic Sense to watch the match. "Students like Kirishima and Tetsutetsu have good knowledge of hand-to-hand, but they're too overdependent on combining them with their Quirks, same with several others. No wonder Nezu requested me personally."
Tetsutetsu managed to land several hits on Kendo in their match, but it wasn't enough to take her down. He put up a good fight, but was ultimately outdone by Kendo's much more strategical thinking. Utilizing a mix of powerful and well-placed punches and kicks, she took Tetsutetsu down, knocking him onto the ground. He got back up several times to try and win, but Kendo kept knocking him down until he finally stayed down for ten seconds.
"Kendo wins!" Open Palm decreed. Kendo smiled and bowed her head to the U.A. martial arts instructor before walking over and helping Tetsutetsu to his feet.
"Good match, Tetstutetsu," Kendo told him. "Those were some strong attacks, but fighting isn't just throwing a punch. Think about WHERE you punch: know where your opponent hurts."
Onkyo smiled flirtatiously and winked at Kendo after she and Tetsutetsu walked back and sat down, but she paid no attention to him. Did he honestly believe she'd go out with him? Was he so full of himself that he believed he was the world's gift to girls? She'd sooner date Monoma…well, was Monoma really all that better than Onkyo with his constant antagonism towards Class 1-A?
With Yonaka and Onkyo being the last two students, the two of them approached the ring. Having fought Onkyo before and unfortunately lost, Yonaka was intent on being more cautious this time, even if his opponent couldn't use his Quirk.
"Please hold your applause," Onkyo bragged. "I'll make sure to remember you all when I become Open Palm's apprentice."
Whack.
"You haven't won the tournament, Onkyo," Open Palm scolded. "Now begin."
Kaze and Hinote quickly started to trade blows with each other, throwing kicks and punches, deflecting and blocking attacks, and showing a high level of martial arts prowess. Without the use of their Quirks, they seemed quite evenly matched, something Kendo and Kaze had to acknowledge to Onkyo; he may be an egotistical womanizer, but he had the means to back up his ego.
As arrogant as Onkyo's boast was at the start of the match, he was determined to win the spot of becoming Open Palm's apprentice. What better way to prove his prodigious skills than by becoming the apprentice to the legendary martial artist? He was a prodigy, but unfortunately, recent events had left him unable to prove himself.
He had only made it to 7th Place in the Entrance Exam; as powerful as his Quirk was, he lacked the kind of speed Furaya and Bakugo possessed, meaning he couldn't have gotten around as quickly as they did. Then he had lost during the Sports Festival, having failed to defeat Bakugo during the Cavalry Battle. So far, he had been unable to prove himself a true prodigy, to prove himself the best at being a combatant and a ladies' man.
"You're better than I thought, Yonaka," Onkyo complimented. "But don't forget: the last time we fought, you lost. And right now, it looks like you're on the losing side again."
Kaze hated to admit it, but Onkyo was right on both accounts: the first they had fought resulted in Kaze losing the fight, but he was close to losing this one as well. With the fight prolonging as it was, Onkyo was slowly showing himself to be the better martial artist. It angered the Shadow Flash user to know that he may once again lose to Onkyo and let his defeat stroke the 'prodigy's' ego. However, he wouldn't go down without a fight.
Kaze attacked again and again with punches and kicks, but Onkyo blocked every attack and countered, wearing his opponent down. Fatigue started to catch up with Kaze and, sadly once again, he was knocked down by Onkyo and beaten.
"Onkyo wins!" Open Palm announced.
"Yeah!" Onkyo cheered.
Kaze got up and sat down with his classmates, ashamed and angry at once again losing to Onkyo. Even without his Quirk, he was a formidable opponent in hand-to-hand combat. It showed how much more Kaze Yonaka had to learn before he was ready to take on his most hated enemy: Fukushu, the Blade of Terror.
"I'm still weak," Kaze groaned in frustration to himself. "I have to become stronger. If not…then what was…what was Anzu's death for?"
"Hey, Ojiro," Kana greeted cheerfully as the two of them approached the ring since they were up next. "Don't hold back against me." Ojiro's discipline and respect for Kana pushed him to accept what she said…but the glares he received from the Class 1-B males could be enough to change his mind.
"You heard the lady, Ojiro," Open Palm encouraged. "Don't hold back against her."
"Yes, sir," Ojiro replied as he got into his battle stance and stood across Kana.
"And all you guys, stop glaring at Ojiro," Open Palm demanded sternly. "Hironaka's a big girl; if she couldn't take care of herself and handle a few injuries, she wouldn't be here at U.A. Now…begin!"
Ojiro and Kana were quick to trade blows with each other; as just Kana didn't hold back, Ojiro didn't either. She was much stronger than she looked, which Ojiro had learned from their past two spars at the gym, so he knew not to hold back against her.
When he thought about it, memories of the match between Bakugo and Uraraka at the Sports Festival came back. Many of his classmates were concerned because of how aggressive Bakugo acted towards Uraraka during their fight, but would Uraraka have truly won had Bakugo held back just because of her gender? Just like Uraraka, Hironaka may look frail and delicate, but was much tougher than she appeared.
As before, Hironaka showed great martial prowess, deflecting and blocking Ojiro's attacks and retaliating with quick counters. However, Ojiro was proving himself just as skilled as she was, retaliating with his own counter attacks.
"Man, those two are good," Onkyo complimented, but was quickly cut off by Kendo, who smacked the back of his head.
"You better not be thinking about saying how you're going to win," Kendo sternly demanded. "You haven't won yet, so don't get ahead of yourself."
As the fight between Ojiro and Kana carried on, it was becoming unclear of who would win. Both of them showed great martial arts skills during their match, but from where Kendo, Onkyo and Open Palm were, Kana was losing ground against Ojiro. It became clear to everyone after she threw one kick and Ojiro responded by dodging beneath it and then kicked Kana in the legs, knocking her down.
Ojiro got back into his fighting stance as he expected Hironaka to get back up. Much to his surprise, the beautiful blonde girl was struggling to get back up. Either she was out of breath, Ojiro had worn her down or his last attack was enough to defeat her, he didn't know, but all she could do was get on her elbow and breathe heavily.
"Ojiro wins!" Open Palm announced.
"You okay, Hironaka?" Ojiro asked as he helped her to her feet…and was unexpectedly greeted with a bear hug.
"That was a great match, Ojiro!" she cheered, rubbing her cheek against his, much to the jealousy of the Class 1-B males.
"Do I need to start whacking you guys?" Open Palm warned, raising his staff. It was enough to make the guys stop glaring at Ojiro as Kana kept hugging him.
"Hironaka, please let him go," Open Palm requested. "We need to move onto the next match."
"Sorry," Kana apologized before breaking away from Ojiro and going to sit with her classmates while Ojiro sat with Kirishima.
"Begin!"
The semifinal match, Kendo vs Onkyo, began and the two started ferociously throwing attacks at each other. By now, Kendo was getting fed up with Onkyo's arrogance and womanizing and saw this as an opportunity to hopefully humble him, to show him that he was not the legend he claimed to be. As skilled as he was, he just like the rest of them: a student in need of training.
As for Onkyo, his mindset remained the same: he was a prodigy as a combatant, a Quirk user and a ladies' man and he was determined to prove it. If he became Open Palm's apprentice, then his popularity would skyrocket and his prodigal skills be known to everyone in U.A. It was the perfect way for him to prove that he was the prodigy he said he was.
Having sparred against Kendo in class, Onkyo knew that she was no pushover in a fight. She was smart as she was strong, a great mix of brains and brawn, probably one of the biggest reasons why she had been chosen as Class Representative. He knew he was in for a fight, considering how easily she had taken down Tetsutetsu, but he was confident that he could against without the use of Quirks.
"Go, Kendo!" Hironaka cheered as she fought against Onkyo.
"Teach that arrogant asshole some humility!" Tetsutetsu cheered as well.
Cheering for Kendo and not him…Onkyo couldn't help but feel some jealousy. Why should she get to be cheered and he disdained? Were they not both strong fighters? Did they not both utilize their Quirks well in combat? Were they not both good-looking and easy on the eyes? This pushed him to become more determined in his attacks, to prove to everyone that he was indeed the prodigy he claimed to be.
Unfortunately for him, his attacks soon became rather reckless, which Kendo noticed. Countering him became easier and his punches and kicks became more predictable as the fight went on. But now was not the time to wonder about what was going on in Onkyo's head. Now was the time to fight him and defeat him for the position of Open Palm's apprentice.
From Kendo's perspective, Onkyo made the mistake many students who used martial arts did: he was too over-reliant on combining his Quirk with his fighting, same with Kaibara, Yonaka, and Tetsutetsu. But as Open Palm stated again and again, Quirks alone may not be able to carry a fight. Pro Heroes must also possess some knowledge of hand-to-hand combat in the case that their Quirks aren't available.
"Hya!" Kendo let out a loud cry as she jumped into the air and kicked Onkyo right in the face, knocking him onto the ground. He quickly got back up and reacted in time to counter several of Kendo's attacks before one of them broke through his defense, once again knocking him to the ground. This time, Onkyo struggled to get back, having been worn down by Kendo's consistent attacks. He did his best to get back onto his feet, but just when he was about to…
"Kendo wins!" Open Palm announced.
Onkyo froze solid after hearing those words from Open Palm. Had he lost yet again? Had he been robbed of yet another opportunity to prove himself the best in his class? First losing to Bakugo at the Sports Festival and then to Kendo here…it filled him with anger. How could he prove himself when he was being robbed of every opportunity that was presented to him?
Open Palm sensed Onkyo's frustration and anger towards his loss…and his jealousy towards Kendo's victory. His ego needed to be beaten down so he can understand that he is on the same path as many others and that behaving like he was above everyone else would only a detriment. He viewed his loss here as something to be ashamed of, but failure can be as good a teacher as any U.A. faculty.
"You okay, Onkyo?" Kendo asked, extending a hand to him. Instead, Onkyo ignored her and got onto his feet before leaving the dojo.
"That kid's got too big of an ego," Open Palm thought to himself.
Now…it was time for the final match. Mashirao Ojiro of Class 1-A was up against Itsuka Kendo of Class 1-B. This fight would determine who would become the apprentice to the legendary Open Palm, learn from him firsthand and follow in his footsteps. Eight students had arrived, six had lost and now only two remained. Whoever won would earn the opportunity of a lifetime, a dream come true for any student who practiced martial arts.
"Begin!"
Ojiro and Kendo traded blows with one another, their fighting fierce and determined to take the privilege of learning from Open Palm. Kendo stayed on the offensive, forcing Ojiro to take a defensive stance against her as he blocked her attacks again and again. Even without her Quirk, which Ojiro had seen during the Cavalry Battle, Kendo's hits hit like a hammer. In terms of martial arts, Kendo was truly a force to be reckoned with, evident by her beating her 'prodigy' classmate, Onkyo.
"You're a strong opponent, I'll give you that!" Kendo boasted. "But I don't plan to lose! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I'm not giving it up easily!"
"Neither am I!" Ojiro responded as he retaliated with a kick which Kendo dodged.
Ojiro was stronger than Kendo anticipated. If his own punches and kicks hit this hard, she didn't know how hard his tail would hit. But even though he couldn't use his tail in this fight, she couldn't let herself get overconfident. Ojiro had managed to beat both Kaibara and Hironaka, who were both strong hand-to-hand combatants in their own right. But she was confident that she could win as she had beaten both Tetsutetsu and Onkyo, who were two of Class 1-B's strongest students.
"Go, Ojiro!" Kirishima cheered. "You can do it!"
"Kick his butt, Kendo!" Tetsutetsu cheered for Kendo. "You got this!"
Kendo landed a major kick on Ojiro, landing her attack on his stomach and knocking him to the ground. However, he quickly got back up and unleashed a flurry of attacks against the redheaded fighter, forcing her onto the defensive. Several of his attacks broke through and landed on Kendo, wearing her down.
As the fight prolonged, it became unclear of who would win. Kendo and Ojiro were simply too evenly-matched to determine a true winner, which only became harder when they fought to the point of exhaustion. Both Ojiro and Kendo stood across from each other, out of breath and breathing heavily from their intense fight. Neither one was willing to back down, determined to take the opportunity of becoming Open Palm's apprentice.
"Can either of you fight?" Open Palm asked when neither of them made a move for several moments. Ojiro and Kendo both fell onto their knees in exhaustion, losing their strength to stand.
"You guys okay?" Hironaka asked with concern. "One of you has to win."
"Can't...can't fight anymore..." Kendo replied through her bated breaths. "But...one of us...has to win..."
At this point, neither of them had any strength left. Whatever energy they had was gone, used up from their fight. They couldn't even stand or even throw a punch due to their tired states.
"I think a compromise is needed," Open Palm thought to himself before standing up.
"Ojiro and Kendo, you've both fought well today. You both displayed great skills in martial arts, showing discipline, determination and passion. That is why...I've decided to change my mind." He smiled.
"Congratulations, Ojiro and Kendo. You are both worthy to be my apprentices."