Chapter XVI: Opening Round
Inko arrived at the stadium seeing many people exit the building. She took a little longer than expected to arrive since Hisashi sent her a package for her and Izuku. Carrying the sealed case meant for her son, the slightly chubby woman became anxious when it seemed she had come late, and the event looked like it had ended.
"Are the games already finished?" she asked while looking around at the people.
Inko was beginning to feel disappointed that she couldn't arrive on time to see her son competing, but luckily, some family friends came to say otherwise.
"Inko, over here!"
The greenette turned around to see Mitsuki and Masaru waving at her. "Mitsuki, Masaru!" Jogging lightly to the two, she quickly asked them, "Please tell me I'm not late and the competition is still going."
The ash-blonde woman grinned. "Oh, we're just getting to the good part."
"The first two events just ended and there's an hour-long recess for everyone to have lunch," Masaru explained.
Hearing this, Inko sighed in relief. She followed the couple to a nearby café to enjoy some lunch and catch up before going back for the third round of the Sports Festival.
While walking, Mitsuki noticed the case her friend was carrying and grew curious. "What's that you're carrying, Inko?"
"Oh, this?" Inko showed the case to Mitsuki and Masaru. "I just received a package from Hisashi earlier." Her worried tone was replaced with a cheery one after mentioning her husband. "He sent a lot; that's why I came in a little late," she answered with a sheepish chuckle. "This here is something he wanted to give Izuku."
"Aw, that's so sweet," Mitsuki cooed. She knew Hisashi just as long as Inko did and this kind of behavior from the man was all too common. The ash-blonde woman took a side glare at her husband and muttered, "I hope someone takes an example from Hisashi on pampering their wife."
Masaru, meanwhile, was sweating bullets from the dagger-like glare coming from his wife. If there was ever any doubt that Katsuki inherited his temper from his mother, this was the proof needed for that conundrum.
After a few minutes of walking and idle chatter, they finally reached a nearby café and went inside. Masaru proceeded to get their order while Mitsuki and Inko sat down near a large window showing the massive stadium where their children were participating.
While waiting for their food and the recess to pass, the two mothers wondered what their sons were doing at this hour.
"Do you think the boys are all right?" Inko asked. "I mean, their school was attacked by villains recently."
"You don't need to worry about that, Inko," assure Mitsuki. "After all, if UA made all of this happen…" she gestured to the stadium, "then that means they spared no expense in keeping our kids safe."
Inko looked outside and saw a multitude of professional heroes stationed around the arena. Seeing these people who constantly put their lives on the line set some time to do security for up-and-coming heroes assured her that there wouldn't be a repeat of the infiltration from a week before.
"You know, I think you're right," said Inko with an assured smile. "Thanks, Mitsuki. I guess I was worrying too much."
"Yup! I bet Izuku and Katsuki are with their friends right now!" Mitsuki exclaimed just as her husband came with their food.
However, what the two mothers speculated could've been even more wrong. While no one was aware of Katsuki's whereabouts, Izuku was with Kazui and Shoto in one of the hallways leading into the waiting rooms, the latter locking an intense gaze at the aforementioned two.
The staredown continued for a few seconds until all silence was shattered when someone unexpectedly spoke up.
"All right, Todoroki, what is it you want to talk about." Surprisingly, it was Midoriya who asked while adjusting his dark glasses. Despite growing away from his usually timid nature, the other two boys were still kind of surprised that he asked first.
"And I'm assuming that it's important if you dragged Midoriya and me in here and far from any eavesdroppers," Kazui added.
Todoroki finally closed his and nodded. He took a deep breath and let it out gradually; he seemed to be looking for the right words. "I'm only telling the two of you this because, out of everyone in our class, I respect both of you the most. As such, I feel like you deserve to know why I want to challenge both of you so badly. I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone what I'm about to say."
"Okay, is it me or does he want to get something off his chest?" Gojo speculated. "He doesn't need to tell you anything if I'm being honest."
"Let's just hear him out. Maybe this will shed some light on why Todoroki is acting this way," Izuku suggested.
"Good call."
"Okay, Todoroki, my lips are sealed," Kazui assured.
The dual elemental quirk user nodded and shifted his attention to the heir to the Limitless. "How about you, Midoriya?"
"I won't say a word," answered the young Jujutsu sorcerer.
Todoroki held up his right hand and let wisps of cold air flow around it. "You've noticed that I only use the power of my right side – my ice. I never use my left side in battle."
Both spirit warriors nodded.
"It's because of my father." Todoroki's raised hand tightened into a fist. "He's the country's second-ranked hero, Endeavor."
Midoriya's eyes went wide. "Wait, seriously? I mean, I knew his last name was Todoroki, but there's nothing about him having–" He stopped when Todoroki's own eyes narrowed. "Sorry…"
"Ever the hero fan, eh, Izuku? Still, I thought you'd know something like this."
"I had speculations, but it never occurred to me they were related!"
"He must be an upstanding guy if that's the tone you're using when saying his name," Kazui remarked sarcastically.
Shoto paid no mind to the comment and continued. "Have the two of you heard of Quirk marriages?"
Immediately, Izuku flinched at the mention of the word. Kazui narrowed his eyes, suspecting that this practice was akin to arranged marriages.
"I have," Midoriya replied. "It was never given much approval, and people with powerful Quirks who get married have to be evaluated to see if they aren't conducting a eugenics experiment– Oh my god!"
"That's just fucked up."
Todoroki nodded. "My father used his influence to get people to look the other way. He bought my mother for her Quirk; he was never able to surpass All Might himself, so he decided to have a child who could do it for him. it took him four tries to get it 'right.'
"My mother… couldn't handle it. After a while, she snapped and poured boiling water on the left side of my face because it reminded her of him. He got her locked up after that."
"The more I hear about this guy, the more I want to drive Mangetsu between his eyes," Kazui remarked, not liking Endeavor even more.
"Every memory I have with my mother… I only see her crying. Everything I suffered – more importantly, everything she suffered – is all because of Endeavor. So, I decided that I would surpass him, All Might, and every other hero out there with just my mother's power. Endeavor can watch as I become the greatest hero without his Quirk." By this point, Todoroki was pacing, and his voice was cracking, yet he managed to compose himself. "I want to show him that I reject his power, and I will beat both of you with only my ice. I will get through your Limitless and I will overpower your Fullbring. You can even bring out that other personality of yours, Midoriya, that Satoru Gojo, and I'll still beat you."
"I like his determination, at the very least."
"And it won't matter what kind of miracle you pull out from that Fullbring of yours, Kurosaki because I'll find a way to overcome it." With a steely, determined gaze, Shoto declared, "I will beat all of you, and prove that I don't need Endeavor and his accursed Quirk to be a hero."
Silence ensued after Todoroki finished giving his peace. With that revelation coming from Endeavor's son, both Izuku and Kazui finally understand the motivation behind Shoto's actions. He wanted to be better than his father – a better man who renounced everything that represents the flame hero, even his Quirk. That said, another issue needed to be dealt with before the spirit warriors could give their thoughts on Todoroki's oath.
"Before Izuku and I say anything, I think we should call out some eavesdroppers," Kazui revealed. This gained a reaction from the dichromatic boy. "I know you're there, Bakugō. Why don't you come out here and face us?"
Just as Kazui said, Bakugō made himself known and approached the three teens.
"Huh, I was wondering when someone would call him out," Gojo said.
"Yeah, me too," Midoriya replied.
Todoroki glared and the ash-blonde bomber for listening to a private conversation. "How much did you hear?"
"Tsk. Enough to know why you're so hellbent on beating these two," Bakugō said while gesturing to Kazui and Izuku. He heard everything about Todoroki's past, and he didn't care. All that mattered were his ambitions. "And honestly? I don't give a damn about your daddy issues, Icy Hot."
"What?" Todoroki said with a hint of irritation.
"You heard me. I don't care about your fucking oath or your grudge against Endeavor. All that matters is for me to become number one, and I'm gonna beat all of you for it."
"Ever the egotistic narcissist, I see," Kazui interjected, earning him an angry growl from Bakugō. "I should've expected nothing less from you."
"And you got a problem with that, freak!?"
"Hardly. Then again, we could settle this in the arena." Kazui shrugged. "What do you think, Izuku?"
"To be honest, I now have a better understanding of Todoroki and his motivations. As for Bakugō, he's always been like that – determined, focused, and persistent." Izuku's gaze went from Kazui to Shoto, and finally, to Katsuki. "However, I'm not about to back away from a challenge; so, bring it on."
"Well said, kiddo! You're coming a long way from that timid kid I first met."
"This isn't just about winning, Gojo-sensei," Izuku clarified. "This is about whose ideals are stronger – whose goals are worth fighting for. For me, though? I guess this is my chance to search for what I truly want. As you said that day, Izuku Midoriya still doesn't know what he truly wants. I don't know what I truly want, and this could be my opportunity to find it."
"With what you said, you're getting there, Izuku. You're getting there."
"So, we have ourselves a standoff," Kazui stated as he looked at his classmates. "We have four out of the five strongest of Class 1-A."
"The Hell do you mean five?" Bakugō asked with both annoyance and confusion.
"You're talking about Yaoyorozu, aren't you?" Shoto inquired which was confirmed by Kazui.
"The rich girl!? You have got to be shitting me!"
"You saw what Momo did during the Cavalry Battle," Kazui reminded. "Even I think I can't pull the shit she did."
"And she was aware enough to reach out for our team's headband even at Īda's fastest when only Kazui and myself could do that," Izuku defended.
"Yeah, whatever," Bakugō dismissed everything the two said. "It doesn't matter. This just means that I have one more person to put in her place."
"You can try, Bakugō," Kazui threatened. "You can try, but I doubt Momo would just let you walk over her." He then held his arms out, gesturing to Shoto and Izuku. "No of us will."
A growl of frustration escaped the ash-blonde's lips before blowing into a raged-fill shout. "Watch me, you fuckers! I'll be number one and all of you will be left under my feet like the pebbles you are!"
The angry bomber finally left after declaring his promise. Shoto followed soon after, heading in the opposite direction. Kazui and Midoriya, on the other hand, went to their friends for lunch. However, the two remnants of the supernatural couldn't get Todoroki's unfortunate life and self-imposed handicap off of their minds.
"If I ever encounter that asshole Endeavor, I'll run Mangetsu through his ass until it comes out of his mouth," Kazui said as he and Midoriya headed to the cafeteria.
"You know, it's the fact that you can do it that makes me fearful," Izuku remarked. "Still, the things Todoroki went through shouldn't have happened to him. Is it wrong that I want to help him?"
"No, it isn't. However, we might need a second opinion on this." Kazui turned to Izuku and asked the one inside him. "What are your thoughts on this, Gojo-san?"
A slit opened on the greenette's cheek and Gojo's mouth gave a reply. "Personally? I think that Todoroki kid is delusional."
"That's a bit harsh, but I kind of agree."
"Why do you think so, Gojo-sensei?" asked Midoriya.
"That's the kind of thinking that'll get you killed. He's purposefully limiting himself just to spite his dear old dad and all because he thinks it's Endeavor's Quirk. Tell me, both of you, who told Todoroki to not use his left side, was it Endeavor or was it his choosing?"
Both teens glanced at each other. They shared the same answer as Izuku replied to the ancient sorcerer. "It's all him. No matter how you look at it, it's his choice to not use his fire."
"This also means that Todoroki is under the impression that he'd be under Endeavor's control if he uses his fire, thinking that it's not his but from his father," added Kazui.
"Correct on all points," Gojo confirmed. "With that conclusion in mind, what are you going to do?"
"What else but to make him realize his mistake," Izuku quickly answered.
"That idiot needs to wake up to reality," Kazui stated.
"And it's either one of us who'll do that." Izuku already had the plan to make Todoroki realize his mistake.
"That's settled then, I guess." Kazui could somewhat understand Todoroki. Much like the fire-ice user, he was born to two powerful individuals and had responsibility placed upon him. However, the main difference was that his father, Ichigo, eased him into the life of a Soul Reaper. The training he had was tough, don't get him wrong, but Ichigo Kurosaki never forgot to show how much he loved Kazui and his mother, Orihime. All in all, the young death god felt pity for his classmate because that could've been him had his father been a different person. As such, he would do what it took to correct Todoroki's skewed beliefs.
"Alright, could somebody tell me what the heck is going on?"
Kazui wasn't the only one who had this question in mind. Right after lunch, Present Mic just announced a set of games for those who didn't make it into the final round. He also hyped up the crowd with some form of entertainment but the last thing the DJ-themed hero expected were the girls of Class 1-A in cheerleading outfits.
"Looks like Class 1-A is going full-on fanservice!" Present Mic just went with it.
While the girls were wallowing in embarrassment and misery, the culprits behind their unfortunate situation were cheering themselves and giving each other thumbs-ups.
"What!? You tricked us!?" Momo yelled angrily at the two perverts. "You're gonna regret this!"
"Hehehe… I can't believe they fell for it," Mineta giggled after pulling off such a successful trick.
"I know," Kaminari agreed. "I never thought I'd get the chance to see the girls in cheerleading outfits. My life is now complete."
"And it's about to end on short notice after the stunt you pulled."
The perverted duo flinched upon hearing those words. Their heads slowly turned around only to find a pissed-off Kazui glaring daggers at them with haunting yellow eyes.
Back with the girls, they were watching as their class representative dragged Kaminari and Mineta by the hair to some dark corner. "Well, they're screwed," Jirō said while feeling no sympathy for the two. "They had this coming when they tricked Yaomomo into it."
"Oh, I get what you mean, girl," Hagakure nodded, albeit no one could see her nod because of her invisibility. "With how Kazui's protective of her, you'd think they're boyfriend-girlfriend or something."
"I don't think they are yet but that might change soon."
"What do you mean?" Tsuyu asked.
"I heard them talking right before the start of the festival," Jirō revealed to the frog girl. "They plan on talking to each other alone at the end of the whole event."
"Ooh! I feel like this is something juicy," Mina squealed in excitement. "Tell us what you heard." The pink girl was practically shaking her music-loving classmate for info.
"Okay, okay… geez." Having stopped the eager Mina from shaking her, Jirō finally got into detail. "Their conversation was brief, but I'm fairly certain that what they'll be discussing was something that happened to the two of them after the USJ Incident."
"We don't care about that, we just want the gossip details," Mina impatiently said.
Jirō deadpanned but continued, nonetheless. "I was just getting to the important part. Well, anyway, whatever it is they'll be talking about, it revolves around something I never would've expected." She stared at her current listeners – Mina, Hagakure, and Tsuyu – while building up the suspense for her reveal.
"Well, what is it? Don't keep us in suspense!" the invisible girl cried in anticipation.
"Ribbit," Tsuyu croaked in agreement.
"Kazui and Yaomomo are gonna talk… because of a kiss." There, she finally said it. Much to her expectations, the two gossip girls of 1-A squealed in delight.
"OMG! A kiss? A KISS!" Mina yelled at the top of her lungs, but her mouth was quickly covered by Tsuyu.
"Quiet down, ribbit." Once the all-pink teen calmed down, the frog girl let go of her hand. "Any louder and Momo would hear us."
"Whoops, sorry. But can you believe it? Momo and Kazui kissed!"
"Correction, they're just gonna talk about a kiss, not them kissing," Jirō reminded.
"Kiss or not, I ship them!" Hagakure declared.
When it comes to these two, nobody can stop them when they begin playing matchmaker. Even when the match was already made, it wouldn't stop them from gushing about how cute and romantic it was.
All Jirō and Asui could do was look at them with a sweat drop.
-o0o-
"And that's it for the halftime show, everyone!" Present Mic announced that the halftime entertainment courtesy of the actual cheerleaders who finished their routine. "Now, we move on to the final event!" The crowd blew into an uproar. "The participants from each of the top four teams will be duking it out in a tournament-style competition. I promise you don't want to miss these epic match-ups!"
The jumbotron flickered to life, showing a blank match-up roster that still needed to be filled. They were looking at the gigantic screen with the chance to see their names made each of the qualified participants both eager and nervous.
"I've been watching these matches every year and now, I'm going to be in one of them," Kirishima said expectantly.
"Wait, is it always a tournament?" Mina questioned her red-haired classmate.
Sero answered the question. "The finals are always a one-on-one match, but they change it up every year. Last year, it was a foam sword competition."
Gojo was listening to the other students and nearly did a spit-take upon hearing what Sero said. "A foam sword competition? That would've been a blast to see!"
"It was," Izuku confirmed. "I watched the finals last year and it was hilarious!"
"Damn, I wish I paid more attention to the world while I was still looking for a successor."
"We'll be drawing lots to see who you will face in the tournament," Midnight said as she held up a box with the names of the qualified contestants. "After that, please enjoy the recreational activities before we start. The sixteen finalists who made it to this round have the option to participate in the games or sit this one out to prepare for battle. I'm sure all of you want to conserve your stamina. I'll start with the first-place team…"
"Umm, excuse me…"
All eyes turned to Ojiro who was raising his hand hesitantly.
"I'm sorry, but I wish to withdraw."
This caught the rest of Class 1-A off guard. To reach the finals and participate in it would increase one's chances of getting scouted. To think Ojiro would just forfeit like that…
"Ojiro…" Izuku was both confused and suspicious. Despite not interacting much with the tailed boy, he knew that Ojiro wouldn't just throw away an opportunity like this.
"Let's hear him out first," Gojo suggested.
"It just wouldn't be right," said Ojiro reluctantly. "I barely remember anything from the Cavalry Battle until the very end. I… think it was that guy's Quirk."
"I knew there was something suspicious going on."
"I thought so too, Izuku."
Midoriya, and Gojo by extension, were looking at Shinso with a questioning gaze. The purple-haired boy saw it and promptly turned his head in the other direction.
"Watch out for that guy, kiddo. Something tells me he's more than just a pair of baggy eyes."
"I will, sensei." Izuku continued listening to Mashirao as he explained the reasoning behind his withdrawal.
"I know this is a great opportunity. I wish I could take advantage of it, but my conscience just won't let me."
"Think about this," Īda suggested but was quickly rebutted.
"I have, okay? Everyone gave their all in the second round while I was just someone's puppet." Mashirao was staring at his raised fist while he said his reason. "No way. I don't want to advance if I don't know how I even got here. I wouldn't be fair."
"You're making way too much out of this!" Hagakure exclaimed while flailing her invisible arms. "Just kill it in the finals and prove you should be here."
"Yeah, what she said. Even I barely did anything," Mina added. However, her and Hagakure's attempt at persuading Ojiro wasn't enough.
"That's not it. I'm talking about my pride here; I refuse to give that up." Ojiro was adamant in his decision, and he won't be persuaded otherwise. That said, there was one thing that greatly confused him. "Also, why are the girls in cheerleader outfits?"
The girls cringed at being reminded they were still in that get-up.
Another student, this time from their sister class, 1-B, also requested a withdrawal from the match with the same reasoning as the Mashirao.
"Well, this is an interesting turn of events." Present Mic was just as confused as everyone else.
"Let's see what Midnight has to say about this since she is the one in charge," Eraserhead commented.
Speaking of Midnight, the R-rated heroine didn't take long to come to a decision. "This sort of talk is incredibly naïve, my boys." She pointed her whip at the students in question. "You two are withdrawn!"
Kazui, having understood the hidden innuendo behind Midnight's wording, couldn't help himself but say, "Nani the fuck?"
On the other hand, everybody else had a single question in mind. "Did she just say it turns her on!?"
After her rather double-meaning statement, Midnight addressed the issue of adding two other competitors to replace Nirengeki and Mashirao.
"I suggest you choose from the group that kept fighting the whole time," Kendo raised a point. "Our team barely did anything because were stuck frozen most of the time, right?" Her teammates nodded to her. "Then, go with Team Tetsutetsu."
The members of the team as mentioned earlier were surprised. Kendo's team was in fifth place, but they gave it up for them. "Kendo–" Tetsutetsu was cut off.
"Relax, guys," the female gingerhead assured. "I'm not doing this as a favor, it's just fair."
Thanks to their class representative's support, Team Tetsutetsu smiled at Kendo. However, one of them wanted to express his appreciation in a louder way. "Seriously you guys, THANK YOU!" cried the iron-Quirked boy.
After some quick deliberation, it was decided that Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki were going to advance in the place of Nirengeki and Mashirao. With the debacle regarding the finalists settled, Midnight pointed to the screen as the jumbotron revealed the match-ups for the first bracket. It's as follows:
Izuku Midoriya vs. Hitoshi Shinso
Shoto Todoroki vs. Hanta Sero
Ibara Shiozaki vs. Denki Kaminari
Tenya Īda vs. Mei Hatsume
Kazui Kurosaki vs. Yūga Aoyama
Momo Yaoyorozu vs. Mina Ashido
Eijiro Kirishima vs. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
Katsuki Bakugō vs. Ochako Uraraka
"ALRIGHT! Let's press pause for a momentary interlude!" Present Mic announced as the finalists all left to rest and prepare themselves for later. "It's time for some pulse-pounding side games!"
While in the waiting room preparing a strategy together with Ojiro to combat Shinso's Quirk, Midoriya got an unexpected visit.
"MOM!?"
Inko Midoriya entered the room with a proud smile for her son. "Oh, my baby!" The chubby woman quickly got her son into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you! Reaching this far… your dad would be so proud." She took notice of the other boy in the room. "Oh, I'm sorry. Was I interrupting something?"
"It's all right, Mrs. Midoriya." Ojiro stood up and began walking towards the exit. "We just about finished planning for your son's match. I need to be going myself. I'll see you later, Midoriya."
"Thanks for the help, Ojiro," Izuku returned. Once the tailed boy left the room, Izuku gave his mother undivided attention. "Mom, I'm so glad you could make it!" He was truly glad his mother could watch him here.
"I wouldn't want to miss my son's first Sports Festival now, would I? Besides, UA took care of the fare for any visiting parents, so I don't have to spend any."
"That's great!" Izuku quickly noticed the black case behind Inko. "What's that?"
Giddy, Inko placed the black case in front of her son. "Why, I just received a big package from your father earlier!"
At the mention of his father, Izuku's excitement rose. "From Dad!?"
"Yes! There were many things for us like some beauty products for me and limited-edition hero merchandise for you."
Despite being far away from them, Izuku loved the fact that his father never forgot to show his affection, be it through video calls or big packages for them. "Yeah! He's the best– whoops!" His dark glasses nearly fell off due to his excitement.
"He sure is, sweety." Inko's chuckle was followed by a gentle stream of tears.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Izuku's upbeat demeanor changed when he saw his mother in tears.
"No, nothing's wrong," assured Inko. She faced her son and gave him the biggest, happiest smile ever. "Truth be told, this might just be the most wonderful news." Inko paused for a bit to regain her breath. Once she did, she told Izuku that what they both wanted for so long would come true. "Son, your father's coming home. We'll be whole again."
Izuku's breath hitched with the revelation. It must be a dream, right? After so long being separated, his father was finally coming home. Overcome by emotion, Izuku dove and wrapped his mother into a tight embrace. Inko returned the affectionate gesture with equal fervor as both mother and son were teary-eyed.
"T-This is real, right?" asked Izuku between sobs. "Dad's finally coming home, right?"
"It's real, Izuku," Inko replied happily. "He'll be home next week, and he'll always be with us onwards."
The Midoriya genes kicked in as Izuku cried a fountain from sheer elation. "This is the best news! I… I can finally get to spend time with him. No more long-distance v-video calls, no lonely knights without him, and no more dreaming of his return. He's finally coming home! I'm so happy!"
"Me too, Izuku, me too."
They stayed that way for a while, basking in the joy of reuniting with the last member of their small family.
They eventually separated, and both mother and son wore happy smiles. "I can't wait till he comes home!" Izuku cried in jubilation.
"I know, Izuku. Speaking of your father, here's a little something he meant to give you." Inko opened the case and presented its contents.
When the boy laid eyes on the artifacts inside, his sensei grinned, recognizing what these objects were. "You're in for a treat Izuku."
"This is it folks; the moment you've all been waiting for!" Loud and excited cheers erupted from within the stadium upon Present Mic's announcement. "After an entertaining set of games, it's time for the main event of the whole festival – the Final Rounds!
"Let's not waste any more time and get on with the matches! First up, we have the student who cruised his way through the first round and battled the competition during the second, it's Izuku Midoriya from the Hero Course's Class 1-A!
"And his opponent is Hitoshi Shinso from General Studies! Now, for all contestants, you win your match by making your opponent submit or get them out of bounds. If any of them suffer serious injuries, don't worry since our very own Recovery Girl is waiting on the sidelines! So, don't be afraid to give it your all. That said, no life-threatening crap. Heroes use their powers to save lives and put criminals in jail, not kill them!"
Cementoss, who just finished constructing the massive ring for the finals, created a chair to observe the matches and assist Midnight in case of severe injury. "I'll stop anyone who tries to get too rough," he announced with a wave.
In the arena, both combatants were facing each other. Shinso seemed disinterested while Izuku was internally conversing with his inner mentor.
"One slip-up and it's game over," Izuku thought.
"Not technically since I'm still here to take the reins," Gojo assured.
"Still, what Ojiro said should still be taken into account."
"Oh, I know. I've seen firsthand the capabilities of speech-related powers. Though not as deadly, Brainwashing is still formidable if used correctly."
Before the start of the final rounds, Midoriya had a quick talk with Mashirao regarding his involvement – or lack of awareness thereof – with the aforementioned General Studies student. The tail-quirked boy warned the wielder of Limitless of Shinso's quirk, Brainwashing. Basically, all the victim has to do is respond to his question and he/she will succumb to the boy's hypnosis. Gojo remarked that although different, it was similar to the Curse Technique of Toge Inumaki, one of Gojo's students from four hundred years ago.
That being said, both students agreed (three if you count Gojo) that the best way to win this was to not respond to any of Shinso's questions.
"It sounds easy on paper but doing it is a different story."
"I get what you mean. He'll probably try to goad you and get under your skin or something. Just keep your cool and you'll be good."
"I'll try."
"So, you could just give up, huh?"
Izuku's attention was brought to Shinso's words.
"In a way, this is a test of how strong your spirit is. If you know what you want for your future, you can't worry about what other people think."
"He has a point,"
"That monkey was going on about his pride earlier," Shinso said disdainfully at Ojiro with a sneer. "What he did was stupid. I think he's an idiot for throwing away his chance like that."
"Uh-oh…"
Upon hearing Shinso insult his friend's morals, Izuku quickly grits his teeth in anger. His eyes narrowed as he glared at the smug purple-haired boy.
"Izuku, calm down…" Gojo tried but was unheard.
"Listen here, you little prick; don't you dare talk about him that way–" Izuku was rushing at Shinso when he suddenly stopped.
"And he fell for it…" sighed Gojo.
-{}-
"DAMN IT!" Ojiro yelled and grabbed his hair. "I just told him not to say anything!"
"What do you mean, Ojiro?" Tōru asked in confusion.
"Before the start of the final rounds, Midoriya and I had a quick discussion regarding that Shinso guy. I warned him not to respond to any of the guy's questions since it triggers his quirk."
"Which is?" Momo questioned.
"Brainwashing."
All of Class 1-A who were sitting nearby were surprised.
"He has a brainwashing Quirk!?" Mineta yelled frantically. "How can Midoriya get out of that? More than that, how are we supposed to fight him?"
"So, answering his question activates his Quirk. No, maybe any kind of response is enough to fall under his hypnotic suggestion," Īda deduced.
"I think so too," Momo agreed.
"Is there any way to break free from it?" Kaminari asked.
"There is," Mashirao replied. He further explained, "Remember that I said I barely recalled anything until almost the end, right? I think all it takes is a good hit to snap you out of the trance. However," he looked at the arena in concern, "I don't know if Midoriya can do that to himself."
"Then how is he supposed to break free from Shinso's brainwashing?" Uraraka pointed out, making the rest of the class worried except Bakugō and Todoroki.
-{}-
"Wait, what's wrong with Izuku? Why'd he stop!?" Inko was fidgeting in place when her son suddenly froze.
"It must be that boy's Quirk," Mitsuki answered. "It could be a hypnosis Quirk of some kind."
"If Izuku's under the influence of his Quirk, he needs to break free from it to win," Masaru added.
"Then how can he do that if he's hypnotized?" Inko desperately pointed out.
The answer came from someone unexpected. "A good hit to the head would suffice." The three parents turned to the one who said that in curiosity. "Oh, I'm sorry if I seemed rude."
"It's no worry," Inko assured the woman. "By the way, can we ask for your name?"
The woman held out her hand and answered, "Tsumiki Yaoyorozu. A pleasure to meet you."
"Wait, Yaoyorozu? As in the Yaoyorozu Corporation!?" Inko was about to have a heart attack. If this lady was who she thought she was, then…
"Yup, that Yaoyorozu," confirmed Tsumiki.
Inko's jaw dropped for a moment. Her finger shakily pointed at the woman before falling over unconscious. "Y-You're… Hi-Hisashi's… b-b-boss…"
"What's this!? Midoriya just suddenly stopped right after the match started!" Present Mic's confusion rang through the speakers, gaining the attention of the four parents. "This is the first match; it should start with a bang!"
"Inko, this is no time for fainting," Mitsuki said while shaking her fainted friend out of a daze. "You're son is frozen stiff thanks to a hypnotic trance. He needs your support, not you unconscious." After a few good shakes, Inko finally comes to.
Tsumiki chuckled at this and helped the plump woman up. "I'm sorry if I spooked you, but when you mentioned the name Hisashi, would you be referring to Hisashi Midoriya?"
"Yes," Inko replied after finally calming down. She then bowed to the woman, and said, "Thank you for making it possible for my husband to come home."
"No thanks is necessary," Tsumiki answered. "Hisashi has been a terrific employee with a good track record. However, he works too much; so, I decided to transfer him here to one of our branches in Japan. Maybe being closer to his family would get him to slow down a bit."
"That's just Hisashi, alright." Mitsuki grinned at Inko who in turn smiled back. Masaru was watching the whole with the same smile. "That said, we still can't do anything about Izuku over there."
Looking back at the match, Inko's worry returned when her son turned the other way and began walking to the edge of the ring. "Izuki, snap out of it!" she yelled but it didn't reach her son.
"Unless someone can literally knock him awake, I don't think that hypnosis will be undone," Mitsuki commented.
Inko didn't want to agree but her friend had a point. She wished that some miracle could happen to snap Izuku back to reality.
Unknown to her, Tsumiki knows that someone will eventually intervene.
-{}-
In the commentator's booth, Mic and Eraserhead were giving commentary on the current match between Shinso and Izuku. Having compiled some information regarding the current competitors, the Erasure Hero had a lot to say regarding the school's method of screening potential students.
"This is the reason why I believe UA's entrance exams are irrational."
Getting Present Mic's attention, the DJ-themed hero quirked an eyebrow at his commentary partner. "What do you mean?"
"I decided to gather some info on our current contestants considering we're in the final rounds. Hitoshi Shinso has a very powerful Quirk. However, the entrance exams focused more on combat whereas physically oriented Quirks are more quickly noticed. His quirk would be useless against the faux villains which led him to fail the Hero Course exams. Since he also applied for General Studies, he must've expected to fail."
-{}-
"You're lucky that you have such an amazing Quirk, Midoriya," Shinso began. "With such a powerful ability, it's no wonder you got accepted into the Hero Course. But people like me with Quirks that aren't flashy? We're relegated to the sidelines; forced to pick up the scraps left by the privileged like you. Now, turn around and walk out of bounds like a good little hero."
The dazed Izuku did as he was told and turned around. Dread crept into the hearts and minds of his friends and family since there was nothing they could do. Izuku would have to break free from Shinso's Quirk on his own and it seemed impossible.
As for the brainwashing competitor, he still had more to say. "I have my own dreams of being a hero. I want to prove to everyone that my ability isn't villainous. That's what my goal is for wanting to be in the Hero Course. So, lose for me."
However, Midoriya answered but not the way he usually does.
"That's a nice speech, kid. Too bad it doesn't mean anything much to me."
Much to Shinso's shock, his victim didn't obey his commands and instead, answered confidently yet dismissively of his words. Conversely, the crowd ignited into a frenzy when Midoriya broke free from his control while the friends of said hypnosis victim sighed in relief.
-{}-
"Alright, that's how it's done!" Īda cheered. Next to him, Uraraka let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in.
"Oh, thank God. I was about to freak out."
"That was a close call, Izuku," Kazui remarked with a grin.
Momo wiped off some sweat she didn't know was on her forehead.
Ojiro sat back down in relief. "Damn it," he chuckled. "That just about killed me."
-{}-
When Izuku broke free from Shinso's control, Inko nearly fainted again. "Oh goodness he broke free."
"Yeah! Way to go, Izuku!" Mitsuki cheered.
"That was keeping it close, kiddo!" Masaru remarked happily.
Tsumiki, on the other hand, observed Midoriya's actions to be different from what she knew of the boy. There was no doubt in her mind that Lord Gojo had taken over, which meant one thing…
"It's over."
-{}-
"What? How… How are you not under my Quirk? You're not supposed to be able to fight back!"
Izuku turned around and gave a confident smirk that irritated the brainwashing boy. "Gotta say that Quirk of yours is really dangerous. However, something like that won't be effective against me."
"Damn it! How did you break free from my Quirk!?" With his trump card rendered useless, Shinso was now panicking about what to do to salvage this situation. "Answer me!"
"It could be any number of answers, but the one I find to be true is the simplest one." Taking off his black-tinted glasses, Izuku stared at Shinso with his Six Eyes, unnerving the purple-haired boy with his divine-like gaze. "It's just that you're weak."
"I'm… weak?" At first, Shinso had to register what his opponent had said. Then, little by little, the words from the Midoriya finally sunk. His eyes narrowed and he bared his teeth at the Izuku in anger. "You're calling me WEAK!? How dare you!?" Shinso was now lashing out. "You have no idea what I've been through to call me that! You're lucky that you were blessed with such a wonderful Quirk while I got scorned for having one that's villainous! With such a heroic Quirk, it'll be easy for you to–"
"And I care why?"
Shinso's ranting came to a halt. "Wha-what?"
"I'll repeat; why should I care all about that when we're in combat?"
"Because–"
"…Life's unfair and you got the short end of the stick? Please, that's the shallowest reason I've ever heard. You're not the first person who complained about the system not working in their favor and you won't be the last. However, you are one of the few who never did anything about it. But hey, that doesn't matter in this situation since all of that is meaningless in combat. Here, at this moment, all that matters is who wins and who loses. If you win, you get to prove your ideals but if you lose, you aren't strong enough to fight for them."
Izuku made a pulling motion and Shinso flew towards him. The General Course student was surprised and tried fighting the unseen force to no avail. Finally, he stopped mere feet in front of Izuku who looked at him with cold mocking eyes.
"This is the reason why you never got into the Hero Course; you never try to improve yourself. All you've done is bitch out your grievances and not take action. I've met Hero Course students with less impressive Quirks than yours, yet they still managed to get into the roster." Izuku tilted his head slightly, letting his right cheek face Shinso. The familiar slit appeared on top of that and became a mouth much to the shock and disgust of Shinso. "So, stop playing the victim and do something about it."
Before Shinso could react, he felt Midoriya's index finger on his chest.
"Curse Technique Reversal: Red."
All it took was something equivalent to a love tap followed by a quick flash of red, and Shinso was sent flying out of bounds and into the wall. The exchange happened so fast that the crowd and announcers were left stunned. Thankfully, Midnight recovered first and raised her hand, signaling the end of the match and announcing the winner.
"Hitoshi Shinso is out of bounds! Izuku Midoriya advances to the next round!"
Despite the audience roaring into a frenzy, Gojo wasn't one for basking in too much attention. "Well, this was fun, but it's time to dip out and let Izuku take the driver's seat. The wheel is yours, kid."
Gojo's consciousness sunk into the depths of Izuku's mind, letting the boy take control of his body once more. When Izuku came to, he was still giving Shinso a piece of his mind.
"…about him… Huh?" the greenette looked around, a little confused. "What just happened?"
"You fell under Baggy Eye's Quirk," answered the ancient spirit.
"I did!?"
"Yup. You fell for his goading, hook line, and sinker."
"Gee, I feel kind of pathetic."
"It happens…" Izuku felt his sensei shrug. "Let this be a learning experience."
"By the way, where is Shinso?"
"Playing the part of modern street art on the wall over there."
Looking at the direction Gojo pointed, Izuku sweatdropped when indeed Shinso was stuck in a human-sized hole. "Did you have to say it like that?"
"Hey, I got to admire my handiwork, you know."
"Well, you do you."
"Sure! That said, where are you headed?"
"To Shinso…"
"Why?"
"To tell him that he's wrong…" Izuku had ended it there as his focus was on the student who lost to him. He would never play the victim card just to get the upper hand in an argument but Shinso was wrong in saying he was blessed.
It didn't take long for the boy to reach the General Studies student who had just gotten out of the wall he was blasted in. Izuku stretched out his hand – a gesture of sportsmanship – and spoke as he waited for the purple-haired teen's response. "That was a good game. You almost got me there."
Shinso flinched yet accepted the gesture, pulling himself up. He dusted the dirt off of his gym uniform. When he looked at Izuku, he saw the almost glowing azure eyes staring directly into his soul. Thinking back to the match, the Brainwashing Quirk user was both intrigued and frightened by the strange behavior of the one before him. The way he acted now was completely different from how he carried himself moments before the end of their match.
"Why do you want to be a hero?"
Shinso perked up when Midoriya asked him that.
"What drives you to be a hero, Shinso? I know there's a story behind why you're so determined to get into the Hero Course."
Shinso could answer, but what was the point? He lost and that just proves that he wasn't strong enough to prove his ideals. "What does it matter?" he sighed dejectedly. "You can't help the things your heart longs for."
Before he could leave, Izuku said something that made Shinso pause. "This Quirk I have… I've only had this for less than a year."
Eyes wide in surprise, Shinso couldn't help but stare at Izuku in bafflement. "But that means…"
"I was practically Quirkless all my life," Midoriya continued. "I know what it feels to be different… to be the outcast." Most people would've scoffed at the hardship they suffered but, to Izuku, it only made him smile. "However, that didn't stop me from believing that I'd become someone more than just a Quirkless kid. Even when I got Limitless, I still needed to learn how to use it to be effective. So from someone who had it worse, don't let this setback stop you. More people are even starting to see your potential now."
When the greenette pointed to the stands, Shinso saw his classmates from the General Studies cheering and waving at him. Not only that, some of the professional heroes were commenting on how bright his future would be thanks to the practical application of his Quirk out in the field. That said, he still needed some combat experience to go along with it.
Shinso may have lost, but this was just one setback to being recognized as a hero. Now with the support from his classmates and respect from the professional heroes because of his performance, it felt like he gained more from this loss than winning.
"You're right, Midoriya," said Shinso. "I should've done more than just whine when there were others who had it worse than me. Thanks for making me see it. That said, I'm not gonna stop pushing forward. Remember that I could still snatch away one of the slots in the Hero Course from under you." He faced the child of Limitless and grinned. "So be on your guard because I'm gonna be a better pro than any of you."
"As you should," Izuku said, answering Shinso with a determined smile of his own. "Also, please don't tell anyone that I have a split personality. I'm not too keen on people questioning that aspect about me."
Shinso didn't answer but waved in understanding. He then left the arena to get back to his classmates. As for Midoriya, this victory draws him closer to finding the truth about what he truly desires as a person. Though he wishes to be a hero in this society, the path to enlightenment – the true meaning of Jujutsu itself – is still beyond his reach.