"So, while we wait for everything to be fixed after that climatic battle…. Are we going to talk about Midoriya, or what?" Hizashi asked Shota, who sighed as he adjusted himself in his seat, trying not to rip any bandages so that Chiyo didn't lecture him for the umpteenth time in the week.

"What's there to discuss, Hizashi? It's clear that Midoriya is strong, and it's clear that he's taking his training seriously. He wants to be a hero, so he's going all out. What more is there to add?" Shota replied with a question as Hizashi groaned, rolling his eyes as he spoke.

"Well, first of all, never, and I mean never, in the history of U.A. has anyone progressed that far in their training since All Might did when he was still a student at this school! Since All Might, Shota! Think about it! We might be seeing the second coming of the Symbol Of Peace right before our very eyes!" Hizashi exclaimed as Shota groaned, his demeanour flippant and dismissive.

"Midoriya's strong, yes. Like I said, it's hard to deny that. Especially after what we just witnessed. But he's nowhere near as strong as All Might. No one can come close to the type of power All Might had during his debut. Period. Even if by some miracle Midoriya does, I doubt it'll be for long," Aizawa retorted as Hizashi frowned.

"Oh, come on, Shota! Can't you see it? Even All Might wasn't as strong as Midoriya was now when he was a kid! What Midoriya just did right now, even if his performance was a little sloppy, was better than a younger All Might! I've watched his old battles against Endeavor when they were students at U.A.! They both weren't as strong as they were back then as Midoriya and Todoroki are now!" Hizashi pushed as he crossed his arms. "You know the saying, Shota: The new generation will always be better than the previous. It's just facts. I—"

"That's enough, Hizashi," Shota groaned as he interrupted, glancing at him sharply. "I am aware that he is strong. I am aware that he is fast. I am also aware that he's still breaking his bones. While he isn't breaking whole arms and legs like before, it's still a pattern of behaviour revolving around his Quirk that needs to be ironed out. How can someone who has to damage their body to do anything ever become another Symbol of Peace?" Shota retorted, his frown growing underneath the bandages as Hizashi raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? I mean, yeah, he's still breaking his bones, but—"

"No buts, Hizashi. I believe in Midoriya, even if I don't outwardly show it. He's an underdog, and people like an underdog story, but don't say nonsensical stuff like that. Breaking his bones, small or otherwise, will still make it so that he will become unable to battle after a certain amount of time, no matter the amount of pain endurance one might have. While it's not as much of a detriment now as it was a month ago, it will still be a problem for him in the future," Shota explained, only for Hizashi to frown.

"That's funny. It sure doesn't sound like it," Hizashi replied as Shota narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean exactly what I said. It doesn't sound like you believe in him at all. It sounds like you're projecting your mindset onto him and dragging down your opinion of him because he reminds you of Shirokumo—and I won't lie, he reminds me of him, too. But we both promised that nothing like that would ever happen again. Period."

"…'Zashi, please, enough…"

"But am I wrong? Go ahead, tell me I'm wrong. I'm not wrong, and you know I'm not. It's not my fault I see his potential more than you do—and I'm not even his homeroom teacher! You have him in your classes more than I do in a week, and even I can tell he will do great things rapidly!"

"I said enough, Hizashi…" Shota said, his voice a little more quiet than before. Unfortunately for him, Hizashi didn't hear him and continued.

"I know you're a bit of a hardass, but seriously, open your eyes, man! I love you and all, and I mean it, but you seriously have a nihilism problem. You said you'd work on it, and here you are shitting all over Midoriya's fu—"

"I SAID ENOUGH!" Shota shouted, his eyes turning red as a sign that his Quirk was active. He raised his voice for the first time in a long time, making Hizashi flinch. After a second, Shota calmed down, exhaling as he lowered his head. "Just… stop. I get it, okay. Maybe you're right. But still, I wouldn't start feeding into your own expectations for the boy when you have no idea if he'll let you down or not."

"Bah, let me have my fun," Hizashi said, quickly bouncing back from the brief argument, but not before kissing Shota on the cheek, earning a grumble from him. "And sorry about bringing up Shirokumo. That… was messed up of me. It won't happen again."

"It better not, or no breakfast in bed for a week," Shota retorted as Hizashi feigned offence.

"Oh, Shota! You wound my very soul!"

"Quit your dramatics and get back to the announcements, 'Zashi," Shota grumbled, looking away from Hizashi. A worried gleam took up Hizashi's visage as he placed a hand on Shota's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Sho…"

"Save it for when we get home," Shota replied with faux anger as Hizashi smirked.

"American-style pancakes?"

"Yes, please."

"Ha! You're easy," Hizashi said before clearing his throat, turning on the microphones again, and restarting his announcements. "ALRIGHT, FOLKS! THANKS FOR WAITING! NOW, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT MATCH! BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, THOUGH, GIVE A MASSIVE ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO CEMENTOSS FOR REBUILDING THE ARENA FOR THIS NEXT ROUND!"

As Present Mic's voice echoed throughout the stadium, a roar of excitement reverberated throughout the building as the next two combatants stood in front of one another, wearing the U.A. gym uniform. One was tall, his skin a shade of brown, and was muscular to all hell. The other was also muscular, but not nearly as much as the former. His skin was pale in comparison, and he had engines sticking out of his calves.

These two were Rikido Sato and Tenya Ida. This was the second quarter-final round, so the fight before them would be brutal. Both of them knew that, and both of them wanted to win. The two went in with that mentality, at least initially. For one of them, however, something happened that left their mind unfocused on the match set out before them.

"ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ARENA, ONCE MORE FROM CLASS 1 – A, WE HAVE THE LITTLE BROTHER OF INGENIUM! IDA TENYA!" The arena again was filled with cheers as Present Mic cleared his throat, taking a sip of water before continuing. "AND ON THE RIGHT, YET AGAIN FROM CLASS 1 – A, WE HAVE THE SCHOOL'S RESIDENT SWEETS AND SUGAR EXPERT! GIVE HIM A KILOGRAM OF THAT WHITE SUGARY GOODNESS, AND ANY VILLAIN WORTH THEIR SALT WILL BE SHIVERING IN FEAR! IT'S SATO RIKIDO!" The arena was filled with cheers of excitement as Rikido smirked, staring down at Ida with a face full of determination.

The two opponents stood a reasonable distance apart as Sato cracked his neck from side to side, stomping his feet down into a bracing stance; all the while, Ida stretched out his legs. Ida's eyes were filled with emotions as he got into a runner's stance. The pair's eyes met, and for a moment, those emotions dancing within Ida's eyes caused the larger of the two to flinch, though only for a moment.

"I don't plan to go easy on you, Ida!" Sato stated, flexing his muscular body with a face full of confidence. Ida said nothing in response, only narrowing his eyes. He had a lot on his mind right now, and as soon as this battle was over, he had to confirm if the worst was true.

Right before the match, he found out through the almost choked-sounding voice of his father that his brother, Tensei Ida, was in the hospital.

His father didn't yet say why, knowing full well that Tenya was in a competition and didn't want to worry or distract him too much. However, that didn't stop him from speculating who or what could have put his brother in the hospital. Right now, it was muddying his mind and preventing him from entirely focusing on the battle at hand.

"AND BEGIN!"

As soon as Present Mic said those words, Ida lunged toward Sato at blinding speeds, the flames from his engines singing the ground behind him, taking the sugar-based hero-in-training off guard. Sato braced himself for impact as a speeding leg rounded for his head, meaning Ida aimed to knock him down in one attack. In preparation, Sato brought his arm up as fast as possible, bringing it near his cheek as he attempted to catch Ida's leg, to no avail.

Ida's foot slammed into Sato's open palm, striking with enough force to knock Sato out of his braced and offensive stance, sending him easily to the ground. Sato bounced off the ground, tumbling near the disqualification line. Pain surged through Sato's body, but he didn't have time to let it register. Not when he was against Ida.

Acting quickly, Sato rolled out of the way of another kick meant to send him out of the arena. Sato jumped up from where he lay as he lunged at Ida with a strong uppercut. Ida could barely dodge to the left, avoiding the attack, not expecting it to be that fast. However, he was too distracted by his familial matters to focus on the battle entirely, so he wasn't expecting the uppercut to be a fake out.

Another fist slammed into Ida's side, catching him completely off guard. He activated his engines to attempt to get out of the way of the next attack, only for yet another fist to clobber him in the gut. Ida spat up some saliva, his lungs forcing out all the oxygen in his body, winding him. Due to being stunned by the previous blow, he got clocked in the face by another punch from Sato, staggering him near the disqualification line.

"IT SEEMS SATO ISN'T GIVING IDA ANY TIME TO REACT TO HIS ATTACKS! HE'S USING THE TRIED AND TRUE "OVERWHELM YOUR OPPONENT" TECHNIQUE TO BEAT IDA DOWN!" Present Mic announced to the audience, who cheered the combatants on. Ida was in a challenging situation and knew the only way to get out of it was to activate his engines at full speed. Just before he could muster up the energy to do so, however, Sato kneed him in the gut, staggering him some more and washing away his concentration.

Ida nearly fell backward and out of the arena but was able to keep his balance. Had that been all, Ida might have been able to turn this whole thing around on Sato. But that knee in the gut hadn't been the last that Sato could dish out, as it was followed by a shove of all things, knocking Ida off his balance and sending him over the line and out of the bounds, ending the fight.

"AND MUCH TO MY SHOCK, IT WOULD SEEM AS IF IDA HAS BEEN QUITE LITERALLY SHOVED OUT OF BOUNDS BY SATO! MEANING THAT RIKIDO SATO MOVES ON TO THE SEMI-FINALS!" Present Mic's voice echoed throughout the stadium as Ida looked down in shame. Sato reached out to help Ida, and Ida took his hand in stride.

"Sorry 'bout pummeling you so badly. I did notice you looked distracted, though. Is everything alright?" Sato asked, a hint of concern in his voice as Ida smiled, though hollow as it might have been.

"Don't worry about me, Sato-kun. Although I shall thank you for your concern, my problems are hardly worth discussing on the battlefield. If you excuse me, I have a call I need to make. I bid you good luck for the semi-finals." And with that, Ida left as fast as he could without the employment of his Quirk, leaving behind a concerned Sato. He turned and left the arena through the opposite gate, a slight frown on his face.

Sato hadn't known Ida well, but he could quickly tell when someone was worried or upset. His mother was highly emotional at times, which allowed him to pick up on things like that. He hoped that whatever was going on in Ida's life wouldn't impact him significantly. Though judging by the look in his eyes, he couldn't be too sure of that.

But, it wasn't any of his business. He wasn't going to bug Ida. Besides, he hardly knew the guy, even if he was the class's president. It would've been weird if he started asking questions he had no business asking. All he could do was hope everything was alright and carry on to the Semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Yoshihara sat in the stands where the rest of class 1 - A had been, flipping a 100 yen coin in her left hand to keep her mind at ease. A metallic sound and a whoosh of air followed suit with each flick. Her opponent for the up-and-coming round was Fumikage Tokoyami.

He was one of the people who were heavily against her for the reason of murdering her mother—who was believed to be an innocent woman who had fallen prey to a psychotic child masquerading as a hero student. Yoshihara was mulling over what to do against him, seeing as his Quirk was somewhat unique.

His Quirk acted like a Stand, with a personality separate from the user. However, it wasn't a Stand—at least she thought it wasn't anyway. She had summoned Killer Queen on several occasions around Tokoyami, and he simply did not bat an eye, raise an eyebrow, mutter something, or acknowledge Killer Queen's existence.

It led her to the obvious conclusion that he wasn't a Stand User and that overwhelming Tokoyami would be the best way of taking the fight with ease. With that done, she could move herself to the next stage in the tournament. She could see no flaws in her plan, at least not yet. If there were any, they'd make themselves known in battle.

"Tokoyami, huh?" Josefumi bemused as Yoshihara hummed in acknowledgement.

"You'll do great!" Uraraka encouraged, smiling as Izuku chuckled.

"Y-Yeah. I-I mean, it's not like he can fight you properly. You have an advantage," Izuku said as Yoshihara felt a slight smile tug at her lips.

"Thank you, everyone…" Yoshihara said before looking at where Ida had been sitting from before. He still hadn't returned. "Do you guys think that Ida is alright?"

"Whoa, are you showing compassion for someone and doing so openly?" Josefumi teased as Yoshihara frowned.

"Is that a bad thing? I might have my issues, but I'm trying to be better," Yoshihara grumbled as Izuku patted her on the shoulder.

"He's just joking."

"He is?"

"We need to work on your social cues," Josefumi groaned as Yoshihara sighed. He was right; she had a bad habit of not picking up on that kind of thing recently. Her mind had been muddled with many things that didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. It didn't help that the crowd hadn't been helping her with that.

As she had walked around the stadium to clear her head from time to time, she had noticed that the protests were getting increasingly more and more driven. All of this was because of her; more appropriately, it was because of her shitty excuse of a mother.

"Just when things started to get better in my life, you just had to rear your ugly little head, didn't you…" Yoshihara thought, her frown deepening as she felt Izuku squeeze her shoulder a little. He was looking at her with concern in his eyes.

"Yoshihara… are you okay?"

"What's got you concerned? I'm fine…"

"That look in your eyes tells us otherwise," Uraraka commented, concern in her voice as she looked at her worriedly. "If you need to talk about something, you know we're here to listen, right? We're friends, aren't we?"

Yoshihara looked away, brushing Izuku's hand off her shoulder. "It's nothing. It's none of your concern. Please, just leave it alone," Yoshihara muttered as she stuffed her hands in her tracksuit pockets. "I'll be in the waiting room if any of you need me." With that, Yoshihara made her way to the waiting room, leaving Izuku, Josefumi, and Uraraka behind.

Izuku sighed, his shoulders slumping as he watched Yoshihara's retreating form with a soft look in his eyes. "Yoshihara…."

"You're worried about her, aren't you?" Josefumi asked as Izuku nodded. "Yeah, I can see why. She's holding onto something. I don't know what it is, but it's bothering her."

"You guys don't think it has to do with… ya know?" Uraraka said, leaving the implication out in the air. Both Izuku and Josefumi understood what she was getting at. It didn't help that most of the audience hated her guts and made it obvious that was the case. A lot of people had been removed from the stadium because of their behaviour.

A couple of people even tried to attack her in the tunnels leading around the interior of the stadium. Security was overwhelmed by the protest out front, and indoor security also had its hands tied. People with bad intentions were slipping through, and many of them were looking for Yoshihara.

While it was apparent she hadn't been showing it, it was bothering her. It would eventually reach a boiling point if it hadn't already.

"I think you're right. But there's nothing we can do about it. The only thing we can do is be there for her. Although, maybe someone should try and cheer her up," Josefumi said, elbowing Izuku, who shrunk into himself.

"I-I don't know what to do… I'm new to this sort of thing," Izuku muttered as Josefumi chuckled.

"Well, take it from someone who isn't. The best thing you can do is shower them in love. Doesn't matter how you do it, really. Just try not to be overbearing. Take it from personal experience. I don't know about Kira, but Karera hates it when I'm being too much," Josefumi said as Izuku nodded.

"Got it. T-Thanks, Kujo-kun," Izuku said as Josefumi shrugged.

"No problem," he said before following it up with, "Oh, and one more thing, if for whatever reason she decides to move it up a notch—not that I think she will, but you never know with someone as unpredictable as Kira—make sure to use protection."

"GAH! WHAT THE HECK/THAT WAS UNPROMPTED!" Izuku and Uraraka shouted as Josefumi smirked.

Meanwhile, back with Yoshihara, she kept her head down. This was the third quarter-finals round, and she needed to be ready. She doubted that Tokoyami was going to make this easy for her. Just because she was confident in her victory, that didn't mean it was assured.

Ashido was easy. Sure, she had ranged attacks, but they were slow—even if one nearly got her. However, Tokoyami was like a beta-Stand User. His Dark Shadow was more than just for show. She hadn't seen it in combat, but it wasn't hard to believe it wasn't exceptionally strong. In other words, she needed to be careful.

Tokoyami glared at her from across the field as she stepped out onto the arena floor. Golden yellow eyes narrowed as Yoshihara matched his glare with hers. "Here we go…." Yoshihara thought, mentally preparing herself for what was about to come.

"LOOK ALIVE LADIES, GENTLEMEN AND PEOPLE IN BETWEEN! WE HAVE ANOTHER EXCITING MATCH-UP FOR YOU HERE! ON THE RIGHT, WE HAVE THE ONE WHOM SHADOWS CALL THEIR FRIEND; IT'S TOKOYAMI FUMIKAGE FROM CLASS 1 – A!" Present Mic announced, the audience going wild with cheers of excitement. "AND ON THE LEFT, WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO MADE A RATHER EXPLOSIVELY BRUTAL ENTRANCE INTO THIS TOURNAMENT. GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR KIRA YOSHIHARA, ALSO FROM CLASS 1 – A!"

Instead of applause, there were primarily boos and angered shouts. Any cheering there was had been drowned out by harassment. Yoshihara tried to ignore it, but her discomfort was starting to become visible. After nearly five hours of constant harassment, it was bound to get to her. She could feel her confidence slipping a little bit.

"You got this. You've got people who believe in you. Izuku believes in you. That matters more than anything else right now," Yoshihara thought as she exhaled, her confidence increasing. It was odd. She was usually the confident one between her and Izuku, not the other way around.

"There's a darkness about you…" Fumikage said, the feathers on his head ruffling with what appeared to be some form of anger. "A murderous aura coats your soul. I can see it—feel it wafting off you like an unclean stench. It's the same one I get whenever Dark Shadow gets out of control. But for you, it's different." As Tokoyami said that, Dark Shadow came out from his stomach, its black shadowy claws splayed out in a taunting fashion. Dark Shadow let out a roar filled with victory and enthusiasm; all the while, Yoshihara frowned.

"Get to the point. Our fight is about to begin, so save the dramatics," Yoshihara said, narrowing her eyes. "If you think you're going to win… It would be best if you rethought that. You should know that's impossible. I have shown everyone today that I am not to be undercut. You've seen that I am strong both in The Battle Trials and during the tournament. My "Quirk" is unrivalled, and my willingness to do what others might think to be morally dubious is apparent. I will do anything to win, within reason, of course. I know you don't have the guts to do what needs to be done to win. So… what's a goody-two-shoes like you going to do? Put me in my place?" Yoshihara spat, glaring at Tokoyami, who grew more frustrated as he sneered.

"Silence, wretch," Tokoyami spat, clenching his right hand into a fist, his body shaking violently as his glare intensified. "You're like a rat, worming your way into a place you do not belong. I am a Hero-in-Training… It is my job to put the likes of you, a murderer, to justice. You have no place in this class! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CALL YOURSELF A HERO-IN-TRAINING!" Tokoyami shouted, a violent gleam in his eyes as Present Mic shouted the call to begin the fight.

As soon as the call was given, Dark Shadow slinked toward Yoshihara, going full speed toward her. Yoshihara planted her feet on the ground as a pink aura washed over her. For a moment, Dark Shadow seemed to tense at seeing the aura but continued charging nonetheless. Once it got within two feet of Yoshihara, she summoned Killer Queen in front of her, crossing its arm in a guard-like stance as its dark pink cat-like eyes bore holes into Dark Shadow's sharp, pointed yellow slants.

Dark Shadow's fist clashed with Killer Queen's arms physically, making Yoshihara's eyes widen. From what she knew, Quirks couldn't interact with Stands. But for some reason, Tokoyami's did. As for Tokoyami, he frowned at what he saw, narrowing his eyes at Kira. "Dark Shadow, what seems to be the problem? Why did you stop your assault?" Tokoyami questioned as Dark Shadow's eyes narrowed as well.

"You can't see it? There's a cat thing in front of Kira!" Dark Shadow said to Tokoyami, making Yoshihara raise an eyebrow, her expression returning to a flat, neutral one.

"Interesting. Your Quirk can see Killer Queen, but you cannot?" Yoshihara said with a small amount of surprise in her voice. Killer Queen batted away Dark Shadow's fist and went in for an attack of its own, slamming its right fist into Dark Shadow's "stomach" and knocking it back by a few feet.

Tokoyami's eyes widened. He saw Dark Shadow get pushed back by an invisible force, though according to Dark Shadow, there was something there. Something Kira somehow brought out. However, that made no sense to him, as Kira's Quirk was based on explosions and bubbles. Yet, he saw no such thing in front of her. "Dark Shadow! What are you talking about? Nothing is there! Now is not the time to be playing tricks on me!" Tokoyami hollered as Dark Shadow shook its head in frustration.

"I'm not Joking, Fumikage! There's something there!" Dark Shadow responded, blocking what appeared to be another punch from nothingness, sliding back more with each punch it blocked. Dark Shadow continued to block seemingly nothing while trying to slip in attacks on the void of space between Yoshihara and Dark Shadow, its attempts being thwarted each time.

Tokoyami tried his damndest to help Dark Shadow, but without being able to see what it was Dark Shadow was fighting, he was a sitting duck.

As for Yoshihara, she was intrigued by this development. This raised a lot of questions about Tokoyami and Dark Shadow, which she was beginning to think was an underdeveloped Stand. Kind of like how Killer Queen had been for most of her life until two and a half months ago. Killer Queen continued to slam its fists into Dark Shadow, dodging and weaving the punches that Dark Shadow threw out.

It was slower than Killer Queen that much was for sure, but its strikes did hurt whenever they did land. She knew it would leave bruises on her arms, if nothing else. As both Killer Queen and herself inched forward, pushing Tokoyami and Dark Shadow back, Dark Shadow seemed to grow faster with each punch it threw, something that Yoshihara noticed right away.

"The closer we get to Tokoyami, the faster Dark Shadow gets. It's exactly like a close-range Stand. Perhaps my assumption was right!" Yoshihara thought as she increased the speed at which Killer Queen blocked Dark Shadow's punches while simultaneously increasing the speed of the punches that Killer Queen dished out in response to its openings.

Tokoyami feinted to the left. He wanted to avoid being pushed out of the arena. If Dark Shadow got too close, he would be forced out of the arena. He wanted to win, but more importantly, he didn't want to lose to a villain masquerading as his classmate.

He had a choice to make. A very pivotal one. One that, if he made it, he couldn't take back until he forced Dark Shadow away. With narrowed eyes and a sneer on his face, Tokoyami made a declaration that would change the tides of battle irrevocably and, hopefully, in his favour. "DARK SHADOW! I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE FIGHTING, BUT YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION TO BE AS VIOLENT AS YOU NEED TO BE TO GET PAST IT!"

As soon as that declaration was made, the yellow eyes of Dark Shadow switched to a more bloodthirsty red. Rather than punching, Dark Shadow changed to using its claws to dig at Killer Queen. Once the claws made contact with Killer Queen's arm, they drew blood on Yoshihara's, slash marks appearing on Yoshihara's arm.

Yoshihara took more than a few steps back, now being put on the defensive thanks to Dark Shadow suddenly becoming more violent. Dark Shadow cackled, watching as Yoshihara flinched, hissing in pain as it began to mock her. "You scared or something?! Is it 'cause I drew some blood? PATHETIC!" Dark Shadow shouted, slinking forward faster than it did the first time.

In response, Killer Queen made a small bubble appear just a few meters before her. The bubble made contact with a blood-lusted Dark Shadow, and as soon as it did, the bubble exploded, knocking Dark Shadow back a few feet, its eyes switching from red to yellow, then back to red.

Before it could get the chance to do anything to retaliate, Killer Queen closed the distance and grabbed Dark Shadow by the neck, slamming it to the ground with enough force to cause small fissure cracks on the arena floor.

Several members of the audience were dumbfounded by what they were watching. Yoshihara wasn't moving, electing to stand still while something did all the work for her. The only time she flinched or moved was when Dark Shadow slashed her arm, but even then, Dark Shadow didn't even hit her.

The audience, at least some of the more analytical ones in the crowd, deduced that her explosions could go microscopic, effectively creating a barrier between her and her attackers while also giving her an offensive edge and that the slash across the arm she received was only there because Dark Shadow had somehow found an opening within the barrier.

Others chalked it up to either foul play or her Quirk being more than what it let on. Those in the know knew that it was her Stand, and her Classmates who weren't aware of her Stand agreed with those who chalked it up to her Quirk being more than what Kira said it was.

For Fumikage, he was utterly stupefied by what was going on. He couldn't even begin to understand where the sudden speed was coming from. Although he couldn't see what was attacking Dark Shadow, he had a hard time recalling when anyone could outspeed Dark Shadow when it became blood-lusted. Not even his Parents, who had Shadow Controlling Quirks, could outspeed Dark Shadow when it got angry or wanted a fight.

Whatever Dark Shadow saw Kira use was stronger and faster than Dark Shadow in both states. He tried to reign in Dark Shadow, but it was useless, as whatever was attacking it continued to catch up, landing body shots on it at fast speeds. When the distance increased, Kira closed it, and the beatings continued.

With narrowed eyes and an exhausted grunt from the Tokoyami, he noticed some patterns with Kira and what was happening. "Whatever she is using is close-ranged. She can't get too far away. Otherwise, whatever she's using gets out of range for her to attack. To compensate for that, she can create bubble bombs that move extremely fast. She has all of her weaknesses covered. As it stands, I have no chance of beating her like this. I have to—"

Fumikage's thoughts were cut off when he watched Dark Shadow try and get close to Kira, its eyes fiery and determined as it straightened out its claws into a spear-like shape. Tokoyami's eyes widened in horror. He knew exactly what Dark Shadow was trying to do. It was blood-lusted, after all, and therefore, he should've seen this coming, but even then, he hoped that Dark Shadow wouldn't have been that stupid to try and go for such a deadly move.

Dark Shadow was attempting to impale Kira with its clawed hands.

While he hated Kira with all his body, mind, and soul, he wasn't about to stoop to her level, especially in broad daylight in front of hundreds of thousands of people inside and outside the stadium.

"DARK SHADOW! NO!" Fumikage cried out, trying to reign it in, but to no avail. It had gotten out of hand again, even in sunlight. The best he could do was step out of the arena and forfeit and get knocked out by Midnight, which was looking like a possibility, seeing as she was going for her arm to remove the easily tearable cloth to expose her skin and activate her Quirk.

However, from Yoshihara's perspective, she wasn't worried at all. Dark Shadow was fast, that much she could acknowledge, perhaps faster than Killer Queen when she wasn't trying all that hard. But in this case, she was trying. That meant Killer Queen was faster than a slightly amped-up Dark Shadow. Knowing this, she used it to her advantage.

Killer Queen got between Yoshihara and Dark Shadow. Then, with accuracy akin to that of an elite sniper kicked Dark Shadow in the face, knocking it back toward Tokoyami. Dark Shadow, now dazed, shook its head and was about to continue its assault, only for Killer Queen to then dash forward, cock back a punch, and aim it at Tokoyami with the intent to knock him out. Seeing this, Dark Shadow tried to get between Killer Queen and Tokoyami; however, it was too slow.

Killer Queen's fist slammed into Tokoyami's beak, cracking the tip of the beak and sending him flying out of the arena. Tokoyami's eyes widened as he went flying. Whatever had hit him did so with the speed and force of a truck. He felt a ringing in his head as his eyes slowly closed, hitting unconsciousness, making Dark Shadow forcefully retreat into its user. Safely ending the fight between the two opponents.

"WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT! TOKOYAMI FUMIKAGE AND HIS DARK SHADOW HAVE BEEN SENT OUT OF BOUNDS! KIRA YOSHIHARA MOVES ON TO THE SEMI-FINALS!" Present Mic announced as Yoshihara retreated away from the arena, cupping her slashed arm with a slight grimace.

The fight went differently than she would've hoped. She now had some information on how Tokoyami's Dark Shadow worked, as it seemed to hold all the properties of a Stand. It could even see Stands. However, despite that, it was not a Stand. Her initial theory of it being an underdeveloped Stand was something she thought about throughout the fight, and she decided that had to have been the truth.

There was a good possibility that Dark Shadow was a premature Stand. Either that, or because it was a part of Tokoyami, it was linked to his soul, and because it was connected to him on a spiritual level, it could see Stands. It was weird that Tokoyami himself couldn't, but then again, she supposed it made sense.

"Yoshihara! Are you all right?!" Izuku called out from down the hallway, green sparks flashing all over his body as he rushed to her side. She found it hilarious how worried he was. She couldn't help but smile as he cupped her hands into his, a worried gleam in his eyes as he examined her arm. "He didn't cut you too badly, did he?"

"Izuku, please. I've been through and have felt worse. This is nothing. It'll leave a scar, but it'll go away," Yoshihara said as Izuku sighed, looking at her with a hint of concern.

"Do you want me to take you to Recovery Girl?" Izuku asked as Yoshihara smiled, slipping one of her hands out of his as she playfully ruffled his hair. Izuku blushed, slightly embarrassed, not that Yoshihara cared. It was fun to tease him, and being his girlfriend didn't change that. Not even remotely.

"Be my guest," Yoshihara said as the pair walked down to the medical ward. Yoshihara had to admit that she didn't really expect Izuku to become so clingy or, at the very least, express this much care. But then again, she supposed it made sense. He was already like this—always worried about everyone around him. That was just the kind of person he was.

And she wouldn't know what to do if he wasn't.

[XXXX]

!Stand Information Corner!

Stand User: Tatami Utsagi

Stand Name: Leading The Pack

Localized Name: Ordering The Wolves

Stand Appearance: Leading The Pack takes the appearance of a shadowy, deformed wolf. Over where its eyes would be sits a red visor, and it has two rows of knife-like teeth. It is about as tall as an average timber wolf, and its entire body is made out of a shadow-like substance.

Stand Ability: Leading the Pack's ability is to divide as if it were a cell experiencing mitosis, but only if the one experiencing mitosis is originally put down. The more it divides, the less punishment it can take. However, the trade-off is that each subsequent Leading The Pack created will be physically stronger and faster. It has no set limit, as no limit has ever been reached. The only way to stop the ability is if Tatami is defeated.

Stand Stats:

Destructive Power: N/A (As the Stand's physical power changes with each subsequent division, a grade cannot be given to it as a definitive answer)

Effective Range: Grade A (50 meters)

General Speed: N/A (As the Stand's natural speed changes with each subsequent division, a grade cannot be given to it as a definitive answer)

Persistent use of Ability: Grade A (The ability is always active, and can only be deactivated if Tatami is either unconscious or dead)

Precision: Grade C (Infrequently Misses)

Overall Potential: Grade B

[XXXX]

Blackwell had left the seating area the moment Yoshihara Kira's fight with that Tokoyami boy concluded. In her first fight, he hadn't gotten a clear understanding of just how strong her Stand had been. But now? Now, he had somewhat of an idea after being able to see what it could do when it was actually challenged.

His conclusion? Loathe as he was to admit it, Yoshihara Kira may or may not become a problem to him in the near future.

He didn't have to fight it to know that the Stand of Yoshihara Kira was on par with his Stand. Strength-wise, speed-wise, accuracy-wise—just about everything aside from their abilities. It frustrated him to know end to see that even now, someone with the name "Kira" was more than likely to become a thorn in his side. Except this time, Yoshihara Kira was directly in contact with The Joestars. Which meant that they were directly linked to The Speedwagon Foundation.

If she was linked directly with The Speedwagon Foundation, then that meant that if any harm came to her and he was nearby, he would have to deal with Jonathon Kujo. Not that he didn't think he couldn't humiliate that fool, but that was beside the point.

Then there was the other Joestar, Kujo Josefumi. His Stand wasn't nearly as dangerous as Kira's. Then again, he hadn't gotten a chance to actually see it in action. So, who knows, maybe it was just as dangerous. He wasn't cocky enough to assume that someone of Joestar's blood was immediately weaker than himself. Kira was already proving to be a problem, so why not someone else from that lineage as well?

That aside, even if his Stand wasn't the issue, his usage of The Spin was.

The Spin was an extremely dangerous ability. It was the ability to directly manipulate a facet of reality—infinity. Having that kind of ability… was monstrous. It didn't matter how weak you were physically; if you could use The Spin, then you were guaranteed to be one of the strongest people there was.

It was why Eri Chisaki was someone who either needed to be under his boot or dead.

Despite the fact that Eri was a Quirk User, that didn't stop her from being strong. That didn't stop her from potentially being stronger than some of the strongest people in history. The ability to manipulate time, no matter how minute, was immediately something that needed to be worried about.

Eri's Quirk had infinite uses. Infinite uses meant infinite potential. God forbid she ever awakens her Quirk. Physical contact might not even need to be an issue. He was lucky that he found out about her before she matured. If she had, and if she decided to become a hero, then the pressure to speed up his mission would have more than likely doubled.

Which was why Noroi was such a damn problem.

He knew about Noroi, Eri's other half. Her "big sister," as she called it. If Kai seriously believed that he didn't know about her, then he was a fool to believe that. He had insiders everywhere. He knew everything about those who were under his thumb. What kind of mob boss would he be if he wasn't?

Noroi needed to be dealt with. But dealing with Noroi meant killing Eri, and unless Kai gave him a reason, he had to keep his promise. He might have been, as what some might describe as a "scum bag villain," but he was a man of principle. If he promised something, he kept his promises. It didn't matter what they were, that was just his outlook on things.

That being said, that wasn't his current worries. Right now, his biggest worry still pertained to Josefumi Kujo.

If he was able to get stronger with The Spin and learn about the boss of Damnatio Ad Bestias's identity—that being him—it would spell out his end and the end of Damnatio Ad Bestias, seeing as he had no next of kin to take over the business. He wasn't stupid to believe he could take on three Joestars at once, let alone two.

Therefore, he arrived at one conclusion he had made a while back, but for pettier reasons than he had now: Both of them needed to die, and both of them needed to die soon.

He had an idea. A very, very simple idea. If it worked, then he'd pat himself on the back. There was a certain group of people who wanted The Joestars dead. He knew their leader, and despite the fact that they hated each other, they both knew that The Joestars being gone would help their case immensely.

The only problem was somehow getting him to agree to it.

There was a reason why he hated Blackwell. He had every reason to. They had been fighting for years in the dark unbeknownst to anyone. But that didn't change the fact that they had a common interest. A very, very common interest. One that, if he was able to word it right, might just convince him to drop their current hatred for one another and work together.

But, what did he know? Especially given just how greedy his kind were.

Blackwell sighed, walking toward the exit door of The Sports Festival stadium. "Well, today has been a good day. I've got some good intel. If I play my cards right, the next step of my plan will work perfectly. All I have to do is send out that internship form within the given time, and if my theory about them is correct, I'll be able to give them exactly what they want. Especially now that they've been exposed to it."

Just as he was about to leave, however, he heard two sets of footsteps approach him from behind. For a split second, only a split second, he considered summoning his Stand. That was, until, he heard the voice of one of the people behind him. It was a voice he had known all too well and one he hadn't heard in a long time.

"Is… is that you? Taisuke, is that you?" Toshinori's voice rippled through his mind as Blackwell, aka Taisuke, had to stop and remind himself to breathe. Just because he was a powerful Stand User did not mean he was ready to be confronted by someone he had not seen, let alone heard from in a very long time. In-person or otherwise.

Slowly, Taisuke turned around and bore witness to Toshinori. While he was healed from the old sack of flesh, he had appeared to be the last time Taisuke had happened upon him in public—and even then, Toshinori hadn't noticed him—he was still healthier looking. His face was less sunken, and his body looked more… fuller. Less skin and bone and more flesh and fat.

"Well… I'll be. It's been quite a long time, Toshinori. I would love to stay and chat, but I'm afraid I'm busy. I—"

"The Clan is gone. What could you possibly be busy with?" Toshinori asked, a hint of bitterness in his voice as Taisuke frowned.

"Now, now. What's with that tone? I understand that it was on negative terms when we last saw each other, but I don't believe I've done anything to receive your ire, now have I?" Taisuke asked as Toshinori's expression turned from somewhat neutral to slightly annoyed.

"It's been well over thirty years since we've seen one another, and you don't plan on speaking to me at all? Not even humouring me with a little bit of conversation?" Toshinori asked as finally, the other person, Recovery Girl if he was correct, spoke up.

"Toshinori? Who is this man? How do you know him?" Recovery Girl asked, and just as Toshinori was about to speak, Taisuke spoke first.

"He's my younger brother by a few years. We haven't seen each other in a very, very long time. But that's enough about how we know each other. I'd love to sit down and have a nice chat with you, Toshinori, but I am a busy man. I am a Pro Hero now—I've been one for around about the same time as you, actually. You, of all people, must understand, do you not?"

Toshinori stared at Taisuke, a hint of disbelief in his eyes as Taisuke exited the stadium. Toshinori didn't know what to say. He was at a loss for words. A part of him was angry, but a part of him was glad.

Angry that he never knew his brother was alive.

Glad that he knew that at least someone from his family was still alive. At least, someone that he was directly related to. As far as he was concerned, his remaining family died when Nana died.

Toshinori looked over to Chiyo, who frowned. "I still think you've made a horrible choice. You have no idea what that could've caused… You're risking a lot for something that might not even matter in the end."

"I know. But… I don't want to have what happened to me to happen to Young Midoriya. You and I both know that he wouldn't take it well. My health was declining, and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to keep my promise to Nana," Toshinori said as Chiyo raised an eyebrow.

"And what was that promise?"

"To not die before All For One dies."

Meanwhile, elsewhere, in Esuha, Kai Chisaki was tired. He was tired, and he was bored. Why? Well, it was because of what it was he was doing right now. What was that, one may ask? Well, the answer to that was simple.

He was sitting on a couch in the house part of his compound, with Eri sitting on his lap, eating a bowl of popcorn. Fresh bandages were wrapped around her arms, and while she didn't have any real emotion on her face outside of a distant annoyance, she was content.

For now.

They were watching The Sports Festival—it was Eri's request after today's daily "blood donation," as he had begun to put it so that he didn't lose his already dwindling sanity. While he had no real interest in heroes, in fact, he found them quite repugnant. He didn't want to upset Eri.

He was still her guardian. He wasn't a complete piece of shit—at least, he didn't like to think so. He was trying, and that was what mattered. Besides, it had been a long time since Eri had wanted to actually do something with him instead of simply going back to her room.

Clearly, something happened. Either that, or she didn't want to have to listen to Noroi's ramblings. Honestly? He could relate. Noroi was annoying.

"Uncle…" Eri murmured, looking over her shoulder and up at Kai, who raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Eri?"

"I wanna meet Mr. Midoriya and Ms. Kira. They seem nice. I think they can help us," Eri said as Kai blinked, confusion taking up his expression.

"You think a pair of teenagers can help us? Midoriya's not special like Noroi and, to an extent, you. I don't know about Kira because I can't see what you can see, but she doesn't look like the helping type despite her current career path. How can either of them help?"

"Dunno… just a gut feeling," Eri said, popping some more popcorn into her mouth. "Oh, and I need new shorts. When Noroi wanted a turn, she ripped the pair we had. She blames me."

"Why?"

"I'm gaining weight. For once."

"Oh, where'd the snark come from?" Kai said, stifling a laugh as Eri looked back at the TV.

"Rappa-san's been visiting me and playing Mario Kart with me. Blame him," Eri replied, yawning. "I wanna go have a nap. I'm tired."

"Okay, Eri. Do you want me to take you?"

"Yes, please," Eri said as Kai picked her up. As he did, she curled up in his arms, closed her eyes, and rested her head against his arm. A small twinge of guilt plucked at his heartstrings.

"Soon, Eri. Soon…" Kai thought to himself as exited the lounge. "Soon, you'll be free."

-To Be Continued-